Gillingham

Here is all you need to know about the Gills.

• Founded: 1893
• Nicknames: The Gills
• Honours: Division 4 (1963/64), League 2 (2012/13)
• Home Kit: MACRON Blue shirt with white trim, blue shorts and socks
• Away Kit: MACRON Red shirt with white trim, red shorts and socks
• Form: WWLDW (13th in League One)
• First Round Result: 3-2 vs Woking FC

The success of Chatham FC excited the interest of the residents of Medway Town and led to the founding of many clubs including one named Excelsior. After winning the Kent Junior Cup and Chatham District League in 1893 a meeting in a nearby Pub, Excelsior transformed into New Brompton FC who would play their games at Priestfield. In 1913, NBFC changed their name to Gillingham.

The towns quaint dockyard was opened by Elizabeth I in the mid-16th Century but was attacked in the Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1667. The defence of the dockyard was breached after Dutch Warships attacked the English fleet anchored up, in the aptly named Raid of the Medway. The successful attack from the Dutch led to peace between the two countries as the Navy lost its strength to retaliate.

The football club were an original member of Division 3 in 1920 but failed re-election in 1938, just prior to the outbreak to WW2. In 1950, following the expansion of the Football League, The Gills were re-elected into Div 3(S). Between 2000-2005 Gillingham played in the second tier and achieved their best League finish in 2002/03 finishing 11th under the watchful eye of Andy Hessenhalter. The Kent teams longest run in the FA Cup came in 2000 when Gills reached the sixth round but were humbled by a strong Chelsea team, who ran out 5-0 winners- which included John Terry’s first ever goal for the Blues.