1994–95 Gillingham F.C. season

English football club season February 2015 September 2022 Gillingham 1994–95 Mike Flanagan (until 28 February)Neil Smillie (from 28 February) Bernard Baker (until 30 March)Rollin 1995 23 Third Division 19th FA Cup Third round League Cup First round League Trophy Second round Chris Pike (13) Chris Pike (18) 10,425 vs Sheffield Wednesday (7 January 1995) 963 vs Brighton & Hove Albion (27 September 1994) _blackandwhitesholderflashes 0000ff 0000ff 0000ff ffffff ffffff _blackandwhitesholderflashes ff0000 ff0000 ff0000 ff0000 ff0000 1993–94 1995–96 During the 1994–95 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 63rd season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 45th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In January 1995, after several seasons spent near the bottom of the Football League and nearly a decade of financial difficulties, the club was declared insolvent and placed in receivership. Mike Flanagan was made redundant as the club's manager and replaced by player-coach Neil Smillie for the remainder of the season. Gillingham finished the season 19th in the Third Division, but the club's continued existence remained in doubt until June, when it was purchased by businessman Paul Scally. In addition to the Football League, Gillingham competed in three knock-out competitions. The team reached the third round of the FA Cup, at which stage they lost to Sheffield Wednesday of the FA Premier League, and the second round of the Football League Trophy, but were eliminated at the earliest stage of the Football League Cup. Gillingham played a total of 50 competitive matches, winning 12, drawing 12, and losing 26. Chris Pike was the team's leading goalscorer with 18 goals. Paul Watson made the most appearances, playing 47 times. The highest attendance recorded at the club's home ground, Priestfield Stadium, was 10,425, for the FA Cup game against Sheffield Wednesday. The lowest attendance was 963, for a Football League Trophy game against Brighton & Hove Albion, which was the smallest crowd recorded for a competitive match at Priestfield for more than 20 years. Background and pre-season thumb|right|upright|alt=Footballer Ron Hillyard|The club staged a testimonial match for former long-serving player Ron Hillyard (pictured in 2001). The 1994–95 season was Gillingham's 63rd season playing in the Football League and the 45th since the club was elected back into the League in 1950 after being voted out in 1938.Rollin Rollin 1999 175 It was the club's sixth consecutive season in the English football league system's fourth tier, which had been named the Football League Third Division since 1992.Rollin Rollin 1999 175 Since being relegated to the fourth tier in 1989, Gillingham had only once finished in the top half of the league table, with a low point in the 1992–93 season when the team finished 21st out of 22 teams and narrowly avoided being relegated into non-League football.Rollin Rollin 1999 175 In the 1993–94 season, Gillingham had finished 16th.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/31-may-1994/ League Division 3 end of season table for 1993–94 season 11v11 AFS Enterprises 23 December 2021 2 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211202115054/https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/31-may-1994/ live At the start of the 1994–95 season, Mike Flanagan was the club's manager, a position he had held since the summer of 1993.Bateson 1994 13 He was assisted by Neil Smillie, who held the position of player-coach.Triggs 2001 299 Adrian Foster, a forward, was the only new player to join the club before the start of the season, arriving from Torquay United for a transfer fee of UK 60,000 1994 eq yes £ -4.Triggs 2001 123 Gillingham lost their top goalscorer of the previous season, however, as Nicky Forster rejected the offer of a new contract and left to join Brentford of the Second Division, for which Gillingham received a fee of UK 320,000 1994 eq yes £ -4.Triggs 2001 122 The team prepared for the new season with a number of friendly matches, including a testimonial match for Ron Hillyard, who played for the club from 1974 until 1990,Gillingham Vs Hartlepool United Matchday Programme Match Points 13 August 1994 15Triggs 2001 158 and a match to mark the club's centenary, which had been celebrated during the preceding season. Arsenal of the FA Premier League provided the opposition for the centenary match;Gillingham Vs Reading Matchday Programme Match Points 16 August 1994 15 the same club, then known as Woolwich Arsenal, had been the opposition in the first match contested by Gillingham, then known as New Brompton, in 1893.Elligate 2009 135 The previous season's kit was retained for a further year. It had been designed to mark the club's centenary and added panels of black and white stripes to the usual blue shirts, which were worn with white shorts and socks;Rollin 1995 167 the club's original shirts when it was founded in 1893 featured black and white stripes.Triggs 1999 12 The away kit, to be worn in the event of a clash of colours with the home team, was all red with similar black and white panels on the shirts.Rollin 1995 167 Third Division August–December thumb|right|alt=Springfield_Park|Gillingham won their first away game of the season at Wigan Athletic's Springfield Park (pictured 1982), but did not win another Third Division match away from home in 1994. Gillingham's first match was at home to Hartlepool United and resulted in a goalless draw.Rollin 1995 168 Foster made his debut, but had to be substituted after injuring his ankle. Although he was able to continue playing for two weeks, the injury then recurred and kept him out of the team until November.Triggs 2001 123 He scored his first goal for the team in the second league match of the season, a 3–0 victory away to Wigan Athletic; this was Gillingham's biggest win away from home for more than three years.Brown 2003 101–104 The team extended their unbeaten run from the start of the season to three games with a 1–1 draw at home to Rochdale but then lost away games against Scunthorpe United and Exeter City.Rollin 1995 168 In Foster's absence, Andy Arnott was brought into the starting line-up against Scunthorpe for the first time since the opening game of the season.Rollin 1995 169 Neither he nor fellow forward Paul Baker were able to score against Scunthorpe or Exeter, however, and Gillingham lost both games 3–0.Rollin 1995 168–169 In response to the lack of goals, Flanagan signed Scottish forward Paul Ritchie on loan from Dundee.Triggs 2001 276 It was the second loan spell at Priestfield Stadium for Ritchie, who had played six Third Division games for Gillingham in 1993.Triggs 2001 276 He scored on his second debut for Gillingham to help the team to a 3–1 win at home to Scarborough on 10 September.Rollin 1995 168–169 Gillingham then began a run of consecutive defeats, losing at home to Preston North End and away to Hartlepool and Walsall.Rollin 1995 168 With Foster still out of action and Ritchie due to return to Dundee, Flanagan signed experienced Welsh forward Chris Pike from Hereford United for UK 15,000 1994 eq yes £ -4;Triggs 2001 255 he made his debut on 1 October at home to Mansfield Town.Rollin 1995 169 The match resulted in a fourth consecutive league defeat, leaving Gillingham 20th in the table, only two places off the bottom of the entire Football League.Rollin 1995 168https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/01-October-1994/ League Division 3 table after close of play on 01 October 1994 11v11 AFS Enterprises 14 December 2021 14 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211214103832/https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/01-October-1994/ live A week later, Pike scored his first goal at home to Torquay United as Gillingham won 1–0 to end the run of defeats.Rollin 1995 168–169 He scored four more goals in the next four games, which resulted in two defeats, one win, and one draw,Rollin 1995 168 after which Gillingham had risen to 17th in the table.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/05-November-1994/ League Division 3 table after close of play on 05 November 1994 11v11 AFS Enterprises 24 December 2021 24 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211224084601/https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/05-November-1994/ live Gillingham extended their unbeaten league run to four games with two more draws in the last two games of November, but then began December with consecutive defeats at home to Wigan Athletic and away to Rochdale.Rollin 1995 168 Paul Watson, the only player to have played in every game up to this point in the season,Rollin 1995 169 was sent off in the defeat to Wigan.Gillingham Vs Sheffield Wednesday Matchday Programme Match Points 7 January 1995 15 Foster scored his first goal since August against Rochdale.Rollin 1995 168 Gillingham ended the year by playing three games in six days. On Boxing Day the team won 4–1 at home to Fulham, the first time Gillingham had scored four goals in a game for nearly two years. The attendance of 4,737 would prove to be the largest of the season for a Third Division game at Priestfield.Rollin 1995 168 The following day Gillingham lost 1–0 away to Barnet. The team's final match of 1994 was a 1–0 defeat at home to Carlisle United on New Year's Eve; Gillingham finished the year 18th in the table.Rollin 1995 168https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/31-december-1994/ League Division 3 table after close of play on 31 December 1994 11v11 AFS Enterprises 14 December 2021 14 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211214103835/https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/31-december-1994/ live Although the team had only lost 3 of 10 league games at Priestfield up to this point in the season, their league position suffered from the fact that they had only won once and drawn twice in 11 games on their opponents' grounds, the worst away record in the division.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/31-december-1994/home/ League Division 3 table after close of play on 31 December 1994 (home matches only) 11v11 AFS Enterprises 14 December 2021 23 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211223162327/https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/31-december-1994/home/ livehttps://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/31-december-1994/away/ League Division 3 table after close of play on 31 December 1994 (away matches only) 11v11 AFS Enterprises 14 December 2021 23 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211223162326/https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/31-december-1994/away/ live January–May thumb|right|alt=Sixfields Stadium|Gillingham's first league match of 1995 took place at Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium. On 9 January, after nearly a decade of financial difficulties and with debts estimated at £2 million (equivalent to £UK 2 1995 1 million in UK), the club was declared insolvent and placed in receivership. Administrators from accountants Kidsons Impey took over the day-to-day running of the club while searching for a buyer.Elligate 2009 14 https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-commentary--little-pity-for-the-poor-relations-1613046.html Football Commentary : Little pity for the poor relations 9 August 2021 27 March 1995 Glenn Moore The Independent 25 September 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150925204443/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-commentary--little-pity-for-the-poor-relations-1613046.html live The first game after this announcement was away to Northampton Town and resulted in a 2–0 defeat for Gillingham, the team's third consecutive league defeat.Rollin 1995 168 The next game, which did not take place until 4 February due to the postponement of two scheduled matches,Bateson 1994 27 was a goalless draw at home to Lincoln City, the fourth consecutive league game in which the team had failed to score;Rollin 1995 168 the result meant that Gillingham had again slipped to 20th in the table.https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/04-February-1995/ League Division 3 table after close of play on 04 February 1995 11v11 AFS Enterprises 24 December 2021 24 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211224093423/https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/04-February-1995/ live The team ended the goalless run with a 2–1 victory away to Doncaster Rovers in the first game of February, Pike scoring twice.Rollin 1995 168 It was the first time Gillingham had won away from home in the Third Division since August.Rollin 1995 168 The team's form away from home remained poor, however; they played three further away matches during February, against Chesterfield, Darlington and Mansfield Town, and lost all three without scoring a goal.Rollin 1995 168 On 28 February, three days after Gillingham lost to Mansfield, the administrators made Flanagan redundant as a cost-saving measure; Smillie was appointed player-manager for the remainder of the season.Elligate 2009 43 https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A115525430/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=ca8bd16f The Times 20 December 2021 Gale 40 Administrators make Flanagan redundant; Football 1 March 1995 subscription 1 March 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220301093623/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA115525430&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-STND&asid=ca8bd16f live His first game in charge resulted in a 3–1 defeat at home to Walsall.Rollin 1995 168 Following this game, however, Gillingham did not lose for five games, their longest unbeaten run of the season.Rollin 1995 168 The sequence began with a 0–0 draw away to Scarborough, only the second time in the last eight away games that Gillingham had not lost, and continued with a 2–2 draw at home to Scunthorpe United.Rollin 1995 168 Gillingham then won 3–0 at home to Exeter City, another team struggling near the foot of the division, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A115519575/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=3b0f00af The Times 20 December 2021 Gale Taste of life on the receiving end; Football 27 March 1995 Simon Barnes subscription 1 March 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220301093627/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA115519575&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-STND&asid=3b0f00af live before achieving draws away to Preston North End and at home to Bury.Rollin 1995 168 In the game at Preston, defender Joe Dunne scored his only goal in over 130 games played for Gillingham between 1990 and 1996.Brown 2003 120 Steve Brown, newly signed from Colchester United in a player exchange deal under which Robbie Reinelt was transferred in the opposite direction,Triggs 2001 68 made his debut against Bury in place of Pike and scored Gillingham's goal; Brown would start every game for the remainder of the season, paired with either Foster or Pike.Rollin 1995 168–169 The unbeaten run ended with a defeat away to Carlisle United, which was followed three days later by another at home to Colchester.Rollin 1995 168 Gillingham beat Barnet 2–1 at Priestfield on 15 April to climb slightly to 18th in the table,https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/15-April-1995/ League Division 3 table after close of play on 15 April 1995 11v11 AFS Enterprises 24 December 2021 24 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211224093425/https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/15-April-1995/ live but two days later lost 1–0 away to Fulham.Rollin 1995 168 On 22 April, Pike achieved the team's only hat-trick of the season, scoring three times in a 4–2 win over Doncaster Rovers.Brown 2003 104 The final home game of the season was a goalless draw with Hereford United; at the end of the game the Gillingham fans invaded the pitch to mark what many believed could be the last game ever played at Priestfield due to the club's still-unresolved financial issues.Elligate 2009 74 Gillingham's last game of the season was away to Torquay United and resulted in a 3–1 defeat, which meant that Gillingham finished 19th in the 22-team Third Division.Rollin 1995 555 Even if they had finished bottom (which would normally have resulted in relegation into non-League football) they would have retained their League status as Macclesfield Town, who won the fifth-tier Football Conference, were ineligible for promotion because their stadium did not meet the required standard.Sewell 1995 119 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 1995 168DateOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance13 August 1994Hartlepool United (H)0–02,95920 August 1994Wigan Athletic (A)3–0Foster, Reinelt, Watson1,51427 August 1994Rochdale (H)1–1Butler3,00930 August 1994Scunthorpe United (A)0–32,0983 September 1994Exeter City (A)0–32,24110 September 1994Scarborough (H)3–1Palmer, Ritchie, Baker2,43813 September 1994Preston North End (H)2–3Smith, Baker2,65317 September 1994Hartlepool United (A)0–21,75624 September 1994Walsall (A)1–2Micklewhite3,6541 October 1994Mansfield Town (H)0–22,5698 October 1994Torquay United (H)1–0Pike2,45015 October 1994Hereford United (A)1–2Arnott2,47022 October 1994Bury (A)2–3Pike (2, 1 pen.)2,97629 October 1994Darlington (H)2–1Pike, Smillie2,8415 November 1994Colchester United (A)2–2Reinelt, Pike3,81719 November 1994Chesterfield (H)1–1Reinelt2,73026 November 1994Lincoln City (A)1–1Arnott2,91910 December 1994Wigan Athletic (H)0–12,25717 December 1994Rochdale (A)1–2Foster1,66526 December 1994Fulham (H)4–1Reinelt, Micklewhite, Foster (2)4,73727 December 1994Barnet (A)0–12,07431 December 1994Carlisle United (H)0–13,70914 January 1995Northampton Town (A)0–25,5294 February 1995Lincoln City (H)0–04,1917 February 1995Doncaster Rovers (A)2–1Pike (2)1,74011 February 1995Chesterfield (A)0–23,07018 February 1995Northampton Town (H)3–1Ramage, Green, Foster4,07221 February 1995Darlington (A)0–21,54825 February 1995Mansfield Town (A)0–43,1824 March 1995Walsall (H)1–3Foster3,75711 March 1995Scarborough (A)0–01,94918 March 1995Scunthorpe United (H)2–2Foster, Pike2,50125 March 1995Exeter City (H)3–0Foster, Pike (pen.), Butler3,3641 April 1995Preston North End (A)1–1Dunne9,0954 April 1995Bury (H)1–1Brown2,9578 April 1995Carlisle United (A)0–26,78611 April 1995Colchester United (H)1–3Watson3,40415 April 1995Barnet (H)2–1Brown, Pike3,45717 April 1995Fulham (A)0–13,61222 April 1995Doncaster Rovers (H)4–2Kirby (o.g.), Pike (3)3,06929 April 1995Hereford United (H)0–04,2006 May 1995Torquay United (A)1–3Stamps (o.g.)2,638 Partial league table 1994–95 Football League#Third Division main WDL left auto Football League Third Division final table, bottom positions PR 17 WRE Northampton Town POR Hartlepool United GIL Gillingham BRE Darlington BUR Scarborough CHE Exeter City 10 14 18 45 67 11 10 21 43 69 10 11 21 46 64 11 8 23 43 57 8 10 24 49 70 8 10 24 36 70 complete Rollin 1995 555 Cup matches FA Cup As a Third Division team, Gillingham entered the 1994–95 FA Cup in the first round and were paired with Heybridge Swifts of the Isthmian League First Division, three levels lower in the English football league system. Heybridge had progressed through five qualifying rounds to reach this stage of the competition for the first time.Rollin 1995 605–607 https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A115645915/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=b4ec72ad The Times 31 December 2021 Gale 39 Heybridge denied glory by Banks; Football David Powell 12 November 1994 subscription 1 March 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220301093626/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA115645915&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-STND&asid=b4ec72ad live Due to Heybridge's stadium failing to meet the requirements for this stage of the competition, the match was played at Colchester United's Layer Road ground.Rollin 1995 608 Gillingham defeated their semi-professional opponents 2–0.Rollin 1995 608 In the second round, they played fellow Third Division team Fulham at Priestfield; the initial match finished 1–1, necessitating a replay at Fulham's Craven Cottage stadium. The replay also finished 1–1 but the rules of the competition meant that on this occasion extra time was played; Reinelt scored the winning goal during the extra period.Rollin 1995 611–612 In the third round, Gillingham played Sheffield Wednesday of the Premier League; the match drew a crowd of 10,425, the largest attendance recorded at Priestfield since 1987.Brown 2003 97–104 Sheffield Wednesday took a 2–0 lead in the first half and, despite having their starting goalkeeper, Kevin Pressman, sent off and Pike scoring from a penalty kick, the Premier League team held on for a 2–1 victory. David Hunn of the Sunday Times wrote that Gillingham "dashed incessantly at their mighty but depleted visitors" and "went hell for leather for the equaliser" but were thwarted by substitute goalkeeper Lance Key. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A115596364/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=ff85f7d3 Sunday Times 23 December 2021 Gale Key closes door on Gillingham; Football 8 January 1995 subscription David Hunn 21 1 March 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220301093625/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA115596364&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-STND&asid=ff85f7d3 live 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 1995 608, 611–613DateRoundOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance11 November 1994 FirstHeybridge Swifts (A)Apr a2–0 Reinelt, Pike 4,6143 December 1994 SecondFulham (H)1–1 Pike 6,25313 December 1994 Second (replay)Fulham (A)2–1 Pike, Reinelt 6,5367 January 1995 ThirdSheffield Wednesday (H)1–2 Pike (pen.) 10,425 a. Apr The match was played at Colchester United's Layer Road ground, but remained officially a home game for Heybridge rather than being considered to have taken place at a neutral venue.Rollin 1995 608 Football League Cup As a Third Division team, Gillingham entered the 1994–95 Football League Cup in the first round and were paired with Reading of the Football League First Division, the second tier of English football. Gillingham lost the first leg of the two-legged tie 1–0 and the second 3–0 and were eliminated from the competition by an aggregate score of 4–0.Rollin 1995 578, 581 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 1995 578, 581DateRoundOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance16 August 1994 First (first leg)Reading (H)0–1 2,55623 August 1994 First (second leg)Reading (A)0–3 3,436 Football League Trophy The 1994–95 Football League Trophy, a tournament exclusively for Second and Third Division teams, began with a round in which the teams were drawn into groups of three, contested on a round-robin basis. Gillingham were grouped with Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, both of the Second Division. Gillingham's first match was at home to Brighton and resulted in a 1–1 draw;Rollin 1995 596 the game drew an attendance of only 963, the lowest crowd for a competitive match at Priestfield since 1973.Brown 2003 84–104 Gillingham's second group match was away to Brentford, who had already won their match against Brighton to top the group with maximum points from their two games.Rollin 1995 598 Gillingham lost 3–1 and finished the group stage with one point, the same as Brighton, but Pike's goal meant that his team finished second and qualified for the next round as they had scored more goals in total than Brighton. Gillingham's opponents in the second round were Birmingham City, another Second Division team.Rollin 1995 599 The game was played at Birmingham's St Andrew's stadium and drew a crowd of 17,028, by far the largest attendance for a match involving Gillingham during the season.Brown 2003 104 Birmingham won 3–0 to eliminate Gillingham from the competition.Rollin 1995 599 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 1995 596, 598–599DateRoundOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance27 September 1994 First (group)Brighton & Hove Albion (H)1–1 Carpenter 9638 November 1994 First (group)Brentford (A)1–3 Pike 1,79529 November 1994 SecondBirmingham City (A)0–3 17,028 Player details thumb|right|upright|alt=Footballer Darren Freeman|Darren Freeman (pictured in 2017) made his debut for the club in March.Triggs 2001 124 During the course of the season, 31 players played for Gillingham in competitive matches. Watson made the most appearances, playing in 47 of the team's 50 games. He missed the final three Third Division matches of 1994,Rollin 1995 169 but played in every other league game as well as every game in the FA Cup, League Cup, and League Trophy. Four other players made over 40 appearances: Richard Green (44), Steve Banks and Gary Micklewhite (both 43), and Tony Butler (40). In contrast, both Jon Hooker and Abdul Kamara played only in one League Trophy match; in both cases it was the only appearance the player ever made for Gillingham.Brown 2003 127 Seventeen players scored at least one goal for Gillingham during the season. Pike was the top scorer with 13 goals in the Third Division and 18 in total. Foster was the only other player to reach double figures, scoring 8 goals in Third Division matches and 10 in total.Brown 2003 104 +Player statisticsBrown 2003 104PlayerPositionThird DivisionFA CupLeague CupLeague TrophyTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAndy ArnottFW 282402020362Paul Baker footballerFW 82002000102Steve Banks footballerGK 380400010430Scott Barrett footballerGK 4000202080Mick BodleyDF 7000001080Steve Brown footballer, born 1973FW8200000082Tony Butler footballerDF 332302020402Richard Carpenter footballerMF 290400021351Joe DunneDF 351102010391Adrian Foster footballerFW 2983020123510Darren FreemanFW 2000000020Richard Green footballerDF 371402010441Jon HookerFW 0000001010Ian Hutchinson footballer, born 1972MF 5000002070Abdul Kamara footballerFW 0000001010Andy Kennedy footballer, born 1964FW2000000020Gareth KnottMF5000000050Scott LindseyMF 120000010130Eliot MartinDF 7000000070Gary MicklewhiteMF 352402020432Lee PalmerDF 101002020141Chris PikeFW 27134400213318Andy RamageMF 131000020151Robbie ReineltFW 274422030366Paul Ritchie footballer, born 1969FW 5100001061Neil SmillieMF 151300010191Neil Smith footballerMF 331302010391Robin TrottDF 90000010100Paul Watson footballer, born 1975DF 392402020472Grant WattsFW 3000001040Paul Wilson footballer, born 1977FW 2000000020 FW = Forward, MF = Midfielder, GK = Goalkeeper, DF = Defender Aftermath At the end of the 1994–95 season, with no rescue deal finalised, fans were unsure whether the club would still be in existence to start the next season;Elligate 2009 81 one takeover bid had already collapsed when the leader of the consortium resigned after adverse publicity surrounding his financial status. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A170630473/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=2be7f796 The Guardian 14 July 2021 Gale Soccer: Kendall shock at 'ruthless' dismissal Mark Redding 3 April 1995 subscription 1 March 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220301093626/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA170630473&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-STND&asid=2be7f796 live https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/united-in-row-over-injections-1614091.html United in row over injections The Independent Guy Hodgson 2 April 1995 14 July 2021 14 July 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210714072933/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/united-in-row-over-injections-1614091.html live In early June, however, shareholders and creditors voted overwhelmingly to accept a takeover bid from Sevenoaks-based businessman Paul Scally, who paid a nominal fee to purchase the club.Elligate 2009 105https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/feb/15/sport.facup Scally's rocky road to Highbury 26 May 2011 15 February 2002 Paul Kelso The Guardian https://web.archive.org/web/20080126191836/http://football.guardian.co.uk/FA_Cup/Story/0%2C%2C650495%2C00.html 26 January 2008 live The deal was finalised at the end of the month, one day before a deadline imposed on the club by the Football League to be out of receivership or face expulsion, and Scally was officially named as the club's new chairman.Elligate 2009 109 https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A171368914/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=35e3592e The Observer John Farrell 21 July 2021 Gale Football: Inglorious for Wigan 13 August 1995 subscription 1 March 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220301093636/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA171368914&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-STND&asid=35e3592e live Having signed many new players, Gillingham began the 1995–96 season strongly and remained in the top three positions in the Third Division for the entire season, finishing in second place.Rollin 1996 175 The club thus gained promotion to the Second Division seven years after being relegated from the third tier.Rollin 1996 174 References Works cited Bateson Bill Sewell Albert News of the World Football Annual 1994–95 Invincible Press 1994 978-0-85543-223-2 Bateson 1994 London Brown Tony The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record Soccerdata 2003 978-1-89946-820-1 Nottingham Elligate David Gillingham FC On This Day Pitch Publishing 2009 978-1-9054-1145-0 Durrington Rollin Glenda Rollin Jack Rothmans Football Yearbook 1995–96 Headline Publishing Group 1995 978-0-74727-823-8 Rollin 1995 London Rollin Glenda Rollin Jack Rothmans Football Yearbook 1996–97 Headline Publishing Group 1996 978-0-74727-781-1 Rollin 1996 London Rollin Glenda Rollin Jack Rothmans Football Yearbook 1999–2000 Headline Book Publishing 1999 978-0-74722-166-1 London Sewell Albert News of the World Football Annual 1995–96 Invincible Press 1995 978-0-85543-233-1 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, 1994-95