SteveTreacle
Vital 1st Team Regular
I very much doubt any older Gills fans do say that - Maidstone played in Dartford for that short lived local rivalry 25 or so years ago, hence their nickname!
Maidstone AKA The Squatters
- Thread starter HarrowGill
- Start date
I very much doubt any older Gills fans do say that - Maidstone played in Dartford for that short lived local rivalry 25 or so years ago, hence their nickname!
alphabet_king
Vital 1st Team Regular
Haha the A229 derby. I've never heard it called that.
I am a 'relatively' younger Gills fan (31), and I think the only club we've ever had genuine reason to hate is indeed Maidstone. Not in my supporting life time, but I can understand that it's really the only local rivals we've had. It's just they stopped being rivals when they went down the divisions. Since then they've been pretty insignificant.
It would be good to have them in the league at last, and actually have some club that sees us as their rivals too, but only if we beat them.
I am a 'relatively' younger Gills fan (31), and I think the only club we've ever had genuine reason to hate is indeed Maidstone. Not in my supporting life time, but I can understand that it's really the only local rivals we've had. It's just they stopped being rivals when they went down the divisions. Since then they've been pretty insignificant.
It would be good to have them in the league at last, and actually have some club that sees us as their rivals too, but only if we beat them.
bathnightattheminogu
Vital Reserves Team
I remember watching Gills play Maidstone at Maidstone, though I can't remember if it was a league or cup game.
HerrLjunga
Vital 1st Team Regular
I got to see us play Maidstone just the once, a home defeat in the league in front of a packed Priestfield. I was about 8 at the time and remember there was a reasonable amount of needle between Gills and Stones supporters at school.
SteveTreacle
Vital 1st Team Regular
Agree - my only ever experience of proper rivalry was the Maidstone derbies of the early 90s and Swindon in the mid 80s. We genuinely hated both clubs and they hated us.
The Swindon rivalry fizzled out 30 years ago from both sides, even if some try to keep it going - the numbers we take to Swindon and them to us and general lack of animosity between fans at matches speaks volumes - it's just another game now.
However, were we to play Maidstone (and to a lesser extent Dover and Ebbsfleet), there would definitely be a local rivalry. It would be there from the off from them due to their lowly nature, but could really develop to something tasty and mutual if any of them stayed in the League, especially if we had an extended spell in the same division.
I remember being at school in the early 90s and the Gills v Stones games were the first time I felt we ever had a proper local rival (especially with them having Lord Sir Keith as boss and half of our old team) - it was like what we saw third hand with Merseyside, London and Manchester rivalries on a smaller scale (real fans in those cities of course, not gloryhunters down the pub!) There were only a handful of Gills and Stones fans at my school, but come derby day, even those who didn't support either team (and at best ignored the Gills or Maidstone for the rest of the season and, at worst, ridiculed them) had a team and passionately followed them for the week or so before and after the match and got involved in ding dongs. It was sadly short-lived as funny as Maidstone's demise crassly seemed to a teenage Gills' fan at the time!
Bring the derbies back I say. Given the way Ebbsfleet are investing and Dover have done in recent times, and the state of our management team and squad, I can quite possibly see a Kent League Two derby in a year or two.
The Swindon rivalry fizzled out 30 years ago from both sides, even if some try to keep it going - the numbers we take to Swindon and them to us and general lack of animosity between fans at matches speaks volumes - it's just another game now.
However, were we to play Maidstone (and to a lesser extent Dover and Ebbsfleet), there would definitely be a local rivalry. It would be there from the off from them due to their lowly nature, but could really develop to something tasty and mutual if any of them stayed in the League, especially if we had an extended spell in the same division.
I remember being at school in the early 90s and the Gills v Stones games were the first time I felt we ever had a proper local rival (especially with them having Lord Sir Keith as boss and half of our old team) - it was like what we saw third hand with Merseyside, London and Manchester rivalries on a smaller scale (real fans in those cities of course, not gloryhunters down the pub!) There were only a handful of Gills and Stones fans at my school, but come derby day, even those who didn't support either team (and at best ignored the Gills or Maidstone for the rest of the season and, at worst, ridiculed them) had a team and passionately followed them for the week or so before and after the match and got involved in ding dongs. It was sadly short-lived as funny as Maidstone's demise crassly seemed to a teenage Gills' fan at the time!
Bring the derbies back I say. Given the way Ebbsfleet are investing and Dover have done in recent times, and the state of our management team and squad, I can quite possibly see a Kent League Two derby in a year or two.
PhilK66
Vital 1st Team Regular
Bollux! Gills to remain only league team in Kent.
As far as unliked teams are concerned I have always put Brighton at the top of my list. Their attitude when they had to ground share still rankles.
It is my hope that they are relegated from the PL with record low points tally.
Got planning permission from the punch in the mouth deputy PM at the time overruling both local and national planning decisions.
But I do like Chris Hughton who deserves a big job.
Only Green council in the country with one of the worst re-cycling records. Hope they are recycled to L2.
As far as unliked teams are concerned I have always put Brighton at the top of my list. Their attitude when they had to ground share still rankles.
It is my hope that they are relegated from the PL with record low points tally.
Got planning permission from the punch in the mouth deputy PM at the time overruling both local and national planning decisions.
But I do like Chris Hughton who deserves a big job.
Only Green council in the country with one of the worst re-cycling records. Hope they are recycled to L2.
Nobby_66
Vital Football Hero
I think it was an FA cup replay Bathnight. If we're thinking of the same match, it was the one where the wall at one side of the pitch (right in front of the Gills fans) collapsed under a mini crush. I was right at the front and we all spilled onto the pitch just before kick off and I ended up landing at Andy Ford's feet. He helped me and several others to our feet and all I could think of was how cool it was to have shaken his hand.
I think the match ended in a 0-0 draw but can't really remember if I'm honest.
daveycrocket
Vital Squad Member
Trouble with Maidstone, is their fans give it all the billy big bollocks about them being bigger and better than Gills, even though we're two divisions higher. I've had the misfortune of working with a few of them in the past, obnoxious they were, so I don't want them anywhere near the mighty Gills.
As for them getting 4,000 for a friendly, how sad are they? As someone posted earlier, it's just a training game where there'll probably be about 30 players on and off the pitch. All pre season friendlies are a waste of time as a spectator sport, I wouldn't bother going to one, whether we were playing Ebbsfleet or Everton.
Only one team in Kent. COYG!
As for them getting 4,000 for a friendly, how sad are they? As someone posted earlier, it's just a training game where there'll probably be about 30 players on and off the pitch. All pre season friendlies are a waste of time as a spectator sport, I wouldn't bother going to one, whether we were playing Ebbsfleet or Everton.
Only one team in Kent. COYG!
MortyVicker
Vital Newbie
We did lose 2-1 at Priestfield on Boxing Day 1989, after we were relegated to Division 4 on the same day at they were promoted from the Conference. Sir Keef was the Squatters' manager (and indeed got a great reception on his first return) but his son Gavin didn't play - he left for Bournemouth at the end of the previous season. Thoroughly depressing day, typical of the time when we always used to freeze when a big crowd was in.
Even worse was a 0-2 home defeat the following season, and we scrambled a 1-1 draw in Maidstone's third and final season in the league.....
Even worse was a 0-2 home defeat the following season, and we scrambled a 1-1 draw in Maidstone's third and final season in the league.....
SteveTreacle
Vital 1st Team Regular
Remember the game. We were 2-0 down and Alan Walker gave us hope with a late goal and almost knocked himself out on the goalpost. David Crown and the Maidstone keeper had a fight and Maidstone had a number of ex gills in their line up - I remember Elsey and Haylock being two of them, am sure there were others. Think Steve Butler was playing for the Stones then.
feewaybill
Vital Youth Team
Ian Docker kicking Karl Elsey up the arse at the Dartford ground is still one of the funniest things I have ever seen on a football pitch. He'd be arrested for it these days..
I went to a couple of Maidstone games last season. There were a few derogatory chants about us, and I'd love to see a return to the rivalry.
I went to a couple of Maidstone games last season. There were a few derogatory chants about us, and I'd love to see a return to the rivalry.
NathanH_GFC
Vital 1st Team Regular
Highlights of this game are on YouTube somewhere, I've watched it quite recently.
GillsBluenose
Vital Football Hero
Transferred from the Gillingham thread (my error):
I lived in Maidstone for 20 years and still live closer to their ground than to Priestfield but I have never been to any of their games. In fact when I was told it was in Whatman Park I struggled to find it as the main park itself that I am familiar with is the other side of the river.
As it is, it looks really crammed in between the ring road and the river. Not much room for expansion, I would think. The artificial pitch is another issue. Is the chairman looking to build a new stadium in the long term?
I would like to see a Kent derby again but only if one of the other county teams reach League one. We don't want to drop a division to meet them.
I agree with PhilK about Brighton though. They have been over financed by a gambler to reach a division over financed by Sky and BT. Would love to see them crash and burn. I expect them to panic and sack Hughton (who I respect and like) as soon as they sink to the bottom.
I lived in Maidstone for 20 years and still live closer to their ground than to Priestfield but I have never been to any of their games. In fact when I was told it was in Whatman Park I struggled to find it as the main park itself that I am familiar with is the other side of the river.
As it is, it looks really crammed in between the ring road and the river. Not much room for expansion, I would think. The artificial pitch is another issue. Is the chairman looking to build a new stadium in the long term?
I would like to see a Kent derby again but only if one of the other county teams reach League one. We don't want to drop a division to meet them.
I agree with PhilK about Brighton though. They have been over financed by a gambler to reach a division over financed by Sky and BT. Would love to see them crash and burn. I expect them to panic and sack Hughton (who I respect and like) as soon as they sink to the bottom.
Trev_GFC
Vital 1st Team Regular
I can't stand Brighton either. Hard done by to get kicked out of the Goldstone, definitely. But from then on they played the "Brighton are of national importance" and with the help of Two Jags managed to get a stadium built out of town in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. And a 30,000 stadium at that. All finances of course by a poker player with "pay it back whenever you feel like it" agreement.
