| 1973–74 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Clifford Grossmark | |
| Manager | Andy Nelson | |
| Fourth Division | 2nd | |
| FA Cup | First Round | |
| League Cup | Second Round | |
| Top goalscorer | League:Brian Yeo (31) All:Brian Yeo (32) | |
| Highest home attendance | 12,297 vsPeterborough United (3 April 1974) | |
| Lowest home attendance | 3,864 vsDoncaster Rovers (29 September 1973) | |
During the1973–74 English football season,Gillingham F.C. competed in theFootball League Fourth Division, the fourth tier of theEnglish football league system. It was the 42nd season in which Gillingham competed inthe Football League, and the 24th since the club wasvoted back into the league in 1950. Gillingham lost three times in the first ten games of the season, but the team then began a run of 20 league games without defeat; by the end of 1973, Gillingham were second in theleague table. In mid-February, they lost a Fourth Division game for the first time in more than four months, after which two consecutive wins in mid-March took them to the top of the table. Although Gillingham slipped from first place, they remained in the top three, and a victory overColchester United on 20 April ensured that the team would bepromoted to theThird Division at the end of the season. In their final game of the season on 1 May, first-placed Gillingham lost to second-placedPeterborough United, who overtook them to win the championship of the division.
Gillingham also competed in twoknock-out competitions, losing in the first round of theFA Cup toCambridge United and in the second round of theFootball League Cup toCarlisle United. The team played 49 competitive matches, winning 26, drawing 12 and losing 11.Brian Yeo was the team's top goalscorer; he scored 31 goals in Fourth Division matches and 32 in all competitions. His 31 Football League goals in a season equalled the club record set byErnie Morgan in the1954–55 season.George Jacks andDick Tydeman made the most appearances; both played in every game of the season. The highest attendance recorded at the club's home ground,Priestfield Stadium, was 12,297 for a game against Peterborough United on 3 April 1974.
The1973–74 season wasGillingham's 42nd season playing in theFootball League and the 24th since the club waselected back into the League in 1950 after being voted out in 1938.[1] It was the club's third consecutive season in theFootball League Fourth Division, the fourth tier of theEnglish football league system, to which Gillingham had beenrelegated in 1971 after finishing bottom of theThird Division.[1] In the1972–73 season, Gillingham had finished 9th out of 24 teams in the Fourth Division.[1]
Andy Nelson was the club'smanager, a position he had held since 1971.[2]Peter Shearing assisted him in the role oftrainer-coach.[3] The management team retained a largely unchanged squad from the previous season, signing onlyDave Coxhill, amidfielder who had been released at the end of the previous season byMillwall of theSecond Division.[4] In June,Damien Richardson became the first Gillingham player to represent his country in a senior international match, when he played for theRepublic of Ireland in afriendly away toNorway.[5][a] Gillingham prepared for the new season with four friendlies in August, againstLuton Town andSheffield Wednesday of the Second Division,Brighton & Hove Albion of the Third, and semi-professional teamSittingbourne.[6] The team'skit for the new season was all-blue, a departure from the club's traditional blue shirts and white shorts.[7]
Gillingham's first match of the season was away toCrewe Alexandra on 25 August.[8] Due to injuries sustained in pre-season,Alan Wilks andKeith Lindsey, both regular starters in the previous season, were absent from the team; Gillingham lost the match 1–0.[9][10] Both players returned to the team a week later for the first game of the season at Gillingham's home ground,Priestfield Stadium. The game againstNewport County resulted in a 1–1 draw;[11]Brian Yeo scored Gillingham's goal, his 100th Football League goal for the club, making him the second Gillingham player to reach this milestone.[12] Gillingham won their next two matches, including a 7–2 win at home toScunthorpe United on 12 September, the highest number of goals scored by the team in a Football League match since 1951.[8][13] Yeo scored ahat-trick to take his total to five goals in the last three games and break the record held byBrian Gibbs for the highest number of Football League goals scored for Gillingham.[8][12][14]
Gillingham ended September with another high-scoring win, defeatingDoncaster Rovers 5–1;[8] at the end of the month Gillingham were 10th out of 24 teams in the Fourth Divisionleague table.[15] The team lost for the third time in the first ten league games of the season when they were defeated 2–1 byExeter City on 6 October,[8] after which they had dropped to 13th in the table,[16] but then began a run of 20 league games without defeat.[8] A week after the defeat to Exeter, Gillingham beatBury 3–0, and in their next game they beatChester 4–2.[8] Yeo scored twice in both games, taking his tally of league goals for the season to 12 in 12 games.[8] Coxhill made his first appearance in the starting line-up in a 1–1 draw away to Scunthorpe on 23 October and was a regular starter for the remainder of the season.[11] At the end of October, Gillingham were in seventh place in the Fourth Division table,[17] one point below the fourpromotion positions.[18]
During November and December Gillingham played nine matches, winning seven and drawing two.[8] The team began November with a 1–0 win away toReading and followed this with victories at home toTorquay United andWorkington.[8] The final game of the month was a 2–2 draw away toMansfield Town.[8] Yeo scored in all four games, including twice against Torquay; against Workington, Wilks scored Gillingham's second hat-trick of the season.[8] Gillingham won their first four matches of December,[8] including a 4–1 victory on 8 December overColchester United, who had been top of the table ahead of the game;[19] the attendance of 8,411 was more than 1,600 higher than any other home game to that point in the season.[20] On 26 December this figure was eclipsed when a crowd of 11,313 saw Gillingham defeatNorthampton Town 3–1 with another hat-trick from Yeo.[8][21] It was the first attendance of more than 10,000 at Priestfield since a game against the same opposition in 1971.[22] Gillingham's final match of 1973 was at home toSwansea City on 29 December and ended in a 1–1 draw,[8] which left Gillingham second in the Fourth Division, one point behind leaders Colchester.[23]
Gillingham began 1974 with two consecutive draws and then beatDarlington 3–1 on 12 January;[8] it was the last game that highly rateddefenderDavid Peach played for the club as he wastransferred toSouthampton of theFirst Division for £50,000 (equivalent to £660,000 in 2023), a new record for the highest fee received by Gillingham for a player.[20][24][25] In his absence,Glenn Aitken became the regular starter at left back.[26] On 20 January, the first Football League game to be played at Priestfield on a Sunday took place; playing on Sunday had been prohibited until January 1974 when the Football League agreed to allow Sunday matches for the first time, and Priestfield was one of twelve grounds to host a game on the first available Sunday.[27] At the end of January, Gillingham were still second in the table, now three points behind Colchester United albeit with the advantage of having played one fewer game.[28]
Gillingham began February with victories overLincoln City andHartlepool to take their unbeaten league run to 20 games,[20][29] but then lost 3–2 away toBury,[30] their first defeat in the Fourth Division since the previous October.[8] Gillingham won their next game, defeating Exeter, and remained second in the table at the end of the month.[8][31] The team's first game of March was a goalless draw away to Northampton, the first game in which Gillingham had failed to score a goal since the previous October,[20] although the single point they gained for the draw brought them level on points with first-placed Colchester.[32] Gillingham remained behind the league leaders only ongoal average despite losing their next game 2–0 away toStockport County.[20][33] The team then won two consecutive games 1–0, Richardson scoring the winning goal in both matches,[20] after which they were top of the Fourth Division table.[34] They then lost two consecutive games and ended March back in second place, three points behind Colchester.[20][35]
Gillingham began April with a home game againstPeterborough United; Peterborough were third in the table going into the match, behind Gillingham only on goal average.[36] The game between the two promotion-chasing teams drew an attendance of 12,297, the largest crowd of the season at Priestfield.[20] A goal from Lindsey gave Gillingham a 1–0 victory,[37] but the team drew their next two games and Peterborough overtook them to move into second place. On 20 April, Gillingham defeated Colchester 2–0, Yeo scoring both goals; the result meant that third-placed Gillingham could no longer be overtaken by any team outside the top four and were thus guaranteed promotion to the Third Division at the end of the season.[38] Yeo scored his 31st league goal of the season in the 2–0 win over Lincoln on 24 April, equalling the club record set byErnie Morgan in the1954–55 season.[39] Despite playing in both the remaining games of the season, he failed to score the goal which would give him the record outright.[8] The team's final game of the season was away to Peterborough United;[8] immediately before the game, Gillingham were top of the table, one point ahead of second-placed Peterborough, although Peterborough had the advantage that they had two more games still to play after the match against Gillingham.[40] Gillingham lost the game 4–2, meaning that Peterborough overtook them and won the Fourth Division championship;[41] Gillingham finished the season in second place, three points behind Peterborough and two ahead of third-placed Colchester.[42] It was only the second time in 42 seasons in the Football League that Gillingham had gained promotion to a higher division.[1]
|
|
| Date | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 August 1973 | Crewe Alexandra (A) | 0–1 | 2,091 | |
| 1 September 1973 | Newport County (H) | 1–1 | Yeo | 3,971 |
| 8 September 1973 | Swansea City (A) | 3–0 | Lindsey,Yeo,Tydeman | 2,144 |
| 12 September 1973 | Scunthorpe United (H) | 7–2 | Yeo (3),Wilks,Richardson (2),Tydeman | 4,610 |
| 15 September 1973 | Darlington (H) | 0–1 | 5,446 | |
| 18 September 1973 | Rotherham United (A) | 1–1 | Yeo | 3,660 |
| 22 September 1973 | Hartlepool (A) | 1–2 | Jacks | 1,383 |
| 29 September 1973 | Doncaster Rovers (H) | 5–1 | Yeo,Wilks,Richardson (2),Peach (pen.) | 3,864 |
| 3 October 1973 | Rotherham United (H) | 1–1 | Yeo | 5,330 |
| 6 October 1973 | Exeter City (A) | 1–2 | Peach | 4,744 |
| 13 October 1973 | Bury (H) | 3–0 | Hill,Yeo (2) | 4,527 |
| 20 October 1973 | Chester (A) | 4–2 | Peach,Yeo (2),Richardson | 2,055 |
| 23 October 1973 | Scunthorpe United (A) | 1–1 | Jacks | 2,402 |
| 27 October 1973 | Stockport County (H) | 2–1 | Peach (pen.),Wilks | 5,757 |
| 31 October 1973 | Bradford City (A) | 0–0 | 2,567 | |
| 3 November 1973 | Reading (A) | 1–0 | Yeo | 8,082 |
| 10 November 1973 | Torquay United (H) | 2–1 | Yeo (2) | 6,201 |
| 14 November 1973 | Workington (H) | 4–0 | Wilks (3),Yeo | 6,804 |
| 17 November 1973 | Mansfield Town (A) | 2–2 | Yeo,Peach (pen.) | 3,004 |
| 1 December 1973 | Brentford (A) | 3–0 | Richardson (2),Galvin | 5,570 |
| 8 December 1973 | Colchester United (H) | 4–1 | Richardson,Wilks (2),Jacks | 8,411 |
| 22 December 1973 | Doncaster Rovers (A) | 2–1 | Tydeman,Jacks | 1,878 |
| 26 December 1973 | Northampton Town (H) | 3–1 | Yeo (3) | 11,363 |
| 29 December 1973 | Swansea City (H) | 1–1 | Jacks | 9,977 |
| 1 January 1974 | Newport County (A) | 3–3 | Jacks,Wilks,Peach | 5,888 |
| 5 January 1974 | Barnsley (H) | 1–1 | Richardson | 6,825 |
| 12 January 1974 | Darlington (A) | 3–1 | Richardson,Peach,Yeo | 2,204 |
| 20 January 1974 | Crewe Alexandra (H) | 3–0 | Yeo,Richardson (pen.),Jacks | 11,478 |
| 3 February 1974 | Lincoln City (A) | 3–2 | Wilks,Yeo (2) | 7,154 |
| 10 February 1974 | Hartlepool (H) | 3–0 | Potter (o.g.),Wilks,Yeo | 8,754 |
| 17 February 1974 | Bury (A) | 2–3 | Swan (o.g.),Coxhill | 8,813 |
| 23 February 1974 | Exeter City (H) | 2–1 | Yeo,Wilks | 7,994 |
| 3 March 1974 | Northampton Town (A) | 0–0 | 8,583 | |
| 10 March 1974 | Stockport County (A) | 0–2 | 1,940 | |
| 17 March 1974 | Chester (H) | 1–0 | Richardson | 7,541 |
| 23 March 1974 | Torquay United (A) | 1–0 | Richardson | 2,748 |
| 26 March 1974 | Barnsley (A) | 1–3 | Richardson | 4,916 |
| 30 March 1974 | Reading (H) | 0–1 | 7,340 | |
| 3 April 1974 | Peterborough United (H) | 1–0 | Lindsey (pen.) | 12,297 |
| 6 April 1974 | Workington (A) | 3–3 | Richardson (2),Jacks | 1,176 |
| 13 April 1974 | Mansfield Town (H) | 2–2 | Lindsey (pen.),Yeo | 7,872 |
| 15 April 1974 | Bradford City (H) | 2–0 | Yeo,Wilks | 7,720 |
| 20 April 1974 | Colchester United (A) | 2–0 | Yeo (2) | 10,007 |
| 24 April 1974 | Lincoln City (H) | 2–0 | Yeo,Tydeman | 9,094 |
| 27 April 1974 | Brentford (H) | 1–0 | Hill | 9,337 |
| 1 May 1974 | Peterborough United (A) | 2–4 | Lindsey (pen.),Wilks | 17,569 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peterborough United | 46 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 75 | 38 | 1.974 | 65 | Division Champions, promoted |
| 2 | Gillingham | 46 | 25 | 12 | 9 | 90 | 49 | 1.837 | 62 | Promoted |
| 3 | Colchester United | 46 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 73 | 36 | 2.028 | 60 | |
| 4 | Bury | 46 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 81 | 49 | 1.653 | 59 | |
| 5 | Northampton Town | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 63 | 48 | 1.313 | 53 |
As a Fourth Division club, Gillingham entered the1973–74 FA Cup in the first round but were beaten 3–2 byCambridge United of theThird Division.[18][20]
|
|
| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 November 1973 | First | Cambridge United (A) | 2–3 | Richardson,Tydeman | 4,831 |
Gillingham entered the1973–74 Football League Cup at the first round stage and were paired with fellow Fourth Division team Colchester United. Gillingham won the match at Priestfield 4–2 to progress to the second round, where they were drawn to playCarlisle United of the Second Division, again at home. Gillingham were beaten 2–1 by their higher-division opponents and eliminated from the competition.[18][20]
|
|
| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 August 1973 | First | Colchester United (H) | 4–2 | Peach,Quirke,Wilks,Yeo | 3,991 |
| 10 October 1973 | Second | Carlisle United (H) | 1–2 | Richardson | 7,871 |
During the season, 19 players made at least one appearance for Gillingham. Two,George Jacks andDick Tydeman, played in all 49 competitive matches. Five others, Richardson, Wilks, Yeo,Joe Jacques, andMike Gibson, each made over 40 appearances. Two players,Kevin Johnson andKen Rogers, each made only one appearance; in Johnson's case it was the only appearance he made in a Gillingham shirt.[43]
Yeo finished the season as the team's top scorer, with 31 goals in the Fourth Division and 32 in all competitions; the former figure made him the season's top goalscorer across all four divisions of the Football League, the first time a Gillingham player had achieved this feat.[44] Richardson was Gillingham's second-highest scorer, with 16 goals in the league and 18 in total, and Wilks also reached double figures, scoring 15 times in total. Jacks was voted the club's player of the year by Gillingham supporters;[45] both Yeo and Peach were voted into theProfessional Footballers' Association Team of the Year for the Fourth Division by their fellow professionals.[46]
| Player | Position | Fourth Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Glenn Aitken | DF | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Dave Coxhill | MF | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| Dave Galvin | DF | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 1 |
| Mike Gibson | GK | 41 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| Kenny Hill | DF | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| George Jacks | MF | 46 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 8 |
| Joe Jacques | DF | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| Kevin Johnson | MF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Graham Knight | DF | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Keith Lindsey | DF | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 4 |
| David Peach | DF | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 8 |
| Dave Quirke | MF | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 1 |
| Damien Richardson | FW | 43 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 46 | 18 |
| Ken Rogers | FW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ian Thorpe | GK | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Dick Tydeman | MF | 46 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 5 |
| Alan Wilks | FW | 43 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 46 | 15 |
| Dave Wiltshire | DF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Brian Yeo | FW | 43 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 46 | 32 |
FW =Forward, MF =Midfielder, GK =Goalkeeper, DF =Defender
Two days after the final match of the season, Nelson resigned as the club's manager to take over atCharlton Athletic of the Third Division.[47] The club moved quickly to replace him withLen Ashurst, manager of Hartlepool, who was introduced to supporters at a promotion celebration event at the Central Hall inChatham on 6 May.[48] Inhis first season in charge, Gillingham finished 10th in the Third Division,[49] but in October 1975 he unexpectedly resigned to take the manager's job atSheffield Wednesday, sparking a two-year dispute between the two clubs over financial compensation.[50] Gillingham would spend fifteen seasons in the Third Division before being relegated back to the Fourth in 1989.[51]
a.^ The club has in the past claimed that goalkeeperFreddie Fox made his one appearance forEngland in May 1925 while on Gillingham's books.[52] Although he was still with Gillingham when the team selection was announced,[53] he was transferred to Millwall days later,[54] roughly four weeks before the match actually took place.[55]
