Gills memories of yesteryear | Page 2 | Vital Football

Gills memories of yesteryear

If I had 3 wishes, one of them would be to visit a few Gills games from that (60s-70s) era. I just love it. My first game was a friendly when Gordon Road had just been flattened for redevelopment, but I had the benefit of experiencing the old Rainham End for a few years (which I was temporarily forbidden from after the Fulham game by my mother - I had to compromise by agreeing to only go to Gordon Road !).

It may be mindless nostalgia and rose-tinted glasses but my heart aches for the old Priestfield. It was just so special.

And while having a little google while I'm meant to be working, here's a picture I've not seen before:

bVHO-HswZtz7HvqhLTtL2KgIswVm7XvgBUapEX5i-J8AQeKtjKHKqH72D7CS8v2FPDIA0xF-UVUFrMopBjdKjRa-WyIbyRLxQGvutpnDZoc2hRiIhqkr4YO_hbc_ej4_DJC6izN6Xlsr6M3BIAomKTCh_Sx_c8E
 
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fat_gunt said:
If I had 3 wishes, one of them would be to visit a few Gills games from that (60s-70s) era. I just love it. My first game was a friendly when Gordon Road had just been flattened for redevelopment, but I had the benefit of experiencing the old Rainham End for a few years (which I was temporarily forbidden from after the Fulham game by my mother - I had to compromise by agreeing to only go to Gordon Road !).

It may be mindless nostalgia and rose-tinted glasses but my heart aches for the old Priestfield. It was just so special.

And while having a little google while I'm meant to be working, here's a picture I've not seen before:

bVHO-HswZtz7HvqhLTtL2KgIswVm7XvgBUapEX5i-J8AQeKtjKHKqH72D7CS8v2FPDIA0xF-UVUFrMopBjdKjRa-WyIbyRLxQGvutpnDZoc2hRiIhqkr4YO_hbc_ej4_DJC6izN6Xlsr6M3BIAomKTCh_Sx_c8E
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My grandad often used to tell us how him and his mates used to sneak in through some 'loose panel in the fence' - but then again that wouldn't be far off 100 years ago!
 
fat_gunt said:
If I had 3 wishes, one of them would be to visit a few Gills games from that (60s-70s) era. I just love it. My first game was a friendly when Gordon Road had just been flattened for redevelopment, but I had the benefit of experiencing the old Rainham End for a few years (which I was temporarily forbidden from after the Fulham game by my mother - I had to compromise by agreeing to only go to Gordon Road !).

It may be mindless nostalgia and rose-tinted glasses but my heart aches for the old Priestfield. It was just so special.

And while having a little google while I'm meant to be working, here's a picture I've not seen before:

bVHO-HswZtz7HvqhLTtL2KgIswVm7XvgBUapEX5i-J8AQeKtjKHKqH72D7CS8v2FPDIA0xF-UVUFrMopBjdKjRa-WyIbyRLxQGvutpnDZoc2hRiIhqkr4YO_hbc_ej4_DJC6izN6Xlsr6M3BIAomKTCh_Sx_c8E
Click to expand...
My heart aches for the old Priestfield too!
 
jokerman said:
The current ground is a smart and tidy place, well fit for purpose, and something to be quite proud of. But the old ground on its day and, more often, night was where the voodoo happened and souls were claimed forever.
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Sort out the Town End and I'd agree with you about the new stadium. That 'temporary' stand really lets it all down.

I know it's not a priority and there's no money, but I'd dearly love the Town End to become a covered terrace. It would become the new RE!
 
Buddha said:
Sort out the Town End and I'd agree with you about the new stadium. That 'temporary' stand really lets it all down.

I know it's not a priority and there's no money, but I'd dearly love the Town End to become a covered terrace. It would become the new RE!
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Good grief, no! The Gillingham End, as it should be referred to, is reserved for the enemy. Even when it's our lot that's in there, I don't trust 'em. Half a chance, they'd all be off down the Valley.
 
jokerman said:
The current ground is a smart and tidy place, well fit for purpose, and something to be quite proud of. But the old ground on its day and, more often, night was where the voodoo happened and souls were claimed forever.
Click to expand...

And fitting that on its last night we had a full house, fireworks real and symbolic and a famous victory. We repaired to the old social club to carouse, stripped the optics and partied all night long.
 
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Gills 58 said:
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.
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I stood in that specific area (just left of the old GRS) for many years, 58. Not sure it was a conscious choice or whether it`s where I just happened to find myself when a relative first took me to Priestfield. As you, when the new stand was built I continued the tradition by having a ST in the GRS.

To this day, when I go to GFC home games, I still sit in the same area of the GRS - it just would be right to go elsewhere.
 
Many of the 80-odd league grounds I visited over the years (the majority for Gills away games) have now been superseded by newer or radically changed grounds, and not for the better in my opinion. The older idiosyncratic grounds were much more interesting to visit and their modern counterparts do not have the same pull. Having said that, some grounds still have odd random structures in them as I found on my visit to Bristol Rovers this season.
 
LancsGordoRoad said:
I stood in that specific area (just left of the old GRS) for many years, 58. Not sure it was a conscious choice or whether it`s where I just happened to find myself when a relative first took me to Priestfield. As you, when the new stand was built I continued the tradition by having a ST in the GRS.

To this day, when I go to GFC home games, I still sit in the same area of the GRS - it just would be right to go elsewhere.
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I stood in the same area for a short time.Before a mate of mine started going the only person I knew was a then our milk man who was a friend of my Dad's. Don't think he has been in years.Although I remember getting him a ticket for Wembley Man City I think.But he always stood in that corner next to the old stand.
 
Neill Harvey said:
Many of the 80-odd league grounds I visited over the years (the majority for Gills away games) have now been superseded by newer or radically changed grounds, and not for the better in my opinion. The older idiosyncratic grounds were much more interesting to visit and their modern counterparts do not have the same pull. Having said that, some grounds still have odd random structures in them as I found on my visit to Bristol Rovers this season.
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I have to admit I do not miss going for a pee in some of the old grounds, having to walk through several inches of piss was no laughing matter
 
I think it was Newport's old ground that was the worst for that .But it has to be said the old Wembley was quite revolting too.
 
Gills 58 said:
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?).
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Yes i was there although we used to stand in the enclosure of the old main stand. When the enclosure became seated in 1975 we had to decide where to stand and it was the terrace next to the GRS ( to the left of it as you look at it from the main stand ). Still there !
 
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