Gills hat tricks, apparently there have been some | Page 3 | Vital Football

Gills hat tricks, apparently there have been some

Love that 2nd goal. Hardly any backlift, and the keeper wasn't far off his line, but he just hits it so perfectly it was never going anywhere other than the top corner. The other two goals weren't bad either

The second goal of the hat trick was ridiculous, the power and accuracy he got with virtually no back lift. The free kick was also a bit special. SBT could certainly strike a football, but a lot of his goals were scored with the instep but the power he still generated was immense.

Given that SBT only came on as a h/ t sub in that game (iirc the first half was dire) and SBT wasn't fully fit and given the opposition manager and the quality of the goals that's the best hat trick I've seen live.
 
In the grand scheme of things, it was a nothing game. But I remember watching us beat Walsall 4-0 at Priestfield in the mid 80s. All the goals came in the 15 minutes before half time, and Howard Pritchard got three of them.

They're all here - fill yer boots! gillinghamfcscrapbook.co.uk/DisplayHatTricks.php

And iirc, Howard’s goals were all pretty much the same from the same spot on the edge of the area. And the rest of the game (first 30 mins and all 2nd half) was pretty boring.

And, yes, that was the day the Freddie Barber legend (with Gills fans) started.
 
And iirc, Howard’s goals were all pretty much the same from the same spot on the edge of the area. And the rest of the game (first 30 mins and all 2nd half) was pretty boring.

And, yes, that was the day the Freddie Barber legend (with Gills fans) started.
Do I remember rightly while Fred enjoyed a great laugh with the Rainham end crowd.He was also a more that decent keeper in a poor team?
Or is my love for dear old Freddie clouding my memory.
 
Do I remember rightly while Fred enjoyed a great laugh with the Rainham end crowd.He was also a more that decent keeper in a poor team?
Or is my love for dear old Freddie clouding my memory.
I recall him coming out with a cape and mask and bowing in front of the Rainham End. I don't recall how many times he did it, but he became a cult hero and clearly still remembered today from people of a certain age.
 
I might be completely wrong but I thought the Freddy Barber thing started earlier. Didn't he break a window in a house in Gordon Road with a clearance?

Possibly but I thought It was the game. Crowd got on his back over conceding so many just before half time but his reactions endeared him to the crowd.

I might be wrong of course.
 
That's how I remember it. Second half was full as OSK said as it was game over after that 15 minute blitz so RE got stuck into Freddie and he played along
 
I remember the Freddie thing starting I believe when he was wearing a very loose pair of shorts. The Rainham end bating him with" Freddie Freddie show us your Arse "Or something of that kind they were already slipping a little low but I remember he did briefly enter in to the spirit of the Rainham end but dropping his shorts still further. After that in subsequent visits he dressed up in costumes a gorilla and a caped super hero.I think he was a decent keeper. I remember thinking I would not mind if he signed for us .
 
And iirc, Howard’s goals were all pretty much the same from the same spot on the edge of the area. And the rest of the game (first 30 mins and all 2nd half) was pretty boring.

And, yes, that was the day the Freddie Barber legend (with Gills fans) started.
Yes. Oddly enough it was actually a boring game most of the time. Quite unusual to say that given that there was a hattrick and Freddie Barber.
 
Whoa, hang on there. Fastest hat trick? I've only just got over the shock of there even being a hat trick 😳
Just be consoled by the fact that if VAR had been operational for any of those Gills hatricks at least one of the goals would have been offside. And as for Josh Wright's second penalty against Scunthorpe, that was clearly offside. Sleep peacefully in your bed tonight Nobby. You are still absolutely and technically correct about our penalty record
 
If you put Fred Barber's name in a Google Images Search it brings up loads of photos of him wearing a Freddy Krueger mask. One even appears that it might be walking out at Wembley.

That wasn't the mask he wore at Priestfield, was it? I don't think it would go with a cape.
 
What's the Freddie Barber story?

Long story short.

An Opposition goalkeeper who became a crowd favourite. Sometimes felt like he got a better reception than the Gills team when he ran out the tunnel.

I think it started at the Walsall game where we scored 3 or 4 goals in a 10 minute spell before half time. Second half the Rainham end baited him but he reacted in great way engaging with the crowd throughout the second half. I think Chris is correct with his shorts being way too big for him so lots of banter with that. He'd probably get booked today for dropping his shorts to the crowd but everyone loved it.

In future games he would run to the Rainham wearing a mask (a wolf I believe). I don't remember the super hero cape but could well believe it.

Just a bit of a fun story from back then.