31st Anniversary | Page 3 | Vital Football

31st Anniversary

I spent my early years ( early to mid 70's) either at Upton Park or Stonebridge Road with brother or parents. My dad worked with one of the Fleets players. At that time I actually supported Man Utd and Celtic. Then in Feb 78, at 14, I went to my first match at Priestfield aginst Plymouth with a schoolfriend. It was 1-1 but I remember nothing about the match. All I recall is being in the RE and loving it. I went a couple more times in the 77-78 season, but went to nearly every home game in 78-79. I was a Gills fan. Man Utd and Celtic were forgotten.
 
Can't really remember much about my first game or games watching the Gills. My dad used to take me in the early 60's. But my first game going by myself was against Aston Villa 1970/71 in division 3 when I was 14. Don't really remember much about the game but in those days I always bought a program and that is the earliest one I have.
 
Easter Monday April 3rd 1972.
Posh at home. 1-1
Sat in main stand at 0.70p a ticket for child.
 
November 8th, 1969.
Seven years old, I thought we were great even though we lost 1-3 to Walsall. Don't remember anything about the actual match but HOTSM tells me that Dave Peach scored a penalty (of course), it was Dave Galvin's debut, and our best player was a very young Dick Tydeman.
I do remember on Monday morning telling my teacher at Byron Road Junior School (Miss Mann I think) how good it was and her telling me that her Dad and brother had been there and we were awful. Much like the fifty two years since.
 
It won't surprise anyone, that I can only remember my first game was in the early 80's. No idea against who, or what the score was. I was at school, but in those days I could drink in the pub at 15, like I used to in the school lunch hour on Fridays...
 
... Of my old man taking me to my first Gills game as a bookwormish seven year old.

Now I can't tell you what I had for dinner yesterday, but my memories of this particular game are vivid, quite a few of my formative games are.

Cambridge Utd at home 1989/90; I can picture the cover of the match programme (a dodgy sketch of an unidentifiable Gills player), the smell of hotdogs and onions, seats at the front of the old Main Stand and little me throwing the ball back to Cambridge players twice as it bounced out of play. I distinctly remember asking my Dad what the fans in the Rainham End were shouting when the Cambridge keeper took goalkicks...

We won 1-0, returning loanee Pat Gavin with the only goal and I was instantly hooked. The follow up game a few weeks later (a 1-2 defeat at home to Grimsby) mattered not, the bug had bitten and here I am still, exiled but counting down the days until I get to see us play again.

I know the average age on here is bordering on "gimmer", but anyone else remember their Gills debut as a fan?
My debut was in the same season 89-90. F.A cup versus Welling, shite game, but something made me want to back, which I did later in the season again Peterborough, slightly less shite, but I was still awaiting my first goal,I eventually saw it towards the end of that season against Halifax. The two dour 0-0 set my expectations low - which was probably just as well!
 
My debut was in the same season 89-90. F.A cup versus Welling, shite game, but something made me want to back, which I did later in the season again Peterborough, slightly less shite, but I was still awaiting my first goal,I eventually saw it towards the end of that season against Halifax. The two dour 0-0 set my expectations low - which was probably just as well!
Yes, that was a terrible game and the replay, in the freezing cold, even worse. You did well to get hooked at that time in our history.
 
Yes, that was a terrible game and the replay, in the freezing cold, even worse. You did well to get hooked at that time in our history.
haha, I know. In spite of the quality (or lack of) of football on display, the early nineties are still the highlight of Gills career. My memories are vivid - I can remember scores, scorers and players faces.
 
haha, I know. In spite of the quality (or lack of) of football on display, the early nineties are still the highlight of Gills career. My memories are vivid - I can remember scores, scorers and players faces.

Same, I can even remember names and faces of fringe players and youth teamers for my formative years (Steve Crane anyone? Gareth Knott? Andy Ansah?).

Odd little details the mind retains, like Steve Lovell getting booked for punching the ball into the net while attempting to complete his hattrick as we spannered Hartlepool 3-0 in 90/91.

There was a period as a (sad) youth where I could name every League club, their nickname, stadium name, kit colour and ground capacity to within a 1000 and have a reasonable stab at their kit sponsor. Then I discovered girls and booze...

I did a Gills Opening Day Starting XI quiz last year covering a span of the last 20 years or so. Pulis/Taylor/Hess eras were a piece of piss. However, from our Championship relegation season onward the amount of absolutely guff players (Chris Herd, Danny Galbraith, Lance Cronin) my mind had simply erased was staggering.
 
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It always amazes me the detail you guys can remember. I've never been able to remember any great detail about the games I've been to even the day after.
I've been sat in the pub with my mates going through a game on a Saturday night and they'll say something like " oh that ball out of defense to Terry Jolly who slipped it through to Ken Price to score ......" and I'd be thinking well I can remember Pricy latching onto a ball between the defenders but how it got there I wouldn't have a clue!
I'm more of you're bigger picture than a details kind of guy
 
What worries me is that I can clearly remember players and match details from 50+ years ago but can barely remember anything of the last 10 years.

Altzheimers creeping in?
:-(
 
What worries me is that I can clearly remember players and match details from 50+ years ago but can barely remember anything of the last 10 years.

Altzheimers creeping in?
:-(
I was chatting with an older mate last weekend who was one of the crowd back in the day and he’s very ‘forgetful’ but can remember amazing details from games back in the 60’s 70’s 80’s and 90’s.
Ask him if he’s had lunch and he’ll reply I dunno!