Pay days and play days

After what seems months of waiting, season ticket holders at Gillingham finally found out the cost of their viewing next season. For me personally it amounted to £340, a rise of £45 or 15%. Our esteemed chairman has basically made the point that if we want a winning (or at least competitive) side then it is us, the punters, that will pay for it. I will quite happily bite on the bullet of the £45 if he can deliver, but no amount of throwing cash at football has guaranteed a winning side (although, of course, it is bound to help, Chelsea being a case in point). He also made the point that football at Gillingham last season was cheap, he omitted to mention it was dross. A year ago Gillingham went down the route of reducing prices to attract new season ticket holders and whilst there was a slight rise it was not enough to cover the shortfall. General opinion seems to take Mr Scally to his word and there is a tempered optimism that a resurgent Gillingham could emerge for our money.

The fixture list for next season has also been announced and I see it as a good list with some attractive fixtures at key times should we be challenging. A Boxing Day home game is always seen as a bonus and relegated Southend will be the Christmas visitors to Priestfield. Easter Saturday provides another home game against Bournemouth whilst Easter Monday sees a travel day to Port Vale. The end of the season could prove very interesting with old foes Swindon being the last visitors to Priestfield and the final game sees us travelling to Elland Road to face those fallen giants Leeds United. There are a couple of grounds that I haven’t visited. Having missed two opportunities to go to Swansea’s Liberty Stadium, an early November, Saturday fixture gives me every chance of ticking the box. Doncaster’s Keynote Stadium might be more of a challenge with a March, Tuesday night date.

Tonbridge’s Ryman Premier fixtures are to be published on Tuesday, 10th July and they have announced there will be no price increase at Longmead with entrance remaining at £8.