1949–50 Gillingham F.C. season

English football club season Gillingham 1949–50 Archie Clark Charles CoxBradley Triggs 1994 392 Southern LeagueDivision One 5th FA Cup Second Round Southern League Cup Second Round Harry Williams (18) Harry Williams (18) TBC TBC _collarwhite _white_hoops 0000ff 0000ff 0000ff ffffff 0000ff 1948–49 1950–51 During the 1949–50 English football season, Gillingham F.C. played in the Southern League Division One. It was the fourth season of the club's third spell in the league. Gillingham also competed in the FA Cup, reaching the second round. Background and pre-season Gillingham 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 18 seasons between 1920 and 1938, the team consistently struggled, only finishing in the top half of the league table three times. They finished in the bottom two on five occasions, requiring them to apply each time for re-election to the League.Soar Tyler 1983 110Mitchell Reeves Tyler 2013 140 The club's fifth application was unsuccessful; Ipswich Town of the regional Southern League received more votes than Gillingham from the Football League's other member clubs in the ballot following the 1937–38 season and thus secured election to the Third Division South. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109170307 Daily Telegraph 8 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription Ipswich Town F.C. in Third Division 31 May 1938 Gillingham initially took Ipswich's place in the Southern League; when competitive football resumed after the Second World War, Gillingham played in the more localised Kent League for one season before returning to the Southern League in the 1946–47 season and winning the championship twice in three seasons.Rollin 1990 253 Archie Clark was the team's manager, a post he had held since 1939.Elligate 2009 180 The club signed several new players, including Harry Williams and Billy Bates, both forwards, from Tottenham Hotspur and Watford respectively.Brown 2003 TBC Williams was signed after he scored a hat-trick in a pre-season trial match. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/147972755 Essex Newsman-Herald 24 May 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Clashing of seasons always bring 'chaos' 19 August 1949 J. C. Chaplin 4 Joe Millbank, a half-back, was signed from Queens Park Rangers; he had been made available for transfer by his former club and valued at £5,000, but because Gillingham played outside the Football League they were not required to pay any fee to sign him. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/147972674 Evening Standard 24 May 2024 Newspapers.com subscription How the money goes / Four at Chelmsford 12 August 1949 11 Jack Day, a goalkeeper who had played for Gillingham between 1946 and 1948, rejoined the club after short and unsuccessful spells with Football League clubs Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion.Triggs 2001 TBC The team wore Gillingham's usual kit of blue shirts and white shorts. Southern League Division One August–December Gillingham began the season with a 3–0 defeat away to Gravesend & Northfleet on 20 August.Brown 2003 59 Williams and Bates made their debuts for the club, as did Fred Collier, a full-back, and Victor Cook, a goalkeeper; it would prove to be the only match Collier played for Gillingham. Four days later, the team played their first game of the season at their home ground, Priestfield Stadium, against Hastings United. Day replaced Cook in goal. In an extremely one-sided game, Gillingham won 8–0; Williams scored six goals, the most scored by a Gillingham player in a single game since Hughie Russell scored nine times in a 12–1 victory over Gloucester City in November 1946. Gillingham's final three games of 1949 took place within four days. January–May Gillingham's first game of 1950 was at home to the Welsh team Lovell's Athletic. Gillingham finished in fifth place in the Southern League Division One, 16 points behind champions Merthyr Tydfil.Brown 2003 59 League match details Key In result column, Gillingham's score shown first H = Home match A = Away match pen. = Penalty kick o.g. = Own goal +ResultsBrown 2003 59DateOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance20 August 1949Gravesend & Northfleet (A)0–34,91524 August 1949Hastings United (H)8–0Williams (6), Carr, Forrester7,56827 August 1949Gloucester City (H)6–1Williams (2), Warsap (2), Carr, Russell (pen.)9,1643 September 1949Hereford United (A)1–1Carr5,5487 September 1949Hastings United (A)1–2Carr1,99514 September 1949Chelmsford City (H)2–2Carr, Briggs7,77217 September 1949Cheltenham Town (H)3–1Briggs (2), Kingsnorth (pen.)8,58021 September 1949Chelmsford City (A)1–1Warsap6,50024 September 1949Colchester United (A)1–2Williams10,9181 October 1949Cheltenham Town (A)2–1Carr, Russell3,2138 October 1949Torquay United Reserves (H)1–1Williams9,31215 October 1949Worcester City (A)1–2B. Burtenshaw4,46429 October 1949Dartford (A)1–2Forrester5,8835 November 1949Kidderminster Harriers (H)4–2B. Burtenshaw (2), Forrester, Russell5,93719 November 1949Worcester City (H)2–0Russell (2)9,4793 December 1949Bedford Town (H)1–0Potter (o.g.)7,94524 December 1949Gloucester City (A)1–3Williams3,25326 December 1949Tonbridge (H)3–0C. Burtenshaw, Russell, Briggs10,38127 December 1949Tonbridge (A)1–2Briggs6,75631 December 1949Yeovil Town (H)0–111,5777 January 1950Lovell's Athletic (H)2–0Carr, B. Burtenshaw7,57114 January 1950Bedford Town (A)1–1B. Burtenshaw3,95428 January 1950Torquay United Reserves (A)2–1Williams (2)1,9624 February 1950Gravesend & Northfleet (H)4–2Williams, Russell, B. Burtenshaw, Forrester11,15811 February 1950Exeter City Reserves (H)4–1Russell, B. Burtenshaw, Carr, Williams7,60925 February 1950Lovell's Athletic (A)2–2B. Burtenshaw, Williams5004 March 1950Barry Town (A)3–0B. Burtenshaw (2), Williams1719 March 1950Chingford (A)2–1B. Burtenshaw, Russell30711 March 1950Bath City (H)1–1Carr7,74915 March 1950Hereford United (H)4–0McGuire, Carr, C. Burtenshaw (pen.), Williams6,00025 March 1950Yeovil Town (A)1–2Russell0 not recorded1 April 1950Guildford City (H)0–07,9735 April 1950Headington United (H)2–0Forrester (2)4,0867 April 1950Weymouth (H)1–1Briggs9,2338 April 1950Chingford (H)4–1Hales (2), Kingsnorth, Warsap6,27712 April 1950Kidderminster Harriers (A)2–0Hales, C. Burtenshaw0 not recorded15 April 1950Exeter City Reserves (A)1–5Briggs0 not recorded17 April 1950Merthyr Tydfil (A)0–40 not recorded22 April 1950Headington United (A)3–1Briggs (2), Forrester5,50024 April 1950Weymouth (A)0–20 not recorded26 April 1950Dartford (H)2–0Russell, Kingsnorth (pen.)4,00028 April 1950Barry Town (H)1–0Carr3,42329 April 1950Colchester United (H)6–1Hales (3), Warsap, Russell, Briggs4,8751 May 1950Bath City (A)1–3B. Burtenshaw0 not recorded3 May 1950Merthyr Tydfil (H)3–1Russell, Warsap, Carr8,1266 May 1950Guildford City (A)1–4Piper0 not recorded Partial league table 1949–50 Southern Football League main WDL left auto Southern League Division One, leading positions yes 2 MER Merthyr Tydfil COL Colchester United YEO Yeovil Town CHC Chelmsford City GIL Gillingham DAR Dartford WOR Worcester City 34 3 9 143 62 31 9 6 109 51 29 7 10 104 45 26 9 11 121 64 23 9 14 92 61 20 9 17 70 65 21 7 18 85 80 Elected to the Football League Third Division South P P complete FA Cup Gillingham entered the 1949–50 FA Cup at the fourth and final qualifying round stage; their opponents were another Southern League Division One team, Guildford City.Brown 2003 59 FA Cup match details Key In result column, Gillingham's score shown first H = Home match A = Away match +ResultsBrown 2003 59DateRoundOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance12 November 1949Fourth qualifyingGuildford City (A)3–2C. Burtenshaw, Russell, Briggs7,22726 November 1949FirstHastings United (A)3–1Collins (pen.), Russell, C. Burtenshaw9,15010 December 1949SecondYeovil Town (A)1–3Russell (pen.)12,041 Southern League Cup Gillingham lost to Colchester United in the second round of the 1949–50 Southern League Cup.Brown 2003 59 The veteran forward Tug Wilson made his only appearance of the season in the second round match; it was the final game he played for Gillingham, a club he had joined as a teenager in 1936. Southern League Cup match details Key In result column, Gillingham's score shown first H = Home match A = Away match +ResultsBrown 2003 59DateRoundOpponentsResultGoalscorersAttendance10 September 1949FirstBarry Town (H)3–1Forrester, Briggs, Carr7,69012 October 1949SecondColchester United (H)0–1 (a.e.t.)6,639 Players Charlie Marks made the most appearances, playing 49 times. Harry Williams was the team's top goalscorer, scoring 18 times in just 20 games.Brown 2003 59 +Player statisticsBrown 2003 59PlayerPositionSouthern LeagueDivision OneFA CupSouthern League CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGeorge Armstrong 1FB 90000090Billy Bates footballerFW 60002080Jimmy BoswellHB 3003020350Jackie BriggsFW 251031112912Johnny Burke footballerGK 2802010310Bill BurtenshawFW 181230002112Charlie BurtenshawFW 2633200295Jackie Carr Scottish footballerFW 361200113713Fred Collier 1FB 10000010Bill Collins footballer, born 1920HB 3503100381Victor Cook 1GK 20000020Jack DayGK 1601010180George DorlingFB 3703020420George Forrester footballer, born 1927FW 3573021408Billy HalesFW 96000096J. Kay 1FW 00001010Tommy KingsnorthHB 4233020473Charlie MarksFB 4403020490Les McGuireFW 41000041Joe MillbankHB 30000030George Piper footballerHB 2310000231George PoultonFW 10000010Hughie RussellFW 321333203716Stan Trumper 1FW 40001050Johnny WarsapFW 2160000216Harry Williams 1FW 191800102018Tug Wilson footballerFW 00001010 FW = Forward, HB = Half-back, GK = Goalkeeper, FB = Full-back Aftermath The Football League opted to increase the membership of each of the two Third Divisions from 22 to 24 clubs with effect from the 1950–51 season; Gillingham applied for one of the new places in the Third Division South and received the highest number of votes among the applicants, thereby returning to the Football League after 12 years.Mitchell Reeves Tyler 2013 140 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109225807 Daily Telegraph Frank Coles 9 September 2022 Newspapers.com subscription 4 More Clubs in League 5 June 1950 Charles Cox, the club's chairman, told the press "It has been an uphill struggle to get back. Thank God we've done it. We must never find ourselves in that position again."Elligate 2009 101 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 Mitchell Colin Reeves Jon Tyler Daniel The History of English Football Clubs New Holland Publishers 2013 978-1-78009-449-6 London Rollin Jack Rothmans Football Yearbook 1990–91 Queen Anne Press 1990 978-0-35617-911-7 London Soar Phil Martin Tyler Encyclopedia of British Football 1983 CollinsWillow 978-0-0021-8049-8 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, 1949-50