Tonbridge 1 Dartford 4

Match 45/09/797 - Saturday, 13th February 2010 - Ryman Premier

Tonbridge (1) 1 Booth 19
Dartford (0) 4 Johnson 51, Harris 72, Bradbrook 81, Haworth 85
Att. 842

Entrance: £10
Programme: £2
Mileage: 26/5,301

Match Report

In search of a little respite from the relegation battles of Gillingham, it was probably not the wisest move to look towards Longmead Stadium. Last weekend as the Gills slipped in the drop zone, a similar fate was encountered by Tonbridge as they lost at Bognor Regis.

It’s strange that the occasions on which I’ve seen Tonbridge this season they haven’t been that bad. But the financial problems that surround the club have slowly seen players moving away leaving Tommy Warrilow with the bare bones of a squad.

Last Saturday’s visitors were Dartford, the league leaders, so there was the natural thought that this game could only finish one way. But, earlier in the season I saw the reverse fixture at Prince’s Park and it was much closer than the league positions might have suggested.

In front of a very healthy 842 attendance the first half unfolded into a very different story than that envisaged. Tonbridge had by far the best of it and went in at the break a goal to the good and could well have been further in front. They had several half chances before Paul Booth finished for an excellent team goal. Further half chances were created and it would have been no more than the home side deserved had they led by a couple at the half time whistle.

Whatever Tony Burman said during the break should be bottled such was the change in the league leaders from the outset of the second period. It took just six minutes for the Angels’ lead to be erased and with 20 minutes remaining the Darts took the lead for the first time when Danny Harris capitalised on some insecure defending in the centre of the Tonbridge back line. Two goals in the last 10 minutes, the first a 30 yard blast from Elliott Bradbrook and finally, a header from Rob Haworth made it an emphatic victory.

PC problems stopped me from posting this directly after the game and the ensuing week has been one of controversy as a potential take-over has been played out in public on the unofficial forum. An unnamed investor is supposedly ready to plough £500,000 into the club to redevelop the stadium and make available £20,000 immediately for team building. The redevelopment would involve 3G playing surfaces, 5-a-side pitches and associated buildings that would be hired out to generate a revenue stream for the club as well as the investor.

The controversy arose in the manner is which the proposal emerged in public. The board admitted that they had a verbal proposal but were not prepared to commit themselves further until they had seen a full business plan and considering the number of shafters that seem to be in evidence in football these days you would have to say that would be a prudent approach. Nobody wishes to see Longmead go the same way as the Angel Ground and end up aa a Sainsburys.

It emerged that instrumental in the proposal, but not as an investor, was an ex-Tonbridge player Mickey Collins who was approached by the club secretary who allegedly warned of a financial crisis that was beginning to engulf the club and with players leaving the club it was not something that could be easily denied.

The conjecture continued to be played out on the public forum until Tuesday evening when the board of Tonbridge Angels released a statement outlining that they would need to see the business plan and seek further financial guarantees and that they were surprised that the proposal was being negotiated on the forum. The statement also declared that the club was financially stable and debt free.

At the end of the week, the message boards are quieter but still rumbling on. I can now count 30 pages worth of postings at an average of 10 per page and still I am none the wiser whether the proposal is good or a bad thing or whether it is likely to go ahead or not. Who ever said that football is played on grass?

Gillingham 0 Tranmere Rovers 1

Match 44/09/796 - Tuesday, 9th February 2010 - League One

Gillingham (0) 0
Tranmere (0) 1 Thomas-Moore 68
Att. 3,840

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/5,275

Match Report

It has taken me three days to sit down and write this particular posting. It hasn’t been apathy, although the wretchedness of the game deserved such a mood, but the wish to see how the following couple of days unfolded.

I was expecting to be writing this on Wednesday morning having learned of the exit of Mark Stimson. It is now Friday and unless there is a monumental about turn by the chairman, the manager will lead Gillingham into Saturday’s trip to Yeovil.

There was seconds of the four minutes of added time remaining when Gillingham were offered, by virtue of a free kick, one last opportunity to salvage a point from the game. What tall lads we have were sent forward and for a fleeting moment there was some expectancy. Chris Palmer delivered the cross straight into the midriff of one of the Tranmere defenders in a two man wall and the opportunity was gone and the final whistle was blown. It was a fitting end to a match of frightening ineptness.

There is absolutely nothing to dwell on regarding this as a game. I thought it humanely impossible for the performance to be worse than the debacle at Brentford, but it was. Luke Rooney, who looked like a little boy lost, had a second half effort strike the bar before Ian Thomas-Moore scored from close range in the 68th minute to win the points for relegation rivals Tranmere.

I’ve long defended Mark Stimson in the face of mounting criticism but Tuesday proved my watershed. Two successive matches where the manner of the defeat rather than the losses themselves have been hard to stomach has altered my opinion.

The chanting for the manager’s head had grown in intensity during the second half and plunged to new depths with the booing of Adam Miller’s introduction as a substitute for Mark Bentley. There is no doubt that Stimson has lost (in fact never had) a big section of the home support and I believe there are people in attendance that actually want Gillingham to lose to justify the poisonous atmosphere they seek to create.

I believe a change of manager was needed immediately before it is too late to rescue the season and the fact that it wasn’t done in the couple of days following the Tranmere defeat might well mean that the chairman goes through to the end of the season with him. If we lose at Yeovil on Saturday and Stimson is sacked that evening what was the point of delaying the decision for one game? If, shock horror, we were to win, are we then in a situation where the next run of poor results culminates in the sack with precious few games in which to retrieve the situation.

If the change was made now, I think it would need to be somebody with an affinity to the club to restore the support of the fan base. Mark Stimson has suffered because he was far from everybody’s choice when he was appointed, his non-league credentials not cutting it with too many people. Personally two names fit the bill, Peter Taylor and Andy Hessenthaler. My theory would involve the new man taking the club through to the end of the season, see where we are at that time and where that person would like to be at the start of next season and that is when contracts would become involved. With Hess presently fully employed at Dover, perhaps this scenario would not be for him, but Peter Taylor is without a job and might fancy the challenge. Is it just coincidence, or scouting duties, that he has been at Priestfield for the last couple of games?

Perhaps it is a good thing that Saturday’s game is at Yeovil. The last away game at Brentford was a short travel and over a 1,000 made the trip including the vociferous element that was never going to take too kindly to a humbling defeat. At Yeovil there is only going to be the faithful couple of hundred and whilst they are not going to take another defeat quietly they are likely to be less confrontational. It could also be that, without the pressure cooker atmosphere at Priestfield, players will feel more confident to put a foot on the ball, take a bit of time and make a pass rather than getting rid of the leather just as fast they possibly can.

I was quietly pleased to have a prior engagement which precludes me from pitching up at the Huish, but whether it a little sadistic or just a curiosity, I’ve a hunch that Saturday afternoon could be very interesting.

Brentford 4 Gillingham 0

Match 43/09/795 - Saturday, 6th February 2010 - League One

Brentford (3) 4 MacDonald 10,33 (2 pens), Weston 35, 79
Gillingham (0) 0
Att. 6,036

Entrance: £22
Programme: £3
Mileage: 100/5,230

Match Report

There have not been many occasions in my football supporting lifetime that I’ve felt the need to leave a game with more than 10 minutes remaining, but when Myles Weston’s shot cannoned off a post only to rebound into the net off the back of Alan Julian, I just could not stomach any more.

It is true to say that the unlucky rebound was par for the course on a day when Gillingham had no rub of the green, but the manner of the capitulation rendered the end whistle abuse of manager Stimson predictable, not that I was hanging around to utter my tuppence worth.

Train fares, match ticket, a programme and a cup of gnats piss masquerading as tea left me with little change from £45 and left me musing how I might better have spent the money. Firstly, I could have bought eight packets of cigarettes, not that I smoke or advocating that the weed is better for your health than Gillingham Football Club but I’m sure they would have resulted in greater satisfaction. I could have parked my backside on a bar stool at the local tonight and consumed about a dozen pints of Harveys, once again it wouldn’t do my health any good but, with my low capacity for drink, it would have obliterated this memory for a week. Or I could have alighted the train at Charing Cross, wandered under the Arches and passed the money on to one of the homeless, true they would probably have spent the cash on beer and fags but it would have done my soul the world of good.

And that is the crux of the problem at this moment, those that should be the heart and soul of our club, the players and the management, are showing scant regard for the wearing of the shirt. Less than three weeks ago they stood accused of a lack of pride, effort, call it what you like, in the FA Cup defeat at Accrington. Three draws papered over the cracks, but today the lack of any backbone surfaced again as Brentford inflicted the heaviest defeat of the season.

It could have been so different. Kicking towards almost 1,200 of their own supporters, Mark Bentley and new signing James Walker opened up the home defence to allow Simeon Jackson a one-on-one with Bees’ keeper Wojciech Szczesny. Such is Jackson’s luck at this moment in time that the merest touch from the keeper was enough to steer it onto the inside of the post and eventually to safety. Chances for Andy Barcham and Jackson followed before an inexplicable back pass from Darren Dennehy (pictured) sent Charlie MacDonald clear only to be brought down in the box by Alan Julian for an incontestable penalty that was converted by the ex-Gravesend striker. In what might be considered the only good fortune enjoyed by the visitors all afternoon, the Gills’ keeper was unpunished in terms of a card for the foul.

If the first penalty carried no doubt, the second certainly did. Kevin Maher was adjudged to have fouled another Bee with an unpronounceable name, Toumani Diagouraga, just inside the box. Even from the length of the field, it could clearly be seen that Maher won the ball. MacDonald struck the spot kick high into the opposite corner to his first to double the home advantage. And from that unfortunate decision, Gillingham as an opposition, gave up the ghost.
Within two minutes, Myles Weston seized on Julian’s clearance 30 yards from goal and brushed aside a couple of spineless challenges to rifle a third.

James Walker managed to make no contact with a header when it was easier to score prior to half time and when he blazed over early in the second half from close range after a Bentley header had been touched onto the bar, it signaled the end of a less than auspicious debut.

Brentford played the second half in cruise control and Gillingham had little in the way of guile or spirit to shake them from their slumbers. Luke Rooney, on as substitute for Walker, loosely cleared to Weston who strolled into the box and unleashed a fierce shot that rattled the upright only for the rebound to hit the unfortunate Julian on the back and end up in the net.

If my team had no stomach for the fight, then neither would I. Enough was enough, and judging by the amount of disgruntled Gillingham supporters on the platform at Brentford Station for the early train back to Waterloo, plenty had taken the same action. Those that remained were clearly on a course to vent their spleen at the under-fire manager and his gutless charges who deserved no less than every decibel of abuse that was hurled at them.

Brentford are no Norwich, Leeds, Charlton or Southampton, all of whom will be faced in the coming weeks and in the wake of this debacle the outcomes do not bearing thinking about unless you have spent your £45 wisely.

Gillingham 0 Walsall 0

Match 42/09/794 - Saturday, 30th January 2010 - League One

Gillingham (0) 0
Walsall (0) 0
Att. 4,796

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/5,130

Match Report

If this afternoon was to be the last that Priestfield Stadium sees of Simeon Jackson as a Gillingham player, internet message board rumours of a move to Millwall were given a little more substance by Radio Kent, then we will be left with a final memory of missed opportunities.

In the first half, Jackson raced clear only to plant a weak shot into the arms of Clayton Ince and midway through the second half the gangling legs of Saddlers’ central defender Clayton McDonald took the ball away as the striker looked to pull the trigger. It was a brilliant last ditch tackle, but from the stands questions were being asked as to why Gills’ ace marksman needed to take the ball on an extra yard.

It was all indicative of the frustration that was endured by the Gillingham faithful as two points slipped away in their quest to ease themselves away from the League One drop zone.

On a bitterly cold afternoon, Josh Gowling returned to the side, following his midweek absence at Hartlepool, replacing Tristan Plummer.

Gillingham survived an early scare when Alan Julian produced a superb double save to the acclaim of his team mates, high fives were exchanged and it was good to see that sportsmanship is still alive and kicking as Walsall’s Troy Deeley also proffered the hand of congratulation.

The home side recovered their composure and went on to dominate, in terms of possession, the opening half. Prior to Jackson’s 44th minute chance, teenager Jack Payne three times had shots on goal, two of which were on target but easily gathered by Ince.

Gillingham started the second half brightly and in a move remarkably similar to their midweek goal at Hartlepool, a Rene Howe cross from the right was met by an angled header from Jackson. Unfortunately the similarity ends there as the striker’s contact was nowhere near as good this time around and the chance went begging.

The home side had the ball in the net with 20 minutes remaining but the play had already been brought back by referee Deadman for a challenge by Jamie Vincent on Mark Bentley. It was a poor decision from the official who booked the defender mainly to cover his own embarrassment.

The glorious chance that fell Simeon Jackson’s way was almost their last as Walsall smothered most of what the home side managed to put before them. Bentley saw one final chance following a Andy Barcham cross turned away for a corner by Vincent.

A week ago a point was seen as one earned against a more robust Colchester side, but today’s will been seen by most as two frustratingly lost.

Gillingham 0 Colchester United 0

Match 41/09/793 - Saturday, 23rd January 2010 - League One

Gillingham (0) 0
Colchester United (0) 0
Att. 4,948

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/5,085

Match Report

This has been a tough week at Priestfield Stadium. A poor second half last Saturday at Swindon was followed by a FA Cup exit at League Two side Accrington Stanley with a performance described by those that braved the trip as characterless, spineless, gutless and a few other less printable adjectives.

From the chairman, through the manager and players to the humble supporter there has been much soul searching that has led to criticism from all quarters, none less than Paul Scally himself. A response was needed and credit to the chairman who backed his manager to the tune of three new loan players who were all drafted straight into the starting line-up.

In his after match interview, Mark Stimson was full of praise for his team, but what would the paying public make of this performance, could they see beyond the fact that this was a turgid game with very little in the way of entertainment from either side?

Colchester United are not a team that are built to be easy on the eye. They are a huge lump of a side with a battering ram of a strike force in the shape of Kayode Odejayi and Clive Platt, but their fourth place standing confirms their effectiveness. They also came to Priestfield with something to prove having shipped 12 goals in their last two games.

Darren Dennehy, loan signing from Cardiff City, can be taken as the first of the positives. He sometimes looked less than assured on the ball, but alongside Josh Gowling, manfully stood up to the challenge that was presented by the physical presence of the Colchester front two.

Five changes in total were made from the side humbled at Accrington with youngsters Jack Payne coming into midfield and Tom Wynter moving across from central defence to take on the left back position vacated by Chris Palmer and hereby is another plus. Wynter looked comfortable and his delivery was a good deal better than that offered by Palmer of late.

It was Wynter’s ball over the top that freed Simeon Jackson for an early opportunity that the striker lobbed wide. From an attacking viewpoint (and that goes for both sides) it was as good as it got in a first half that was dull, dull, dull.

New loan signings, Rene Howe from Peterborough and Tristan Plummer from Bristol City had very limited opportunities to impress as the game sleepwalked its way to the break. Plummer was played on the left in the opening 45, didn’t have a great half, but improved in the 15 second half minutes that he was on the pitch having been switched to the right hand side. Howe, on the other hand, did very well in the second half. He showed a good touch, held the ball up well and, given time, he could forge a fruitful understanding with Jackson.

Two big moments in the second half could have won the game for either side. On the hour Howe released Andy Barcham, whose cross from the byeline narrowly evaded everybody and in the final five minutes Alan Julian was forced into his first meaningful save when he pushed a Kevin Lisbie header onto the bar.

There were a few boos at the end, but they were fairly muted. Perhaps a sense of pragmatism has pervaded Priestfield. We are in a fight to stay in this Division and a point at home against a top four side is not to be sniffed at. The commitment, so sadly lacking at Swindon and Accrington, was evident and more of the same needs to be taken into the away fixtures, beginning on Tuesday at Hartlepool.

Swindon Town 3 Gillingham 1

Match 40/09/792 - Saturday, 16th January 2010 - League One

Swindon Town (1) 3 Austin 37, Cuthbertson 51, Paynter (pen) 73
Gillingham (0) 1 Palmer 87
Att. 6,773

Entrance: £22
Programme: £3
Mileage: 268/5,040

Match Report

Winter loosened its icy grip on the nation and a superb effort from the Swindon Town ground staff allowed Gillingham to contest their first game of 2010 on a much better than expected surface at the County Ground.

Sadly, the new year brought more of the same in terms of away performance as the visitors slumped to their 11th league defeat on the road out of 13. Keeping faith with the formation that earned only their second away point at Exeter over the Christmas period, Mark Stimson chose to leave fit again Curtis Weston and Febian Brandy on the bench.

Undone by a neat turn and strike, albeit with the aid of poor marking, from Charlie Austin, Gillingham probably felt hard-done-by to enter the break a goal in arrears. They had enjoyed their share of possession and created a couple of reasonable half chances. As early as the fourth minute Simeon Jackson shot wide and also hit a post on the half hour. Moments before half time a stabbed effort from Stuart Lewis rolled agonisingly wide as the visitors failed to gain half time parity.

Expectations that may have been raised by an evenly contested first half were quickly dashed as the home side went further ahead in the 51st minute. A corner from the left, taken by Jon-Paul McGovern travelled a long way to beyond the back post where it was met by a looping header from Scott Cuthbertson that crept in at the far stick. As with the opening goal, questions have to be asked of the defence as the Swindon full back had oceans of space in which to pick his spot.

The home side were now buoyant and dominating proceedings. Off the pitch, the vocal element of the Gillingham support, which had spent the vast majority of their efforts baiting the home support rather than supporting their own, now turned on their team and manager. Febian Brandy’s introduction was greeted with rousing cheers as much for the substitution of Kevin Maher as the diminutive striker’s entrance and Curtis Weston entered the fray at the expense of one of Gillingham’s better performers, Stuart Lewis.

Brandy brought about a upsurge in the tempo drawing a couple of fouls from defenders harassed by his pace and trickery, but, in truth, the goalkeeper was not being tested with only an off target effort by Rashid Yussuff deserving of his attention.

Swindon put the game beyond the reach of the visitors when a foul by Mark Bentley on Vincent Pericard allowed Billy Paynter to seal the game from the penalty spot. At this point the depressing scoreline and the woeful second half performance had this particular blogger eyeing the exit. Even those thoughts were brought to a close with a stadium announcement that Gillingham fans were to be kept behind after the game.

Why this age-old hostility continues to inconvenience the law-abiding citizens of both clubs when the vast majority of the protagonists were merely a twinkle in their father’s eyes in the days of Ray McHale and Ken Price is beyond me. But I suppose I have them to thank for keeping me in my position to see Chris Palmer’s well struck consolation from the edge of the box to score his first goal for the Gills.

The County Ground is a functional but tired looking stadium. The visiting support of around 450 was housed in a corner of the Arkells Stand which was a blessing as, despite the upturn in the weather, the open to the elements seating behind the goal looked particularly uninviting, much the same as, errrr, the Brian Moore Stand. Opposite the Arkells is a modern stand taking the name of Swindon legend Don Rogers. Being a football stadium traditionalist it was nice to see the old fashioned floodlight pylons remain, but whether it was an optical illusion or fact, they didn’t appear to be pointing in the direction of the pitch, more so down the touchlines and the front rows of the stands and I have to say that the illumination of the pitch seemed to confirm my viewpoint.

Sadly the light at the end of Gillingham’s away day tunnel is just as dim.

Hastings United 5 Tonbridge 1

Match 39/09/791 - Saturday, 2nd January 2010 - Ryman Premier

Hastings United (1) 5 Eldridge 42, Ray 52, Phillips 61,89, Adams 85
Tonbridge (0) 1 Cade 75
Att. 720

Entrance: £9
Programme: £2
Mileage: 264/4,752

Match Report

The observant among you will notice that 264 miles have been registered on the mileage clock for a journey that is in fact a mere 49 mile round trip.

Today was FA Cup Third Round day and at 8 o’clock we set out for Gillingham’s tie at Accrington Stanley. We had known for the past five days that the weather was going to pose a real problem for the game going ahead on schedule. Overnight temperatures in the north-west had been as low as minus 6degC since New Year’s Eve when the pitch was covered to combat the frost.

On Friday a local referee deemed that the pitch was playable at that particular time but a further inspection was planned for 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, unfortunately too late for any delay in departure. So we hatched a plan that would at least minimise the travelling should we have to abort the journey.

We gently made our way to Oxford Services on the M40 arriving at around the time the referee was making his inspection at Accrington and over a cup of tea we waited his decision. Sadly, as Bonnie Tyler once sang, Turn Around. As it turned out it was not the frost that beat the ground staff but a heavy fall of snow that began just as we were leaving home.

Meanwhile, Tonbridge’s game at Hastings United had survived its own pitch inspection and off we trundled down to the Pilot Field to salvage something from the day. Our reward for our earnest endeavours was a truly horror show from Tonbridge.

My brother who has seen Tonbridge play about three times in his life, and each time has managed to witness a horrendous display, once again was true to form as a decent Hastings side took Tonbridge apart in the second half.

For the majority of the first half it was an evenly contested contest on a pitch that was snow covered on the grandstand side. Hastings eventually took the lead three minutes before half time when ex-Angel, Ade Olorunda was allowed to run into the box without a meaningful challenge. When a tackle was finally made the ball rebounded kindly into the path of the impressive Russell Eldridge, who made no mistake from 12 yards.

When Sean Ray, a burly centre half and a Hastings legend, powered in a 52nd minute header from a corner the towel was well and truly thrown in by the visitors. Another ex-Angel, Michael Phillips provided the finish to a fine move for a third as the home side began to run riot.

A possible way back into the contest for Tonbridge was offered by Jamie Cade as the substitute pulled a goal back but it was a short-lived respite for the Tonbridge faithful. Five minutes from time, and like a knife through butter, Sam Adams was on the end of a move to seal the game conclusively.

The cold, the length of the day and the sheer woefulness of Tonbridge spelt enough is enough and as we headed back to the warmth of the car the cheers signalled yet another Hastings goal and further questioned our sanity.