1937–38 Gillingham F.C. season

English football club season Gillingham 1937–38 Alan Ure Jack KnightBradley Triggs 1994 392 Third Division South 22nd FA Cup First Round Third Division South Cup Second Round Jimmy Watson (8) Jimmy Watson (13) 9,831 vs Millwall (9 October 1937) 1,789 vs Clapton Orient (23 February 1938) _collarwhite _white_hoops 0000ff 0000ff 0000ff ffffff 0000ff 1936–37 1938–39 During the 1937–38 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division South, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 18th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League. The team won only three times in nineteen Football League matches between August and December; in November and December they played six league games and lost every one without scoring a goal, leaving them bottom of the division at the end of 1937. Although Gillingham's performances improved in the second half of the season, with seven wins between January and May, they remained in last place at the end of the season, meaning that the club was required to apply for re-election to the League. The application was rejected, and as a result the club lost its place in the Football League and joined the regional Southern League. Gillingham also competed in two knock-out competitions. The team were eliminated in the first round of the FA Cup but reached the second round of the Third Division South Cup. The team played 45 competitive matches, winning 11, drawing 6 and losing 28. Jimmy Watson was the club's top goalscorer with 8 goals in Third Division South matches and 13 in all competitions. Dave Whitelaw and Tug Wilson made the most appearances; both played 42 games. The highest attendance recorded at the club's home ground, Priestfield Road, during the season was 9,831 for a game against Millwall on 9 October 1937. Background and pre-season The 1937–38 season was Gillingham's 18th season playing in the third and lowest level of the Football League. The club had been among the founder members of the Football League Third Division in 1920, which was renamed the Third Division South when a parallel Third Division North was created a year later. In Gillingham's 17 seasons in this division, the team had consistently struggled, only finishing in the top half of the league table three times. They had finished in the bottom two on four occasions, requiring them to apply each time for re-election to the League, most recently in the 1931–32 season.Soar Tyler 1983 110Mitchell Reeves Tyler 2013 140 Alan Ure was the club's manager; he had been appointed at the conclusion of the previous season following the resignation of Fred Maven.Elligate 2009 94 Jack Oxberry assisted him in the role of trainer.Triggs 1999 46 The club signed several players ahead of the new season, including half-back Jimmy Nichol, who arrived from Portsmouth. Nichol had spent three seasons with Gillingham in the 1920s and returned for a second spell with the club at the age of 34;Triggs 2001 24Joyce 2004 196 he was appointed team captain. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109228213 Evening Standard 9 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Gillingham v Watford 4 September 1937 Other new signings included Bryan Dalton from Reading, Fred Smith from Exeter City, Albert Taylor from Lincoln City, Cyril Walker from Watford and Archie Young from Leicester City.Triggs 2001 14, 30, 32 The team wore Gillingham's usual kit of blue shirts and white shorts.Triggs 1999 46 Pre-season matches between Football League members were not permitted at the time, and clubs instead generally prepared for the season with a public trial match between two teams chosen from within their own squad of players.Triggs 1999 48Bradley Triggs 1994 424 Gillingham staged such a match in August but it had to be abandoned at half-time due to torrential rain. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109238503 The Observer 9 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Football in Floods 15 August 1937 Third Division South August–December thumb|right|alt=Meadow Lane football stadium|Gillingham's final match of 1937 took place at Meadow Lane, home of Notts County (pictured in 1981). The club's first match of the season, on 28 August, was away to Bristol City; Nichol, Young, Smith, Walker, Taylor and Dalton all made their debuts and Taylor scored Gillingham's first goal of the season. Gillingham lost the match 3–1; the correspondent for the Sunday Dispatch wrote that they "did not impress".Brown 2003 51 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109554022 Sunday Dispatch 14 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Bristol City Ease Up After Scoring Three 29 August 1937 Four days later, Gillingham played the first game of the season at their home ground, Priestfield Road; a goal from Walker gave them a 1–0 win over Newport County. The Daily Heralds reporter praised Gillingham's full-backs and forwards but identified the poor quality of their half-backs as a "serious problem".Brown 2003 51 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109554436 Daily Herald 14 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription "Big Three" Save Gillingham 2 September 1937 After a draw against Watford, Gillingham lost three consecutive games.Brown 2003 51 The run of defeats ended with a 5–3 victory away to Exeter City on 18 September, the most goals the team would score in a match during the season.Brown 2003 51 Both Smith and Walker scored twice. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109581365 Sunday Mercury 15 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Prolific Scoring 19 September 1937 Gillingham ended September 18th out of 22 teams in the Third Division South league table.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/division-three-south/30-September-1937/ Division Three (South) table after close of play on 30 September 1937 11v11 AFS Enterprises 15 September 2022 Gillingham's first four matches of October all resulted in defeat, beginning when they lost 2–0 away to Aldershot.Brown 2003 51 A week later the team lost to Millwall; having been three goals down at half-time, Gillingham scored twice in the second half but lost 3–2. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109638386 Sunday Mercury 16 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Rally in Vain 10 October 1937 It was the last game that both Walker, who had only joined the club at the start of the season, and long-serving full-back Fred Lester played for the club;Brown 2003 51 both were transferred to Sheffield Wednesday of the Second Division hours before Gillingham's next match. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109594011 Evening Sentinel 15 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Sheffield Wednesday's New Players 16 October 1937 After two further defeats, Gillingham were bottom of the Third Division South table. Full-back George Tweed, a new signing from Bristol Rovers, made his debut on 23 October and would play in every game for the remainder of the season.Brown 2003 51Triggs 2001 32 The team ended their winless run by defeating Walsall in the final match of October and as a result moved above their opponents on goal average, ending the month in 21st place in the table.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/division-three-south/31-October-1937/ Division Three (South) table after close of play on 31 October 1937 11v11 AFS Enterprises 15 September 2022 During November and December Gillingham played six Third Division South games and lost every one without scoring a goal.Brown 2003 51 The sequence began on 6 November with a 4–0 defeat away to Cardiff City. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109641562 Western Mail 16 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription City Not Extended by Gillingham Citizen 8 November 1937 it continued with a 2–0 defeat at home to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109823349 Sunday Mercury 19 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Faded Out 14 November 1937 after which Gillingham were bottom of the table.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/division-three-south/13-November-1937/ Division Three (South) table after close of play on 13 November 1937 11v11 AFS Enterprises 20 September 2022 Gillingham next lost 1–0 away to Brighton & Hove Albion; the Sunday Pictorials correspondent praised Gillingham's goalkeeper Dave Whitelaw and full-back Bill Armstrong for restricting the victors to one goal. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109867523 Sunday Pictorial 20 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Referee Cautions Both Teams in 1–0 Millwall Away Win – Palace Down 21 November 1937 After further defeats away to Southend United and Torquay United, Gillingham's last game of 1937 was a 1–0 defeat away to Notts County; the attendance of 23,337 at Meadow Lane was the largest in front of which Gillingham played during the season.Brown 2003 51 The result meant that they finished the calendar year bottom of the Third Division South with 8 points from 19 games, 7 points below 21st-placed Aldershot.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/division-three-south/31-December-1937/ Division Three (South) table after close of play on 31 December 1937 11v11 AFS Enterprises 15 September 2022 January–May thumb|right|alt=Elm Park football stadium|Gillingham's final match of the season took place at Elm Park, home of Reading (pictured in 1981). Gillingham's first game of 1938 was at home to Bristol City; Albert Brallisford scored Gillingham's first league goal since October to give his team a 1–0 win. A week later, Gillingham lost again, being defeated 5–1 at home by Queens Park Rangers, the first time they had conceded as many goals during the season.Brown 2003 51 The team remained unbeaten for the remainder of the month with two draws and a victory over Exeter CityBrown 2003 51 but stayed bottom of the table.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/division-three-south/31-January-1938/ Division Three (South) table after close of play on 31 January 1938 11v11 AFS Enterprises 29 September 2022 Two young players, 20-year-old Charlie Campbell and 18-year-old Fred Herbert, made their Football League debuts against Exeter, and Herbert scored Gillingham's second goal.Triggs 2001 14, 20 Herbert would remain a regular in the team for the rest of the season, missing only two matches.Brown 2003 51 Gillingham lost four of their five games in February, the second a 5–0 defeat away to Millwall which was the team's heaviest defeat of the entire season;Brown 2003 51 all the goals came in the second half. Gillingham finished the game with ten men after Frank Donoghue, making his Football League debut, was carried off injured. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109946334 Sunday Dispatch 21 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Off-side Play Put Millwall on Right Side 20 February 1938 Hugh Castle The game following the defeat to Millwall, a 2–1 defeat at home to Clapton Orient, drew an attendance of 1,789, the lowest of the season for any Gillingham game, either home or away.Brown 2003 51 In their first game of March, Gillingham defeated Northampton Town at Priestfield Road; Herbert scored twice to take his league tally to five goals in six games.Brown 2003 51 After losing 3–1 away to Walsall, Gillingham won home games against Notts County on 16 March and Cardiff City three days later, the first time the team had won two consecutive games during the season.Brown 2003 51 The reporter for the Daily Herald wrote that George Ballsom and Reginald Neal were "outstanding" against Cardiff but that overall the quality of the game was "rarely worthy of League class"; https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110280520 Daily Herald 27 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Gillingham Get a Lift 21 March 1938 the victory lifted Gillingham off the bottom of the league table, putting them one point above Walsall.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/division-three-south/19-March-1938/ Division Three (South) table after close of play on 19 March 1938 11v11 AFS Enterprises 29 September 2022 Gillingham lost 2–0 away to Bournemouth on 26 March but remained 21st in the table at the end of March.Brown 2003 51https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/division-three-south/31-March-1938/ Division Three (South) table after close of play on 31 March 1938 11v11 AFS Enterprises 30 September 2022 Gillingham's first two matches of April resulted in a draw and a defeat, but they remained 21st in the table, one point above Walsall.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/division-three-south/09-April-1938/ Division Three (South) table after close of play on 09 April 1938 11v11 AFS Enterprises 1 October 2022 In a nine-day period beginning on 15 April, Gillingham played four matches and lost three of them. The sequence began with a 3–0 defeat away to Crystal Palace; Norman Brickenden, a 23-year old goalkeeper, made his debut and was praised for his performance by the correspondent for The Daily News, but the same writer criticised Gillingham's forwards as "unbalanced" and "too individualistic" in their play.Triggs 2001 12 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19380416/215/0014 The Daily News 2 October 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Palace Rally to Victory 16 April 1938 After beating Southend United the next day Gillingham lost again to Crystal Palace, taking a 2–0 lead in the first half before conceding four goals after the interval. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110564268 Daily Herald 2 October 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Four Late Goals Earn Palace Victory 19 April 1938 The result left them once again bottom of the table.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/division-three-south/15-April-1938/ Division Three (South) table after close of play on 15 April 1938 11v11 AFS Enterprises 2 October 2022 Gillingham lost two of their final three games, finishing with a 2–0 defeat away to Reading, the team's 26th league defeat of the season.Brown 2003 51 Gillingham finished bottom of the division with 26 points from 42 games; the points total was the lowest and the number of defeats the highest recorded by the team in 18 seasons in the Football League.Soar Tyler 1983 110 Match details Key 20em In result column, Gillingham's score shown first H = Home match A = Away match pen. = Penalty kick o.g. = Own goal ResultsBrown 2003 51 DateOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance28 August 1937Bristol City (A)1–3Taylor14,1341 September 1937Newport County (H)1–0Walker6,2954 September 1937Watford (H)0–08,4089 September 1937Newport County (A)0–25,66211 September 1937Mansfield Town (A)1–3Watson7,29115 September 1937Reading (H)1–2Watson4,16018 September 1937Exeter City (A)5–3Wilson, F. Smith (2), Walker (2)5,84625 September 1937Swindon Town (H)0–05,7922 October 1937Aldershot (A)0–25,2389 October 1937Millwall (H)2–3Watson, Wilson9,83116 October 1937Bristol Rovers (H)0–16,62823 October 1937Northampton Town (A)1–4Taylor7,61830 October 1937Walsall (H)3–0Watson (2), Scott4,3286 November 1937Cardiff City (A)0–414,81813 November 1937Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic (H)0–24,64820 November 1937Brighton & Hove Albion (A)0–17,7014 December 1937Southend United (A)0–26,70018 December 1937Torquay United (A)0–12,31727 December 1937Notts County (A)0–123,3371 January 1938Bristol City (H)1–0Brallisford5,1268 January 1938Queens Park Rangers (H)1–5Fowler7,69915 January 1938Watford (A)1–1Watson7,84322 January 1938Mansfield Town (H)0–05,59029 January 1938Exeter City (H)2–1Fishlock, Herbert3,8445 February 1938Swindon Town (A)0–38,54312 February 1938Aldershot (H)2–0Herbert, Watson3,13819 February 1938Millwall (A)0–517,35823 February 1938Clapton Orient (H)1–2Herbert1,78926 February 1938Bristol Rovers (A)1–2Taylor4,2895 March 1938Northampton Town (H)2–1Herbert (2)4,58212 March 1938Walsall (A)1–3Neal3,66516 March 1938Notts County (H)2–1Watson, Hartley3,94919 March 1938Cardiff City (H)1–0Herbert6,71026 March 1938Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic (A)0–26,5592 April 1938Brighton & Hove Albion (H)1–1Wilson6,4509 April 1938Queens Park Rangers (A)0–210,35615 April 1938Crystal Palace (A)0–315,39016 April 1938Southend United (H)2–1Brallisford, Neal6,82218 April 1938Crystal Palace (H)2–4Herbert, Brallisford (pen.)6,60223 April 1938Clapton Orient (A)0–35,97030 April 1938Torquay United (H)1–1Fishlock2,3647 May 1938Reading (A)0–23,958 Partial league table 1937–38 Football League#Third Division South main WDL left auto Football League Third Division South final table, bottom positions yes 2 19 EXE Clapton Orient REA Torquay United BRE Walsall GIL Gillingham 13 7 22 42 61 9 12 21 38 73 11 7 24 52 88 10 6 26 36 77 Required to apply for re-election R R complete Soar Tyler 1983 206 Cup matches FA Cup As a Third Division South club, Gillingham entered the 1937–38 FA Cup in the first round, where they were paired with fellow Third Division South club Swindon Town. Jimmy Watson scored Gillingham's only hat-trick of the season, including two goals from penalty kicks, but Gillingham lost 4–3 and were eliminated from the competition. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109235664 Sunday Dispatch 9 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Four Penalties 28 November 1937 Match details Key 20em In result column, Gillingham's score shown first H = Home match A = Away match pen. = Penalty kick o.g. = Own goal ResultsBrown 2003 51 DateRoundOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance27 November 1937FirstSwindon Town (H)3–4Watson (3, 2 pen.)5,000 Third Division South Cup Gillingham entered the 1937–38 Third Division South Cup in the first round, where they played Brighton & Hove Albion. In front of an attendance of 2,000, one of the lowest of the season at Priestfield Road, Watson scored twice in a 3–1 win for Gillingham. In the second round, Gillingham played Millwall. Several fringe players were brought into the team in place of regular starters, and Gillingham lost 4–0, ending their participation in the competition.Brown 2003 51 Match details Key 20em In result column, Gillingham's score shown first H = Home match A = Away match pen. = Penalty kick o.g. = Own goal ResultsBrown 2003 51 DateRoundOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance28 September 1937FirstBrighton & Hove Albion (H)3–1Watson (2), Walker2,0008 November 1937SecondMillwall (A)0–42,000 Players During the season, 32 players made at least one appearance for Gillingham. Whitelaw and forward Tug Wilson made the most; both played in 42 of the team's 45 competitive matches. Full-back Syd Hartley was the only other player to take part in 40 or more matches. Four players made only one appearance each, including Richard Maudsley, who played in one Third Division South Cup game but never made an appearance in the Football League for Gillingham or any other club.Brown 2003 123Joyce 2004 180 Bill Williams also played his only game for the club during the season; Leslie Williams made his sole Football League appearance for Gillingham during the season but remained with the club and played non-League football the following season, as did Donoghue, whose one Football League game for Gillingham during the season was the only appearance he made in the competition during his career.Brown 2003 127Joyce 2004 76, 282 Watson was the team's top goalscorer, with eight goals in the Third Division South and five in the cup competitions. He was the only player to reach double figures; Herbert had the second-highest total, despite playing in fewer than half the team's games, with seven goals.Brown 2003 51 +Player statisticsBrown 2003 51PlayerPositionThird Division SouthFA CupThird Division South CupTotalApps AppearancesGoalsApps AppearancesGoalsApps AppearancesGoalsApps AppearancesGoalsBill Armstrong English footballerFB 2701020300George BallsomFB 2001000210Albert BrallisfordFW 1431000153Norman BrickendenGK 30000030Charlie Campbell footballerHB 70001080Bryan DaltonFW 60001070Frank Donoghue association footballerHB 10000010William Duncan footballerFW 20000020George EmmersonFW 1000000100Laurie FishlockFW 2020000202Arthur Fowler footballerFW 81001091Syd HartleyFB 3810020401Fred Herbert footballer, born 1920FW 1770010187George Holland footballerHB 1001000110John Jones midfielderHB 50000050Fred Lester footballer, born 1911FB 1000010110Richard MaudsleyFW 00001010Reginald Neal footballerFW 1420000142Jimmy NicholHB 80001090James O'Neill footballerHB 80000080Edwin ScottFW 1811010201Fred Smith Frederick Smith (footballer)FW 1521010172John Smith 1930s Gillingham footballerHB 1400000140Albert Taylor footballerFW 930010103George Tweed footballerFB 3101010330Cyril Walker footballerFW 1030011114Jimmy Watson footballer, born 1914FW 35813223813Dave WhitelawGK 3901020420Bill Williams Welsh footballerHB 10000010Leslie Williams footballerHB 10000010Tug Wilson footballerFW 4031010423Archie Young footballerHB 2101010230 FW = Forward, HB = Half-back, GK = Goalkeeper, FB = Full-back Aftermath As a result of finishing last, Gillingham were again required to apply for re-election.Mitchell Reeves Tyler 2013 140 The only non-League club to apply to join the Third Division South was Ipswich Town, who had finished third in the Southern League.Soar Tyler 1983 114 They joined the two bottom teams in the division, Walsall and Gillingham, in a ballot among the League's member clubs for two places in the division for the subsequent season. Ipswich received 36 votes, Walsall 34, and Gillingham 28, meaning that Ipswich were elected to the Football League and Gillingham lost their place. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109170307 Daily Telegraph 8 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Ipswich Town F.C. in Third Division 31 May 1938 After initial rumours that the club would fold completely,Elligate 2009 98 Gillingham returned to the Southern League and finished third in that league's First Division in the 1938–39 season.Brown 2003 52 The club applied to rejoin the Football League at the first opportunity, but the application was rejected. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110564663 Chatham, Rochester and Gillingham News 2 October 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Gillingham F.C. Again Rejected 5 June 1939 Gillingham would be elected back into the Football League when the two Third Divisions were expanded from 22 to 24 clubs each in 1950.Mitchell Reeves Tyler 2013 140 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109225807 The Daily Telegraph Frank Coles 9 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription 4 More Clubs in League 5 June 1950 References Works cited Bradley Andy Roger Triggs Home of the Shouting Men: Complete History of Gillingham Football Club 1893–1993 Gillingham F.C. 1994 Gillingham 0-9523361-0-3 Brown Tony The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record Soccerdata 2003 Nottingham 1-899468-20-X Elligate David Gillingham FC on This Day Pitch Publishing 2009 978-1-9054-1145-0 Durrington Michael Joyce Football League Players' Records 1888–1939 Soccerdata 2004 1-899468-67-6 London Mitchell Colin Reeves Jon Tyler Daniel The History of English Football Clubs New Holland Publishers 2013 978-1-78009-449-6 London Soar Phil Martin Tyler Encyclopedia of British Football 1983 CollinsWillow 978-0-0021-8049-8 London Roger Triggs Images of England: Gillingham Football Club Tempus Publishing Ltd 1999 978-0-75241-567-3 Stroud 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, 1937-38