Gillingham Football Club is an English association football club originally formed in 1893 under the name New Brompton F.C. The club adopted its present name in 1912, 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 "Gills" were 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.

Thumb
The Gillingham team line up before their first ever Football League match in 1920, along with club officials and the local mayor

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, Gillingham reached the second tier of the English league for the first time in the club's history. They went on to spend five seasons at this level, achieving a club record highest league finish of eleventh place in the 2002–03 season before being relegated twice to return to the league's bottom division, known since 2004 as Football League Two. The club has won honours at a professional level namely the Football League Fourth Division championship in the 1963–64 season as well as the Football League Two championship in the 2012–13 season.

Seasons

More information Season, League ...
Season League FA Cup EFL Cup[lower-alpha 1] EFL Trophy[lower-alpha 2] Other Top scorer(s)[lower-alpha 3] Ref
Division P W D L GF GA Pts Pos
1893–94 New Brompton did not play league football QR1 FA Amateur Cup R3Q[lower-alpha 4] Albert Jenner 2[lower-alpha 5][1]
1894–95 SL Div 2 12 11 0 1 57 10 22 1st[lower-alpha 6] QR3 Arthur Rule 22[1]
1895–96 SL Div 1 18 7 4 7 30 37 18 6th QR2 Dave Hutcheson 8[lower-alpha 7][2]
KL Div 1 2293103642217th
1896–97 SL Div 1 20 7 2 11 32 42 16 8th QR4 Jack Frettingham 10[lower-alpha 8][3]
TMC 10208213245th
1897–98 SL Div 1 22 9 4 9 37 37 22 6th QR5 Jack Frettingham 13[lower-alpha 8][4]
TMC 149233315203rd
1898–99 SL Div 1 24 10 5 9 38 30 25 6th R1 Jack Frettingham 14[lower-alpha 8][5]
TMC 1612224815261st
1899–1900 SL Div 1 28 9 6 13 39 49 24 11th QR4 Jack Frettingham 11[lower-alpha 8][6]
TMC 10811206171st
1900–01 SL Div 1 28 7 5 16 34 51 19 12th QR5 Jack Frettingham 14[lower-alpha 8][7]
TMC 641115792nd
1901–02 SL Div 1 30 10 7 13 39 38 27 10th RInt Alf Milward 12[lower-alpha 8][lower-alpha 9][8]
TMC 121011527211st
1902–03 SL Div 1 30 11 11 8 37 35 33 6th RInt Charlie Satterthwaite 14[lower-alpha 8][9]
TMC 125163342114th
1903–04 SL Div 1 346131526432516th RInt Jim Stevenson 7[10]
1904–05 SL Div 1 341111124041339th R1 Walter Leigh 11[11]
1905–06 SL Div 1 34781920622217th R2 Bill Marriott 5[12]
1906–07 SL Div 1 381291747593316th R2 Dan Cunliffe 15[13]
1907–08 SL Div 1 38972244752520th[lower-alpha 10] R2 Charlie McGibbon 22[14]
1908–09 SL Div 1 40177164859417th QR5 Arthur Pickett 9[15]
1909–10 SL Div 1 421951876744312th R1 Albert Court 25[16]
1910–11 SL Div 1 381181934653018th R1 John Taylor 15[17]
1911–12 SL Div 1 381191835723118th QR4 F.Corbett
A.Lee
John Taylor
6[18]
1912–13 SL Div 1 3812101636533415th R1 Arthur Wolstenholme 7[19]
1913–14 SL Div 1 381391648493515th R2 Charlie Hafekost 10[20]
1914–15 SL Div 1 38682443822020th R1 Sam Gilligan
Peter Glen
8[21]
No competitive football was played between 1915 and 1919 due to the First World War.
1919–20 SL Div 1 421072534742722nd R1 Arthur Wood 14[22]
1920–21 Div 3[lower-alpha 11] 428122234742822nd[lower-alpha 12] QR6 Tommy Hall 11[23]
1921–22 Div 3S[lower-alpha 13] 421482047603618th R1 Charlie Freeman 14[24]
1922–23 Div 3S 421572051573716th QR6 Tommy Hall
Horace Williams
11[25]
1923–24 Div 3S 4212131743583715th R1 Joe North 17[26]
1924–25 Div 3S 4213141535444013th QR6 Fred Brown
Frank Marshall
Tommy Hall
10[27]
1925–26 Div 3S 421781753494210th R2 Fred Brown 16[28]
1926–27 Div 3S 4211102154723220th R2 Bill Arblaster 18[29]
1927–28 Div 3S 4213111862813716th R3 Jonah Wilcox 28[30]
1928–29 Div 3S 421092343832922nd[lower-alpha 12] R1 Arthur Dominy 14[31]
1929–30 Div 3S 421182351803021st R1 Fred Cheesmur 17[32]
1930–31 Div 3S 4214101861763816th R2 Harry Loasby 22[33]
1931–32 Div 3S 421082440822821st R1 Bill White 9[34]
1932–33 Div 3S 42188167261447th R2 George Nicol 28[35]
1933–34 Div 3S 4211112075963317th R2 Third Division South Cup R1 Sim Raleigh 18[36]
1934–35 Div 3S 4211131855753520th R1 Third Division South Cup R1 Bill Baldwin 14[37]
1935–36 Div 3S 421491966773716th R2 Third Division South Cup R1 George Tadman 18[38]
1936–37 Div 3S 421881672614411th R2 Third Division South Cup R2 Jimmy Watson 21[39]
1937–38 Div 3S 421062636772622nd[lower-alpha 14] R1 Third Division South Cup R2 Jimmy Watson 13[40]
1938–39 SL 44296910457643rd QR4 Southern League Cup R2 Harry Rowley 41[41]
1939–40 SL 3201644n/a[lower-alpha 15] Southern League Cup R1 Harry Rowley 4[42]
No further competitive football was played between 1939 and 1945 due to the Second World War.
1945–46 KL 2018111113337 1st QR4 Kent League Cup W Vic Hole 29[43]
1946–47 SL 3120651034547[lower-alpha 16] 1st R3 Southern League Cup W Hughie Russell 42[44]
1947–48 SL 342158814347 2nd R3 Southern League Cup GS Hughie Russell 23[45]
1948–49 SL 42261061044862 1st QR4 Southern League Cup SF Hughie Russell 36[46]
1949–50 SL 46239149261555th[lower-alpha 17] R2 Southern League Cup R2 Harold Williams 18[47]
1950–51 Div 3S 4613924691013522nd R2 Dave Thomas 21[48]
1951–52 Div 3S 4611132271813522nd R2 Derek Lewis
Dave Thomas
22[49]
1952–53 Div 3S 4612151939704021st R2 Trevor Long 11[50]
1953–54 Div 3S 4619101761664810th R1 Ernie Morgan 21[51]
1954–55 Div 3S 462015117766554th R2 Ernie Morgan 33[52]
1955–56 Div 3S 4619101761664810th R1 Ernie Morgan 16[53]
1956–57 Div 3S 4612132154853722nd R2 Jim Taylor 16[54]
1957–58 Div 3S 461392452813522nd R3 Ron Saunders 19[55]
1958–59 Div 4[lower-alpha 18] 462091782774911th R1 Johnny Edgar 24[56]
1959–60 Div 4 462110157469527th R3 Pat Terry 22[57]
1960–61 Div 4 4615131864664315th R3 R2 Pat Terry 22[58]
1961–62 Div 4 4413112073943720th R1 R1 Charlie Livesey 15[59]
1962–63 Div 4 462213117149575th[lower-alpha 19] R3 R1 George Francis 13[60]
1963–64 Div 4 4623149593060 1st[lower-alpha 20] R1 R4 Brian Gibbs 18[61]
1964–65 Div 3 46239147050557th R2 R1 Brian Gibbs 23[62]
1965–66 Div 3 46228166254526th R1 R2 Brian Gibbs 24[63]
1966–67 Div 3 4615161558624611th R2 R2 Brian Gibbs 17[64]
1967–68 Div 3 4618121659634811th R1 R2 Brian Gibbs 16[65]
1968–69 Div 3 4613151854634120th R2 R1 Brian Yeo 18[66]
1969–70 Div 3 4613132052643920th[lower-alpha 21] R5 R2 Mike Green 16[67]
1970–71 Div 3 46101323426733 24th R1 R1 Mike Green 12[68]
1971–72 Div 4 4616131761674513th R3 R3 Brian Yeo 24[69]
1972–73 Div 4 461911166358499th R1 R2 Damien Richardson 14[70]
1973–74 Div 4 4625129904962 2nd R1 R2 Brian Yeo 32[71]
1974–75 Div 3 4617141565604810th R1 R1 Damien Richardson 21[72]
1975–76 Div 3 4612191558684315th R2 R2 Damien Richardson
Danny Westwood
12[73]
1976–77 Div 3 4616121855644412th R1 R2 Damien Richardson 18[74]
1977–78 Div 3 461520116760507th R2 R1 Ken Price 20[75]
1978–79 Div 3 46211786542594th R1 R1 Danny Westwood 19[76]
1979–80 Div 3 4614141849514216th R1 R2 Ken Price 17[77]
1980–81 Div 3 4612181648584215th R2 R2 Ken Price 13[78]
1981–82 Div 3 46201115645671[lower-alpha 22]6th R4 R1 Football League Group Cup GS Ken Price
Dean White
14[79]
1982–83 Div 3 4616131758596113th R2 R3 Tony Cascarino 19[80]
1983–84 Div 3 462010167469708th R4 R1 R1(S) Dave Mehmet 17[81]
1984–85 Div 3 46258138062834th R4 R2 R1(S) Tony Cascarino 20[82]
1985–86 Div 3 462213118154795th R3 R2 SF(S) Tony Cascarino 21[83]
1986–87 Div 3 46239146548785th[lower-alpha 23] R3 R2 SF(S) League play-offs RU Tony Cascarino 30[84]
1987–88 Div 3 4614171577615913th R3 R2 GS Steve Lovell 27[85]
1988–89 Div 3 4612430478140 23rd R1 R2 R1(S) Steve Lovell 17[86]
1989–90 Div 4 4617111846486214th R1 R1 R1(S) Steve Lovell 18[87]
1990–91 Div 4 4612111657605415th R1 R1 R1(S) Steve Lovell 21[88]
1991–92 Div 4 4215121563535711th R1 R1 R1(S) David Crown 24[lower-alpha 24][89]
1992–93 Div 3[lower-alpha 25] 429132048644021st R3 R2 GS David Crown 9[90]
1993–94 Div 3 4212151544515116th R2 R1 GS Nicky Forster 18[91]
1994–95 Div 3 4210112146644119th R3 R1 R2(S) Chris Pike 18[92]
1995–96 Div 3 46221774920[lower-alpha 26]832nd R3 R1 GS Leo Fortune-West 15[93]
1996–97 Div 2 4619101760596711th R3 R4 R1(S) Iffy Onuora 23[94]
1997–98 Div 2 461913145247708th[lower-alpha 27] R1 R1 R1(S) Ade Akinbiyi 22[95]
1998–99 Div 2 462214107544804th[lower-alpha 28] R1 R1 SF(S)[lower-alpha 29] League play-offs RU Carl Asaba 22[96]
1999–2000 Div 2 462510117948853rd[lower-alpha 30] QF[lower-alpha 31] R2 R1(S) League play-offs W Robert Taylor 18[97]
2000–01 Div 1 4613161747616613th R4 R2 Marlon King 15[98]
2001–02 Div 1 4618101864676412th R5 R3 Marlon King 20[99]
2002–03 Div 1 4616141656656211th[lower-alpha 32] R4 R3 Paul Shaw 13[100]
2003–04 Div 1 461492348675121st[lower-alpha 33] R4 R3 Patrick Agyemang
Paul Shaw
Mamady Sidibe
Danny Spiller
6[101][102]
2004–05 Champ[lower-alpha 34] 46121420456650 22nd[lower-alpha 35] R3 R1 Darius Henderson 9[101][103]
2005–06 Lge 1 4616121850646014th R1 R3 R2(S) Darren Byfield 14[101][104]
2006–07 Lge 1 46 17 8 21 56 77 59 16th R2 R1 R1(SE) Michael Flynn 12[101][105]
2007–08 Lge 1 46111322447346 22nd R1 R1 SF(S) Chris Dickson 11[101][106]
2008–09 Lge 2 46211213585575 5th[lower-alpha 36] R3 R1 R2(S) League play-offs W Simeon Jackson 21[107]
2009–10 Lge 1 46121420486450 21st R3 R2 R2(S) Simeon Jackson17[108]
2010–11 Lge 2 461717126757688th R1 R1 R1(S) Cody McDonald25[109]
2011–12 Lge 2 462010167962708th R3 R1 R2(SE) Danny Kedwell14[110]
2012–13 Lge 2 46231496639831st R2 R2 R1(SE) Danny Kedwell16[111]
2013–14 Lge 1 461582360795317th R1 R1 R1(SE) Cody McDonald 17 [112]
2014–15 Lge 1 4616141665666212th R1 R2 F(S) Cody McDonald 18 [113]
2015–16 Lge 1 46 19 12 15 71 56 69 9th R1 R2 QF(S) Bradley Dack 14 [114]
2016–17 Lge 1 46 12 14 20 59 79 50 20th R1 R3 GS Josh Wright 13 [115]
2017–18 Lge 1 46 13 17 16 50 55 56 17th R2 R1 R2S Tom Eaves 18 [116]
2018–19 Lge 1 46 15 10 21 61 72 55 13th R4 R1 GS Tom Eaves 18 [117]
2019–20 Lge 1 35 12 15 8 42 34 51 10th[lower-alpha 37] R3 R1 GS Alex Jakubiak 7 [118]
2020–21 Lge 1 4619101763606710th R2 R3 R2 Vadaine Oliver 20 [119]
2021–22 Lge 1 468162235694021st R1 R2 GS Vadaine Oliver 11 [120]
2022–23 Lge 2 4614131936495517th R3 R4 GS Tom Nichols 6 [121]
2023–24 Lge 2 4618101846576412th R3 R2 GS Connor Mahoney 7 [122]
Close

Key

Winners Runners up Promoted Relegated

Division shown in bold when it changes due to promotion, relegation or league reorganisation. Top scorer shown in bold when he set or equalled a club record.

Notes

  1. The Football League Cup competition did not start until the 1960–61 season.
  2. The EFL Trophy did not start until the 1983–84 season.
  3. Other than where stated, includes all senior competitive first-team matches.
  4. New Brompton's only entry to the FA Amateur Cup. In 1894 the club turned professional and ceased to be eligible to enter.
  5. FA Cup goals only. The scorers of New Brompton's goals in the FA Amateur Cup are not known.
  6. New Brompton, as champions of Division Two, played the bottom team in Division One, Swindon Town, in a two-legged test match and won 5–1, thus gaining promotion.
  7. Southern League and FA Cup goals only. Details of the club's goalscorers in the Kent League in this season are not recorded.
  8. Southern League and FA Cup goals only. Details of the club's goalscorers in the Thames and Medway Combination in this season are not recorded.
  9. Scorer of one FA Cup goal in this season not recorded.
  10. Despite finishing last, New Brompton avoided relegation due to the expansion of the league.
  11. Under a restructuring of the leagues, all members of the Southern League Division One were elevated to form the new Third Division of the expanded Football League. Gillingham thus avoided relegation despite having finished the previous season in last position.
  12. There was no automatic relegation from the Football League until 1987. Gillingham thus avoided relegation despite finishing last.
  13. The Football League Third Division North was formed in 1921, with the existing Third Division being re-designated the Third Division South.
  14. Gillingham failed to be re-elected having finished in last position, and Ipswich Town were chosen to replace them in the Football League. Gillingham returned to the Southern League.
  15. The Southern League season was abandoned after three matches due to the outbreak of war in September. Beginning in November, Gillingham played in the Kent Regional League East, which like other wartime competitions is regarded as unofficial.
  16. Gillingham were awarded one point for an away fixture against Millwall that never took place.
  17. Gillingham were elected into the Football League as part of the expansion of the Third Division South from 22 teams to 24.
  18. Having finished in the lower half of the table, Gillingham were placed in the new Football League Fourth Division following the amalgamation of the Third Division South and Third Division North.
  19. Gillingham finished level on points with Mansfield Town, but missed out on promotion on goal average.
  20. Gillingham won the division on goal average.
  21. Gillingham finished with the same number of points as Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, but finished above them on goal average and thus escaped relegation.
  22. From the 1981–82 season, points were allocated on the basis of 3 for a win and 1 for a draw; previously only two points had been given for a win.
  23. Gillingham qualified for the play-offs in the first year that these were staged, defeating Sunderland in the semi-final on away goals after a 6–6 aggregate score, and losing the final 2–0 to Swindon Town in a replay at Selhurst Park after a 2–2 aggregate over two legs.
  24. Crown also scored one goal in a match against Aldershot which was declared void when that team resigned from the league before the end of the season.
  25. On the formation of the FA Premier League, the Fourth Division was re-designated as the Third Division.
  26. Twenty goals remains a record for the lowest number of goals conceded in a 46 match Football League season.
  27. Gillingham missed out on a place in the play-offs on goals scored, which took precedence over goal difference at that time.
  28. Having qualified for the play-offs, Gillingham defeated Preston North End 2–1 on aggregate in the semi-final, and in their first appearance at Wembley Stadium were beaten 3–1 on penalties by Manchester City, after a 2–2 draw.
  29. Gillingham were defeated 1–0 by Millwall on the Golden goal rule, the only time this method of resolving a match was applied to a Gillingham match.
  30. Qualifying again for the play-offs, Gillingham defeated Stoke City 5–3 on aggregate in the semi-final, and beat Wigan Athletic 3–2 after extra time in the final to gain promotion to the second level of English football for the first time in their history.
  31. This achievement in reaching the quarter-finals represents the furthest progress Gillingham have ever made in the FA Cup.
  32. This position, equivalent to 31st place in the English football league system, represents Gillingham's highest ever league finish.
  33. Gillingham finished with the same number of points as Walsall, but avoided relegation due to a superior goal difference.
  34. The First Division was renamed the Football League Championship as part of a new sponsorship deal in the 2004–05 season.
  35. Gillingham finished on the same number of points as Crewe Alexandra, but were relegated on account of an inferior goal difference to the recently renamed third tier, Football League One.
  36. By finishing 5th, Gillingham reached the play-offs, then defeated Rochdale 2–1 on aggregate in the semi-final, and beat Shrewsbury Town 1–0 in the final to gain promotion.
  37. The 2019–20 season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with league positions decided on a points-per-game basis. Gillingham averaged 1.46 points from 35 games.

References

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