IT was back to normality with a bump for myself at Priestfield on Saturday.
After spending the last two Saturday afternoons with my feet up, enjoying the glorious sunshine in Spain, I was back in the press box at Priestfield this weekend.
It may still be September but it was freezing up at the back of the Medway Stand and the gloves and woolly hat are definitely coming out for the match against Southend on Tuesday night.
I like the fact that Burton came looking for a win, a rather refreshing change and something I don’t think we’ll see at Priestfield too often this season, although their football wasn’t exactly creative.
Unfortunately where Burton went Gillingham followed and there was a bit too much long ball going on for my liking and clearly for Andy Hessenthaler as well. He managed to get the team a bit more disciplined after the break and I reckon by 90 minutes the Gills deserved the win.
Quick to rub salt in the wounds, one of our regular contributors to the coveritlive text commentary let me know it was 32c over in Spain. Thanks for that GillSpain!
Looking outside from the KM Medway office the weather is still looking pretty grim at the minute on Sunday evening. We have just about finished putting together the Monday paper, which is pretty chocker this week following a lengthy post-match press conference after the game on Saturday.
Hessy is a top man when it comes to dealing with the press and a far cry from some recent managers at Priestfield, such as Mr Ternent and Jepson. The job of a local footy reporter can be made pretty difficult if the manager isn’t very cooperative or doesn’t appreciate the value of the media.
There are certainly still some characters about in football and it was quite refreshing to sit in on a press conference with Southend boss Paul Sturrock recently. He waltzed in after pretty much telling Gills’ assistant Ian Hendon to hurry up "because I need the toilet." Although his language was less polite!
I think Ian was all-too happy to cut short his press commitments after Hess decided to let his no.2 do the duties that evening.
Throughout the week we have to deal with non-league managers across Kent and you certainly get a mixed back. I have spent some time this Sunday trying to get some reaction to Chatham’s win over Walton. The manager didn’t answer his phone, the assistant did - but he was in Trinidad - and the player/coach got sent off in the game for an "off the ball incident" so it was no surprise he didn’t pick up!
Back to Hess and he was telling us about new boy Bruce Inkango and how he turned up without a suit on Saturday. Eager to avoid an early fine he apparently borrowed the kit-man Malcom’s suit from when they went to Wembley and it fitted a dream. They even managed to dig him out a tie. Pic of Malcolm below! Hopefully Malc didn't leave any fags in the pockets.
I was quite interested to see Nicky Southall giving Bruce several minutes of instructions before he came on as sub. Apparently Bruce's English isn't very good so god knows how that conversation went!
It was good news to hear that Simon King might be on the way back before Christmas, though he really does need to sort that barnet out. Hess said it makes him look like a girl but if he can recapture the form of old I guess nobody will really care.
I also heard the match-day announcer Doug say it was Barry Fuller’s birthday on Saturday. All the records I have found suggest his birthday is in August and the Gills press officer looked none the wiser. Does anyone know how old Fuller really is?
Anyway, roll on Southend, and if you are going don’t forget to wrap up warm!
Suit hire available from this man!
Sunday 26 September 2010
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Time to deliver...
After two weeks in Spain I expected to return to see the Gills flying high in League 2 but I was shocked to see them sitting in 20th - just a point off bottom team Barnet.
Looking at things from afar it’s easy to see why so many people are getting agitated, after all the bookies were tipping the Gills to win the league, the manager and chairman were saying much the same, and most fans expect to be back in League 1 next season.
We are only seven games in and it’s still early but the gap between the Gills and top team Shrewsbury (the only team Gills have beaten so far) is already 10 points and margins like that aren’t easy to make up, especially when you’re scratching around trying to get a result.
Injuries have clearly hampered the Gills so far but a lack of confidence must also be creeping in. Players are big worriers and they’ll be only too aware of how disappointing the results have been. The longer it goes on the harder it’s going to be to get into a winning swing. The last minute blunder at Bradford must have been a massive body-blow to the players, as well as the fans.
Lance Cronin was singled out by the Gills boss for his error on Saturday but the players need to take collective blame - after all, where were the goals? When you don’t score you are always putting yourself under added pressure.
That pressure is mounting and it’s no surprise to hear the fans getting frustrated. The team looks good enough on paper and they need to start proving they are good enough by getting some points on the board.
Luckily we’re still in September and all is not lost. With two winnable home games coming up, against Burton and Southend, this really could be the time for the Gills to get going.
While on my hols I did have the pleasure to witness France being beaten by a last minute goal against Belarus - much to the annoyance and anger of the bar full of Les Bleus fans. I imagine there was much the same reaction from Gillingham fans in Bradford following the late defeat there.
There is never a shortage of under-performing teams and at the moment Gills are doing that in a big way. Hopefully the Gills can head into October with six more points and start hunting down those table-toppers.
Looking at things from afar it’s easy to see why so many people are getting agitated, after all the bookies were tipping the Gills to win the league, the manager and chairman were saying much the same, and most fans expect to be back in League 1 next season.
We are only seven games in and it’s still early but the gap between the Gills and top team Shrewsbury (the only team Gills have beaten so far) is already 10 points and margins like that aren’t easy to make up, especially when you’re scratching around trying to get a result.
Injuries have clearly hampered the Gills so far but a lack of confidence must also be creeping in. Players are big worriers and they’ll be only too aware of how disappointing the results have been. The longer it goes on the harder it’s going to be to get into a winning swing. The last minute blunder at Bradford must have been a massive body-blow to the players, as well as the fans.
Lance Cronin was singled out by the Gills boss for his error on Saturday but the players need to take collective blame - after all, where were the goals? When you don’t score you are always putting yourself under added pressure.
That pressure is mounting and it’s no surprise to hear the fans getting frustrated. The team looks good enough on paper and they need to start proving they are good enough by getting some points on the board.
Luckily we’re still in September and all is not lost. With two winnable home games coming up, against Burton and Southend, this really could be the time for the Gills to get going.
While on my hols I did have the pleasure to witness France being beaten by a last minute goal against Belarus - much to the annoyance and anger of the bar full of Les Bleus fans. I imagine there was much the same reaction from Gillingham fans in Bradford following the late defeat there.
There is never a shortage of under-performing teams and at the moment Gills are doing that in a big way. Hopefully the Gills can head into October with six more points and start hunting down those table-toppers.
Tuesday 31 August 2010
Oh we do love to be beside the seaside (just not in Morecambe)
Eric Morecambe without Ernie Wise is a bit like playing well but not scoring.
To have them both together is a bonus and it’s something Gillingham are not getting right at the moment.
Against the Morecambe football team the Gills should have walked away with their first away win since May 09, but instead only just escaped with a point.
I suppose if you are going to draw a game, it’s always more satisfying to come from behind late on, and the final few minutes at Morecambe were pretty entertaining for the handful of Gills fans who had made the trip.
Only against Lincoln, and when the defence imploded against Norwich, have the Gills looked bad but without those goals it’s meant a hard slog for Andy Hessenthaler’s men in the first month of the season.
I don’t think there is any need to panic just yet though. Players are still coming back (seven were out injured on Saturday) and those teams with bigger squads generally come out on top in the end, and in League 2 the Gills certainly have a sizeable and decent bunch to choose from.
There were mixed responses from anyone I spoke to about Morecambe’s ground and personally there was a feeling that something was not quite right about it.
To have built a new stadium that is pretty much three-sided seems quite bizarre and it the whole place felt a bit bland.
I can understand them not wanting to go over-board like Darlington and build a stadium ridiculously excessive for their needs, but Morecambe seem to have gone the complete opposite and spent millions on a new ground that does little to capture the imagination.
The fans behind the Shrimps goal were largely quiet as well and even the lad with the drum seemed to have lost his enthusiasm.
We had a little drive to the sea-front after the game and I’m not sure if it was the weather (cold and wet) but the place was deserted and dreary. The only action was at the pub on the sea-front that was swarming with police and drunken girls.
On a plus side though the chips and curry sauce were top quality. A statue of a jovial Eric Morecambe looks quite out of place here but he obviously came when the sun was out.
It was great to see Danny Spiller off the mark with a goal at Morecambe and the way the players celebrated suggests there is a real team spirit developing, something that I think is going to be key.
It was a trip to Morecambe last time the Gills were in League 2 that helped change their season.
The Gillingham team, who at the time were struggling to force their way into the play-off picture, took in away games against Morecambe and Port Vale and stayed over for almost a week for a real team bonding exercise. They won them both and did enough in the second half of the season to make the play-offs.
Let’s hope the trip on Saturday can kick start this current campaign.
For anybody that is already writing the Gills off, it’s worth remembering that Barnet made the early running last season, under Ian Hendon, but with no funds to strengthen when they needed the extra push the team soon started to slide and only just avoided relegation at the end of the campaign.
Like the Gills, Bradford are also failing to live up to expectations and Peter Taylor made some refreshing comments after a shock 2-0 home defeat to Southend. He took the blame, saying: “I’m the one that puts the players together and when they play like that it’s my fault.”
“I signed the majority of the players so the way we played is down to me. There are no excuses.”
It’s nice to see a manager taking responsibility and I’m sure the expectation levels at Bradford (joint faves for promotion with the Gills) means he’s under massive pressure to succeed.
Chairman aren’t, generally, very lenient these days and Alan Pardew lasted just three league games before getting the boot.
A draw and a defeat was followed by a 4-0 win over Bristol Rovers, but that wasn’t good enough for the Southampton board.
As for the Gills, it’s back to the seaside tonight.
The short trip (dependent on the Dartford crossing) across to Essex beckons as the Gills face Southend in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy South East section.
Not a game to arouse a great deal of excitement but there is a Wembley final at the end of it.
It’s the first time since February 1999 that the Gills have had an away match in the Football League Trophy, when they lost to a golden goal against Millwall.
I’ll be making the trip over and if you want to follow the action via our live commentry service then visit kentonline.co.uk/gillingham at 7.15pm. We’re getting plenty of followers so far and had one chap from New Zealand logging in on Saturday while watching whales out of his window.
If all you’ve got to look out of the window is a row of parked cars and your neighbours house, then let’s hope the action at Roots Hall keeps you entertained.
To have them both together is a bonus and it’s something Gillingham are not getting right at the moment.
Against the Morecambe football team the Gills should have walked away with their first away win since May 09, but instead only just escaped with a point.
I suppose if you are going to draw a game, it’s always more satisfying to come from behind late on, and the final few minutes at Morecambe were pretty entertaining for the handful of Gills fans who had made the trip.
Only against Lincoln, and when the defence imploded against Norwich, have the Gills looked bad but without those goals it’s meant a hard slog for Andy Hessenthaler’s men in the first month of the season.
I don’t think there is any need to panic just yet though. Players are still coming back (seven were out injured on Saturday) and those teams with bigger squads generally come out on top in the end, and in League 2 the Gills certainly have a sizeable and decent bunch to choose from.
There were mixed responses from anyone I spoke to about Morecambe’s ground and personally there was a feeling that something was not quite right about it.
To have built a new stadium that is pretty much three-sided seems quite bizarre and it the whole place felt a bit bland.
I can understand them not wanting to go over-board like Darlington and build a stadium ridiculously excessive for their needs, but Morecambe seem to have gone the complete opposite and spent millions on a new ground that does little to capture the imagination.
The fans behind the Shrimps goal were largely quiet as well and even the lad with the drum seemed to have lost his enthusiasm.
We had a little drive to the sea-front after the game and I’m not sure if it was the weather (cold and wet) but the place was deserted and dreary. The only action was at the pub on the sea-front that was swarming with police and drunken girls.
On a plus side though the chips and curry sauce were top quality. A statue of a jovial Eric Morecambe looks quite out of place here but he obviously came when the sun was out.
It was great to see Danny Spiller off the mark with a goal at Morecambe and the way the players celebrated suggests there is a real team spirit developing, something that I think is going to be key.
It was a trip to Morecambe last time the Gills were in League 2 that helped change their season.
The Gillingham team, who at the time were struggling to force their way into the play-off picture, took in away games against Morecambe and Port Vale and stayed over for almost a week for a real team bonding exercise. They won them both and did enough in the second half of the season to make the play-offs.
Let’s hope the trip on Saturday can kick start this current campaign.
For anybody that is already writing the Gills off, it’s worth remembering that Barnet made the early running last season, under Ian Hendon, but with no funds to strengthen when they needed the extra push the team soon started to slide and only just avoided relegation at the end of the campaign.
Like the Gills, Bradford are also failing to live up to expectations and Peter Taylor made some refreshing comments after a shock 2-0 home defeat to Southend. He took the blame, saying: “I’m the one that puts the players together and when they play like that it’s my fault.”
“I signed the majority of the players so the way we played is down to me. There are no excuses.”
It’s nice to see a manager taking responsibility and I’m sure the expectation levels at Bradford (joint faves for promotion with the Gills) means he’s under massive pressure to succeed.
Chairman aren’t, generally, very lenient these days and Alan Pardew lasted just three league games before getting the boot.
A draw and a defeat was followed by a 4-0 win over Bristol Rovers, but that wasn’t good enough for the Southampton board.
As for the Gills, it’s back to the seaside tonight.
The short trip (dependent on the Dartford crossing) across to Essex beckons as the Gills face Southend in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy South East section.
Not a game to arouse a great deal of excitement but there is a Wembley final at the end of it.
It’s the first time since February 1999 that the Gills have had an away match in the Football League Trophy, when they lost to a golden goal against Millwall.
I’ll be making the trip over and if you want to follow the action via our live commentry service then visit kentonline.co.uk/gillingham at 7.15pm. We’re getting plenty of followers so far and had one chap from New Zealand logging in on Saturday while watching whales out of his window.
If all you’ve got to look out of the window is a row of parked cars and your neighbours house, then let’s hope the action at Roots Hall keeps you entertained.
Monday 23 August 2010
A foot in both camps
I only get to see my club Lincoln very rarely, due to work commitments meaning I get to follow the Gills up and down the country, but I seem to have been very fortunate over recent years.
Twice during the 08/09 season the Imps beat Gillingham and once more they came to Priestfield and walked away with maximum points.
Anyone that was there on Saturday will know what a shocker that first half was. Poor passing, poor distribution and very little threat on the Lincoln goal. And when Albert Jarrett took a punt and Cian Hughton followed up with the goal early on it was an up-hill battle for the Gills.
Lincoln sat deep and did what any team would do - time waste! There were injuries and substitutions to run down the clock and in the end it worked.
If you want a reminder of the Imps win, click here for the report and here for Barry Goodwin's pics.
That leaves the Gills without a win from their opening four games of the season (three in the league) but at least they have the benefit of some quality players coming back from injury. The team that have sat out in recent weeks could have comfortably dealt with League 2.
I’m most looking forward to seeing Cody McDonald. Apparently he’s good mates with x-factor man Ollie Murs and if you click this link HERE you can see him being interviewed on GMTV as he backed his mate for success.
Talking of singing Adebayo Akinfenwa revealed how he sang a “medley” of tunes to his new team-mates before the Hereford game but strangely there was no heckling. Bayo’s said: “Nobody booed. If they did they would have to see me one to one.” As he said that I had visions of Mr T from the A-team. I certainly wouldn’t have questioned his singing ability.
And will we ever see that former Ajax player Stanley Aborah? Injuries seem to have plagued him throughout his career. It stopped him getting a contract with Middlesborough a couple of seasons ago and it could deny him the chance to show his skills with the Gills. I hope he gets another contract as from what I have seen in pre-season he has bags of quality and it would be a shame if he never got the chance to prove what he could do.
Mark McCammon was out with the squad on Saturday after apparently being “beasted” by Nicky Southall in the gym pre-match! (according to Hess) Sounds like an interesting work-out.
At the end of my last blog I said that I couldn’t envisage the Gills trooping off to a chorus of boos on Saturday. How wrong I was.
I wasn’t surprised to hear them on Saturday after that first half performance but now everyone has just got to keep their fingers crossed and hope things improve, and I’m sure they will.
Morecambe are up next as the Gills head to the rather grandly named Globe Stadium. If ever I attended a place called the Globe Stadium I wouldn’t expect to be seeing Morecambe entertaining Gillingham in a League 2 match - no disrespect.
What is impressive is that a team of Morecambe’s standards have managed to build a stadium for £12 million. If they can do it, anyone can do it, so let’s hope the Gills can have a new venue one day.
I’m sure a few of you might have seen how Stimmo’s Barnet team got a thrashing at the weekend - 7-0 at Crewe. Never afraid to speak his mind, Stimmo said afterwards: “I apologise to our fans. I’ve told the players they have to put some cash back in their pockets. That was not acceptable.”
I wonder if that could take off. Players regularly dipping in their wallets to pay for the fans if they put in a bad performance. But should the manager take some of the blame as well?? After all, he signed these players. If players had to start paying for bad shifts then surely it would only be fair if it happened in all forms of work. Would that mean I would have to give our newspaper readers a refund if I make a spelling mistake!? It could prove very costly.
Not only were there problems on the pitch on Saturday, there were also issues in the press box. We used to have proper plastic cups for half-time bovril etc, but now are resigned to thin ones, which need stacking four deep to avoid burning your hands. And, as the chap next to me found out, they are clearly not wind resistant.
Luckily the table was level and it remained in a puddle. Testament to the builder of that Medway Stand (one of whom worked the PA system during the pre-season friendly at Concord Rangers. He was quite chuffed by that “claim-to-fame” and I was quite chuffed at his levelling skills). But anyway, I expect that same puddle to have turned to mould by the time Gills are next at home. I look forward to seeing if Martin (press officer) has been out with a cloth - which I doubt.
If you are not going to Morecambe then you can follow all the action via our text service and get involved in a bit of light-hearted banter at the same time. It starts from 2.30pm on Saturday via the kentonline.co.uk/gillingham website.
Cheers for now, Luke.
Twice during the 08/09 season the Imps beat Gillingham and once more they came to Priestfield and walked away with maximum points.
Anyone that was there on Saturday will know what a shocker that first half was. Poor passing, poor distribution and very little threat on the Lincoln goal. And when Albert Jarrett took a punt and Cian Hughton followed up with the goal early on it was an up-hill battle for the Gills.
Lincoln sat deep and did what any team would do - time waste! There were injuries and substitutions to run down the clock and in the end it worked.
If you want a reminder of the Imps win, click here for the report and here for Barry Goodwin's pics.
That leaves the Gills without a win from their opening four games of the season (three in the league) but at least they have the benefit of some quality players coming back from injury. The team that have sat out in recent weeks could have comfortably dealt with League 2.
I’m most looking forward to seeing Cody McDonald. Apparently he’s good mates with x-factor man Ollie Murs and if you click this link HERE you can see him being interviewed on GMTV as he backed his mate for success.
Talking of singing Adebayo Akinfenwa revealed how he sang a “medley” of tunes to his new team-mates before the Hereford game but strangely there was no heckling. Bayo’s said: “Nobody booed. If they did they would have to see me one to one.” As he said that I had visions of Mr T from the A-team. I certainly wouldn’t have questioned his singing ability.
And will we ever see that former Ajax player Stanley Aborah? Injuries seem to have plagued him throughout his career. It stopped him getting a contract with Middlesborough a couple of seasons ago and it could deny him the chance to show his skills with the Gills. I hope he gets another contract as from what I have seen in pre-season he has bags of quality and it would be a shame if he never got the chance to prove what he could do.
Mark McCammon was out with the squad on Saturday after apparently being “beasted” by Nicky Southall in the gym pre-match! (according to Hess) Sounds like an interesting work-out.
At the end of my last blog I said that I couldn’t envisage the Gills trooping off to a chorus of boos on Saturday. How wrong I was.
I wasn’t surprised to hear them on Saturday after that first half performance but now everyone has just got to keep their fingers crossed and hope things improve, and I’m sure they will.
Morecambe are up next as the Gills head to the rather grandly named Globe Stadium. If ever I attended a place called the Globe Stadium I wouldn’t expect to be seeing Morecambe entertaining Gillingham in a League 2 match - no disrespect.
What is impressive is that a team of Morecambe’s standards have managed to build a stadium for £12 million. If they can do it, anyone can do it, so let’s hope the Gills can have a new venue one day.
I’m sure a few of you might have seen how Stimmo’s Barnet team got a thrashing at the weekend - 7-0 at Crewe. Never afraid to speak his mind, Stimmo said afterwards: “I apologise to our fans. I’ve told the players they have to put some cash back in their pockets. That was not acceptable.”
I wonder if that could take off. Players regularly dipping in their wallets to pay for the fans if they put in a bad performance. But should the manager take some of the blame as well?? After all, he signed these players. If players had to start paying for bad shifts then surely it would only be fair if it happened in all forms of work. Would that mean I would have to give our newspaper readers a refund if I make a spelling mistake!? It could prove very costly.
Not only were there problems on the pitch on Saturday, there were also issues in the press box. We used to have proper plastic cups for half-time bovril etc, but now are resigned to thin ones, which need stacking four deep to avoid burning your hands. And, as the chap next to me found out, they are clearly not wind resistant.
Luckily the table was level and it remained in a puddle. Testament to the builder of that Medway Stand (one of whom worked the PA system during the pre-season friendly at Concord Rangers. He was quite chuffed by that “claim-to-fame” and I was quite chuffed at his levelling skills). But anyway, I expect that same puddle to have turned to mould by the time Gills are next at home. I look forward to seeing if Martin (press officer) has been out with a cloth - which I doubt.
If you are not going to Morecambe then you can follow all the action via our text service and get involved in a bit of light-hearted banter at the same time. It starts from 2.30pm on Saturday via the kentonline.co.uk/gillingham website.
Cheers for now, Luke.
Tuesday 17 August 2010
Welcome to League 2
Gillingham got a rude and a little belated welcome to life in League 2 by Hereford on Saturday.
Hereford’s Edgar Street is one of those football grounds that probably hasn’t changed since the days when they used to parade a bull around the pitch before kick-off.
I’m not sure whether it was health and safety or the animal’s toiletry habits that finally ended that little tradition.
The old cattle market outside (I think that’s what it was) has been turned into a car park and at just £1 to park even I could afford it and even the strange smell of urine wafting around the place didn’t put me off.
I don’t know what the changing rooms were like but the press facilities were a little cramped.
Apparently the press-box was “reserved” for others and so it meant squeezing in between the Hereford fans. It was a little cramped.
On the field the Gills were getting much the same kind of welcome as Hereford’s giant-sized team put their weight around whenever possible.
It must take some doing to put Adebayo Akinfenwa on the deck, but big Hungarian brute Janos Kovacs managed it just before half-time.
Mark Bentley also got a whack and Andy Barcham spent much of the first half hobbling around after a crude challenge.
“Bayo” got to his feet in time for a rant at whoever was in his vicinity as the teams left for half-time. Hessy had the job of guiding him back to the changing rooms.
The Gills should have won the game. Chris Palmer spanked the post in the first half and Danny Spiller was unlucky in injury time not to have finally ended that away run without a win. It’s been 27 games now, but I’m sure it won’t be long now.
Because I have the pleasure of following Gillingham home and away every weekend it means I don’t get to see my own team very often, and so the visit of the mighty Imps this weekend is a rare “treat”.
Ever since my Dad took me to Sincil Bank for the first time I have been stuck supporting one of the worst teams in the league. Unfortunately when you live in Lincolnshire there isn’t a lot of choice when it comes to football teams, so you can either play it or head down to Lincoln and watch it. The City had a thriving Saturday and Sunday League set-up.
I got drunk once as well and as a bet got a Lincoln Imp tattoo. So that’s me stuck with them!
Lincoln took six points off the Gills last time the sides were in the same division, much to my surprise, and Chris Sutton’s team need some points desperately this time around.
The Imps are currently holding up the rest of the league following defeats to Rotherham and Torquay.
I think I was destined to have some connection with the Gills as I still own a Gillingham FC hat which I found at Sincil Bank when I was a kid. I don’t remember the score, but no doubt Lincoln lost, we’re good at that, but I did win a new hat that day so if anyone dropped their Gillingham hat in Lincoln, thanks.
Gills fans may get to see Delroy Facey in action again on Saturday as he was one of Sutton’s summer signings, along with Albert Jarrett. Needless to say I wasn’t going down the bookies to put money on Lincoln getting promoted, or indeed getting back involved in the play-offs.
The only good thing about supporting Lincoln is that we know we’re rubbish and so anything is a bonus. Just a goal would be nice on Saturday and I’m not expecting much more as Hess seems to have put together a decent side.
Last time Lincoln were in town the Gills were beaten and trudged off to a chorus of boos, with the manager insisting that he would “never win the fans over.”
I can’t see that happening this weekend.
Hereford’s Edgar Street is one of those football grounds that probably hasn’t changed since the days when they used to parade a bull around the pitch before kick-off.
I’m not sure whether it was health and safety or the animal’s toiletry habits that finally ended that little tradition.
The old cattle market outside (I think that’s what it was) has been turned into a car park and at just £1 to park even I could afford it and even the strange smell of urine wafting around the place didn’t put me off.
I don’t know what the changing rooms were like but the press facilities were a little cramped.
Apparently the press-box was “reserved” for others and so it meant squeezing in between the Hereford fans. It was a little cramped.
On the field the Gills were getting much the same kind of welcome as Hereford’s giant-sized team put their weight around whenever possible.
It must take some doing to put Adebayo Akinfenwa on the deck, but big Hungarian brute Janos Kovacs managed it just before half-time.
Mark Bentley also got a whack and Andy Barcham spent much of the first half hobbling around after a crude challenge.
“Bayo” got to his feet in time for a rant at whoever was in his vicinity as the teams left for half-time. Hessy had the job of guiding him back to the changing rooms.
The Gills should have won the game. Chris Palmer spanked the post in the first half and Danny Spiller was unlucky in injury time not to have finally ended that away run without a win. It’s been 27 games now, but I’m sure it won’t be long now.
Because I have the pleasure of following Gillingham home and away every weekend it means I don’t get to see my own team very often, and so the visit of the mighty Imps this weekend is a rare “treat”.
Ever since my Dad took me to Sincil Bank for the first time I have been stuck supporting one of the worst teams in the league. Unfortunately when you live in Lincolnshire there isn’t a lot of choice when it comes to football teams, so you can either play it or head down to Lincoln and watch it. The City had a thriving Saturday and Sunday League set-up.
I got drunk once as well and as a bet got a Lincoln Imp tattoo. So that’s me stuck with them!
Lincoln took six points off the Gills last time the sides were in the same division, much to my surprise, and Chris Sutton’s team need some points desperately this time around.
The Imps are currently holding up the rest of the league following defeats to Rotherham and Torquay.
I think I was destined to have some connection with the Gills as I still own a Gillingham FC hat which I found at Sincil Bank when I was a kid. I don’t remember the score, but no doubt Lincoln lost, we’re good at that, but I did win a new hat that day so if anyone dropped their Gillingham hat in Lincoln, thanks.
Gills fans may get to see Delroy Facey in action again on Saturday as he was one of Sutton’s summer signings, along with Albert Jarrett. Needless to say I wasn’t going down the bookies to put money on Lincoln getting promoted, or indeed getting back involved in the play-offs.
The only good thing about supporting Lincoln is that we know we’re rubbish and so anything is a bonus. Just a goal would be nice on Saturday and I’m not expecting much more as Hess seems to have put together a decent side.
Last time Lincoln were in town the Gills were beaten and trudged off to a chorus of boos, with the manager insisting that he would “never win the fans over.”
I can’t see that happening this weekend.
Monday 9 August 2010
A new hero for the Gills?
Adebayo Akinfenwa arrived with a bang on Saturday as he dug Gillingham out of a hole at Priestfield.
He insists he doesn’t want to be used as an “impact sub” but what an impact he made.
I’m sure he’ll get some stick from opposition fans this year for obvious reasons but Cheltenham fans have clearly learned that he is a man to fear.
He put three past them last season and another on Saturday made it an almost-perfect day for the big striker. Just a shame about the result.
See some of Barry Goodwin's pics of the match by clicking here.
I see the Gills fans are busy on the message boards trying to come up with a song for Bayo and he looks like becoming an instant cult figure. In his own words on Saturday he “repaid the love from the fans with a goal” and I can only see this relationship blossoming.
Talking of relationships, it seems that the Dover fraternity have yet to get over Hessenthaler and co’s departure from Crabble. Why anyone would have a problem with wanting to see someone better themselves is beyond me.
Hess did wonders down at Dover and the four fans in the away end at Priestfield on Saturday should be applauding the man rather than carrying on with their petty hatred to all things Gills.
I’m sure Martin Hayes will do a good job at Dover this season and surely it’s about time those supporters got over it! But no doubt Mr Scally will be saying thankyou for the extra £92 that was handed over at the turnstile.
The rest of the 182 visiting fans will certainly have gone home happy. The bookies had them down as relegation faves but they looked decent enough, although had Andy Barcham finished off a few of his silky runs with a decent finish then it could have been a completely different outcome.
Personally I saw enough on Saturday to suggest there is plenty to come from the Gills team, and let’s not forget the players still to come back. Barry Fuller, Garry Richards, Stanley Aborah, Dennis Oli and Cody McDonald. They would all walk into most League 2 teams.
Aborah’s debut was delayed by paper-work, but according to Hess he was ill anyway and might not have featured.
A bug has apparently hit a few other members of the team since the weekend so let's just hope it's not too contagious.
If was great to see Dan Spiller back in action. I heard conflicting views about Spills’ performance on Saturday but personally I thought he looked willing and eager and still has a great eye for a pass. I also had a quick look at his youtube video. If he and Aborah can work their magic this season then they’ll be plenty to look forward to this season.
Some of the fellow journalists asked how he came across when I interviewed him. Well, like most Northern Europeans his English was spot on, and better than mine probably. But my impression was apparently more Chinese than Belgian/African.
We began our search for new Gills Jury members last week and now have a group of fans in place to give their thoughts on how the side will do this season. Everyone though predicted a Gills win on Saturday and it was only our guest Cheltenham fan Steve who went for 1-1. A fiver down the bookies brought him £80 as well! Well done Steve. Let’s see if our Jury can predict the outcome of Saturday’s trip to Hereford.
First up though is a game in Norwich. Simeon Jackson can’t play, as part of a gentleman’s agreement between Hess and their boss Paul Lambert, and Andrew Crofts is also absent now as he is on Wales duty.
How he ended up leaving the Gills for nothing is beyond me. It was sad to see the way he ended his spell at Gills but he’s proved last season at Brighton what a talent he is and I’m sure he will do well in the Championship.
I'm assuming Mr Lambert has remembered the Jackson agreement. In the press conference for the Norwich press on Monday he apparently made no mention of Jackson's unavailability. when asked about Simeon he described him as "fit and well". Could he yet play?
The Benno’s Beat column made its first appearance this week. I have no idea what the “Beat” is for as my shout of “Benno’s Banter” got snubbed by the boss. Mark Bentley will be providing an insight all season and unlike some columns which are ghost written, or sometimes written entirely by a journalist, this is all his own stuff, so I hope you enjoy what he has to say. Feel free to drop me an email with any questions for him.
Let’s hope for a cup upset in Norwich.
He insists he doesn’t want to be used as an “impact sub” but what an impact he made.
I’m sure he’ll get some stick from opposition fans this year for obvious reasons but Cheltenham fans have clearly learned that he is a man to fear.
He put three past them last season and another on Saturday made it an almost-perfect day for the big striker. Just a shame about the result.
See some of Barry Goodwin's pics of the match by clicking here.
I see the Gills fans are busy on the message boards trying to come up with a song for Bayo and he looks like becoming an instant cult figure. In his own words on Saturday he “repaid the love from the fans with a goal” and I can only see this relationship blossoming.
Talking of relationships, it seems that the Dover fraternity have yet to get over Hessenthaler and co’s departure from Crabble. Why anyone would have a problem with wanting to see someone better themselves is beyond me.
Hess did wonders down at Dover and the four fans in the away end at Priestfield on Saturday should be applauding the man rather than carrying on with their petty hatred to all things Gills.
I’m sure Martin Hayes will do a good job at Dover this season and surely it’s about time those supporters got over it! But no doubt Mr Scally will be saying thankyou for the extra £92 that was handed over at the turnstile.
The rest of the 182 visiting fans will certainly have gone home happy. The bookies had them down as relegation faves but they looked decent enough, although had Andy Barcham finished off a few of his silky runs with a decent finish then it could have been a completely different outcome.
Personally I saw enough on Saturday to suggest there is plenty to come from the Gills team, and let’s not forget the players still to come back. Barry Fuller, Garry Richards, Stanley Aborah, Dennis Oli and Cody McDonald. They would all walk into most League 2 teams.
Aborah’s debut was delayed by paper-work, but according to Hess he was ill anyway and might not have featured.
A bug has apparently hit a few other members of the team since the weekend so let's just hope it's not too contagious.
If was great to see Dan Spiller back in action. I heard conflicting views about Spills’ performance on Saturday but personally I thought he looked willing and eager and still has a great eye for a pass. I also had a quick look at his youtube video. If he and Aborah can work their magic this season then they’ll be plenty to look forward to this season.
Some of the fellow journalists asked how he came across when I interviewed him. Well, like most Northern Europeans his English was spot on, and better than mine probably. But my impression was apparently more Chinese than Belgian/African.
We began our search for new Gills Jury members last week and now have a group of fans in place to give their thoughts on how the side will do this season. Everyone though predicted a Gills win on Saturday and it was only our guest Cheltenham fan Steve who went for 1-1. A fiver down the bookies brought him £80 as well! Well done Steve. Let’s see if our Jury can predict the outcome of Saturday’s trip to Hereford.
First up though is a game in Norwich. Simeon Jackson can’t play, as part of a gentleman’s agreement between Hess and their boss Paul Lambert, and Andrew Crofts is also absent now as he is on Wales duty.
How he ended up leaving the Gills for nothing is beyond me. It was sad to see the way he ended his spell at Gills but he’s proved last season at Brighton what a talent he is and I’m sure he will do well in the Championship.
I'm assuming Mr Lambert has remembered the Jackson agreement. In the press conference for the Norwich press on Monday he apparently made no mention of Jackson's unavailability. when asked about Simeon he described him as "fit and well". Could he yet play?
The Benno’s Beat column made its first appearance this week. I have no idea what the “Beat” is for as my shout of “Benno’s Banter” got snubbed by the boss. Mark Bentley will be providing an insight all season and unlike some columns which are ghost written, or sometimes written entirely by a journalist, this is all his own stuff, so I hope you enjoy what he has to say. Feel free to drop me an email with any questions for him.
Let’s hope for a cup upset in Norwich.
Monday 2 August 2010
Injury probs for Hess and mozzies at Concord
Andy Hessenthaler got his final look at the Gillingham team in match action before the season starts on Saturday but choosing a starting eleven isn’t going to be straightforward.
Last season’s campaign was hampered by injuries and let’s hope that’s not the case this time around, although it’s not looking too clever at the moment.
Hess is waiting to see if captain Barry Fuller can shake off a knee injury in time for Saturday’s opener but it looks like he could be sitting that one out. Favourite to fill the right-back berth looks like being newcomer Tony Sinclair.
The Gills remain light in central defence. Garry Richards was back briefly against Croydon Athletic but is unlikely to be ready in time to face Cheltenham, as his fitness levels are well down. We all know about Simon King.
It must have been a blow for Gills fans to see Jack Payne sporting a neck brace on Saturday following a bump against Hearts on Thursday. He could well be okay and Hess commented, tongue in cheek, that he was just “a soft lad from Cliffe” during the after match interview on Saturday.
Jack looks like a tremendous prospect but if he isn’t ready then Kev Maher looks up for the challenge. He looked eager to impress against Croydon, got loads of time on the ball and didn’t waste a pass. He may not have won many fans over so far during his stay with Gills but it’s not too late.
Sat in the stands watching the action was Dennis Oli, who is definitely missing, while Curtis Weston and Stefan Payne were rested after collecting knocks.
Cody McDonald is still missing and he’ll be a big doubt now for Saturday. Scans suggest no breaks in his foot so it’s a case of waiting for the bruising to settle, so I’m told.
Young striker Andrew White pulled up early against Croydon with a hamstring and that’s him out for a while.
It was lucky Hessenthaler isn’t facing more injury woes after playing Croydon at Sittingboure on a pitch that makes my garden look like a bowling green. The hot weather isn’t helping but it certainly doesn’t encourage passing football.
Despite the poor surface the trialist Stanley Aborah looked comfortable. He’s here for a few more weeks and is desperate to get back into football after 18 months out. After speaking to him at Sittingbourne he seems like a nice lad and confident he could help the Gills if given the chance.
Four years ago he almost joined Middlesborough but the deal was scrapped after he got injured. He would be a luxury addition but personally I’d give him a go, even if it’s just short-term. Grab a copy of Monday’s Medway Messenger to read what he thinks of life at Gillingham.
Hess is mindful of his budget and knows he needs to off-load some players. Getting teams to take players off your hands is the hardest part though and so he could find himself in stuck with what he’s got for a while.
Returning back to the injury problems, let’s hope the young lad Dean Rance can recover quickly. He’s been hobbling about everywhere on crutches after suffering a crack to his foot. Hopefully he can recover quickly and prove his worth.
There were several people suffering injuries of a different kind at Concord Rangers on Tuesday night.
The club’s website should tell people to use mosquito repellent because I emerged with bites everywhere and Lance Cronin, who was stood patiently after the game waiting to be interviewed, was getting it worse. Sorry Lance!
The ground is next to a sewage-works so I dread to think what is floating through my veins right now.
I should say thanks to the Concord secretary Chris though, who got the tea and biscuits out for the press - all three of us. But I’m not sure everyone in Kent was so happy with the club. Sittingbourne apparently had a friendly organised against them for Saturday but Concord had double booked.
There is one last outing before the season starts at Faversham on Tuesday, but barring Garry Richards and Adebayo Akinfenwa, it’s unlikely Hess will risk any other first team players.
Hopefully on Saturday the replica shirts will be in the shops. The players looked very smart on Thursday during the official photo-shoot, especially Josh Gowling, who appears to have his own make-up artist. (see pic above).
A quick thanks to anyone that has been viewing the text updates on our CoveritLive service. The trial was an overwhelming success and we’ll be going for it throughout the season now, with updates from the match by myself and assistance from my colleague in the office. On Thursday we were swamped with Hearts fans, which took me by ausprise, and I’m not too sure they were happy that I described their kit as “purple”. I certainly got some abuse there from the “Maroon Army”.
Mark Bentley starts his column this week in the Medway Messenger newspaper. We’re still deciding on a title - maybe Benno’s Banter? If you want to put any questions to him, or comments, just email me at lcawdell@thekmgroup.co.uk and I’ll pass them on.
Roll on Saturday.
Last season’s campaign was hampered by injuries and let’s hope that’s not the case this time around, although it’s not looking too clever at the moment.
Hess is waiting to see if captain Barry Fuller can shake off a knee injury in time for Saturday’s opener but it looks like he could be sitting that one out. Favourite to fill the right-back berth looks like being newcomer Tony Sinclair.
The Gills remain light in central defence. Garry Richards was back briefly against Croydon Athletic but is unlikely to be ready in time to face Cheltenham, as his fitness levels are well down. We all know about Simon King.
It must have been a blow for Gills fans to see Jack Payne sporting a neck brace on Saturday following a bump against Hearts on Thursday. He could well be okay and Hess commented, tongue in cheek, that he was just “a soft lad from Cliffe” during the after match interview on Saturday.
Jack looks like a tremendous prospect but if he isn’t ready then Kev Maher looks up for the challenge. He looked eager to impress against Croydon, got loads of time on the ball and didn’t waste a pass. He may not have won many fans over so far during his stay with Gills but it’s not too late.
Sat in the stands watching the action was Dennis Oli, who is definitely missing, while Curtis Weston and Stefan Payne were rested after collecting knocks.
Cody McDonald is still missing and he’ll be a big doubt now for Saturday. Scans suggest no breaks in his foot so it’s a case of waiting for the bruising to settle, so I’m told.
Young striker Andrew White pulled up early against Croydon with a hamstring and that’s him out for a while.
It was lucky Hessenthaler isn’t facing more injury woes after playing Croydon at Sittingboure on a pitch that makes my garden look like a bowling green. The hot weather isn’t helping but it certainly doesn’t encourage passing football.
Despite the poor surface the trialist Stanley Aborah looked comfortable. He’s here for a few more weeks and is desperate to get back into football after 18 months out. After speaking to him at Sittingbourne he seems like a nice lad and confident he could help the Gills if given the chance.
Four years ago he almost joined Middlesborough but the deal was scrapped after he got injured. He would be a luxury addition but personally I’d give him a go, even if it’s just short-term. Grab a copy of Monday’s Medway Messenger to read what he thinks of life at Gillingham.
Hess is mindful of his budget and knows he needs to off-load some players. Getting teams to take players off your hands is the hardest part though and so he could find himself in stuck with what he’s got for a while.
Returning back to the injury problems, let’s hope the young lad Dean Rance can recover quickly. He’s been hobbling about everywhere on crutches after suffering a crack to his foot. Hopefully he can recover quickly and prove his worth.
There were several people suffering injuries of a different kind at Concord Rangers on Tuesday night.
The club’s website should tell people to use mosquito repellent because I emerged with bites everywhere and Lance Cronin, who was stood patiently after the game waiting to be interviewed, was getting it worse. Sorry Lance!
The ground is next to a sewage-works so I dread to think what is floating through my veins right now.
I should say thanks to the Concord secretary Chris though, who got the tea and biscuits out for the press - all three of us. But I’m not sure everyone in Kent was so happy with the club. Sittingbourne apparently had a friendly organised against them for Saturday but Concord had double booked.
There is one last outing before the season starts at Faversham on Tuesday, but barring Garry Richards and Adebayo Akinfenwa, it’s unlikely Hess will risk any other first team players.
Hopefully on Saturday the replica shirts will be in the shops. The players looked very smart on Thursday during the official photo-shoot, especially Josh Gowling, who appears to have his own make-up artist. (see pic above).
A quick thanks to anyone that has been viewing the text updates on our CoveritLive service. The trial was an overwhelming success and we’ll be going for it throughout the season now, with updates from the match by myself and assistance from my colleague in the office. On Thursday we were swamped with Hearts fans, which took me by ausprise, and I’m not too sure they were happy that I described their kit as “purple”. I certainly got some abuse there from the “Maroon Army”.
Mark Bentley starts his column this week in the Medway Messenger newspaper. We’re still deciding on a title - maybe Benno’s Banter? If you want to put any questions to him, or comments, just email me at lcawdell@thekmgroup.co.uk and I’ll pass them on.
Roll on Saturday.
Monday 26 July 2010
Pre-season highs and lows
Seven games into the pre-season and the injury problems are starting to mount up for Andy Hessenthaler.
Barry Fuller limped off on Saturday with a bang to the knee and at first sight it didn’t look too bad.
Apparently it’s ligament damage though and that means he could be missing for several weeks.
So who does Hessenthaler play at right-back? New signing Tony Sinclair looks like being first choice at the moment.
It’s been a rocky road back to Gills for Sinclair, having been at the club on YTS terms.
He obviously went off the rails for a while, having dropped out of football completely and taking up jobs in places like McDonald’s, but speaking to him on Saturday he certainly seems to have the hunger back and is focused on making up for lost time.
The South Londoner seems a real likeable lad and I’m sure he’ll be giving his all to prove that he can handle this level.
Sinclair was facing the questions from the press after the game at Ebbsfleet but I’m not sure Luke Rooney was too happy at having to wait around to give his team-mate a lift home. I think Rooney was hoping we would all be interviewing him about his hat-trick the night before in the 4-1 win at Bishop’s Stortford.
While Sinclair was back at the Gills there was also a welcome return to the club for Danny Spiller.
He’s had an injury-plagued time over the last few years at Millwall, not helped by a miss-diagnoses, and a five-month deal will give him, and just as importantly his body, the chance to prove their worth. Spills certainly looks like he has the appetite.
One of the biggest pluses of the pre-season for me, so far, has been the quality of Stefan Payne. Hess himself admitted the signing was a no-risk gamble but Payne doesn’t look like here’s here to sit on the bench all season. He’s making things happen up-front and knows how to finish.
It’s just a shame we haven’t seen much of Cody McDonald yet. Only those in Calais saw him for a brief spell, albeit most people in the ground probably saw it through beer-goggles. The drinks were certainly flowing in the stand that day! Hopefully he should be back for a run-out this week.
The Gills have their official photo-call on Thursday morning and that should herald the arrival of the new kit. Let’s hope it arrives in time!
I know fans are keen to get their hands on it and the chairman says it’s due to arrive in the mega-store “very soon”.
Gillingham’s latest arrival is due to be announced today (Monday) with keeper Lance Cronin agreeing a deal at the club. He’s a keeper who deserves a shot in the league after several impressive seasons at Ebbsfleet.
More good news is that there is still room in the budget for a big striker. Hess has challenged Mark McCammon to do the business, and save the club some cash, but I’m sure the fans wouldn’t mind seeing another new face arrive before the season starts.
Whether that’s Aldershot’s Marvin Morgan or not remains in the balance. The Gills have made their enquiries and it just seems to be a matter of whether they have the money to back up their interest.
Just one last note on the injuries. Shame to see former Ajax man Stanley Aborah limp off with a hamstring injury on Friday. That could end his chances of a deal at the Gills. I was hoping to see him take a spot-kick as I’m told they are a bit special.
Barry Fuller limped off on Saturday with a bang to the knee and at first sight it didn’t look too bad.
Apparently it’s ligament damage though and that means he could be missing for several weeks.
So who does Hessenthaler play at right-back? New signing Tony Sinclair looks like being first choice at the moment.
It’s been a rocky road back to Gills for Sinclair, having been at the club on YTS terms.
He obviously went off the rails for a while, having dropped out of football completely and taking up jobs in places like McDonald’s, but speaking to him on Saturday he certainly seems to have the hunger back and is focused on making up for lost time.
The South Londoner seems a real likeable lad and I’m sure he’ll be giving his all to prove that he can handle this level.
Sinclair was facing the questions from the press after the game at Ebbsfleet but I’m not sure Luke Rooney was too happy at having to wait around to give his team-mate a lift home. I think Rooney was hoping we would all be interviewing him about his hat-trick the night before in the 4-1 win at Bishop’s Stortford.
While Sinclair was back at the Gills there was also a welcome return to the club for Danny Spiller.
He’s had an injury-plagued time over the last few years at Millwall, not helped by a miss-diagnoses, and a five-month deal will give him, and just as importantly his body, the chance to prove their worth. Spills certainly looks like he has the appetite.
One of the biggest pluses of the pre-season for me, so far, has been the quality of Stefan Payne. Hess himself admitted the signing was a no-risk gamble but Payne doesn’t look like here’s here to sit on the bench all season. He’s making things happen up-front and knows how to finish.
It’s just a shame we haven’t seen much of Cody McDonald yet. Only those in Calais saw him for a brief spell, albeit most people in the ground probably saw it through beer-goggles. The drinks were certainly flowing in the stand that day! Hopefully he should be back for a run-out this week.
The Gills have their official photo-call on Thursday morning and that should herald the arrival of the new kit. Let’s hope it arrives in time!
I know fans are keen to get their hands on it and the chairman says it’s due to arrive in the mega-store “very soon”.
Gillingham’s latest arrival is due to be announced today (Monday) with keeper Lance Cronin agreeing a deal at the club. He’s a keeper who deserves a shot in the league after several impressive seasons at Ebbsfleet.
More good news is that there is still room in the budget for a big striker. Hess has challenged Mark McCammon to do the business, and save the club some cash, but I’m sure the fans wouldn’t mind seeing another new face arrive before the season starts.
Whether that’s Aldershot’s Marvin Morgan or not remains in the balance. The Gills have made their enquiries and it just seems to be a matter of whether they have the money to back up their interest.
Just one last note on the injuries. Shame to see former Ajax man Stanley Aborah limp off with a hamstring injury on Friday. That could end his chances of a deal at the Gills. I was hoping to see him take a spot-kick as I’m told they are a bit special.
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Bring on the Posh
Gillingham fans will get their first chance to see Andy Hessenthaler and his team on home soil tonight (Tuesday) when they face Peterborough.
Missing of course will be Simeon Jackson, who finally got the move he craved, after joining Norwich last week, with Cody McDonald moving in the opposite direction.
If McDonald can show the kind of form he did two years ago at Dartford then it could prove to be a canny bit of business for the Gills. McDonald clearly knows where the goal is and he’ll be desperate to prove to those at Norwich that he deserves his place at the Championship club.
Speaking to him after the game in Calais he seems a likeable, down-to-earth lad, and let’s hope he gets the Gills the goals they need for promotion.
It looks like Hessy is still chasing a partner for him and former Barnet man John O’Flynn should find out whether Bristol City will be offering him anything this week. He’s been there for a couple of weeks on trial and it could be decision time now. If they don’t want him then the Gills will be straight in there.
The Gills have a handful of their own trialists and it could be D-day for them this week, following the match against Peterborough.
Danny Spiller, Tony Sinclair, Stanley Aborah and Lance Cronin are also chasing a contract with the Gills.
Cronin looks like being offered a deal this week but Spills, Sinclair and former Ajax man Aborah may have to shine against Peterborough before Hess makes up his mind.
Best of luck to Simeon anyway. He is what they call a “model professional”. Always willing to do extra in training and always says the right things, although his time-keeping isn’t the best so I’m told.
That’s something Hessy is clamping down on this season. He’s going for a more disciplined approach and a lack of punctuality is top of the fine list.
Nobody is quite sure what kind of team Gary Johnson will be fielding at Priestfield after his side faced Aston Villa at London Road on Monday. He named a strong team then and is likely to give a few fringe players a run-out at Gillingham.
It will be the first time Hessy has been in the dug-out at Priestfield since November 2004 and so I’m sure that’s ample incentive to get a few fans in the ground.
If you can’t make it then log onto kentonline.co.uk/gillingham. We’re looking at using the coveritlive software for match updates this season and tonight is the first time we try it. Fingers crossed it works!
Missing of course will be Simeon Jackson, who finally got the move he craved, after joining Norwich last week, with Cody McDonald moving in the opposite direction.
If McDonald can show the kind of form he did two years ago at Dartford then it could prove to be a canny bit of business for the Gills. McDonald clearly knows where the goal is and he’ll be desperate to prove to those at Norwich that he deserves his place at the Championship club.
Speaking to him after the game in Calais he seems a likeable, down-to-earth lad, and let’s hope he gets the Gills the goals they need for promotion.
It looks like Hessy is still chasing a partner for him and former Barnet man John O’Flynn should find out whether Bristol City will be offering him anything this week. He’s been there for a couple of weeks on trial and it could be decision time now. If they don’t want him then the Gills will be straight in there.
The Gills have a handful of their own trialists and it could be D-day for them this week, following the match against Peterborough.
Danny Spiller, Tony Sinclair, Stanley Aborah and Lance Cronin are also chasing a contract with the Gills.
Cronin looks like being offered a deal this week but Spills, Sinclair and former Ajax man Aborah may have to shine against Peterborough before Hess makes up his mind.
Best of luck to Simeon anyway. He is what they call a “model professional”. Always willing to do extra in training and always says the right things, although his time-keeping isn’t the best so I’m told.
That’s something Hessy is clamping down on this season. He’s going for a more disciplined approach and a lack of punctuality is top of the fine list.
Nobody is quite sure what kind of team Gary Johnson will be fielding at Priestfield after his side faced Aston Villa at London Road on Monday. He named a strong team then and is likely to give a few fringe players a run-out at Gillingham.
It will be the first time Hessy has been in the dug-out at Priestfield since November 2004 and so I’m sure that’s ample incentive to get a few fans in the ground.
If you can’t make it then log onto kentonline.co.uk/gillingham. We’re looking at using the coveritlive software for match updates this season and tonight is the first time we try it. Fingers crossed it works!
Monday 19 July 2010
The KM road trip
Welcome to my new Gills blog. Please feel free to comment...
Saturday’s game in Calais had farce written all over it from the moment a story appeared on Gillingham’s website telling fans that there was confusion over the kick-off time.
Gillingham thought it was 3pm and Calais were advertising it as 5pm. Something had to give but apparently calls were still being frantically made to France at midnight Friday with no joy.
It was still game-on though so our little party, complete with Mark Bentley, who was unable to join the squad until Saturday, got ourselves comfortably seated on the P&O ferry while the Gills media man Martin tried his hardest to get a kick-off time confirmed.
We eventually got it nailed down for half 3. But it was later to transpire that Calais knew nothing of this.
Last year we had Josh Gowling for company on the way home from France, as he needed to be back in the UK early, and I think news has filtered through that travelling in the kmfm-branded car is the place to be!
I didn’t charge Benno for the crossing but he has promised me he’ll take over duties writing the column in the Medway Messenger this year. He’ll probably be regretting asking for a lift now.
Last season John Nutter did the honours, and Benno has big boots to fill. Nuts wrote every word himself for last year’s column and I just needed to sort out the spelling. Quite a task during the week he lost the “P” button from his keyboard!
I hope you’ll enjoy what Mark has to say. He’s one of the long servers at the club now and he’s a really likeable lad. Hopefully he’ll give a different aspect on things throughout the season. On Saturday he was telling us about a former non-league manager who got so angry he nearly knocked himself out after head-butting the dressing room door. Let’s hope Hess doesn’t get so excited this season.
After getting off the ferry we took a detour to the ground when Benno thought he saw some floodlights but as we wound through a housing estate we were forced to resort to using the sat-nav. If anyone used the directions supplied on the Gillingham web-site then I feel for them. I doubt they would have made it.
We were first to arrive at the ground and there was no sign of life. After a scout around we found the groundsman, who kindly made us all coffee and handed out “I love RUFC Calais” t-shirts. I’m not sure Benno was too impressed with his.
The wait continued and when someone other than the groundsman turned up we managed to agree that there was no agreement over a kick-off time. Finally when their manager turned up he made some hasty phone calls and all credit to them, there was a team for a 4.10 start.
Shame nobody told the fans or stewards who dribbled in mid-way through the game.
The Gills fans had sat patiently watching an extended pre-match warm-up, though no doubt they were happy to have beaten the ticket-man to the ground and got in for free. I’m sure though Calais made enough money on the bar to make up for that.
The visiting fans certainly enjoyed themselves. Yes it was a farce but nobody seemed to care.
The game itself wasn’t much of a spectacle, ruined by niggly fouls, dissent, an over-weight and officious referee and a Calais side unable to compete. 4-0 and a good work-out.
While the Gills players went off for a night-out on the town the fans weaved their way back to the ferry terminal, happy they got to see a game, some goals and plenty of French lager.
...more tomorrow...
Saturday’s game in Calais had farce written all over it from the moment a story appeared on Gillingham’s website telling fans that there was confusion over the kick-off time.
Gillingham thought it was 3pm and Calais were advertising it as 5pm. Something had to give but apparently calls were still being frantically made to France at midnight Friday with no joy.
It was still game-on though so our little party, complete with Mark Bentley, who was unable to join the squad until Saturday, got ourselves comfortably seated on the P&O ferry while the Gills media man Martin tried his hardest to get a kick-off time confirmed.
We eventually got it nailed down for half 3. But it was later to transpire that Calais knew nothing of this.
Last year we had Josh Gowling for company on the way home from France, as he needed to be back in the UK early, and I think news has filtered through that travelling in the kmfm-branded car is the place to be!
I didn’t charge Benno for the crossing but he has promised me he’ll take over duties writing the column in the Medway Messenger this year. He’ll probably be regretting asking for a lift now.
Last season John Nutter did the honours, and Benno has big boots to fill. Nuts wrote every word himself for last year’s column and I just needed to sort out the spelling. Quite a task during the week he lost the “P” button from his keyboard!
I hope you’ll enjoy what Mark has to say. He’s one of the long servers at the club now and he’s a really likeable lad. Hopefully he’ll give a different aspect on things throughout the season. On Saturday he was telling us about a former non-league manager who got so angry he nearly knocked himself out after head-butting the dressing room door. Let’s hope Hess doesn’t get so excited this season.
After getting off the ferry we took a detour to the ground when Benno thought he saw some floodlights but as we wound through a housing estate we were forced to resort to using the sat-nav. If anyone used the directions supplied on the Gillingham web-site then I feel for them. I doubt they would have made it.
We were first to arrive at the ground and there was no sign of life. After a scout around we found the groundsman, who kindly made us all coffee and handed out “I love RUFC Calais” t-shirts. I’m not sure Benno was too impressed with his.
The wait continued and when someone other than the groundsman turned up we managed to agree that there was no agreement over a kick-off time. Finally when their manager turned up he made some hasty phone calls and all credit to them, there was a team for a 4.10 start.
Shame nobody told the fans or stewards who dribbled in mid-way through the game.
The Gills fans had sat patiently watching an extended pre-match warm-up, though no doubt they were happy to have beaten the ticket-man to the ground and got in for free. I’m sure though Calais made enough money on the bar to make up for that.
The visiting fans certainly enjoyed themselves. Yes it was a farce but nobody seemed to care.
The game itself wasn’t much of a spectacle, ruined by niggly fouls, dissent, an over-weight and officious referee and a Calais side unable to compete. 4-0 and a good work-out.
While the Gills players went off for a night-out on the town the fans weaved their way back to the ferry terminal, happy they got to see a game, some goals and plenty of French lager.
...more tomorrow...
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