1988–89 Gillingham F.C. season

English football club season Gillingham 1988–89 Paul Taylor (until 26 October)Bill Collins and Damien Richardson (caretakers, 26 October – 31 October)Keith Burkinshaw (31 October – 11 April)Keith Blunt (caretaker, 11 April –18 April)Damien Richardson (caretaker 18 April – 5 May, permanent thereafter) Roy Wood (until February 1989)Martin Lukehurst (thereafter) Third Division 23rd FA Cup First round League Cup Second round Associate Members' Cup First round Steve Lovell (14) Steve Lovell (17) 5,871 vs Fulham (26 December 1988) 1,970 vs Fulham (10 December 1988) _thinwhitewhitehorizontal 0000ff 0000ff 0000ff ffffff ffffff _thinwhitewhitehorizontal ff0000 ff0000 ff0000 ff0000 ff0000 1987–88 1989–90 During the 1988–89 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 57th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 39th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. Gillingham began the season well, with two wins in the first three Third Division games, but then lost ten consecutive league games to slip close to the bottom of the league table. In late October, after the eighth of these defeats, Paul Taylor was dismissed as the club's manager and replaced by Keith Burkinshaw. The new manager could not significantly improve the team's performances, resigning in April with Gillingham bottom of the table. Former Gillingham player Damien Richardson ended the season as the club's manager. Gillingham finished the season 23rd out of 24 teams in the division and were relegated to the Fourth Division. Gillingham also competed in three knock-out competitions. The team were eliminated in the first round of the FA Cup and the second round of the Football League Cup. Gillingham progressed from the initial group stage of the Associate Members' Cup but lost in the first round proper. The team played a total of 55 competitive matches, winning 15, drawing 5 and losing 35. Steve Lovell was the team's top goalscorer for the second consecutive season; he scored 14 goals in Third Division matches and a total of 17 in all competitions. George Burley, in his only season with the club, made the most appearances; he was absent for only one game. The highest attendance recorded at the club's home ground, Priestfield Stadium, was 5,871 for a league game against Fulham on 26 December 1988. Background and pre-season The 1988–89 season was Gillingham's 57th season playing in the Football League and the 39th since the club was elected back into the League in 1950 after being voted out in 1938.Rollin 1990 253 It was the club's 15th consecutive season in the Football League Third Division, the third tier of the English football league system, since the team had gained promotion from the Fourth Division as runners-up in 1974.Brown 2003 83–90, 114 In the 1987–88 season, Gillingham had finished 13th in the Third Division; Keith Peacock was dismissed from his position as the club's manager midway through that season and replaced by his assistant Paul Taylor,Elligate 2009 202, 203https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106923242 Peacock sacked Evening Standard Newspapers.com 29 December 1987 24 September 2021 Steve Stammers who remained in the role at the start of the 1988–89 season.Rollin 1988 171 Taylor's management team consisted of John Gorman as assistant manager and former Gillingham player Damien Richardson as youth team coach.Gillingham Vs Swansea City Matchday Programme Gillingham Football Club 27 August 1988Triggs 2001 271 Gillingham's kit for the season added a pattern of thin white lines to the team's traditional blue shirts, which were worn with white shorts and socks. The away kit, to be worn in the event of a clash of colours with the home team, was all-red.Rollin 1988 237 Taylor signed one new player ahead of the new season: George Burley, a 32-year-old defender who had played nearly 450 games in the Football League, joined the club from Sunderland.Triggs 2001 72 Mel Eves, Les Berry and Graham Pearce all moved on after their playing contracts were not renewed.Triggs 2001 58, 115, 251 The team prepared for the new season with a number of friendly matches, including a short tour of France where they played teams including Racing Club de Paris.Gillingham Vs Swansea City Matchday Programme Match Report 27 August 1988 Third Division August–December thumb|right|alt=Priestfield Stadium|Gillingham's home ground, Priestfield Stadium (pictured 1987) Gillingham's first game of the season took place at their home ground, Priestfield Stadium, on 27 August against Swansea City, who won 3–2;Rollin 1989 238 Burley made his debut, as did Brian Clarke, a teenaged defender from the youth team.Triggs 2001 72, 90Rollin 1989 239 Gillingham won the next two games, away to Aldershot and at home to Sheffield United;Rollin 1989 238 Jerry Williams, a midfielder newly signed from Reading, made his debut in the latter game.Rollin 1989 239Triggs 2001 337 Gillingham extended their unbeaten league run to three games with a 1–1 draw against Huddersfield Town on 17 September, in which Steve Lovell scored a goal for the fourth consecutive game.Rollin 1989 238 The result left Gillingham sixth in the league table after four games,https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/17-September-1988/ League Division Three table after close of play on 17 September 1988 11v11 AFS Enterprises 9 June 2022 but the team then began a run of consecutive league defeats which would last for nearly two months.Rollin 1989 238 The sequence began with a 2–1 defeat away to Mansfield Town on 20 September and continued with four games in which Gillingham failed to score any goals, losing to Reading, Brentford, Bristol City and Chesterfield,Rollin 1989 238 after which the team had fallen to 20th in the table, only one position above the four relegation places.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/08-October-1988/ League Division Three table after close of play on 08 October 1988 11v11 AFS Enterprises 20 June 2022Rollin 1989 595 On 25 October, Gillingham lost 5–0 away to Preston North End, the team's eighth consecutive league defeat;Rollin 1989 238 the following day Taylor was dismissed from his role as manager by the club's board of directors.Bateson Sewell 1989 265 Youth team coach Richardson and Bill Collins, who had retired at the end of the previous season after more than 20 years with the club as youth team coach and later first team trainer, took temporary charge of the team for the game at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on 29 October,Gillingham Vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Matchday Programme The Time for Change Ron Welham 29 October 1988 which resulted in another defeat.Rollin 1989 238 Two days later, Keith Burkinshaw was confirmed as the club's new manager; the appointment was seen as a coup for Gillingham as Burkinshaw had previously managed at the highest level with Tottenham Hotspur, winning the FA Cup twice and the UEFA Cup once.Elligate 2009 166 In his first game in charge, away to Cardiff City, Gillingham lost 1–0, the team's 10th consecutive Third Division defeat.Rollin 1989 238 The result left the team in 22nd place, six points below 20th position and off the bottom of the table only on goal difference.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/05-November-1988/ League Division Three table after close of play on 05 November 1988 11v11 AFS Enterprises 2 July 2022 The run of consecutive defeats finally came to an end on 8 November when a goal from Burley gave Gillingham a 1–0 win at home to Blackpool.Rollin 1989 238 Gillingham's league results alternated between victory and defeat for the remainder of 1988. Lovell scored twice in a 2–1 win away to Northampton Town on 18 December to take his total league goals for the season to 10; no other Gillingham player had scored more than twice in Third Division games.Rollin 1989 238 It was Gillingham's second consecutive away victory following a run of seven away games without a win dating back to early September.Rollin 1989 238 On 26 December the team lost 1–0 at home to Fulham in front of a crowd of 5,871, the largest attendance of the season at Priestfield.Brown 2003 98 Gillingham's final match of 1988 resulted in a 1–0 win over Port Vale,Rollin 1989 238 who had been second in the league table going into the game;Rollin 1989 414 Gillingham finished the year still 22nd in the Third Division, although their position had improved as they were now below 20th place only on goal difference.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/31-December-1988/ League Division Three table after close of play on 31 December 1988 11v11 AFS Enterprises 9 June 2022 January–May thumb|right|alt=Football stadium Springfield Park in Wigan|Gillingham's first game of 1989 took place at Springfield Park (pictured in 1982), home of Wigan Athletic. Gillingham began the new year with a 3–0 defeat away to Wigan Athletic and four days later lost 2–1 away to Bolton Wanderers,Rollin 1989 238 although other teams' results meant that Gillingham did not drop any lower in the table, remaining 22nd.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/06-January-1989/ League Division Three table after close of play on 06 January 1989 11v11 AFS Enterprises 20 June 2022 They drew 1–1 at home to Aldershot and ended the month with defeats away to Sheffield United and at home to Huddersfield Town.Rollin 1989 238 Mark Stimson, a young defender signed on loan from Burkinshaw's former club Tottenham Hotspur of the First Division, made his debut against Sheffield United.Triggs 2001 307 At the end of January, Gillingham were 23rd in the table, ahead of bottom-placed Aldershot only on goal difference.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/31-January-1989/ League Division Three table after close of play on 31 January 1989 11v11 AFS Enterprises 20 June 2022 Days later, club chairman Roy Wood stepped down after three years and was replaced by Martin Lukehurst. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106489225 Chatham News 28 July 2022 Newspapers.com Farewell to hard-working 'novice' who saved Gills 3 February 1989 Gillingham's winless run continued throughout February, during which they drew twice and lost three times.Rollin 1989 238 After a goalless draw at home to Brentford on 4 February, Gillingham were bottom of the Third Division and remained there at the end of the month.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/04-February-1989/ League Division Three table after close of play on 04 February 1989 11v11 AFS Enterprises 1 July 2022https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/28-February-1989/ League Division Three table after close of play on 28 February 1989 11v11 AFS Enterprises 1 July 2022 Burkinshaw continued to sign new players; Tim O'Shea, a defender who had joined from Leyton Orient, played for the first time against Brentford. Two new players debuted on 11 February against Bristol City: another new arrival from Tottenham, midfielder Billy Manuel, and Alan Reeves, a defender signed on loan from Norwich City.Triggs 2001 207, 240, 270 Francis Joseph, a forward signed from Sheffield United, debuted against Preston North End on 28 February.Triggs 2001 178 Gillingham lost their first two games of March and remained bottom of the table.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/11-March-1989/ League Division Three table after close of play on 11 March 1989 11v11 AFS Enterprises 20 June 2022 Pat Gavin, a forward signed on a trial basis from Hanwell Town of the semi-professional Spartan League,Triggs 2001 129 made his debut on 14 March against Wolverhampton Wanderers and scored Gillingham's only goal in a 6–1 defeat;Rollin 1989 238–239 it was the first time Gillingham had conceded six goals in a game since December 1987.Brown 2003 97–98 Gavin also scored in both of the next two games, including a 2–1 win at home to Wigan Athletic on 24 March which gave Gillingham their first victory of 1989.Rollin 1989 238 Three days later the team won away to Fulham by the same score, the first occasion on which they had won two consecutive Third Division games since the previous September.Rollin 1989 238 On 11 April, with the team bottom of the Third Division, Burkinshaw resigned as manager. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/IF0503233823/TTDA?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=a9f71405 The Times 20 June 2022 Gale Norwich keep low profile Clive White 12 April 1989 48 subscription His assistant Keith Blunt was appointed as caretaker manager and the team won their next match against Mansfield Town, but Blunt was himself dismissed after one week in charge and Richardson again put in temporary charge. Barry Bright, the club's chief executive, said that he had received around twenty applications for the managerial position and anticipated drawing up a shortlist of around five, of which Richardson would be one. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001454/19890421/076/0076 Chatham News 18 June 2022 British Newspaper Archive Board warn: No cash for new players 21 April 1988 subscription Richardson's first game in charge ended in the team's second consecutive victory, a 2–1 win away to Reading, but Gillingham lost their next two games.Rollin 1989 238 Defeat at Blackpool on 1 May meant that Gillingham could no longer overtake the team then in 20th place, confirming that the club would be relegated to the Fourth Division at the end of the season. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A117162584/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=dacdc2fe The Times 20 June 2022 Gale Request to Wembley; Football 5 May 1989 subscription Four days later, with two games of the season remaining, Richardson was appointed manager on a permanent basis.Elligate 2009 155 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/260178835/ The Guardian 20 June 2022 Newspapers.com Stones rock into League 2 May 1989 subscription The following day, the team lost their third consecutive game, being defeated 2–0 by Chester City.Rollin 1989 238 Gillingham's last game of the season resulted in a 2–1 victory at home to Notts County with goals from Gavin and Manuel;Rollin 1989 238 Gavin took his total to 7 goals in 13 games but was sent off later in the match.Rollin 1989 238–239 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003894/19890515/022/0022 Nottingham Evening Post 18 June 2022 British Newspaper Archive Notts find solace in a defeat 15 May 1988 David Stapleton subscription Gillingham finished 23rd in the league table, 14 points below 20th-placed Northampton Town,Rollin 1989 595 and were thus relegated to the Fourth Division, ending a spell of 15 years at the third tier of English football.Rollin 1989 237 Match details Key In result column, Gillingham's score shown first H = Home match A = Away match pen. = Penalty kick o.g. = Own goal ResultsRollin 1989 238 DateOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance27 August 1988Swansea City (H)2–3Peacock, Lovell4,4373 September 1988Aldershot (A)2–0Shipley, Lovell2,47710 September 1988Sheffield United (H)2–1Lovell, Lillis5,04117 September 1988Huddersfield Town (A)1–1Lovell4,68820 September 1988Mansfield Town (A)1–2Lovell3,15324 September 1988Reading (H)0–14,4691 October 1988Brentford (A)0–14,8394 October 1988Bristol City (H)0–13,1028 October 1988Chesterfield (H)0–12,90115 October 1988Southend United (A)1–2Lovell3,20022 October 1988Bury (H)3–4Lillis, Lovell (pen.), Cooper2,85025 October 1988Preston North End (A)0–56,39029 October 1988Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)1–3Lovell5,2885 November 1988Cardiff City (A)0–13,6588 November 1988Blackpool (H)1–0Burley3,54112 November 1988Bristol Rovers (A)0–24,82626 November 1988Notts County (A)2–1Quow, Smith4,6113 December 1988Chester City (H)0–23,32918 December 1988Northampton Town (A)2–1Lovell (2, 1 pen.)3,82926 December 1988Fulham (H)0–15,87130 December 1988Port Vale (H)1–0Cooper4,7062 January 1989Wigan Athletic (A)0–33,0906 January 1989Bolton Wanderers (A)1–2Peacock4,18714 January 1989Aldershot (H)1–1Peacock3,78121 January 1989Sheffield United (A)2–4West, Cooper9,33628 January 1989Huddersfield Town (H)1–2Peacock (pen.)3,5304 February 1989Brentford (H)0–04,00211 February 1989Bristol City (A)0–17,31918 February 1989Chesterfield (A)1–3Lovell3,43225 February 1989Southend United (H)1–1Walker3,57428 February 1989Preston North End (H)1–3Burley3,0314 March 1989Bury (A)0–14,31311 March 1989Cardiff City (H)1–2Boyle (o.g.)2,92714 March 1989Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)1–6Gavin12,57419 March 1989Swansea City (A)2–3Gavin, Lillis4,25224 March 1989Wigan Athletic (H)2–1Gavin, Peacock3,24427 March 1989Fulham (A)2–1Peacock (2)6,4761 April 1989Northampton Town (H)1–0Gavin3,4664 April 1989Bolton Wanderers (H)0–13,0968 April 1989Port Vale (A)1–2Lovell5,35815 April 1989Mansfield Town (H)3–0Gavin, Peacock, Joseph2,59422 April 1989Reading (A)2–1Lovell, Gavin3,51128 April 1989Bristol Rovers (H)2–3Lovell (pen.), Smith4,0441 May 1989Blackpool (A)1–4Peacock2,1526 May 1989Chester City (A)0–22,10613 May 1989Notts County (H)2–1Gavin, Manuel2,877 Partial league table 1988–89 Football League#Third Division main WDL left auto Football League Third Division final table, bottom positions PR 19 BLK Blackpool NOR Northampton Town SOU Southend United CHE Chesterfield GIL Gillingham ALD Aldershot 14 13 19 56 59 16 6 24 66 76 13 15 18 56 75 14 7 25 51 86 12 4 30 47 81 8 13 25 48 78 Division Champions, promoted CP Promoted P Relegated R R R R complete https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/31-May-1989/ League Division Four end of season table for 1988-89 season 11v11 AFS Enterprises 20 June 2022 Cup matches FA Cup As a Third Division team, Gillingham entered the 1988–89 FA Cup in the first round and were paired with Peterborough United of the Fourth Division. Peterborough took a 2–0 lead but Gillingham then scored three times. Peterborough scored again three minutes from the end of the game, however, and the match ended in a 3–3 draw, necessitating a replay at Peterborough's London Road Stadium. The score in the second match was 0–0 at the end of the regulation 90 minutes, but the rules of the competition meant that, unlike in the first match, 30 minutes of extra time were played.Rollin 1989 644 Gillingham's Ivan Haines scored an own goal during the extra period and Gillingham lost 1–0 and were eliminated from the FA Cup.Rollin 1989 646 Match details Key In result column, Gillingham's score shown first H = Home match A = Away match pen. = Penalty kick o.g. = Own goal ResultsRollin 1989 644, 646 DateRoundOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance19 November 1988FirstPeterborough United (H)3–3Lovell, Quow, Smith4,50923 November 1988First (replay)Peterborough United (A)0–14,494 Football League Cup As a Third Division team, Gillingham entered the 1988–89 Football League Cup in the first round; their opponents were Cambridge United of the Fourth Division. Gillingham won the first leg of the two-legged tie 2–1 and the second 3–1 to win 5–2 on aggregate.Rollin 1989 619, 621 In the second round they were drawn to play Millwall of the First Division, the highest level of English football. Millwall won the first leg 3–0 and the second 3–1 to eliminate Gillingham from the competition.Rollin 1989 623, 625 Match details Key In result column, Gillingham's score shown first H = Home match A = Away match pen. = Penalty kick o.g. = Own goal ResultsRollin 1989 619, 621, 623, 625 DateRoundOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance30 August 1988First (first leg)Cambridge United (A)2–1Walker, Lovell1,9096 September 1988First (second leg)Cambridge United (H)3–1Lovell, Lillis (2)3,06627 September 1988Second (first leg)Millwall (A)0–36,59011 October 1988Second (second leg)Millwall (H)1–3Quow5,729 Associate Members' Cup The 1988–89 Associate Members' Cup, a tournament exclusively for Third and Fourth Division teams, began with a preliminary round in which the teams were drawn into groups of three, contested on a round-robin basis. Gillingham's group also included fellow Third Division teams Brentford and Fulham. Gillingham first played Brentford and lost 2–0;Rollin 1989 633 Brentford had already defeated Fulham and with maximum points from their two games were guaranteed to top the group,Rollin 1989 633 meaning that the result of the match between Gillingham and Fulham would determine which team joined them in the first round proper. The match took place at Priestfield and drew a crowd of 1,970, the lowest recorded at the stadium during the season. Gillingham won 2–1 and moved on to the first round,Rollin 1989 635 where they were drawn to play Torquay United of the Fourth Division; despite playing a team from the lower division, Gillingham lost the game 3–0 and their participation in the competition came to an end.Rollin 1989 938 Match details Key In result column, Gillingham's score shown first H = Home match A = Away match pen. = Penalty kick o.g. = Own goal ResultsRollin 1989 633, 635, 938 DateRoundOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance29 November 1988Group stageBrentford (A)0–23,71310 December 1988Group stageFulham (H)2–1Lillis, Peacock1,97017 January 1989FirstTorquay United (A)0–31,844 Players thumb|right|upright|alt=Footballer Mark Stimson|Mark Stimson (pictured in 2008) made 18 appearances during his spell with the club. Thirty-two players made at least one appearance for Gillingham during the season. Burley made the most; he played in 54 of the team's 55 competitive matches, missing only the second leg of the first round of the League Cup.Brown 2003 98 Gavin Peacock had the second highest number of appearances, with 52, and four other players played between 40 and 50 times: Dave Smith, Lovell, Ian Docker and Paul Haylock. Two players made only one appearance: Eamonn Collins, who had a brief loan spell at Gillingham,Rollin 1989 410 and Irvin Gernon, who was transferred to Reading early in the season.Triggs 2001 131 Lovell was the team's top goalscorer, with 14 goals in Third Division matches and a total of 17 in all competitions. It was the second consecutive season in which he was Gillingham's top scorer.Triggs 2001 348 Peacock was second highest scorer with 10 goals and Gavin had the third highest total with 7, despite joining the club with only two months of the season remaining.Triggs 2001 129 +Player statisticsBrown 2003 98PlayerPositionThird DivisionFA CupLeague CupAssociate Members' CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsPeter BeadleFW 2000000020George BurleyDF 462203030542Brian Clarke footballer, born 1968DF 100002000120Eamonn CollinsMF 0000001010Mark Cooper footballer, born 1967FW 183203020253Ian DockerMF 350202020410Tony EelesMF 3000000030Pat GavinFW 137000000137Irvin GernonDF 0000100010Lindon GuscottFW 2000000020Ivan HainesDF 120201030180Paul HaylockDF 310204030400Ron HillyardGK 190003010230Francis Joseph footballerFW 151000000151Phil Kite footballerGK 270201020320Jason LillisFW 223103221286Steve Lovell Welsh footballerFW 39142132204617Billy ManuelMF 171000000171Tim O'Shea DF170000000170Gavin PeacockMF 4491040315210Ricky PearsonDF 3000000030Andy PerryFW 130002000150Trevor QuowMF 201214110273Alan Reeves footballerDF 180000000180George Shipley footballerMF 141102020191Dave Smith footballer, born 1961FW 422212030493Mark StimsonDF 180000000180Steve WalfordDF 4000001050Alan Walker footballer DF221204110292Mark WeatherlyDF 170003000200Gary WestDF 101002010131Jerry Williams footballerMF 130100020160 FW = Forward, MF = Midfielder, GK = Goalkeeper, DF = Defender Aftermath Peacock was voted the club's player of the year, but following the team's relegation he was signed by AFC Bournemouth of the Second Division,Triggs 2001 251 as was Phil Kite.Triggs 2001 187 Smith and Burley also left the club.Triggs 2001 72, 299 After he impressed during his trial period with the club, Gillingham signed Gavin to a three-year contract at the end of the season, but it was not registered with the Football League, and Leicester City of the Second Division signed the player, which they were able to do without having to pay any transfer fee as he was not technically under contract at Gillingham. After a Football League inquiry, Gavin's move to Leicester was ruled valid, but it was agreed that he should be loaned back to Gillingham for the 1989–90 season. He could not recapture his previous form, however, and scored only once in 39 games.Triggs 2001 130 Richardson remained as manager for the 1989–90 season,Bateson Sewell 1992 300 and veteran player Ron Hillyard was appointed to be his assistant.Triggs 2001 158 For much of the season, Gillingham were in contention for promotion back to the Third Division at the first attempt, but the team slipped down the table after losing six consecutive games in the latter stages of the season and finished 14th in the Fourth Division.Rollin 1990 254 The club ultimately spent seven seasons at the fourth level of English football before achieving promotion in 1996.Elligate 2009 72 References Works cited Bateson Bill Albert Sewell London News of the World Football Annual 1989–90 Invincible Press 1989 0-85543-172-5 Bateson Bill Sewell Albert News of the World Football Annual 1992–93 Invincible Press 1992 978-0-85543-188-4 London Brown Tony The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record Soccerdata 2003 1-899468-20-X Nottingham Elligate David Gillingham FC On This Day Pitch Publishing 2009 978-1-9054-1145-0 Durrington Rollin Jack Rothmans Football Yearbook 1988–89 Queen Anne Press 1988 978-0-35615-880-8 London Rollin Jack Rothmans Football Yearbook 1989–90 Queen Anne Press 1989 978-0-35617-910-0 London Rollin Jack Rothmans Football Yearbook 1990–91 Queen Anne Press 1990 978-0-35617-911-7 London Roger Triggs The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club Tempus Publishing Ltd 2001 978-0-75242-243-5 Stroud Category:Gillingham F.C. seasons Gillingham Fc Season, 1988-89