OUR next League One focus club is Gillingham, who will be our first opponents at the Pirelli Stadium in 2019!
WHEN DO WE PLAY THEM?
Away: Saturday August 11, 2018
Home: Saturday January 12, 2019
CLUB HISTORY:
Gillingham Football Club, known then as New Brompton FC, were formed at the Napier Arms pub in May 1893, but changed to the current name in time for the 1912/13 season.
In 1920 the Gills became founder members of the Third Division and were Kent League champions in both 1944/45 before the following season saw them victorious in the Kent League, the Kent League Cup, the Kent Senior Cup, the Kent Senior Shield and the Kent Challenge Cup.
Their first league honours came in the 1963/64 season as Freddie Cox’s side pipped Carlisle United on goal average to the Fourth Division title.
The Gills came within minutes of reaching Division One in 1998/99 but lost on penalties to Manchester City in that season’s play-off final - but Gillingham would make the second tier the season after, beating Wigan Athletic 3-2 in extra time.
LAST SEASON:
Gillingham finished 17th in League One in 2017/18, amassing 56 points and winning 13, drawing 17 and losing 16 of their 46 games.
GROUND:
Priestfield has an all-seater capacity of 11,582 and originally opened in 1893. Away fans are housed on one side of the Brian Moore Stand in the uncovered stand behind one goal.
MANAGER:
Steve Lovell took charge at Priestfield in 2017, having previously been co-caretaker in 2014 alongside Andy Hessenthaler.
Lovell made 223 appearances, scoring 94 goals, for The Gills in his playing career and won the League One Manager of the Month award in January having led Gillingham to four wins in four games in that period.
INCOMINGS:
Six new signings have been made by The Gills so far this summer - including that of former Brewer Callum Reilly.
Reilly made 21 appearances for Albion over two spells - arriving on loan at the end of the 2014/15 season and then signing permanently ahead of our first League One season from Birmingham City.
Since leaving the Pirelli Stadium, Reilly has been at Bury and joined The Gills on loan last season before making his move permanent in the summer.