Gills 1984 to 2000 thread | Vital Football

Gills 1984 to 2000 thread

Sir keith
Dave Smith
Howard Pritchard
Harvey Lim
Paul Haylock
Carl Elsey

to name a few early doors

the Carl Elsey goal in the playoffs v Swindon away - similar from deep deep memory banks to Connors Goal against Charlton this year
 
Can't comment on previous eras but if you extend the period by a couple of years to include our first seasons in the Championship, then I fail to see how the following years to the present day could even begin to compete.

The era began with those free-flowing exciting Sir Keef teams, promotion challenges and 8-1 & 10-0 league victories.

The we had the disastrous decision to sack Sir Keef and the (almost) terminal decline that ensued. Relegation to the basement the following season and then several seasons of fourth division mediocrity before we got really shit and flirted with relegation from the entire league. But then there was that historic match against Halifax and the party at Piainmoor the following Saturday.

Although the football was dire and the crowds down to the diehard three thousand
or so, we still had the terraces and we had our gallows humour ("The football league is upside down!"). On top of that we had a fantastic award winning fanzine. Times were hard but I was always proud to be a Gill. And there were some special moments too, like the win at Carlisle after 18 months without an away win. Oh, and I nearly forgot the only ever Kent league derbies and the brief experience of having a proper local rival.

And then things got worse than ever and we thought the club might die. In rode Scally on his white horse waving his pound coin. There was a new young manager and some new signings. We won the first four games of the season and never looked back. Promotion back to the Third and then each season after that we improved. So many fantastic players, Hess, Smith, SBT, Asaba, Hope and Butters to name but a few. There were Cup runs and we got to visit Wembley for the first time ever. Heartbreak the first-time but ecstacy twelve months later as we reached the promised land of the Second Division (or whatever you wanna call it).

We didn't come straight back down either. More than held our own for the first couple of seasons.

Up the Gills!
 
Sturdy Gill said:
Sir keith
Dave Smith
Howard Pritchard
Harvey Lim
Paul Haylock
Carl Elsey

to name a few early doors

the Carl Elsey goal in the playoffs v Swindon away - similar from deep deep memory banks to Connors Goal against Charlton this year
Click to expand...

It's Karl with a 'K', Sturdy.

And I have an anecdote about him. My old man used to have band called the 'Elsey Rockets' and one night (this was many years ago) they had a gig in Gillingham. Just before they started playing the landlord called my dad over saying there was someone on the phone for him.

Turns out it was Karl Elsey himself calling. My dad's response was, "What the Karl Elsey??!!" Anyway, Karl had seen the band listed in the local gig guide and wondered if the name had aything to do with him (what else could it be?!). He was totally made up that the band had named themselves after him and apologised that he couldn't make the gig.

If anybody's never seen an 'Elsey rocket' (shot not musician) just watch this:
 
There were some shocking managers, post Sir Keith, in that era. Paul Taylor, Burkinshaw, Roeder and (possibly the worst) Flanagan spring to mind. The jury’s out on Damien. It ended very badly, but was decent for a while. I believe it is he who signed the legend that was Brendan Place.
 
timnolongerinbrisban said:
There were some shocking managers, post Sir Keith, in that era. Paul Taylor, Burkinshaw, Roeder and (possibly the worst) Flanagan spring to mind. The jury’s out on Damien. It ended very badly, but was decent for a while. I believe it is he who signed the legend that was Brendan Place.
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Yes, indeed re the managers, tim. There were some shocking ones and the jury is definitely still out on Damien.

I loved him and wish he'd succeeded. But he never quite did. Mind you, he had fuck all to work with and what immediately followed kind of suggests that he wasn't dong such a bad job in keeping us mid-table. We weren't satisfed with that though, and most were ready to see him go. I do wonder sometimes what might have been if he'd had a bit more time and/or better resources. Didn't he go on to have success as a manager in the Irish league?
 
For me, 1973/74 season when we almost, bloody almost went up as champions. Great season with many more ups than downs. Just a shame we lost the last, decisive match at Peterborough. I have no idea what the exact total was but there were thousands of Gills supporters there that night however, what started promisingly ended up being a right let-down as we lost 4-2. I think that was the only time I ever behaved badly after a match as on the way back to the car, some posh twats were giving it large and (allegedly) I lost my temper and may have reshaped his nose. Thankfully, I am now too old to remember and anyway the statute of limitations is only for crimes punishable with a life sentence and or a death penalty, not sure breaking a nose falls into either category. I would like to add that it never happened again - as far as I can remember.
 
I must be one of the few that actively enjoyed 1989/90 - 1994/95 as those were my first six seasons as a fan from the age of 7.

There wasn't much football on the telly back then, so I had no frame of reference for what qualified as fantastic, quality football, so naively assumed that the matches I saw at Priestfield were just that. To be fair, gubbing the likes of Scunny 4-0 on the opening day of the season one year confirmed that belief. Steve Lovell swiftly became my hero because he was one of the few genuinely quality players of that era.

I also think I was quite lucky in some of the games I attended in terms of results, although I may have deleted a few of the crappier defeats from my memory (Maidstone at home).

I was so used to us being a bottom-half side that the 1995/96 season came as a total shock as I'd known nothing but mediocrity at best. The decade that followed was incredible, covering my teens and early 20's, with much drinking and mad away trips with my mates in a variety of dodgy vehicles.

Now I just want to get back in the ground with my little'un.
 
Buddha said:
The we had the disastrous decision to sack Sir Keef and the (almost) terminal decline that ensued. Relegation to the basement the following season and then several seasons of fourth division mediocrity before we got really shit and flirted with relegation from the entire league. But then there was that historic match against Halifax and the party at Piainmoor the following Saturday.

Although the football was dire and the crowds down to the diehard three thousand or so, we still had the terraces and we had our gallows humour ("The football league is upside down!"). On top of that we had a fantastic award winning fanzine. Times were hard but I was always proud to be a Gill. And there were some special moments too, like the win at Carlisle after 18 months without an away win. Oh, and I nearly forgot the only ever Kent league derbies and the brief experience of having a proper local rival.
Click to expand...

I'm with you on that Buddha. My first match was during Sir Keef's reign, but I didn't really start going properly until the early 90s under Damien Richardson. Like you say, the football was terrible much of the time, but plenty of great memories from that time. Always finding my mates in the Rainham End terrace no matter how busy it was, glory runs when a seemingly crowded terrace suddenly opened up in front of you when we scored. Beating Halifax to stay up. Pitch invasion at Torquay in what could've been our last ever game. Bouncy terrace at Colchester (scene of my first ever away game, where we went 3 up before HT only to very nearly throw it away at the end). Being the only one vaguely happy on the coach back from a heavy defeat at Exeter as Steve Banks saved a late penalty to win me the coach sweepstake. Missing a goal at Northampton because someone was passing a huge flag over our heads at the time. Extra-time winner from Robbie Reinelt in the pissing rain at Fulham.

Not sure I'd want to go back to those days again, but looking back now, they were great while they lasted, despite the football on offer.
 
madrid_gill said:
I'm with you on that Buddha. My first match was during Sir Keef's reign, but I didn't really start going properly until the early 90s under Damien Richardson. Like you say, the football was terrible much of the time, but plenty of great memories from that time. Always finding my mates in the Rainham End terrace no matter how busy it was, glory runs when a seemingly crowded terrace suddenly opened up in front of you when we scored. Beating Halifax to stay up. Pitch invasion at Torquay in what could've been our last ever game. Bouncy terrace at Colchester (scene of my first ever away game, where we went 3 up before HT only to very nearly throw it away at the end). Being the only one vaguely happy on the coach back from a heavy defeat at Exeter as Steve Banks saved a late penalty to win me the coach sweepstake. Missing a goal at Northampton because someone was passing a huge flag over our heads at the time. Extra-time winner from Robbie Reinelt in the pissing rain at Fulham.

Not sure I'd want to go back to those days again, but looking back now, they were great while they lasted, despite the football on offer.
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Some great memories there, Madrid. And great shout re the glory runs on open and sparse terraces after we'd scored. They were great! As were the surges and celebrations when the ground was more full.

I feel so very honoured to have experienced the death-throes of terrace culture. To think it had been a staple part of (male) working class life for over a hundred years and has now gone for good. Just so very happy to have experieced it and been a part of it.

Actually I feel the same way about free-party/rave culture. And actually just the whole entire pre-digital world. It's all changed now. Partly for the better maybe, but so much has been lost. Glad I got to experience the world before mobile phones and internet took over and changed everything!
 
I'm one of Hayward's babes formed in the relegation battles of the late 60's, early 70's. Somewhere near the bottom of the Third Division fighting for survival with every point gained polished and cherished is our rightful place for me. I was at university in the glory years of the first half of that decade so missed most of that.

The Summers era does not get the attention it deserves in my book. Played some very nice football and were on the brink of glory under another manager who was also a gentleman.
 
alex_farrells_left_p said:
For me, 1973/74 season when we almost, bloody almost went up as champions. Great season with many more ups than downs. Just a shame we lost the last, decisive match at Peterborough. I have no idea what the exact total was but there were thousands of Gills supporters there that night however, what started promisingly ended up being a right let-down as we lost 4-2. I think that was the only time I ever behaved badly after a match as on the way back to the car, some posh twats were giving it large and (allegedly) I lost my temper and may have reshaped his nose. Thankfully, I am now too old to remember and anyway the statute of limitations is only for crimes punishable with a life sentence and or a death penalty, not sure breaking a nose falls into either category. I would like to add that it never happened again - as far as I can remember.
Click to expand...
Agree. My favourite season ever, by a mile. I have an enlarged framed photo of Wilks' winner at home to Exeter looking down on me as I type.
 
Buddha said:
Some great memories there, Madrid. And great shout re the glory runs on open and sparse terraces after we'd scored. They were great! As were the surges and celebrations when the ground was more full.
Click to expand...

Agree about the celebrations and atmosphere in the old RE.

I reckon the 20 mins during which Cas scored his hat-trick against Sunderland in the play-offs is the best atmosphere I’ve experienced anywhere.

The place really did “go off”.

jokerman said:
The Summers era does not get the attention it deserves in my book. Played some very nice football and were on the brink of glory under another manager who was also a gentleman.
Click to expand...

I also loved that Summers era. It coincided with my last years at school and first years at work. Going to every home game with my mates (rather than the adults) and quite a few exciting away treks to places I’d never been. And we took some big away followings in those couple of years, as well as some big home gates.

Was also the first of quite a few years contending near the top of the 3rd tier which we’d never done before during my supporting years.
 
There were lots of memorable games during this period and some of them were really important games, either because they were play-off games or because they were survival games (obviously the Halifax game being the most important and memorable of these). There were also some great Cup games against higher division opposition. And as I mentioned before the 8-1 and 10-0 games.

But do any of you have in your memories, an unimportant, obscure and non-descript kind of game that for whatever reason stands out?

For me, for some reason, I can vividly recall the evening of Tuesday 26th September 1989 (no, I couldn't remember the actual date, I had to check that bit!) and we were at home to Southend. As it was September only a few games had been played so far that season. Southend were near the top and hadn't conceded for several games, we were near the bottom without a win or even a goal at home so far.

Well we all know what the Gills can do when the circumstances are such as those!

That night we were fantastic. I can still feel the buzz of excitement in the air that night as we played them off the park. 5-0 it ended with goals from Mike Trusson, Steve Lovell (2, 1pen), Tony Eeeles and the best of the lot from Billy Manuel.

Re-live it with me here

:
 
Buddha said:
There were lots of memorable games during this period and some of them were really important games, either because they were play-off games or because they were survival games (obviously the Halifax game being the most important and memorable of these). There were also some great Cup games against higher division opposition. And as I mentioned before the 8-1 and 10-0 games.

But do any of you have in your memories, an unimportant, obscure and non-descript kind of game that for whatever reason stands out?

For me, for some reason, I can vividly recall the evening of Tuesday 26th September 1989 (no, I couldn't remember the actual date, I had to check that bit!) and we were at home to Southend. As it was September only a few games had been played so far that season. Southend were near the top and hadn't conceded for several games, we were near the bottom without a win or even a goal at home so far.

Well we all know what the Gills can do when the circumstances are such as those!

That night we were fantastic. I can still feel the buzz of excitement in the air that night as we played them off the park. 5-0 it ended with goals from Mike Trusson, Steve Lovell (2, 1pen), Tony Eeeles and the best of the lot from Billy Manuel.

Re-live it with me here

:
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Yes. I somehow specifically remember going to that game. Travelled down from Catford via picking up a mate in New Cross. Also remember that we hadn't scored a goal yet and Southend riding high. Stood between the old cow shed and the RE. A rare bright moment in those days.
 
timnolongerinbrisban said:
There were some shocking managers, post Sir Keith, in that era. Paul Taylor, Burkinshaw, Roeder and (possibly the worst) Flanagan spring to mind. The jury’s out on Damien. It ended very badly, but was decent for a while. I believe it is he who signed the legend that was Brendan Place.
Click to expand...

Indeed. Contrasts to Sir Keef's predecessors - the likes of Summers, Ashurst and Nelson in the seventies - who were all above average IMHO
 
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