I retook the 7 failed exams and also took Economics as an additional subject. This time they were all passed and I left Rochester Math School with a healthy 10 O-levels and went looking for my first ever job.
After several job interviews in London I answered an advert in the Chatham Standard for a male cashier at the Trustee Savings Bank. (The Sex Discrimination Act wasn’t passed until 1976!)
I was asked to attend an interview on the afternoon of Wednesday 20th August 1975. My biggest worry here was that in the evening Gillingham were playing away at Reading in the First Round First Leg of the League Cup. I was already booked on the coach, but was concerned that the interview would go on so long I would miss it! I attended the interview and kept one eye on my watch. The Bank Manager asked me at one stage “Have you got another appointment, you keep looking at your watch?” I just replied “Yes, I’ve another job interview to go to.”
The whole interview only lasted 20 minutes but I must have created the right impression as I was offered the job and I started work there on 8th September 1975 (I remember the date because I came home after my first day’s work to be told that my Granddad had passed away that afternoon.) I am still working for the bank today.
Meanwhile back to that day in August, I met my friend Dave Allen (no not that one!) who I now went to the games with and we arrived at Priestfield in plenty of time to catch the coach.
Gills won the game 1-0 with a classic own goal from a Reading defender. As the coach left Elm Park it was ambushed by several Reading hooligans who through stones at it. (This was the 70’s remember). One stone smashed through a window to the rear of the coach. It was quite cold for the rest of the journey back to Gillingham!
Back in the league we had started well only losing two games out of the first ten and were well placed in 5th position in the table………when manager Len Ashurst suddenly resigned and accepted the Manager’s job at Sheffield Wednesday. He took his assistant, Tony Toms, with him.
Manager-less Gillingham only took one point from three games whilst a new man was found. We turned to former Oxford United boss, Gerry Summers. His first game was a disastrous 3-0 defeat at Aldershot. It could have been worse had goalkeeper Ron Hillyard not saved a penalty. Of course, Dave and I were there to witness it!
Despite the signing of ex West Ham winger Joe Durrell and striker Danny Westwood, for whom the club paid a then record fee of £17,000, by Christmas we had gone 10 games without a win and had fallen to 20th. Things were looking bleak.
A 1-0 (Richardson) Christmas win at home to Brighton was followed 3 days later by a trip to Crystal Palace. Dave and I travelled by train, having given up on the official coaches following the problems at Reading, and took our place in the crowd of 20,919.
The Eagles missed numerous goal attempts as they laid siege to the Gillingham goal. We won the game, however, with a goal on the break a delightful lob over the goalkeeper by Danny Westwood. (This type of goal became something of a Westwood trademark over the next few seasons!) It was our only shot on goal in the entire game.
Tuesday 30th December 1975
League Division Three
Crystal Palace 0-1 Gillingham (HT 0-0)
Att: 20,919
Gills: Hillyard, Knight, Ley, Galvin, Shipperley, Tydeman, Jacks, Fogarty, Richardson, Westwood, Durrell
These two wins sparked an improvement in form as we embarked on a nine match unbeaten run.
The rest of the season was pretty uneventful and we eventually finished 15th. There was one incredible game played at Priestfield, however, against eventual champions Hereford United.
It was played on the evening of Tuesday 6th April 1976 and a good crowd of 8,081 saw Gills take a 3-1 lead through two Joe Durrell goals and an own goal, only for Hereford to make a brilliant comeback to win 4-3. It was disappointing that we lost but it was a great entertaining match.
(Next Time : The Toon Army Come to Priestfield!)