Season Preview 2008-09

Time has now turned full circle for Paul Scally’s tenure as chairman of Gillingham. Thirteen years ago he took charge of a club that had flirted with its existence as a Football League club on the pitch and had entered administration off it. The club has been transformed in that time since 1995. Gone are the rickety old stands, gone are the terraces and gone is the status that had been attained during this period. In their place is an all-seater stadium, but one that is no longer owned by the football club and a return to the old fourth division from which it all began in 1995. Gone also, is the chairman himself, still the name on the letterhead, but his personal stationery now reads Dubai, from where he runs the club and Priestfield Developments, the new owners of the stadium.

Gillingham come into season 2008-09 with a squad that has been trimmed from last season with very little in the way of new recruits. Permanent signings by Mark Stimson are Mark McCammon, a big target man from Doncaster and a back-up goalkeeper in Alan Julian, from Stevenage. Curtis Weston will start the season on a month’s loan from Leeds United with a view to making the move permanent. So can last year’s relegation squad bounce straight back?

General opinion does seem to be that Gillingham are a little light but are hopeful that the non-league signings from last season will find their feet easier than they did in the higher division. It is also generally recognised, especially from a poor pre-season, that goals are going to be at a premium. Can Simeon Jackson score the goals and form a little and large partnership with McCammon that is going to be the catalyst of the challenge, the biggest question that remains unanswered.

Thankfully the better players of last term, player of the season Simon Royce, best outfield player, Simon King and Welsh international Andrew Crofts remain when many thought they would be departed by the season start. The nucleus is there, but there is little depth to the squad and a few injuries and suspensions will leave them fully stretched.

I see the challengers coming from the clubs that have spent this summer, Shrewsbury and Bradford City. But having been absent from this league for 13 years there is a lack of knowledge to strengths and weaknesses. Rochdale, having lost in the play-offs and keeping their squad together would appear to know what it takes in the division, but there does not seem to be an outright favourite, like Peterborough and the MK Dons of last season.

Points deductions are going to be a major factor with Luton’s massive 30 point penalty leaving them with a huge challenge just to avoid relegation. Bourenouth and Rotherham will start 17 points adrift leaving these clubs with a lot to do.

I have to make a prediction to look back on and I’m going to say that we are not quite good enough for the play-offs and will finish round about ninth.

High on optimism and with good reason, Tonbridge Angels can hopefully look forward to a fruitful 2008-09. Improvements have been made on and off the pitch and having had the disappointment of missing the play-offs on the final day of last season, the club are well set to make a serious challenge.


The Ryman Premier is going to be a tough division again this season with Kent neighbours Dover and Dartford having been promoted. Sutton seem to have spent big and with Staines and Hornchurch retaining good squads from last year it is unlikely that one team is going to run away with it. I desperately hope that all the optimism surrounding Tonbridge is not misjudged.

England begin a new World Cup qualifying campaign and in truth the only way is up. Once again Croatia will stand in their way, with a tough challenge from Ukraine. This is where it starts for real for Fabio Capello and after a gentle opener in Andorra the national side comes up against its nemesis, Croatia. Unfortunately, due to self-imposed financial constraints, I will not be attending many, if any, away games in this campaign, but will continue to attend the Wembley ties.

On a personal basis, Gillingham’s relegation adds four new grounds, Darlington, Shrewsbury, Accrington and Morecambe and I am looking forward to getting to all of them as the fixtures have fallen nicely. Tonbridge might offer a couple more, I really must get down to Dartford’s Princes Park this season. Despite the decision being made on England aways, we are looking forward to a trip to Berlin for the November friendly. Also, as I said in last season’s review, the 65th game of this season will be my 2,000th.

Let’s hope this blog brings more success for my clubs and country than last season.