2005–06 Gillingham F.C. season: Difference between revisions

 

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Gillingham began the season with a match at their home ground, [[Priestfield Stadium]], against [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester United]].{{sfn|Rollin|Rollin|2006|p=192}} Jackman was included in the starting line-up and Shields made his debut as a [[substitute (association football)|substitute]].{{sfn|Rollin|Rollin|2006|p=193}} Colchester took the lead but late goals from [[Andrew Crofts (footballer)|Andrew Crofts]] and [[Darren Byfield]] gave Gillingham a 2&ndash;1 victory.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/4730587.stm |title = Gillingham 2&ndash;1 Colchester|publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date = 6 August 2005 |access-date=23 September 2025}}</ref>

Gillingham began the season with a match at their home ground, [[Priestfield Stadium]], against [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester United]].{{sfn|Rollin|Rollin|2006|p=192}} Jackman was included in the starting line-up and Shields made his debut as a [[substitute (association football)|substitute]].{{sfn|Rollin|Rollin|2006|p=193}} Colchester took the lead but late goals from [[Andrew Crofts (footballer)|Andrew Crofts]] and [[Darren Byfield]] gave Gillingham a 2&ndash;1 victory.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/4730587.stm |title = Gillingham 2&ndash;1 Colchester|publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date = 6 August 2005 |access-date=23 September 2025}}</ref>

As the club went through a poor run of form from late August through September the pressure was mounting on the manager who, on multiple occasions during that period, made his frustrations with the players known to the media after particularly poor performances. These included a disappointing 0-0 draw at home against [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/4347026.stm |title = Cooper fumes at Gills stalemate |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date = 16 October 2005 |access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref> A 2&ndash;0 defeat [[road (sports)|away]] to [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]] on 12 November{{cn}} left Gillingham in 22nd place in the League One [[standings (sports)|league table]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/teams/gillingham/tab/leagueTables/15-november-2005/ |title = League One table after close of play on 15 November 2005 |work = 11v11|publisher=[[Association of Football Statisticians]] |access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref> a position which would result in [[promotion and relegation|relegation]] to [[EFL League Two|League Two]] at the end of the season; three days later Cooper resigned from his position as manager.<ref name=coopout>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/4439918.stm |title = Gillingham manager Cooper resigns |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date = 15 November 2005 |access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref> [[Paul Scally]], the club’s chairman, told the press “One or two people need to take a hard look at themselves at this club, as there is no doubt Neale was let down in certain areas.”<ref name=coopout /> The club’s assistant manager since December 2004, [[Ronnie Jepson]], took over the role. This was initially intended to be a temporary solution until a permanent successor was found however due to an impressive turnaround of form Jepson would go on to keep the role for almost 2 years.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/6985975.stm |title = Gillingham manager Jepson resigns |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date = 9 September 2007 |access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref>

As the club went through a poor run of form from late August through September the pressure was mounting on the manager who, on multiple occasions during that period, made his frustrations with the players known to the media after particularly poor performances. These included a disappointing 0-0 draw at home against [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/4347026.stm |title = Cooper fumes at Gills stalemate |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date = 16 October 2005 |access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref> A 2&ndash;0 defeat [[road (sports)|away]] to [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]] on 12 November{{cn}} left Gillingham in 22nd place in the League One [[standings (sports)|league table]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/teams/gillingham/tab/leagueTables/15-november-2005/ |title = League One table after close of play on 15 November 2005 |work = 11v11|publisher=[[Association of Football Statisticians]] |access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref> a position which would result in [[promotion and relegation|relegation]] to [[EFL League Two|League Two]] at the end of the season; three days later Cooper resigned from his position as manager.<ref name=coopout>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/4439918.stm |title = Gillingham manager Cooper resigns |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date = 15 November 2005 |access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref> [[Paul Scally]], the club’s chairman, told the press “One or two people need to take a hard look at themselves at this club, as there is no doubt Neale was let down in certain areas.”<ref name=coopout /> The club’s assistant manager since December 2004, [[Ronnie Jepson]], took over the role. This was initially intended to be a temporary solution until a permanent successor was found however due to an impressive turnaround of form Jepson would go on to keep the role for almost 2 years.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/6985975.stm |title = Gillingham manager Jepson resigns |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date = 9 September 2007 |access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref>

Jepson was confident in his ability to turn the results around and keep Gillingham from a second consecutive relegation campaign with the squad that he inherited from Cooper.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/4446450.stm |title = Jepson says squad is good enough |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date = 17 November 2005 |access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref> An immediate improvement in form was noticeable with Gillingham taking 13 points from a possible 21 in the league for the remainder of the calendar year compared to just 17 of a possible 51 that Cooper had acquired since the beginning of the campaign. By the turn of the new year, Gillingham found themselves at 17th in the league,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/teams/gillingham/tab/leagueTables/31-december-2005/ |title = League One table after close of play on 31 December 2005 |work = 11v11|publisher=[[Association of Football Statisticians]] |access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref> comfortably out of the relegation zone.

Jepson was confident in his ability to turn the results around and keep Gillingham from a second consecutive relegation campaign with the squad that he inherited from Cooper.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/4446450.stm |title = Jepson says squad is good enough |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date = 17 November 2005 |access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref> An immediate improvement in form was noticeable with Gillingham taking 13 points from a possible 21 in the league for the remainder of the calendar year compared to just 17 of a possible 51 that Cooper had acquired since the beginning of the campaign. By the turn of the new year, Gillingham found themselves at 17th in the league,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/teams/gillingham/tab/leagueTables/31-december-2005/ |title = League One table after close of play on 31 December 2005 |work = 11v11|publisher=[[Association of Football Statisticians]] |access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref> comfortably out of the relegation zone.

English football club season

Gillingham 2005–06 football season

During the 2005–06 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in Football League One, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 74th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League and the 56th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. It was Gillingham’s first season in the third tier of the English league system since 2000, following the team’s relegation from the Football League Championship at the end of the previous season.

The 2005–06 season was Gillingham‘s 74th season playing in the Football League and the 56th since the club was elected back into the League in 1950 after being voted out in 1938. At the end of the previous season, Gillingham had been relegated from the Football League Championship after finishing 22nd out of 24 teams in the league table, ending a five-year spell in the second tier of the English football league system and meaning that they would spend the 2005–06 season in Football League One, the third tier.^[2]

On 21 May, Neale Cooper was appointed as the club’s new manager, replacing Stan Ternent, who had resigned days earlier.^[3] Ronnie Jepson, who had served as assistant manager to Ternent, remained in the role; he had reportedly been considered for the manager’s job himself.^[3] Bobby Paterson, who had worked with Cooper at the manager’s previous club, Hartlepool United, joined Gillingham in the dual roles of director of youth and manager of the reserve team. There was considerable change in Gillingham’s playing squad following the club’s relegation. Darius Henderson, the team’s top goalscorer in the previous season, moved to Watford for a transfer fee of £450,000.^[5] Paul Smith, who had been the team’s captain during the previous season^[6] and played nearly 400 games for Gillingham in eight seasons with the club,^{[citation needed]} left the club after turning down a new contract which would have seen his wages dramatically reduced.^[6] Barry Ashby, who had also been with Gillingham for eight years and had made over 300 appearances, left the club at the expiration of his contract,^[7][8] as did Nicky Southall, Nyron Nosworthy, Mamady Sidibé and John Hills, all of whom had been regulars in the team during the previous campaign.^[5] Of 12 players whose contracts had expired at the end of the 2004–05 season, only two opted to re-sign with the club.^[7]

Cooper signed four new players ahead of the first match of the new season, including two who had last played in his native Scotland: Paul Shields, a forward, and Tony Bullock, a goalkeeper. Forfar Athletic had reportedly received offers for Shields from at least three other clubs, but ultimately accepted Gillingham’s offer of £25,000 for the player.^[11] Tom Williams, a midfielder, and Danny Jackman, a defender, also joined Gillingham.^[5] Gillingham played pre-season friendly matches against Barnet and Millwall; both Bullock and Williams were injured during these matches, meaning that they missed the start of the league season. Previewing the new League One season, the view of BBC Sport was that Cooper was faced with “an enormous rebuilding task” and that “consolidating in League One may be the most Gillingham fans could dare to hope for.”^[5] The team’s first-choice kit was blue with white trim; the second-choice kit, to be worn in those away games where there was a clash of colours with the home team, was white with blue trim.

Gillingham began the season with a match at their home ground, Priestfield Stadium, against Colchester United. Jackman was included in the starting line-up and Shields made his debut as a substitute. Colchester took the lead but late goals from Andrew Crofts and Darren Byfield gave Gillingham a 2–1 victory.^[15]

As the club went through a poor run of form from late August through September the pressure was mounting on the manager who, on multiple occasions during that period, made his frustrations with the players known to the media after particularly poor performances. These included a disappointing 0-0 draw at home against Yeovil Town.^[16] A 2–0 defeat away to Walsall on 12 November^{[citation needed]} left Gillingham in 22nd place in the League One league table,^[17] a position which would result in relegation to League Two at the end of the season;^{[citation needed]} three days later Cooper resigned from his position as manager.^[18] Paul Scally, the club’s chairman, told the press “One or two people need to take a hard look at themselves at this club, as there is no doubt Neale was let down in certain areas.”^[18] The club’s assistant manager since December 2004, Ronnie Jepson, took over the role. This was initially intended to be a temporary solution until a permanent successor was found however due to an impressive turnaround of form Jepson would go on to keep the role for almost 2 years.^[19]

Jepson was confident in his ability to turn the results around and keep Gillingham from a second consecutive relegation campaign with the squad that he inherited from Cooper.^[20] An immediate improvement in form was noticeable with Gillingham taking 13 points from a possible 21 in the league for the remainder of the calendar year compared to just 17 of a possible 51 that Cooper had acquired since the beginning of the campaign. By the turn of the new year, Gillingham found themselves at 17th in the league,^[21] comfortably out of the relegation zone.

On 10 December, Andy Hessenthaler made his final appearance for Gillingham in a 3–0 victory over Port Vale; he would be transferred to Barnet the following month. Hessenthaler had been with the club since 1996 and made over 350 appearances, as well as serving as player-manager for much of the club’s time in the second tier of English football.

At the end of 2005, Gillingham were in 17th place out of 24 teams in the League One league table.

Despite Jepson’s initial confidence in the squad, a series of injuries and suspensions in Gillingham’s forward lineup^[22] throughout the early stages of 2006 led to difficulties in the attacking third with youngsters Gavin Grant and Akwasi Fobi-Edusei filling in for injured Paul Shields and Matt Jarvis.^[23] Striker Darren Byfield, who missed two months in late 2005 with a knee injury,^[24] also missed some games in early 2006 after he was hit with multiple suspensions.^[25] Despite these setbacks, Byfield, who left Gillingham as a free transfer at the end of the season for local rivals Millwall despite Jepson being keen on keeping him at the club,^[26] went on to be the club’s top goal scorer that season, netting 14 goals in all competitions including 13 in the league.^[27]

Key

As a League One team, Gillingham entered the 2005–06 FA Cup at the first round stage; they were drawn to play Burscough of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system. Burscough had entered at the first qualifying round and won four matches to reach the first round proper.

Key

As a League One team, Gillingham entered the 2005–06 Football League Cup at the first round stage.

Key

Gillingham entered the 2005–06 Football League Trophy at the first round stage; the competition involved all teams in League One and League Two plus selected teams from the Conference National, the tier below League Two.

Key

a. ^ Cochrane, Black, Mulligan and Collin were each allocated a squad number which had been worn earlier in the season by a player who had since left the club.

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