Gills memories of yesteryear | Vital Football

Gills memories of yesteryear

That RE/GR side brings back memories. In there with a 14,000 crowd it was a really exciting place to stand especially with the kids kicking the metal sheeting.

I remember seeing a guy in front carrying a tray of teas and the ball smashing into him with all the teas flying everywhere.
 
That’s where we used to stand before development.
On a good day, there would be twenty five of us from the same group.
Hardly any go now.
It all changed when it became seated.
Strange thing waa you couldn’t see one corner but it never bothered us.
 
That’s where we used to stand before development.
On a good day, there would be twenty five of us from the same group.
Hardly any go now.
It all changed when it became seated.
Strange thing waa you couldn’t see one corner but it never bothered us.

Best place for atmosphere in the ground.
 
My memory may be playing up but when I first visited in '63 I cannot recall that blue and white stand only a terrace opposite the main stand.
 
I climbed over the Gordon Road fence 2 o clock in the morning (pissed) on the way home from the Excalibar nightclub once just after they knocked the stand down. As I walked down to the pitch 2 big sensor lights came on!!
 
My memory may be playing up but when I first visited in '63 I cannot recall that blue and white stand only a terrace opposite the main stand.

The stand in the photo looks a bit bigger and better painted than it was in real life lol and there was a walkway behind it which people used to change ends at half time in the sixties.
 
I graduated to standing just to the left of the GRS seated stand in the early 80's. Don't know why. Then after the new stand was built, decided to sit there, GRS Block A with my son since it was built.

As a one off, for some reason, I also saw our famous 1 0 win v Newport County in the FA cup circa 1970 from there too. Iirc, remember Mel Machin's goal (free kick?).
 
That is only the oldest football stand in the entire history of football, going back to when they were using the heads of captives instead of balls. The stand has gone, alas, although the oldest football fans in the entire history of football are still to be found there.
 
I graduated to standing just to the left of the GRS seated stand in the early 80's. Don't know why. Then after the new stand was built, decided to sit there, GRS Block A with my son since it was built.

As a one off, for some reason, I also saw our famous 1 0 win v Newport County in the FA cup circa 1970 from there too. Iirc, remember Mel Machin's goal (free kick?).
Krect. We were awful. They were heroic. Machin went onto better things after needlessly losing possession, resulting in Watford's first goal and us going out.
 
I remember you could swop ends at half time if you desired by walking behind it.
Although segregation wasn't the in thing years back which ofter lead to the Rainham end being tasty when Portsmouth visited until the warring parties were separated by a thin blue line.
 
That is only the oldest football stand in the entire history of football, going back to when they were using the heads of captives instead of balls. The stand has gone, alas, although the oldest football fans in the entire history of football are still to be found there.

Is that a Croydon trolly bus?
 
I don't remember it painted blue and white either. But I do remember watching a reserve game (Orient?) there so that I could get tickets for the Tottenham cup game about 1982. I think the stand got condemned for being all wood after the Bradford fire. At that time it was supposed to be the oldest stand in the football league. I also went round the back of it at half-time from one end of the ground to the other. I think I remember Fulham 'taking' the Rainham End and us fleeing round there to the Town End in the early 70s. Trolley buses must be a whole different thread. And Mel Machin ...
 
Just looking at images brings back memories. The crowds the players and staff.
The biggest change in our lifetime was brought by MR Scally .But those Everton games at Priestfield the Sir Keith time .Terry Cochrane,Dave Shearer ,Tony Cascarino and Gavin Peacock. Then there was Steve Bruce I remember at least one season he seemed like he never lost the ball it the air.If the ball was played forward you simply knew he would win it.While a few of us need seats these days there was something special in that team .Going back to my early memories .Watching Ken Price was a education in how to go to war with the opposition. I had never experienced anything like it .Having been the victim of bullying at School all of a sudden the bully was on my team.I grew to like Gerry Summers he was a regular visitor to the place I worked.
Dave Shipperley was like a tank definitely someone who you moved away from.In the mold of these guys was Colin Greenall it was almost as if the bandage around his head was part of his kit a true lion.The likes of you simply don't see in the modern game.
When you look back at that team we selected we have had some amazing centre backs. The fact that Butters and Ashby never got a look in proves that.
 
Just looking at images brings back memories. The crowds the players and staff.
The biggest change in our lifetime was brought by MR Scally .But those Everton games at Priestfield the Sir Keith time .Terry Cochrane,Dave Shearer ,Tony Cascarino and Gavin Peacock. Then there was Steve Bruce I remember at least one season he seemed like he never lost the ball it the air.If the ball was played forward you simply knew he would win it.While a few of us need seats these days there was something special in that team .Going back to my early memories .Watching Ken Price was a education in how to go to war with the opposition. I had never experienced anything like it .Having been the victim of bullying at School all of a sudden the bully was on my team.I grew to like Gerry Summers he was a regular visitor to the place I worked.
Dave Shipperley was like a tank definitely someone who you moved away from.In the mold of these guys was Colin Greenall it was almost as if the bandage around his head was part of his kit a true lion.The likes of you simply don't see in the modern game.

Great stuff, Chris! You managed to pack a lot of memories into that short paragraph.

I don't remember any of the pre-Sir Keef stuff but hearing and reading about players such as Ken Price and others (Yeo, Tydeman, Richardson et al) is as much a part of my education as a Gills fan as learning about the Sir Keef teams was part of younger Gillingham supporters education. And the Pulis era is the starting point for youngsters today.

It's all a part of our club's history and soul and it is important that we never stop sharing our memories. Our small club has provided much heartache and some joy throughout its one hundred and twenty odd years of history. Long may it continue!
 
A friend of mine never rated Tydeman but I always felt he was class .He always seemed to have time and rarely got caught out.In all the years we have watched together Dick was the player that caused most arguments.
I know Tydeman never made the greatest ever side but if midfield players were judged only on their passing abilities few if any who played in a central role would beat Tydeman.