#IFELLINLOVE | Page 2 | Vital Football

#IFELLINLOVE

Therealwaldo said:
This isn’t a “I first fell in love moment”. More a “just when I thought I couldn’t love them any more” moment. At the end of the crushing one goal loss at Wrexham when we just missed out on automatic promotion to Burnley. The players didn’t immediately just rush off. They stayed to applaud the fans and in response the fans responded with a rendition of Que Sera Sera We”re going to Wembley. It started quietly but it just grew and grew until it was huge. It was a massive we believe in you moment And we all know what happened next.
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“Que Sera Sera, We’re Going to Shrewsbury” when we got relegated at Leeds was another time.
 
My first game was in 1995 against Wigan, but I would never say that I was gripped by GFC until about 1997/8. Pre that I don't remember any games at all, I was just a young kid a bit bewildered by everything around me. Sadly the first actual Gills memory I have is watching the events unfolding at the Town End during 'that' game against Fulham (from the safety of the newly built GRS).

I would say the first 'hooked' game would be the last day of that season, the game against Wigan where a win would've seen us into the play-offs but all we managed was a draw. The buzz of a sell-out crowd, the intensity, the baking hot day, the smells of 90s football - and in my mind's eye I still see Trigger's cross dipping towards the far post only to hit it and stay out, when an inch the other way might've found the net.

Having wonderful seasons like 98/99 and 99/00 to back that up was only every going to end up one way, and here we are today - mid 30s with a greying, receding hairline. Cheers for everything GFC.
 
Therealwaldo said:
They stayed to applaud the fans and in response the fans responded with a rendition of Que Sera Sera We”re going to Wembley. It started quietly but it just grew and grew until it was huge. It was a massive we believe in you moment And we all know what happened next.
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Great memory Waldo. And that’s the way the player/club/fan reactions should be. Need more of it not the current trend of outright abuse of the players when we lose. Showing support and backing by singing and cheering never does any harm.
 
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Have absolutely no recollection of how or why I started following the Gills in the first place, but was certainly a latecomer.

I was, unfathomably, a kid who loved football but had never really supported a team, having been dragged around the likes of Welling, Charlton, Maidstone, etc. by friends and family to varying degrees of enjoyment. Then stopped going to games entirely for a number of years before just deciding I should take an interest in that Kent club.

My first Gills game was 3rd Oct 1998, going all-in and splashing some 18th birthday cash on the classic black & blue Kool shirt, a 2-2 against Macclesfield (which I believe was also the game Tommy T made his first appearance?) and was a regular first in the old RE and then Town End from then on.

Eventually parked my arse in a poorly-chosen GRS seat for the 03/04 season and haven't moved since.
 
My first game was a Friday night, March 14th 1969, v Barnsley. We drew 1-1 with Gordon Riddick getting the goal. Derek Woodley instantly became my favourite Gills player.

I'll be belatedly celebrating my 55th anniversary at the Grimsby game on the 16th. Buddha can buy me a Bovril. :-)
 
My first two games when I was 12 were in Spring 1969, with Tom a school mate, the games were Barrow and Southport. Standing close to the front, I was amazed by the physicality of the tackles, (even though I played rugby).

My Dad wouldn't take me until I had visited on my own, even though he was a supporter in the Southern League days (avoiding accusations of child abuse?).

I think my commitment moment was the atmosphere at a night time game in the Autumn of 1969 standing with my Dad in the little sunken box in front of the Main Stand, we played Stockport and their goalie, (either Alan Ogley or Ken Mulhearn I forget which), was amazing he saved everything and looked better than Gordon Banks against Pele in the World Cup.

I also remember Mel Machin's greasy thighs glinting in the floodlights, weird!
 
I moved to east Kent as a 9 year old from London, no clue about the Gills as coming from London, I was a devout Liverpool fan obviously.
Went to a mates home for tea when I was around 10 (don’t ask me what I had) and he had an older brother and he said what the f@#k you support Liverpool for! I’ll take you to a proper team and that was it for me. So went a few times a season when he could put up with youngsters and I was hooked.
The Peacock era was my introduction, no idea what match but just thought wow this is amazing, but basically from 13 till I had my family 2008 barely missed a match.
Funny I go to about 6 home games and a couple away and it does make me chuckle when on Twitter when the podcast bloke called out people jumping on the bandwagon. It’s better they jump on our bandwagon, then the Liverpool one I was on, when I was a 9 year old
 
At my first game in 1955. Nine years old with my uncle Bill ( another besotted fan ). Can’t remember who we were playing but we won 2-0 with Harry Hughes scoring a penalty with his long run up from the halfway circle to blast it past the keeper. Other players I remember that day were Hunt and Proverbs.
 
Can't remember my first game but it was during the Summers era. My grandad took my brother and me as my dad didn't like football. I was hooked on the likes of Richardson, Price and Westwood. Been a ST holder since the late 80's apart from a period when my kids were born and I couldn't make every game. My two sons grew up on baldy Shaw and aye aye Iffy songs and are both hooked much to the bewilderment of their prem supporting mates when they were at school, some of whom go with them to games sometimes now they've grown up as you can't beat live footy.
 
My first game was 1973 v Hereford. We won 2-0 and that was that. Couldn’t wait to come back. Loved live sports ever since. Remembered Damien Richardson scoring but had to refer to Gills Scrapbook to see that the other goal was a Dave Peach penalty. Interestingly ( or not) Herefords goalkeeper that day was ex broadcaster and conspiracy theorist David Icke
 
My aunt was going out with a Gills player, in 1970 she took me along to watch them, I was sucked in, he became my uncle and even when he was transferred in 1974, I continued to go right up to now.
The colour is blue that courses through my veins.
 
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