Leeds United 2 Gillingham 1

Match 66/07/683 - Saturday, 3rd May 2008 - League One

Leeds United (0) 2 Johnson 69 Kandol 88
Gillingham (1) 1 Jackson 20
Att. 38,256

Entrance: £20
Programme: Given Free
Mileage: 507/6,461

Match Report

Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be, we’re going to Shrewsbury, que sera, sera . . . We’re going down in a minute, down in a minute, we’re going down in a minute . . . such was the gallows humour with which Gillingham supporters greeted their imminent relegation that was indeed confirmed in that following minute (ok, so it was three). For a fifth successive match they had failed to win a match from which they had taken the lead, for a third successive away game that lead had been eradicated by a goal from a super strike that would grace a level much higher than the third tier of English football.

Over 38,000 people, the biggest crowd in the Football League this season, came not to witness Gillingham’s Great Escape, but to celebrate the home club’s promotion back to the championship. For that they will have to wait and win the play-offs as the League decided to turn down their appeal for the return of their 15 penalty points. Ken Bates had made our own Paul Scally the scapegoat for the verdict, when he was just one of 63 chairman that had voted in favour of the League Board in sanctioning the penalty. But Scally, never one to shy from comment, fronted up the Sky cameras and, with that, Leeds fans get the impression that he is some kind of ringleader. Bates’ programme notes fanned the flames and he finishes up by saying that it will be poetic justice that it is Leeds that relegate Gillingham. All this racked up the atmosphere that crackled come kick off time.

But Gillingham managed to quell the crowd noise and following an awful bit of defending, Simeon Jackson struck to put them in front on 20 minutes and got through to half-time with their lead intact with no great problem. Unfortunately the news from other grounds was not so good, Cheltenham were beating Doncaster and that would be enough to send us down.

Early in the second half there was a brief flurry of excitement as news of a goal came through. Carlisle had taken the lead against Bournemouth, helpful but not the salvation that many seemed to believe. Any joy that was taken from elsewhere was dissolved when Bradley Johnson volleyed past Derek Stillie from 20-odd yards to launch an ear-splitting cacophony of sound from the Elland Road masses. The celebrations were completed two minutes from time, but to Gillingham fans this was immaterial. Such was our luck that one final chance rebounded off a post to deny even the satisfaction of avoiding defeat in such intimidating circumstances. Inside the ground, the home supporters seemed to take Bates to his word and gloried in Gillingham’s relegation. But on the walk back to the car there was no antagonism and even a little sympathy.

Mark Stimson has failed to turn this club around in the last six months. Results have been no better than they were under Jepson and there have been precious few highs. There are undoubtedly supporters who want another fresh start, preferably with Scally gone as well as Stimson, but there are plenty of people that are more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and have a guarded optimism that he is the man to lead us back to League One at the first time of asking.

The summer is going to be a time when Paul Scally’s resolve is going to be tested. The probability is that skipper Andrew Crofts will depart for football at a higher level as will Simon King. These are going to be huge losses and the manager is going to need the full backing of the chairman with a budget that is going to compensate for their departures. This time around supporters are going to need to see significant investment in the team to convince them to part with their season ticket money at a time when the general economy of the country is facing difficult times. Season ticket prices have to come down, this in turn reduces the cash flow and the budget Stimson has, but the balance must be found because next season there is no margin for error, the next relegation is the trap door.