1973–74 Gillingham F.C. season
| 1973–74 season | |
| Chairman | Dr Clifford Grossmark |
|---|---|
| Manager | Andy Nelson |
| Football League Fourth Division | 2nd |
| FA Cup | First Round |
| League Cup | Second Round |
| Top goalscorer |
League: Brian Yeo (31) All: Brian Yeo (32) |
| Highest home attendance | 12,577 vs Peterborough United (3 April 1974) |
| Lowest home attendance | 3,864 vs Doncaster Rovers (29 September 1973) |
The 1973–74 season was the forty-second season in which football club Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League, and the twenty-fourth since the club's return to the League in 1950. Gillingham finished the season as runners-up in the Football League Fourth Division, gaining promotion back to the Third Division three years after dropping down from it. Brian Yeo equalled the club record of 31 Football League goals in a season, set by Ernie Morgan 18 years earlier.
Football League
Manager Andy Nelson retained a largely unchanged squad from the previous season, making no new signings during the summer. The team began the season with a defeat to Crewe Alexandra, but then recorded four wins and three draws in the next nine games, including a 7–2 defeat of Scunthorpe United. After the 2–1 defeat to Exeter City on 6 October the team then went on a run of 20 games without defeat before losing 2–0 to Stockport County on 10 March. Two further defeats followed in March but the team hung on to finish the season in second place, three points behind Peterborough United, and gain promotion. Striker Brian Yeo scored his 31st league goal of the season in the 2–0 win over Lincoln City on 24 April, equalling the club record set by Ernie Morgan in the 1955–56 season.
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result
F – A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-08-25 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–1 | 2,091 | |
| 1973-09-01 | Newport County | H | 1–1 | Yeo | 3,971 |
| 1973-09-08 | Swansea City | A | 3–0 | Lindsey, Yeo, Tydeman | 2,144 |
| 1973-09-12 | Scunthorpe United | H | 7–2 | Yeo 3, Wilks, Richardson 2, Tydeman | 4,610 |
| 1973-09-15 | Darlington | H | 0–1 | 5,446 | |
| 1973-09-18 | Rotherham United | A | 1–0 | Yeo | 3,757 |
| 1973-09-22 | Hartlepool United | A | 1–1 | Jacks | 1,399 |
| 1973-09-29 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 5–1 | Yeo, Wilks, Richardson 2, Peach | 3,864 |
| 1973-10-03 | Rotherham United | H | 1–1 | Yeo | 5,330 |
| 1973-10-06 | Exeter City | A | 1–2 | Peach | 4,744 |
| 1973-10-13 | Bury | H | 3–0 | Hill, Yeo 2 | 4,531 |
| 1973-10-20 | Chester City | A | 4–2 | Peach, Yeo 2, Richardson | 2,187 |
| 1973-10-23 | Scunthorpe United | A | 1–1 | Jacks | 2,544 |
| 1973-10-27 | Stockport County | H | 2–1 | Peach, Wilks | 5,777 |
| 1973-10-31 | Bradford City | A | 0–0 | 2,567 | |
| 1973-11-03 | Reading | A | 1–0 | Yeo | 8,248 |
| 1973-11-10 | Torquay United | H | 2–1 | Yeo 2 | 6,201 |
| 1973-11-14 | Workington | H | 4–0 | Wilks 3, Yeo | 6,804 |
| 1973-11-17 | Mansfield Town | A | 2–2 | Yeo, Peach | 2,908 |
| 1973-12-01 | Brentford | A | 3–0 | Richardson 2, Galvin | 5,748 |
| 1973-12-08 | Colchester United | H | 4–1 | Richardson, Wilks 2, Jacks | 8,411 |
| 1973-12-22 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 2–1 | Tydeman, Jacks | 1,878 |
| 1973-12-26 | Northampton Town | H | 3–1 | Yeo 3 | 11,313 |
| 1973-12-29 | Swansea City | H | 1–1 | Jacks | 9,960 |
| 1974-01-01 | Newport County | A | 3–3 | Jacks, Wilks, Peach | 5,888 |
| 1974-01-05 | Barnsley | H | 1–1 | Richardson | 6,825 |
| 1974-01-12 | Darlington | A | 3–1 | Richardson, Peach, Yeo | 2,204 |
| 1974-01-20 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 3–0 | Yeo, Richardson, Jacks | 11,478 |
| 1974-02-03 | Lincoln City | A | 3–2 | Wilks, Yeo 2 | 7,154 |
| 1974-02-10 | Hartlepool United | H | 3–0 | Opponent own goal, Wilks, Yeo | 8,724 |
| 1974-02-17 | Bury | A | 2–3 | Opponent own goal, Coxhill | 8,813 |
| 1974-02-23 | Exeter City | H | 2–1 | Yeo, Wilks | 7,994 |
| 1974-03-03 | Northampton Town | A | 0–0 | 8,583 | |
| 1974-03-10 | Stockport County | A | 0–2 | 1,940 | |
| 1974-03-17 | Chester City | H | 1–0 | Richardson | 7,481 |
| 1974-03-23 | Torquay United | A | 1–0 | Richardson | 2,887 |
| 1974-03-26 | Barnsley | A | 1–3 | Richardson | 5,132 |
| 1974-03-30 | Reading | H | 0–1 | 7,140 | |
| 1974-04-03 | Peterborough United | H | 1–0 | Lindsey | 12,577 |
| 1974-04-06 | Workington | A | 3–3 | Richardson 2, Jacks | 1,181 |
| 1974-04-13 | Mansfield Town | H | 2–2 | Lindsey, Yeo | 7,972 |
| 1974-04-15 | Bradford City | H | 2–0 | Yeo, Wilks | 7,720 |
| 1974-04-20 | Colchester United | A | 2–0 | Yeo 2 | 10,007 |
| 1974-04-24 | Lincoln City | H | 2–0 | Yeo, Tydeman | 9,094 |
| 1974-04-27 | Brentford | H | 1–0 | Hill | 9,319 |
| 1974-05-01 | Peterborough United | A | 2–4 | Lindsey, Wilks | 17,569 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points
FA Cup
As a Fourth Division club, Gillingham entered the FA Cup at the first round, but were beaten 3–2 by Cambridge United of the Third Division.
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result
F – A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-11-24 | First | Cambridge United | A | 2–3 | Richardson, Tydeman | 4,831 |
Football League Cup
Gillingham entered the League Cup at the first round stage and defeated Colchester United, but were knocked out in the second round by Carlisle United.
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result
F – A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-08-16 | First | Colchester United | H | 4–2 | Peach, Quirke, Wilks, Yeo | 3,991 |
| 1973-09-05 | Second | Carlisle United | H | 1–2 | Richardson | 7,871 |
Squad statistics
Gillingham used only 19 players in total over the course of the season with two, George Jacks and Dick Tydeman, playing in all 49 competitive matches and five others making over 40 appearances.
| Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| Glenn Aitken | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Dave Coxhill | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| Dave Galvin | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 1 |
| Mike Gibson | 41 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| Kenny Hill | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| George Jacks | 46 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 8 |
| Joe Jacques | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| Kevin Johnson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Graham Knight | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Keith Lindsey | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 4 |
| David Peach | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 8 |
| Dave Quirke | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 1 |
| Damien Richardson | 43 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 46 | 18 |
| Ken Rogers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ian Thorpe | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Dick Tydeman | 46 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 5 |
| Alan Wilks | 43 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 46 | 15 |
| Dave Wiltshire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Brian Yeo | 43 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 46 | 32 |
See also
References
- Brown, Tony (2003). The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record. Soccerdata. ISBN 1-899468-20-X.
- Triggs, Roger (1984). Gillingham Football Club: A Chronology 1893–1984. Kent County Libraries.
- Bradley, Andy; Roger Triggs (1994). Home of the Shouting Men: Complete History of Gillingham Football Club 1893–1993. Gillingham F.C. ISBN 0-9523361-0-3.