After the unbeaten run came to an end at Gigg Lane, Bury, the next match was at home to old rivals Exeter City. Following 4 Sunday games in a row it was surprising to hear that the game had not been switched from the Saturday.
The reason became clear as we arrived at the ground. The ITV Big Match TV cameras were there to record highlights to be shown on the following day. Gills won 2-1(Wilks, Yeo)
The following week it was back to Sunday football as we travelled by coach to Northampton Town. The game was at the old County Ground that the cobblers shared with Northants cricket club. I found it surreal watching a game from a stadium with only three sides as the cricket pitch was immediately adjacent to the football pitch!
The game ended goalless, although we had enough chances to win it. On returning to our coach we were surprised to be greeted by a sombre looking policeman. We approached him warily only for him to say “I just came over to say I can’t believe you didn’t win that, you were all over us!” Panic over we boarded the coach for the homeward journey.
March was not a particular good month as the game saw us
Lose 2-0 at Stockport County. We followed this up with a 1-0 home defeat of Chester City (Richardson) and a 1-0 win away at Torquay United (Richardson again).
Damien was on target again as we lost 3-1 at Barnsley and the month drew to a close with a disappointing single goal home defeat to Reading.
If we were to achieve a promotion spot we needed to get back on form and that’s exactly what we did as we embarked on a seven match unbeaten run through April.
It started on Wednesday 3rd April 1974 with the visit of top of the table Peterborough United. Priestfield’s highest attendance of the season, 12,297 witnessed a great game. Gills won with a 2nd half penalty converted by right back Keith Lindsey (his son Scott was later also to play for the Gills). World Cup referee Jack Taylor took control of the game and it was one of the best refereeing performances seen at Priestfield (not that there’s been many!)
On the following Saturday I travelled with my friend Dave to see Dartford play Morecambe in a cup semi final (FA Trophy perhaps). Gills were away at Workington but to show my support I wore my blue and white Gills scarf unaware of course that Morecambe played in blue and white. I had to hide it in my coat pocket so as not to be mistaken for an away supporter! Dartford drew 0-0 and progressed to Wembley as they had won the first leg away the previous week. All the excitement, however, was going on in Workington. Goalkeeper Mike Gibson was injured and had to be replaced by substitute Dave Wiltshire (a young defender). Remember in these days only one substitute was allowed! At one stage Gills were trailing 3-1 but pulled back to 3-3 to earn a priceless point with Damien Richardson (2) and George Jacks grabbing our goals.
Easter Saturday 13th April was a big day for me. The Gills were at home to Mansfield Town and my older brother, Chris was holding an engagement party in the evening. (I am pleased to say that Chris and Jane are still together 31 years later!)
The Mansfield game played in a very strong wind and with the game at 1-1 (Keith Lindsey pen) when we gave away a free kick just inside the Mansfield half. Their big centre half stepped up to take it and lobbed it high into our penalty area. Keeper Mike Gibson came off his line to collect an easy ball only for a sudden gust of wind to take it over his head and into the goal! It was the first time I had seen a goal scored from behind the halfway line but David Beckham it wasn’t!
On Easter Monday we easily saw off Bradford City 2-0 at Priestfield through Alan Wilks and Brian Yeo.
The following game was on Saturday 20th April away at Layer Road, the home of Colchester United, probably the worst ground in the league at the time. A large following of Gills fans swelled the crowd to 10,007 and witnessed a Brian Yeo brace give us not only a 2-0 win but also clinch promotion back to the old 3rd Division! We were up with 3 games still to play.
The Gills fans invaded the pitch at the end of the game (yours truly included). I even pulled up a few blades of grass from the corner spot which I kept for several years in a small box at home as a memento of this great occasion!
Gills: Gibson, Lindsey, Knight, Coxhill, Hill, Jacques, Tydeman, Jacks, Richardson, Wilks, Yeo.
The game was recorded by Anglia TV for their Sunday highlights programme. I was the only one in our area who could just about pick up an Anglia signal, so on the Sunday my house was “invaded” by 5 Gills’ supporting friends so we could witness the great day again, albeit through a certain amount of “snow”!
9,094 fans turned out on the following Wednesday as the Gills promotion team were introduced one by one to the Priestfield faithful, by ITV commentator and Gills’ fan Brian Moore, as they took to the field. First half goals by Dick Tydeman and Brian Yeo saw Lincoln City beaten 2-0.
Gillingham’s last game of the season could not have been any bigger. It was away at leaders Peterborough United. We still had an outside chance of going up as champions…we needed to beat Posh and then hope they lost their two remaining fixtures (final games were not all played on the same day as they are now, with clubs then able to rearrange fixtures after the season should have officially ended!)
My big problem now was how to get to Peterborough on a Wednesday night. With the coaches leaving at 2.30p.m. I would need to take the afternoon off school! My friend Terry, who attended Chatham Tech, asked his headmaster if he could have the afternoon off and his request was granted. My friends and I at Rochester Math were not sure we would be so lucky so we decided on our own course of action. Some just skived off whilst I decided to apply for a “leave of absence”. This was done by finding an old letter from my dad requesting time off for a dental appointment and changing the date! I didn’t tell my parents I had done this for fear of them not approving!
The plan worked and the “leave of absence” was duly granted. Unfortunately one boy was caught sneaking out of school and was forced to give the names of any other 5th formers who were going to the game. All miscreants were rounded up the following day and put in detention on the Friday. Miraculously my name was not mentioned and I was in the clear….I certainly found out who my friends were that day!
The game, however, did not have the same happy ending. A then record 4th division crowd of 17,569 saw Peterborough win by 4-2 in an exciting game (we were leading 2-1 at one stage) Another Keith Lindsey penalty and Alan Wilks were our goalscorers.
In true “you just know it’s going to happen to Gillingham” fashion Posh then went on to lose both their remaining fixtures!
But it didn’t really matter we were up and with Andy Nelson at the helm we were going to take the 3rd division by storm with our wonderful brand of attacking football!
Nelson wasted no time in strengthening the side by signing big Dave Shipperley from Charlton Athletic and then two weeks later the bombshell hit!
Andy Nelson was to leave Gillingham and become manager of local rivals Charlton Athletic!
A more defensively minded manager in Len Ashurst was appointed but now I wasn’t quite so confident that we would storm through the 3rd division.
(Next time: Stripes?)