List of Gillingham F.C. records and statistics

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Ron Hillyard, Gillingham's appearance record holder, played a total of 655 games in a 17-year career with the club. Ron Hillyard.jpg
Ron Hillyard, Gillingham's appearance record holder, played a total of 655 games in a 17-year career with the club.

Gillingham Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Gillingham, Kent, playing in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system, as of the 2024–25 season. The club was formed in 1893 as New Brompton F.C., [1] a name which was retained until 1913, [2] and has played home matches at Priestfield Stadium throughout its history. [1] The club joined the Football League in 1920, [3] was voted out of the league in favour of Ipswich Town at the end of the 1937–38 season, [4] but returned to the league 12 years later after it was expanded from 88 to 92 clubs. [5] Between 2000 and 2005, Gillingham played in the second tier of the English league for the only time in the club's history, achieving a highest league finish of eleventh place in 2002–03. [6]

Contents

The record for most games played for the club is held by Ron Hillyard, who made 655 appearances between 1974 and 1991. Brian Yeo is the club's record goalscorer, scoring 149 goals during his Gillingham career. Andrew Crofts holds the record for the most international caps gained as a Gillingham player, having made 12 appearances for Wales. The highest transfer fee ever paid by the club is the £600,000 paid to Reading for Carl Asaba in 1998, and the highest fee received is the £1,500,000 paid by Manchester City for Robert Taylor in 1999. The highest attendance recorded at Priestfield was 23,002 for the visit of Queens Park Rangers in 1948. The club holds one Football League record, having conceded the fewest goals in a 46-match season, when the team conceded only 20 goals during the 1995–96 season.

All figures are correct as of 2024.

Honours and achievements

Gillingham fans at the 2000 play-off final Gillsplayoff2000.jpg
Gillingham fans at the 2000 play-off final

Gillingham have won two major honours in English football; first the Football League Fourth Division title in the 1963–64 season [7] and then the Football League Two title in the 2012–13 season. [8] The club has also achieved promotion on four other occasions, most recently in the 2008–09 season, when a 1–0 victory over Shrewsbury Town in the 2009 Football League Two play-off final at Wembley Stadium secured a return to League One following relegation the previous season. [9]

Gillingham's only previous victory at Wembley (at the original Wembley Stadium) came in the 1999–2000 season, when a 3–2 victory over Wigan Athletic in the Second Division play-off final clinched promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in Gillingham's history. [10] Between 1938 and 1950, when the club played outside the Football League, Gillingham won the Southern Football League championship on two occasions and the Kent League once. [11]

The Football League

Other honours

The New Brompton team which won the Southern League Division Two championship in the 1894-95 season Gills1894.jpg
The New Brompton team which won the Southern League Division Two championship in the 1894–95 season

National cup competitions

Player records

Age

Appearances

All competitive peacetime first team matches are included. Statistics correct as of the end of the 2023–24 season. Appearances as substitute are in brackets. Players who played for the club prior to 1920 or between 1938 and 1950, when the club played in the Southern League and Kent League rather than the Football League, have appearances in those competitions included in their totals. [23]

#NameYearsLeaguea FA Cup League CupbOtherTotal
1 Ron Hillyard 1974–1991563 (0)34 (0)44 (0)14 (0)655 (0)
2 John Simpson 1957–1972571 (0)26 (0)19 (0)0 (0)616 (0)
3 Mark Weatherly 1974–1989458 (49)33 (5)38 (3)14 (1)543 (58)
4 Jimmy Boswell 1946–1958470 (0)36 (0)17 (0)0 (0)523 (0)
5 Charlie Marks 1943–1957392 (0)20 (0)22 (0)0 (0)434 (0)
6 Dick Tydeman 1969–1977
1981–1984		371 (3)22 (0)23 (1)3 (0)419 (4)
7 Max Ehmer [24] 2014–2020
2021–present		348 (6)23 (1)14 (0)15 (1)400 (8)
8 Paul Smith [25] 1997–2005
2005–2006		345 (4)21 (0)18 (0)12 (2)396 (6)
9 Jock Robertson 1919–1933365 (0)30 (0)0 (0)0 (0)395 (0)
10 Brian Yeo 1963–1975356 (11)16 (0)15 (0)0 (0)387 (11)

Goalscorers

Fred Cheesmur scored six goals in a match in 1930, a club record haul for a match in The Football League. Fred cheesmur001.jpg
Fred Cheesmur scored six goals in a match in 1930, a club record haul for a match in The Football League.

Top goalscorers

All competitive first team matches are included. Appearances, including those as substitute, are in brackets. Players who played for the club prior to 1920 or between 1938 and 1950, when the club played in the Southern League and Kent League rather than the Football League, have goals in those competitions included in their totals. [23]

#NameYearsLeaguea FA Cup League CupbOtherTotal
1 Brian Yeo 1963–1975136 (356)4 (16)9 (15)0 (0)149(387)
2 Hughie Russell 1946–1952106 (186)12 (23)2 (0)0 (0)120(209)
3 Tug Wilson 1936–194991 (211)5 (16)17 (25)0 (1)113(253)
4 Tony Cascarino [D] 1981–198778 (219)11 (17)9 (18)12 (15)110(269)
5 Brian Gibbs 1962–1969101 (259)3 (9)6 (16)0 (0)110(284)
6 Steve Lovell 1986–199394 (233)5 (10)2 (17)3 (15)104(275)
7 Damien Richardson 1972–199194 (323)5 (14)3 (20)0 (0)102(357)
8 Ken Price 1976–198378 (255)7 (21)4 (18)0 (0)89(294)
9 Cody McDonald 2010–2011
2013–2017		77 (198)1 (7)1 (6)2 (9)81(220)
10 Ernie Morgan [D] 1953–195773 (155)4 (8)0 (0)0 (0)77(163)
11 Danny Westwood 1975–198274 (211)1 (12)2 (12)0 (3)77(238)

International caps

Andrew Crofts, the club's international caps record holder Me and Andrew Crofts2.jpg
Andrew Crofts, the club's international caps record holder

Transfer fees

Record transfer fees paid

#NameFeePaid toDateNotes
1 Carl Asaba £600,000 Reading 29 August 1998 [35]
2 Robert Taylor £500,000 Brentford 1 August 1998 [36]
3 Paul Shaw £450,000 Millwall 4 July 2000 [37]
4= Marlon King £250,000 Barnet 28 June 2000 [38]
4= Ade Akinbiyi £250,000 Norwich City 6 January 1997 [39]
4= Chris Hope £250,000 Scunthorpe United 4 July 2000 [40]

Record transfer fees received

#NameFeeReceived fromDateNotes
1 Robert Taylor £1,500,000 Manchester City 29 November 1999 [36]
2 Ade Akinbiyi £1,200,000 Bristol City 1 June 1998 [39]
3 Marlon King £950,000 Nottingham Forest 27 November 2003 [41]
4 Bradley Dack £750,000 Blackburn Rovers 27 June 2017 [42]
5 Jimmy Corbett £525,000 Blackburn Rovers 21 May 1998 [43]

Some media sources claimed that the transfer fee paid by Southampton for Paulo Gazzaniga in 2012 was higher than that paid for Taylor, but the fee was not officially disclosed by either club. [44]

Managerial records

William Ironside Groombridge, the club's first manager Groombridge.jpg
William Ironside Groombridge, the club's first manager

Club records

Goals

Points

Matches

The Gillingham team and officials pictured before the club's first ever Football League match in 1920 Gills1920.jpg
The Gillingham team and officials pictured before the club's first ever Football League match in 1920

Firsts

Record wins

Record defeat

Attendances

Notes

A. ^ Promoted via the play-off system after finishing in third place

B. ^ Promoted automatically by finishing in second place on both occasions

C. ^ Promoted via the play-off system after finishing in fifth place

D. ^ Cascarino is placed higher than Gibbs, and Morgan higher than Westwood, as they reached their goals totals in fewer matches.

E. ^ The club has in the past claimed that goalkeeper Freddie Fox made his one appearance for England in May 1925 while on Gillingham's books. [51] Although he was still with Gillingham when the team selection was announced, [52] he was transferred to Millwall days later, [53] roughly four weeks before the match actually took place. [54]

F. ^ This was the first match for the club's first team, but it was preceded by the first match for the club's reserve team, which occurred earlier on the same day.

References

General

Specific

  1. 1 2 Triggs (1984), p8
  2. ↑ Triggs (1984), p9
  3. ↑ Triggs (1984), p10
  4. ↑ Triggs (1984), p13
  5. ↑ Triggs (1984), p19
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Gillingham". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Brown, p3
  8. 1 2 "Gillingham 2–2 AFC Wimbledon". BBC Sport. 20 April 2013. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  9. ↑ "Gillingham 1–0 Shrewsbury". BBC Sport. 23 May 2009. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  10. ↑ "Second time lucky for Gills". BBC Sport. 28 May 2000. Archived from the original on 3 March 2003. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  11. ↑ Brown, pp55, 56, 58
  12. ↑ Brown, p109
  13. ↑ Brown, pp83, 105
  14. 1 2 3 Brown, p56
  15. ↑ Brown, p58
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "New Brompton". The Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  17. 1 2 Brown, p55
  18. ↑ "Brentford stunned by League Two Gillingham". BBC Sport. 8 November 2022. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  19. ↑ "Freeman Makes History". Gillingham F.C. 12 November 2007. Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. Retrieved 12 November 2007.
  20. ↑ Panting, Matthew (13 August 2024). "Report: 10-man Gills knocked out of Carabao Cup". Kent Online. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  21. ↑ "Games played by Glenn Morris in 2024/2025". Soccebase. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  22. ↑ Bradley, Andy (19 September 1987). "Extra Time". Gillingham F.C. Official Matchday Magazine.
  23. 1 2 Brown, pp122–129.
  24. ↑ "Max Ehmer". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  25. ↑ "Paul Smith". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 27 January 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  26. ↑ Brown, p83
  27. ↑ Triggs (2001), p344
  28. ↑ Triggs (2001), p226
  29. ↑ Triggs (2001), p349
  30. 1 2 Triggs (1984), p16
  31. 1 2 3 4 "Gillingham FC History (1893– )". Gillingham F.C. 9 September 2007. Archived from the original on 15 November 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
  32. ↑ Mark Mitchener (25 February 2004). "Hayter keeps feet on ground". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 16 January 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
  33. ↑ Triggs (1984), p28
  34. ↑ Elligate, p104
  35. ↑ Triggs (2001), p45
  36. 1 2 Triggs (2001), p313
  37. ↑ Triggs (2001), p288
  38. ↑ Triggs (2001), p185
  39. 1 2 Triggs (2001), p41
  40. ↑ Triggs (2001), p162
  41. ↑ "Marlon King". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  42. ↑ "Blackburn Rovers seal deal for Gillingham midfielder Bradley Dack". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  43. ↑ "Jim Corbett". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 2 March 2005. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  44. ↑ Miles, Greg (20 July 2012). "Gillingham's Paulo Gazzaniga joins Southampton". Kent News. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  45. 1 2 Brown, p130
  46. ↑ Barnes, Stuart (2007). News of the World Football Annual 2007–2008. Invincible Press. p. 334. ISBN   978-0-00-725555-9.
  47. 1 2 3 Brown, p12
  48. ↑ Brown, p34
  49. ↑ Brown, p70
  50. ↑ Brown, p.42
  51. ↑ "Gillingham FC History (1893–)". Gillingham F.C. Archived from the original on 15 November 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  52. ↑ "To meet France". Birmingham Gazette . 25 April 1925. Retrieved 6 March 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  53. ↑ "Millwall's new custodians". Evening Standard . 27 April 1925. Retrieved 6 March 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  54. ↑ Elligate, p91

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