Gillingham Football Club is an English association football club originally formed in 1893 and known until 1913 as New Brompton F.C. The first man to hold a role equivalent to what is today referred to as a manager was William Ironside Groombridge, who was appointed as club secretary in June 1896 and quickly expanded the role to cover all aspects of team and club administration. Apart from two two-year spells when the club opted to appoint a full-time team manager to allow Groombridge to concentrate solely on club administration, he fulfilled the dual roles of secretary and manager until after the First World War. Upon being admitted to the Football League in May 1920, the club appointed Robert Brown as manager, but he resigned without ever taking charge of a match. He was replaced by Scotsman John McMillan, the club's first non-English manager.
The next significant manager of Gillingham was Archie Clark, under whose management the club returned to the Football League in 1950, having been voted out in 1938. Freddie Cox was the first manager to win a major trophy with Gillingham, taking the Football League Fourth Division championship in the 1963–64 season. Under his successor, Basil Hayward, the club was relegated back to the Fourth Division in the 1970–71 season, but Andy Nelson led the club to promotion back to Division Three three years later. After the Gills were relegated once again in the 1988–89 season, Tony Pulis managed the club to promotion seven years later. Pulis also took the team to the final of the play-offs for promotion to the second tier of English football in the 1998–99 season. Pulis was sacked immediately after this for gross misconduct, [1] but his successor, Peter Taylor, took the club back to the play-off final the following season, in which victory over Wigan Athletic saw the club promoted to Division One for the first time in its history. Peter Taylor left to join Leicester during the close season and club captain Andy Hessenthaler took over as manager for the club's first, and to date only, stint in the second tier.
After Hessenthaler was dismissed following a poor start to the 2004–05 season, the club saw a number of managers come and go in a relatively short time before Mark Stimson's arrival in 2007. His two and a half-year tenure saw the club promoted back to the third tier via the play-offs, but he was dismissed the following season. Hessenthaler then returned to the club for a period of two years before he was promoted to Director of Football to make way for Martin Allen. Allen became only the second manager to win a trophy with the club, leading the team to the League Two championship in 2013, but he was dismissed a few months into the following season after a poor start, following which another former manager, Peter Taylor, returned to the club.
Statistics are correct up to 29 April 2024 and include all senior competitive peacetime first-team matches. Minor county competitions such as the Kent Senior Cup and Kent Senior Shield are not included as the club rarely, if ever, fielded its first team.
Name | Nationality | From | To | P | W | D [a] | L | Win% [b] | Honours | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
William Groombridge (secretary) | England | [2] | 3 June 1896Late November 1906 [3] | 416 | 160 | 91 | 165 | 38.46 | [4] | |
Steve Smith | England | [5] | Late November 1906Summer 1908 [6] | 71 | 20 | 18 | 33 | 28.17 | [7] | |
William Groombridge (secretary) | England | [2] | Summer 1908Summer 1913 [8] | 212 | 75 | 45 | 92 | 35.38 | [9] | |
Sam Gilligan | Scotland | [8] | Summer 1913Summer 1915 [8] [c] | 81 | 22 | 17 | 42 | 27.16 | [10] | |
George Collins | England | [11] | 28 July 191912 May 1920 [12] | 47 | 11 | 10 | 26 | 23.40 | [13] | |
Robert Brown | England | [12] | 12 May 19209 June 1920 [12] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||
Johnny McMillan | Scotland | [14] | 2 July 19203 August 1922 [15] | 135 | 42 | 28 | 65 | 31.11 | [16] | |
William Groombridge (secretary) | England | [15] | 3 August 192210 May 1923 [17] | 44 | 16 | 7 | 21 | 36.36 | [18] | |
Harry Curtis | England | [19] | 10 May 192330 March 1926 [20] | 135 | 45 | 39 | 51 | 33.33 | [21] | |
unknown caretaker | [20] | 30 March 192612 April 1926 [20] | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 25.00 | [22] | ||
Bert Hoskins | England | [23] | 12 April 192629 March 1929 [20] | 127 | 36 | 31 | 60 | 28.35 | [24] | |
unknown caretaker | [20] | 29 March 19297 May 1929 [25] | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 12.50 | [26] | ||
Dick Hendrie | Scotland | [25] | 7 May 192929 December 1931 [27] | 108 | 30 | 22 | 56 | 27.78 | [28] | |
unknown caretaker | [27] | 29 December 193118 January 1932 [25] | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | [26] | ||
Fred Maven | England | [29] | 19 January 193225 May 1937 [30] | 246 | 80 | 56 | 110 | 32.52 | [31] | |
Alan Ure | England | [30] | 26 May 193716 June 1938 [32] | 45 | 11 | 6 | 28 | 24.44 | [33] | |
Bill Harvey | England | [34] | 11 July 193819 July 1939 [35] | 48 | 30 | 7 | 11 | 62.50 | [36] | |
Archie Clark [d] | England | [15] | 2 August 193923 November 1957 [37] | 577 | 251 | 128 | 198 | 43.50 | Southern League champions 1946–47 and 1948–49, Southern League Cup winners 1946–47, Kent League champions 1945–46 | [38] |
Harry Barratt | England | [37] | 23 November 19574 May 1962 [39] | 226 | 82 | 54 | 90 | 36.28 | [40] | |
Freddie Cox | England | [32] | 13 June 196217 December 1965 [41] | 172 | 83 | 42 | 47 | 48.26 | Fourth Division champions 1963–64 | [42] |
Jimmy Boswell (caretaker) | England | [43] | 17 December 19654 January 1966 [43] | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | [44] | |
Basil Hayward | England | [45] | 4 January 196625 May 1971 [30] | 282 | 89 | 80 | 113 | 31.56 | [46] | |
Andy Nelson | England | [47] | 24 June 19713 May 1974 [48] | 151 | 66 | 37 | 48 | 43.71 | [49] | |
Len Ashurst | England | [50] | 6 May 197415 October 1975 [51] | 61 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 37.70 | [52] | |
Bill Collins (caretaker) [53] | Northern Ireland | [51] | 15 October 197527 October 1975 [54] | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.00 | [55] | |
Gerry Summers | England | [54] | 27 October 197522 May 1981 [56] | 292 | 92 | 106 | 94 | 31.51 | [57] | |
Keith Peacock | England | [58] | 14 July 198129 December 1987 [59] | 370 | 161 | 90 | 119 | 43.51 | [60] | |
Paul Taylor | England | [59] | 29 December 198726 October 1988 [61] | 40 | 11 | 8 | 21 | 27.50 | [62] | |
Bill Collins Damien Richardson (caretakers) | Northern Ireland Ireland | [63] | 26 October 198831 October 1988 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | ||
Keith Burkinshaw | England | [61] | 31 October 198811 April 1989 [64] | 32 | 8 | 4 | 20 | 25.00 | [65] | |
Keith Blunt (caretaker) | England | [66] | 11 April 198918 April 1989 [66] | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | [66] | |
Damien Richardson | Ireland | [66] | 18 April 19898 October 1992 [67] | 173 | 53 | 49 | 71 | 30.64 | [68] | |
Paul Clark (caretaker) | England | [67] | 8 October 199226 October 1992 [69] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | [70] [71] | |
Glenn Roeder | England | [69] | 26 October 19929 July 1993 [72] | 37 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 21.62 | [70] | |
Mike Flanagan | England | [73] | 12 July 199328 February 1995 [74] | 90 | 20 | 27 | 43 | 22.22 | [75] | |
Neil Smillie (caretaker) | England | [74] | 28 FebruaryMay 1995 [76] | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 60.00 | [77] | |
Tony Pulis | Wales | [78] | 29 June 199530 June 1999 [79] | 218 | 94 | 62 | 62 | 43.12 | [80] | |
Peter Taylor | England | [34] | 7 July 199912 June 2000 [81] | 62 | 34 | 12 | 16 | 54.84 | Second Division play-off winners 1999–2000 | [82] |
Andy Hessenthaler | England | [78] | 29 June 200023 November 2004 [83] | 228 | 77 | 54 | 97 | 33.77 | [84] | |
John Gorman (caretaker) | Scotland | [83] | 23 November 200430 November 2004 [85] | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | [86] | |
Darren Hare Iwan Roberts Paul Smith (caretakers) | England Wales England | [87] | 4 December 20047 December 2004 [88] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | [89] | |
Stan Ternent | England | [88] | 7 December 200415 May 2005 [90] | 25 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 28.00 | [91] | |
Neale Cooper | Scotland | [92] | 21 May 200515 November 2005 [93] | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 31.82 | [94] | |
Ronnie Jepson | England | [93] | 15 November 20059 September 2007 [95] | 87 | 32 | 16 | 39 | 36.78 | [96] | |
Iffy Onuora Mick Docherty (caretakers) | Scotland England | [97] | 9 September 20078 October 2007 [97] | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 40.00 | [97] | |
Iffy Onuora (caretaker) | Scotland | [97] | 8 October 20071 November 2007 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50.00 | [98] | |
Mark Stimson | England | [99] | 1 November 200710 May 2010 [100] | 144 | 48 | 41 | 55 | 33.33 | 2009 Football League Two play-off final winners | [101] |
Andy Hessenthaler | England | [102] | 21 May 20108 May 2012 [103] | 101 | 39 | 29 | 33 | 38.61 | [84] | |
Martin Allen | England | [104] | 5 July 201213 October 2013 [105] | 64 | 27 | 17 | 20 | 42.19 | Football League Two champions 2012–13 | [106] |
Peter Taylor | England | [107] | 14 October 201331 December 2014 [108] | 67 | 23 | 14 | 30 | 34.33 | [109] | |
Andy Hessenthaler Steve Lovell Darren Hare Mark Patterson (caretakers) | England Wales England England | [108] [110] | 31 December 20147 February 2015 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 37.50 | [84] | |
Justin Edinburgh | England | 7 February 2015 | 3 January 2017 | 102 | 40 | 26 | 36 | 39.22 | [111] | |
Adrian Pennock | England | 4 January 2017 | 25 September 2017 [112] | 32 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 18.75 | [113] | |
Peter Taylor (caretaker) | England | [112] | 25 September 201712 October 2017 [114] | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25.00 | [109] | |
Steve Lovell | Wales | [114] [115] | 12 October 201726 April 2019 [116] | 92 | 32 | 26 | 34 | 34.78 | [117] [e] | |
Mark Patterson (caretaker) | England | [116] | 26 April 20194 May 2019 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00 | [118] | |
Steve Evans | Scotland | [119] | 1 June 20199 January 2022 [120] | 129 | 41 | 41 | 47 | 31.78 | [121] | |
Steve Lovell (caretaker) | Wales | [122] | 10 January 202231 January 2022 [123] | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.00 | [117] | |
Neil Harris | England | [123] | 31 January 20225 October 2023 [124] | 90 | 31 | 25 | 34 | 34.44 | [125] [f] | |
Keith Millen (caretaker) | England | [126] | 5 October 20231 November 2023 [127] | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 33.33 | [128] | |
Stephen Clemence | England | [127] | 1 November 202329 April 2024 [129] | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 35.29 | [130] | |
Mark Bonner | England | [131] | 7 May 2024present | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | [132] |
a. ^ Drawn matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.
b. ^ Win% is rounded to two decimal places.
c. ^ Competitive football was abandoned after the 1914–15 season due to the escalation of the First World War and did not resume until 1919. Gilligan did not return to the club after the war.
d. ^ Clark's statistics include three matches (two wins and one defeat) played at the start of the 1939–40 season before competitive football was abandoned due to the outbreak of the Second World War.
e. ^ Soccerbase erroneously includes the final two games of the 2018–19 season in Lovell's statistics even though he was dismissed on 26 April 2019.
f. ^ Soccerbase erroneously includes the six games between the dismissal of Harris and the appointment of Clemence in the former's total.
Gillingham Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent, England. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, the "Gills" play their home matches at Priestfield Stadium. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, in the 2023–24 season.
Andrew Hessenthaler is an English football manager and former player who is head of recruitment at EFL League Two club Gillingham. He began his career in non-league football and did not turn professional until he joined Watford at the age of 26. In 1996, Hessenthaler joined Gillingham and spent the next ten years at the club as player and later player-manager, managing the club to its highest ever finish in the English football league system and becoming regarded as a legend of the Kent club. After leaving Gillingham, he had a short spell at Barnet, before joining Dover Athletic in 2007. In his two seasons in charge he led the club to successive championships, of Isthmian League Division One South and the Isthmian League Premier Division. After three years at Dover, he became manager at Gillingham for the second time, but his contract was terminated at the end of the 2011–12 season. He returned to the club as assistant manager in 2014, before taking on a similar role at Leyton Orient the following year. In 2016, he was appointed manager of the club, but was sacked later the same year. In November he was appointed manager of Eastleigh, but the following year left to return to Dover, where he stayed until January 2023.
Gillingham Football Club is an English football club based in Gillingham, Kent. The club was formed in 1893, and played in the Southern League until 1920, when that league's top division was absorbed into the Football League as its new Division Three. The club was voted out of the league in favour of Ipswich Town at the end of the 1937–38 season, but returned 12 years later, when that league was expanded from 88 to 92 clubs. Twice in the late 1980s Gillingham came close to winning promotion to the second tier of English football, but a decline then set in and in 1993 the club narrowly avoided relegation to the Football Conference. In 2000, the "Gills" reached the second tier of the English league for the first time in the club's history and went on to spend five seasons at this level, achieving a club record highest league finish of eleventh place in 2002–03. The club has twice won the division comprising the fourth level of English football: the Football League Fourth Division championship in 1963–64 and the Football League Two championship in 2012–13.
Mark Nicholas Stimson is an English former footballer and manager. He signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur in 1985, but was unable to gain a regular place in the team. In 1989, he moved on to Newcastle United, where he made over 80 appearances in the Football League. He later played for Portsmouth, Southend United and Leyton Orient before dropping into non-League football.
Mark Patterson is an English former professional footballer. He played over 300 Football League matches for Carlisle United, Derby County, Plymouth Argyle and Gillingham between 1986 and 2002.
Stephen Lovell is a Welsh former professional footballer and manager. He is currently manager of Herne Bay.
Mark Lovell is an English footballer. He briefly played professionally for Gillingham. He is the son of former Welsh international striker Steve Lovell, and the grandson of former professional footballer Alan Lovell.
Darren Hare is an English football coach and former player, who is interim assistant manager of Ashford United.
During the 1999–2000 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 68th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 50th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. The team started the season in poor form, failing to win any of the first five league games, but then went on a much-improved run and began challenging for promotion to the Football League First Division. Robert Taylor scored 18 goals in 19 games by November, after which he was signed by Manchester City for £1.5 million, a new record fee for Gillingham. On the last day of the regular season, the team had a chance to gain automatic promotion, but lost and instead had to enter the play-offs. After defeating Stoke City in the semi-finals, Gillingham beat Wigan Athletic in the final to gain promotion to the second tier of the English football league system for the first time in the club's history.
During the 1986–87 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division. It was the 55th season in which the club competed in the Football League, and the 37th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. Gillingham began the season strongly and were top of the Third Division table shortly before the mid-point of the season. The team's form declined in the second half of the season; to qualify for the play-offs for promotion to the Football League Second Division, the team needed to win their final game and both Bristol City and Notts County had to fail to win theirs. A victory over Bolton Wanderers, combined with both the other teams being held to draws, meant that Gillingham finished in fifth place and qualified for the play-offs. After beating Sunderland in the semi-finals, Gillingham faced Swindon Town in the final. The two teams drew 2–2 on aggregate, necessitating a replay at a neutral venue, which Swindon won 2–0 to claim a place in the Second Division.
During the 2000–01 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League First Division, the second tier of the English football league system. It was the 69th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 51st since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In the preceding season, Gillingham had beaten Wigan Athletic in the Second Division play-off final to gain promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in the club's history. Having led the team to promotion, manager Peter Taylor left the club after a single season to become manager of FA Premier League club Leicester City and was replaced by veteran player Andy Hessenthaler. In his first season as manager, he led Gillingham to a mid-table finish in the First Division.
Jakob Andrew Hessenthaler is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League club Dagenham and Redbridge.
During the 1996–97 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 65th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 47th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In the previous season, the team had gained promotion from the Third Division. Prior to the new season, Gillingham signed seven new players, paying a new club record transfer fee for Watford's Andy Hessenthaler. The team's form was poor in the first half of the season and at the end of 1996, Gillingham were in 21st position in the 24-team league table, putting them in danger of relegation back to the fourth tier. The club signed Ade Akinbiyi from Norwich City for another record fee in early January. In the second half of the season the team's performances improved and they finished the season in 11th position in the table.
During the 1987–88 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division. It was the 56th season in which the club competed in the Football League, and the 38th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In the previous season, Gillingham had qualified for the final of the play-offs for promotion to the Football League Second Division but had been defeated. The team began the new season strongly, including winning matches 8–1 and 10–0 on consecutive Saturdays, but their performances quickly declined and by December the team had slipped down the league table. After a heavy loss to Aldershot in the last game of 1987, manager Keith Peacock was dismissed from his job and replaced by his former assistant Paul Taylor, a decision which was extremely unpopular with the club's supporters. Although the team's performances improved in the second half of the season, briefly bringing them close to a potential play-off place, their form declined once again and they finished the season 13th in the 24-team division, the same position as when Peacock lost his job.
During the 1998–99 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 67th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 49th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. The club signed two new forwards, each for a new club record transfer fee, but started the season in poor form, winning only one of the first eight league games. The team then went on a much-improved run, being undefeated for 17 league games, and began challenging for promotion to the Football League First Division. Gillingham finished the regular season in fourth place in the Second Division, qualifying for the play-offs for promotion to the First Division. After defeating Preston North End in the semi-finals, they played Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in the final. Gillingham were 2–0 up with less than ten minutes remaining but conceded two late goals, and Manchester City won the subsequent penalty shoot-out to gain promotion.
During the 1994–95 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 63rd season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 45th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In January 1995, after several seasons spent near the bottom of the Football League and nearly a decade of financial difficulties, the club was declared insolvent and placed in receivership. Mike Flanagan was made redundant as the club's manager and replaced by player-coach Neil Smillie for the remainder of the season. Gillingham finished the season 19th in the Third Division, but the club's continued existence remained in doubt until June, when it was purchased by businessman Paul Scally.
During the 1989–90 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Fourth Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 58th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League and the 40th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In the previous season, the team had been relegated from the Third Division, after which a number of players left the club, resulting in several teenagers playing in the opening games of the new season. Gillingham began their league campaign in poor form but a run of five consecutive wins in October and November took them into the top six. In December, the team lost to Maidstone United in the first Football League match between two Kent-based teams. Gillingham remained in contention for promotion until early March, but then lost six consecutive games; the team finished the season 14th in the Fourth Division.
Brompton's success was very sweet to their new manager Steve Smith, who was elected to that office last week.