Season Preview 2009

Simeon Jackson’s Wembley winner ensured that Gillingham’s stay in the bottom tier was only a year-long loan rather than a permanent deal. They return to League One considerably stronger than when they left both on the field and off (if you are of a mind to take Paul Scally at his word). On the field there is a team spirit that was so lacking in the relegation season and with the majority of high earners and low achievers now off the payroll the financial pressures appear to have eased.

Despite the lack of a marquee signing, a partner for Jackson is desperately sought, we might well have been going into the start of the League season with a degree of confidence had it not been for a nightmare Pre-Season. The catalogue of injuries mounted from losing Stuart Lewis and Adam Miller at Bishops Stortford, Dennis Oli in Calais, Simon King at Bromley and Kevin Maher at Crystal Palace. Sadly, Lewis and King are going to be long-term with the latter not expected to return until the New Year.

Whilst we consider ourselves stronger, we are also returning to a superior League One. Three comparatively massive clubs fell out of the Championship last season and in different times would look favourites for a quick return, but points deduction at Southampton and financial difficulties at Charlton might hinder their ambition, whilst Norwich look to have set their stall out for a quick return with some heavy investment in the transfer market. Of their challengers, surely this must be the year that Leeds emerge from their big black hole, if not this year, then it maybe never and will Milton Keynes continue their upwardly mobile climb under the stewardship of their former manager, Paul Ince. Of the rest, our old foes from Bermondsey will approach the season as over-optimistic as ever and cash rich Brighton, with a new stadium on their horizon would expect to be in the shake up come next May.

Gillingham’s focus will be on safety and a secure mid-table finish would be considered a great success. There are clubs in this Division with similar resources to ourselves and this is the mini league from which we must emerge towards the top if survival is to be attained. Yeovil, Stockport and Walsall look every bit as vulnerable and it would be nice to think that we could finish ahead of at least one of the teams that were promoted with us. The Pre-Season injuries have left the squad looking a bit thin. Simon King’s long-term absence should land Josh Gowling with a contract as long as he performs well in his loan spell. Chris Palmer, Kevin Maher and Rashid Yussuff are midfield additions, but it is upfront where the marquee signing was sought and as the season begins has failed to materialise. As it stands, Simeon Jackson needs a comparable season to last for Gillingham not to have a season looking anxiously over their shoulders, can he step up to the higher grade and continue to score, this is the very big question.

I have to make a prediction to look back on in May. Norwich to win the Division at a canter, Leeds and Charlton (if their takeover goes through and they get some financial stability) to make up the other promotion places. Gillingham will survive, not with a great deal of security, but I’m convinced we will have enough to stay in front of Yeovil, Walsall, Stockport and Hartlepool and hopefully a couple others (Leyton Orient and Carlisle perhaps).

Tonbridge face a different kind of challenge in the coming nine months. Gone are the benefactors that served the club so well over the last few years and manager Tommy Warrilow’s budget is going to be far removed from that of last year. The club has had to lose some of its higher earners during the summer and accepted a fee from Brentford for Leon Legge. But the nucleus of last season’s play-off finalists is still intact and with no obvious outright favourite such as Dover were last year, it might just be that with the level of expectancy lowered, they go one step further this term. Of the local challengers, of which news is easiest to obtain, Dartford appear to have spent well and will be reasonably well resourced with their comparatively large support.

Finally, this season will end with a World Cup and Fabio Capello has almost attained a place at the biggest show of them all. England have improved a great deal under the Italian, but the improvement needs to be maintained if they are to make any significant impression on the tournament. At present, no more than a quarter final spot can be imagined, can Capello weave just a little extra magic or will it all end in tears as it always does in July?

Personally, more new grounds have been visited pre-season than I'm expecting to do in regular season but Milton Keynes and Colchester with their new stadiums will add a couple and perhaps, fingers and toes crossed for financial viability, South Africa and the World Cup next June.