A Long Way to the Medway
This week sees us travel even further than last weekend, as we journey to Kent for the League Two clash between Gillingham and Newport County.
Last week, we travelled to Boreham Wood in Hertfordshire, a round-trip of 606 miles. Today’s trip will be slightly longer at 650 miles.
Why do we Hoppers do this to ourselves? It’s some form of masochism, surely?
To subject ourselves to the whims and vagaries of public transport for 90 minutes of football must seem really strange to people who don’t ‘get it’.
However, it does help me view other people’s hobbies in a different light.
After all, if I can travel over 600 miles return journey to watch a football match, why should I mock anyone who likes to record trains pulling into a station in a notebook? Why should I think it strange if someone wants to keep deadly snakes or spiders as pets?
We are a weird and wonderful species, and it is our variety that keeps life so interesting.
With that in mind, we turn our sights to the long journey south, to the Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham; home of Kent’s only Football League club.
The Journey
The day began early, catching the 06:33 X1 bus to Newcastle on a dark, wet winter’s morning.
At least it was considerably warmer than last weekend, so I welcomed the overnight rain and cloud cover.
The X1 arrived on time, which was good, because there wasn’t a huge amount of leeway between arriving and catching my train.
I left the bus at John Dobson Street and walked the half mile to Central Station, leaving me with a 10-minute wait.
The 07:52 Lumo service to London King’s Cross arrived on schedule, and I settled in for the journey.
I love those journeys where there isn’t a lot to say; no screaming babies, nobody constantly rattling crisp packets in my ear or talking loudly to someone sitting one foot away.
London
This was one such journey, and I arrived at London King’s Cross Station at 10:50. This left me half an hour to walk to St. Pancras and find my platform for the connecting train.
Not only did I accomplish this, but I learned a valuable lesson for next time; I’ve been going the long way around to St. Pancras! There is another entrance, literally just across the road, that cuts out a lot of the walk from the front of the station.
It did mean I could take this photo of the fantastic front façade of St. Pancras Station, though.
Inside, the station looks far more modern, but is that a good thing? It’s like a railway station crossed with a shopping centre.
Once I found my platform, a young lady asked me if this was the train to Ramsgate. I recognised that accent straight away, a fellow Stokie!
We boarded the 11:20 Southeastern service to Ramsgate and sat chatting about Stoke.
Thanks for the chat, and sorry, I didn’t get your name, but it was nice talking with you. If you ever see this. I will hold you to that promise of a dozen oatcakes next time! 😂
I got off the train at Gillingham station around 12:10, five hours and forty minutes after my first bus to Newcastle.
While I find my bearings, why not have a read about the town?
Gillingham
Gillingham is a town on the River Medway, on the north coast of Kent.
The River Medway runs along the northern edge of the town and has underpinned Gillingham’s role in naval defence and the maritime industry.
The town lies 32 miles east of London, 5 miles east of Chatham, 8 miles north of Maidstone, and 17 miles west of Canterbury. Hetton-le-Hole lies a distant 325 miles to the north.
In the 2021 Census, Gillingham had a population of 114,176, making it the largest town within the Medway unitary authority.
Gillingham was first recorded in the 10th century as ‘Gyllingeham‘, and whilst not definitively proven, the name is believed to derive from the Old English personal name ‘Gylla (or Gilla)’, combined with ‘ham‘, meaning ‘homestead or settlement‘. Thus, Gillingham is ‘The home of Gylla’s people‘.
Gillingham’s importance grew from the 16th century onwards due to its proximity to Chatham Dockyard, which became one of the Royal Navy’s chief shipbuilding and repair centres.
The arrival of a railway in 1858 further accelerated Gillingham’s development, transforming it from a largely rural settlement into a densely populated industrial town of dockyards and associated trades.
Tragedy struck on 11th July 1929, when a demonstration by the Gillingham Fire Brigade went badly wrong, resulting in the deaths of 15 people.
Post-War
Gillingham suffered bomb damage during the Second World War because of its strategic naval importance. Large-scale rebuilding followed in the post-war years, with extensive housing development reshaping the town.
A second tragedy struck the town on 4th December 1951. A double-decker bus struck a company of 52 members of the Royal Marine Volunteer Cadet Corps. Fatalities numbered 24, with a further 18 of the young boys, aged between nine and thirteen, injured. This is the second-highest number of deaths ever recorded in a UK road traffic accident, behind the Dibbles Bridge coach crash in 1975 (33 deaths).
The closure of Chatham Dockyard in 1984 marked a major economic shift for Gillingham, ending centuries of naval employment but prompting long-term regeneration across the Medway settlements.
Today, Gillingham’s economy is supported by retail, education, healthcare, public services, and light industry, with many residents also commuting within Kent and to London.
The unemployment rate in Gillingham is broadly similar to the national average, reflecting ongoing regeneration and economic transition.
The Royal Engineers, an arm of the British Army, has long been based in the Chatham/Gillingham area, and the Royal Engineers Museum and Library is located in Gillingham.
You can find out more about what Gillingham has to offer visitors via the Medway Council website.
Notable People from Gillingham
Actors: Nicholas Day, David Frankham, Gordon Richards, and Balvinder Sopal – Sculptor, Rick Kirby – Navigator and explorer, William ‘Samurai’ Adams – bass guitarist, Dee Murray (the Elton John Band) – Screenwriter and novelist, Stel Pavlou – Songs of Praise presenter, Pam Rhodes – Comedy director and producer, John Stroud – Racing car designer, Ron Tauranac, and children’s book author, Ian Whybrow.
From the world of sports, Gillingham has provided us with the figure skater, John Hamer – darts player, Conan Whitehead, and footballers, Luis Binks, Ted Ditchburn, Dick Edmed, Jack Mahon, Sean Raggett, Mel Sage, and long-time WBA goalkeeper, Tony Godden.
The Ship Inn
While you read about the town, I walked the one mile to the Ship Inn, near the River Medway.
There were closer pubs, including the Southern Belle, opposite the train station, but none had really ticked my boxes.
I tried the doors you can see on the corner of the pub, only to find them locked. A second door, under the ‘1792’ wording, was also locked. I walked to the far end and saw no one around. After checking opening hours on Google Maps, which said the place was open, I feared the worst… a wasted walk.
As I headed back down the front of the building, I noticed a third door between the other two, and great success, this one opened!
Inside, the Ship Inn has a bar on the left-hand side, with more rooms and space beyond.
There is also a place set up for bands to play live music, reminding me of the Old Star in Uttoxeter, where I will be next weekend.
I ordered a pint of Guinness, which cost the expected eye-watering southern price of £6.00, and sat at the bar.
It was quiet, with only the barmaid, two men, and two dogs for company, but it was friendly, and I think I made a new friend in Spud, the dog. 😂
Definitely the sort of place that I would be happy to call my local, if I lived in the area.
The River Medway
After leaving the Ship Inn, I made the short walk over to the river, hoping to see some of the concrete barges and fortress islands.
Unfortunately, the river and the surrounding marshlands are very wide, meaning I could just about make out some of it, but not the spectacular views I was hoping for.
With my phone’s camera zoomed in, I managed to get a half-glimpse of Hoo Fort and the concrete barges scattered around the area.
You can read more in this article I found online about the fortress islands and the barges.
Gillingham – Priestfield Stadium
As I wandered up Redfern Avenue, I found myself getting a first sight of the Priestfield Stadium. The old-school floodlights looming large over the stands, which is a sight that I always enjoy.
The club shop is on this side of the ground, and from there I bought myself a programme (£3.00) and a pin badge (£4.00)
Programme
For £3.00, you get 44 thick, glossy pages, containing 14 full pages of adverts. (31.8%)
Content features words from the owner, Brad Galinson and manager, Gareth Ainsworth.
Five pages are dedicated to the visitors, including two pages about connections between the clubs. There is previous match action, an ‘On This Day’ double spread, academy news, a feature about young Gills players out on loan, and a couple of articles by Eddie Allcorn.
The programme also features the usual squad listings, fixtures and expected team news.
All in all, a decent effort, and the retro-looking front cover is nice, too.
A solid 8 out of 10, for me.
Getting In
Getting in wasn’t as simple as I expected.
My tickets were for the Rainham End, which I thought might be to the left of the big stand.
To be certain, I asked a gentleman wearing a Gillingham scarf which way to go. He said he always sits in the main stand and wasn’t sure. I told him it was most likely the end that the vocal Gills fans go in, and he said, “Ah, it will be that end then,” and pointed to the right.
Okay, so I was wrong, it’s the other end.
I walked up a tight alley and came out on the opposite corner of the ground, which appeared to be where the away fans were entering.
I think I may have asked the wrong person for directions, but hey, at least I got to see around the ground.
The actual entrance to the Rainham End turned out to be about five yards away from where I had first asked the gentleman! 🤪
For future reference, and for anyone wondering, the Rainham End turnstile is on the left end of the main stand, next to the Factory Bar.
Once inside, there is a walkway leading to the concourse behind the Rainham End
Gordon Road Stand
Once inside, to my left was the Gordon Road Stand, a covered, all-seated stand split between home and away supporters.
The 166 County fans were placed at the far end of this stand, with a small segregation area separating them from the home supporters.
The stand was opened in 1997 and has a capacity of 2,600. Planning requirements restricted the stand’s height, meaning it is lower than the other three sides of the ground.
There is a small gantry for TV cameras in the centre of its roof.
I also noticed that the seating tapers off as it extends towards the Brian Moore Stand, with progressively fewer rows of seats. This is due to the restricted space caused by the road behind it.
Brian Moore Stand
The uncovered Brian Moore Stand is named after the late commentator, who was also a Gills director for seven years.
It is a ‘temporary’ stand, though it has been in place now since the 2003/04 close season.
The Brian Moore Stand was never built, and until financing can be sourced, the temporary stand seems increasingly permanent.
This is where larger away followings are housed, with a capacity of 3,400, though it is usually limited to 1,500.
Medway Stand
The Medway Stand is the main stand at Priestfield, and is a covered, all-seated two-tier stand.
Between levels, twenty executive boxes offer hospitality for guests.
The dressing rooms, offices, club shop, ticket office and the Factory bar and restaurant are all housed in the Medway Stand.
The players enter the field from the corner where the Medway Stand joins the Brian Moore Stand.
There is a small electronic scoreboard and a timer, set centrally above the executive boxes.
This stand was opened in 1999/00 and was named via a poll of Gills supporters.
I struggled to find the capacity mentioned anywhere, but using the stadium capacity, minus the known figures for the other three stands, leaves just over 3,000.
Rainham End
The Rainham End is where the Gills’ more vocal support congregates behind the goal at the eastern end of the ground.
It is a covered, all-seated stand which replaced the old Rainham End terrace and was opened in 1999, with a capacity of 2,400.
Unfortunately, I have no decent photo of this stand, but you can gauge its size from the picture below. I was standing in the back row to take this one.
Gillingham – Priestfield Stadium Gallery
Gillingham Tidbits
The Gillingham Football Club was formed in 1893 as New Brompton FC. Shortly afterwards, the club acquired a plot of land for £1,500, which would later become Priestfield Stadium.
They soon became founder members of the Southern League and enjoyed early success, winning the Division Two title in 1895. In the 1912/13 season, the club adopted the now-familiar name Gillingham FC.
In 1920, the Gills were again founder members, this time of the Football League’s newly created Third Division. However, they struggled badly and finished bottom in the inaugural season. Unfortunately, this proved to be a sign of things to come. Seventh place remained their highest league finish, and after a fifth failed re-election application, the club lost its Football League status, to be replaced by Ipswich Town.
At this critical point, only the chairman’s casting vote prevented the club from folding, with other directors prepared to walk away. That decision proved a good one, and after enjoying success in the Kent League and various cup competitions, Gillingham rejoined the Southern League following the end of World War II.
Post-War
The post-war period began positively. In 1946/47, Gillingham secured a Southern League and Cup double. Then, when the Third Division expanded from 22 to 24 teams, the club returned to league football in 1950.
Between these milestones, on January 10th 1948, a crowd of 23,002 watched an FA Cup tie against Queens Park Rangers, setting the club’s all-time attendance record.
Despite this, league success remained elusive, with fourth place standing as their best finish for several years. That changed in 1963/64, when Gillingham beat Carlisle United to the title on goal average. As a result, they earned promotion to the third tier for the first time in their history.
Relegation followed in 1970/71, but the Gills bounced back in 1973/74. They came agonisingly close to further promotion in 1978/79, eventually finishing fourth. Almost a decade later, in 1987, they flirted with promotion once more, only to lose out to Swindon Town in the playoffs after a replay.
During that season, they recorded their highest-ever league victory, defeating Chesterfield 10-0 at the Priestfield Stadium.
After playoff disappointment, decline set in. Relegation to the fourth tier in 1989 nearly led to an exit from the Football League altogether in 1993. However, a crucial 2–0 home victory over Halifax Town on the final day saved Gillingham at their opponents’ expense.
Scally Years
Financial difficulties soon engulfed the club, and administration followed in 1995, with the threat of expulsion from the league. At this point, Paul Scally stepped in as chairman and immediately began to turn the club’s fortunes around.
He appointed Tony Pulis as manager, and the impact was immediate, as promotion arrived in Pulis’s first season. In 1999, Gillingham again pushed for a place in the second tier but fell short after losing to Manchester City in the playoffs.
Following that defeat, the club sacked Pulis for “gross misconduct,” triggering acrimony and lengthy legal disputes between the two parties. (More details on that story can be found in this When Saturday Comes article.)
Painful Memories
Peter Taylor then took charge and led the Gills back to the playoffs. For me, as a Stoke City supporter, this period remains particularly painful. I attended the 1st leg of the semi-final at the Britannia Stadium, which Stoke won 3–2. However, Gillingham ultimately progressed thanks in part to Andy Hessenthaler’s dramatic stoppage-time goal.
That moment proved decisive. In the 2nd leg, Stoke were reduced to nine men and eventually conceded two goals in extra time. Gillingham carried that momentum into the final, where they defeated Wigan Athletic, once again after extra time.
As a result, the Gills reached the second tier for the first, and only, time in their history. Taylor soon moved on to Leicester City, with Hessenthaler stepping up as player-manager. He guided the team to an eleventh-place finish in 2002/03, the club’s highest league position.
Hessenthaler resigned in 2004, and relegation followed, with another drop in 2008. After returning to the basement division, Gillingham secured promotion in 2009 by beating Shrewsbury Town in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they went straight back down in 2010 after a season without a single away win.
In 2012/13, Martin Allen led the club to the League Two title, although a poor start to the following campaign saw him dismissed. The Gills then maintained their League One status until 2022, when relegation returned them to the fourth tier.
Later that year, American property tycoon Brad Galinson took over from Paul Scally, bringing an end to a long and often controversial reign. Ultimately, however, Scally should be remembered fondly by supporters, having preserved the club’s EFL status and transformed both Gillingham’s fortunes and Priestfield Stadium itself.
Gillingham is currently managed by Gareth Ainsworth, taking the reins on 25th March 2025.
They Played for Gillingham
Patrick Agyemang – Adebayo Akinfenwa – Vince Bartram – Trevor Benjamin – Ryan Bertrand – Tommy Black – Keith Branagan – Gary Breen – Steve Bruce – George Burley – Guy Butters – Darren Byfield – Stephen Bywater – Tony Cascarino – Steve Claridge – Terry Cochrane – Bradley Dack – Charlie Daniels – Mel Eves – Derek Hales – Neil Harris – Andy Hessenthaler – Matt Jarvis – Tommy Johnson – Max Kilman – Marlon King – Paul Konchesky – Steve Lomas – Jim McDonagh – Gary Micklewhite – Gavin Peacock – Iwan Roberts – Glenn Roeder – Jlloyd Samuel and Rod Wallace.
Representing both the Gills and Stoke City are:
Micky Adams – Ade Akinbiyi – Carl Asaba (Gills record signing at £600,000) – Scott Barrett – Jack Bonham – Deon Burton – John Gayle – Mamady Sidibé – Sam Vokes – Gabriel Zakuani, and of course, Tony Pulis and his long-time assistant, Dave Kemp.
Gillingham – Pre-Game View of Priestfield Stadium
Gillingham v Newport County – The Game
Form
Coming into today’s game, Gillingham lie in 16th place in League Two, level on points with Oldham in 15th.
After playing 24 games, the Gills have won 7, drawn 11 and lost just 6, while scoring 31 goals and conceding 28.
In their last 5 games, Gillingham have lost two and drawn three. Indeed, they haven’t won a football game since 8th November 2025, when they beat Bristol Rovers 1-0 away.
Unfortunately for them, Newport County are bottom of the league after 25 games.
They have won just 4 games, drawn 5, and lost 15, scoring 24 goals while conceding 43.
In their last 5 games, they have won 1, drawn 2 and lost 2, most recently losing 2-1 at title contenders, Bromley.
Given all this information, I anticipate a tense game, with both sides scoring, but the Gills edging it with home advantage.
Pre-match prediction: Gillingham 2 Newport County 1
Newport County entered the field in their special red-and-white-striped Basque commemoration shirts, designed to tell the story of Basque child refugees who found sanctuary in South Wales during the Spanish Civil War.
You can read the full story about that here.
Kick-Off
Summary
I’ll keep the summary brief, given the article’s already considerable length.
Suffice to say that the locals around me in the Rainham End weren’t happy with what they were seeing early on in the game.
After a few misplaced passes, boos rang out, and it was County who deservedly took a fourth-minute lead through Michael Spellman.
However, Gillingham responded before the interval, with Conor Masterson heading home in the 30th minute to restore parity and send the sides in level at the break.
We Don’t Know What You’re Doing!
The second half produced a farcical delay when play stopped for several minutes after the public address system announced that the linesman was ‘indisposed’.
At first, the crowd around me laughed, assuming it was a toilet-related issue. Confusion then followed when he remained in full view, before it emerged that he had picked up an injury and could no longer run.
Unsurprisingly, this prompted the inevitable chant of “You’re not fit to referee.” Moments later, another announcement asked whether anyone in the crowd could step in to perform the linesman’s duties, presumably subject to a credentials check.
That only fuelled the humour, as Gillingham supporters broke into another chant: “He’s one of our own, the assistant referee, he’s one of our own.”
Eventually, the match resumed and, with six minutes of normal time remaining, plus a lengthy period of stoppage time, County regained the lead through Cameron Antwi.
However, deep into the closing moments, the Gills won a penalty after substitute Garath McCleary was felled in the box.
Armani Little calmly converted, restoring parity once more.
An amazing fifteen minutes of injury time was announced, which eventually turned into over seventeen minutes.
Gillingham took full advantage of this extra time and scored a winning goal in the tenth extra minute, through that man McCleary. An inspired substitution to turn things around.
Even then, it still took a superb save from 42-year-old goalkeeper, Glenn Morris, to keep the Gills ahead. He is certainly a popular figure among the fans, and that save showed part of the reason why.
Gillingham held on as County pressed, and the visitors can count themselves unfortunate to go away empty-handed from Priestfield today.
You can read a full Match Report here, courtesy of the Gillingham FC website.
Full-time – Gillingham 3 Newport County 2
Attendance – 5,548 (166 Newport County fans)
Entrance Fee – £24.00
Programme – £3.00
Gillingham v Newport County – Match Highlights
League Table After Today’s Game
Up Next
Gillingham will look to build on these three points and play another struggling side next week, as they travel to Harrogate Town on 24th January.
This will be followed by another away trip at Cheltenham Town (27th), before returning to Priestfield on January 31st, where they will host league leaders, Bromley. February begins with a trip to Notts County (3rd).
For Newport fans, they will be getting desperate for points now, and that mission begins by hosting Chesterfield on January 24th.
Indeed, three of their next four games will be at Rodney Parade. Accrington Stanley are the visitors on the 27th and Grimsby Town on February 7th.
Between those games, they will make the short trip to Bristol Rovers on January 31st.
Gillingham Thoughts
Gillingham FC feels like a football club that serves as the beating heart of its community.
Crowds may not rival those of some bigger teams, but you can feel the passion and what it means to those present.
Priestfield Stadium stands in the middle of a housing estate, with the Rainham End being the only area with room to breathe.
In fact, some of that area is being converted into a fanzone for home supporters. More on that development, here.
I like the uniqueness of the walkout song, too. Gills supporters have appropriated Engelbert Humperdinck’s The Last Waltz as their own.
Gallows humour was on full display after bottom-of-the-table Newport took the lead and were the better team early on. There aren’t many things funnier than exasperated football supporters digging at their own team.
I’m happy to see that Gillingham FC is still producing printed programmes, and a decent one, too. Long may that continue.
One thing I feel could be improved is more obvious signage indicating stadium entry points. The Rainham End in particular is not an obvious one, particularly with vehicles parked outside the entrance.
Not a problem for regulars, but for Hoppers like myself, not an easy find.
The Gillingham matchday experience is good. I enjoyed it, and I’m happy to recommend Priestfield Stadium to anyone who hasn’t yet visited.
Gillingham – After the Game
Following the final whistle, I made my way back onto Redfern Avenue, onto Ferndale Road and right onto Ingram Road.
After crossing the railway tracks, I took a left onto Railway Street, where I got one last glimpse of the Priestfield floodlights.
Google Maps was telling me that if I ran, I could make the 17:22 train back to St. Pancras. This would save me having to catch a tube from Victoria, so would an arthritic shuffle suffice?
I gasped my way into Gillingham railway station and was rewarded with the news that the 17:22 was a few minutes late.
Someone else’s problem is my gain on this occasion.
It arrived at 17:31, and by 18:15, I was back at St. Pancras, before making the short walk across to King’s Cross.
I then bedded in for the wait for my train back north at 19:30 and did a spot of people-watching. It’s probably for the best that I keep my thoughts about that to myself! 😂
I boarded the LNER train bound for Newcastle on Platform 7, and we set off on schedule.
This was the express train, calling only at York, and by 22:10 we were back in Newcastle’s Central Station.
Late-Night Drama
After walking to the bus stop, I caught the 22:40 X1 home.
A bit of late-night drama awaited at Houghton-Le-Spring as three people got on in the middle of an altercation.
Apparently, one of them had urinated on the bus stop seats after being thrown out of a local pub.
This, rightly, hadn’t gone down well with the two other gents waiting, and they shoved him violently off the bus and told the driver to close the doors.
As we pulled away, the other guy managed to get one last punch in to the bus window.
Why are people like this?
That one little bit of drama behind us, I arrived back in town and was through my front door by 23:30.
Another successful Hop in the books!
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Next Up for Hoppers Guide
Next week sees us fulfil our promise to visit and review Port Vale’s Vale Park, after the club was kind enough to drop us a follow on Twitter.
Despite being a Stoke City fan, I’ve never had the traditional dislike of Vale that usually goes with the territory.
Maybe that’s because I was brought up in Uttoxeter, rather than Stoke itself. A town divided between Stoke City and Derby County fans, including my son!
This makes Derby the chief rival in my mind, plus, my grandad was a Vale fan. How can I dislike my grandad’s team?
Not only that, it’s good for the city if both of its football teams are doing well. Footfall increases, bringing extra revenue in, and the ball starts rolling.
I’ve been to Vale Park a few times before, and I look forward to visiting again to review it for Hoppers Guide.
Onto the next!
