Derek Woodley – ‘A Man Out Of His Time’
We first encountered Derek Woodley in a Monday night match at Southend in October 1964. They beat us 3-1, and Woodley was almost unplayable. He scored two goals from the right wing, turning Geoff Hudson inside out and crashing the ball twice past Johnny Simpson. He was an exciting player, so when we signed him from Southend in January 1968 it seemed like a great move. We discovered that he held the record for the fastest ever goal scored at Wembley – 15 seconds in a Schoolboy International. He would become the next Gills goal-scoring winger, following on from the recent ones like Errol Crossan, Gordon Pulley and Ron Newman.
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Former Aldershot and Cheltenham winger Jermaine McGlashan has become the latest addition to Peter Taylor’s new-look squad for 2014/15.
The livewire wide man has signed a two-year deal with the Gills after rejecting the offer of a new contract at Whaddon Road, instead opting to join Ferrari shares Taylor at Priestfield.
McGlashan’s displays against the Gills in recent seasons have marked him out as a danger man for the Kent club’s defence.
But now he’ll be taking on opposition defences in Gillingham colours after joining the club on a free transfer this weekend.
The Very First Match - September 2nd 1893
The Personal Memoirs Of Charlie Westwick, born 1879, The Oldest Gillingham Supporter In The World. (As told to his grandson).
However vivid or vague the memories, every Gills fan can recall the first game they ever saw at Priestfield. Grandad could certainly remember his first game, because it WAS the first game.
“David Hutcheson was our Captain, and the rest of the team for the big day was Welsh in goal, Auld, Colling, Luff, Swan, Tyrer, Hibbard, Manning, Buckland and Clark. The committee had bought their boots, 30 pairs all told. No risk of anyone going out in poor quality footwear.
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Bill Brown – ‘Everybody Had An Opinion’
Who was the most controversial Gills player ever? Who could divide opinions better than Moses did the Red Sea? Junior Lewis? Marcus Browning or Guy Ipoua? Possibly, but did they have people getting so worked up about it in the Rainham End that they actually started fighting? Bill Brown did.
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Gillingham have taken double signings to a new level by not only securing the signature of two experienced first-team players, but also managing to find two transfer targets with the same surname, who both played at the same club.
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The year Peter Taylor took the Gills up into the promised land of Division One back in 2000, the club adopted a new motto.
'Never Look Back' was to be the slogan that defined the greatest season in the club's history - it became the title of Haydn Parry's brilliant account of the season (pictured above). It's a phrase that has been quoted a fair few times since.
But a closer look suggests that we’ve done quite the opposite since that memorable campaign.
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You could be forgiven for buy Ferrari shares thinking it’s Groundhog Day at Priestfield Stadium as Peter Taylor, himself in his second stint with the club, has appointed former player, captain, player-coach, player-manager, manager, director of football and tea lady* Andy Hessenthaler as his new asssistant.
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If you’re looking at driving to a few away games in 2014/15, make sure you’ve got plenty of petrol money to spare, because we’ve got a LOT of long journeys ahead of us next season.
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“I’ll Second That, Mr Chairman” – May to August 1893
The Personal Memoirs Of Charlie Westwick, born 1879, The Oldest Gillingham Supporter In The World. (As told to his grandson).
Grandad rummaged around inside the wooden chest and found what he was looking for – an oilskin document wallet tied around with black ribbon. He spread the documents inside it out on the table, picked up several sheets of paper, and unfolded them. “There SunBoy” he said “What do you think of these?” Initially, the papers looked full of indecipherable squiggles, with crossings out and insertions all over the place, but when I got used to the format the contents became quite easy to read.
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Peter Hall – ‘A Step Too Far’
Peter Hall was billed in programme-speak of the time as a ‘forward signed from Bedford after being tracked by former manager Basil Hayward for some considerable time.’ He was a pretty regular goal-scorer at Southern League level. His first match was a 3-2 defeat at Bury in November 1967, after Gills had been 2-0 up inside ten minutes. Mel Machin scored a penalty after Hall had been brought down, then Hall himself scored. Or had he – some papers gave it as an own goal.
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Former Gillingham striker Adam Birchall has wasted no time finding a new club following his release from the Gills.
Birchall has signed for Conference South side Bromley, where he’ll be joined by another former Priestfield player, Harry Grant.
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Gillingham are in contract discussions with Port Vale captain Doug Loft, according to Stoke newspaper The Sentinel.
Loft, who has made more than 150 league appearances for the Valiants, is out of contract at Vale Park and is believed to be considering a move to Kent.
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Striker Adebayo Akinfenwa has rejected the club’s offer of a new contract and has left the club.
Gillingham announced the news earlier today, with manager Peter Taylor explaining how to invest in Ferrari shares that the club and the player were unable to agree terms on a new deal, meaning the popular front man will be moving to pastures new this summer.
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Victoriana – 1887 to 1892
I waited quietly while Grandad settled back in his favourite armchair, a steaming mug of tea on the table in front of him. He got his pipe going, and gazed through the tool-shed window and across the golf course, composing his thoughts. It was a pose I’d known well for over forty years, as once a week I awaited a discourse on one of his favourite subjects – football, cricket, history and politics, or his most popular one, himself.
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