1937–38 Gillingham F.C. season

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Clapton Orient
(23 February 1938)
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During the 1937–38 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division South, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 18th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League. The team won only three times in nineteen Football League matches between August and December; in November and December they played six league games and lost every one without scoring a goal, leaving them bottom of the division at the end of 1937. Although Gillingham's performances improved in the second half of the season, with seven wins between January and May, they remained in last place at the end of the season, meaning that the club was required to apply for re-election to the League. The application was rejected, and as a result the club lost its place in the Football League and joined the regional Southern League.

Gillingham also competed in two

knock-out competitions. The team were eliminated in the first round of the FA Cup but reached the second round of the Third Division South Cup. The team played 45 competitive matches, winning 11, drawing 6 and losing 28. Jimmy Watson was the club's top goalscorer with 8 goals in Third Division South matches and 13 in all competitions. Dave Whitelaw and Tug Wilson made the most appearances; both played 42 games. The highest attendance recorded at the club's home ground, Priestfield Road, during the season was 9,831 for a game against Millwall
on 9 October 1937.

Background and pre-season

The

league table three times. They had finished in the bottom two on four occasions, requiring them to apply each time for re-election to the League, most recently in the 1931–32 season.[2][3]

half-back Jimmy Nichol, who arrived from Portsmouth. Nichol had spent three seasons with Gillingham in the 1920s and returned for a second spell with the club at the age of 34;[6][7] he was appointed team captain.[8] Other new signings included Bryan Dalton from Reading, Fred Smith from Exeter City, Albert Taylor from Lincoln City, Cyril Walker from Watford and Archie Young from Leicester City.[9] The team wore Gillingham's usual kit of blue shirts and white shorts.[5] Pre-season matches between Football League members were not permitted at the time, and clubs instead generally prepared for the season with a public trial match between two teams chosen from within their own squad of players.[10][11] Gillingham staged such a match in August but it had to be abandoned at half-time due to torrential rain.[12]

Third Division South

August–December

Meadow Lane football stadium
Gillingham's final match of 1937 took place at Meadow Lane, home of Notts County (pictured in 1981).

The club's first match of the season, on 28 August, was away to

Newport County. The Daily Herald's reporter praised Gillingham's full-backs and forwards but identified the poor quality of their half-backs as a "serious problem".[13][15] After a draw against Watford, Gillingham lost three consecutive games.[13] The run of defeats ended with a 5–3 victory away to Exeter City on 18 September, the most goals the team would score in a match during the season.[13] Both Smith and Walker scored twice.[16] Gillingham ended September 18th out of 22 teams in the Third Division South league table.[17]

Gillingham's first four matches of October all resulted in defeat, beginning when they lost 2–0 away to

goal average, ending the month in 21st place in the table.[21]

During November and December Gillingham played six Third Division South games and lost every one without scoring a goal.

Sunday Pictorial's correspondent praised Gillingham's goalkeeper Dave Whitelaw and full-back Bill Armstrong for restricting the victors to one goal.[25] After further defeats away to Southend United and Torquay United, Gillingham's last game of 1937 was a 1–0 defeat away to Notts County; the attendance of 23,337 at Meadow Lane was the largest in front of which Gillingham played during the season.[13] The result meant that they finished the calendar year bottom of the Third Division South with 8 points from 19 games, 7 points below 21st-placed Aldershot.[26]

January–May

Elm Park football stadium
Gillingham's final match of the season took place at Elm Park, home of Reading (pictured in 1981).

Gillingham's first game of 1938 was at home to Bristol City;

Clapton Orient, drew an attendance of 1,789, the lowest of the season for any Gillingham game, either home or away.[13]

In their first game of March, Gillingham defeated Northampton Town at Priestfield Road; Herbert scored twice to take his league tally to five goals in six games.[13] After losing 3–1 away to Walsall, Gillingham won home games against Notts County on 16 March and Cardiff City three days later, the first time the team had won two consecutive games during the season.[13] The reporter for the Daily Herald wrote that George Ballsom and Reginald Neal were "outstanding" against Cardiff but that overall the quality of the game was "rarely worthy of League class";[30] the victory lifted Gillingham off the bottom of the league table, putting them one point above Walsall.[31] Gillingham lost 2–0 away to Bournemouth on 26 March but remained 21st in the table at the end of March.[13][32]

Gillingham's first two matches of April resulted in a draw and a defeat, but they remained 21st in the table, one point above Walsall.[33] In a nine-day period beginning on 15 April, Gillingham played four matches and lost three of them. The sequence began with a 3–0 defeat away to Crystal Palace; Norman Brickenden, a 23-year old goalkeeper, made his debut and was praised for his performance by the correspondent for the Daily News, but the same writer criticised Gillingham's forwards as "unbalanced" and "too individualistic" in their play.[34][35] After beating Southend United the next day Gillingham lost again to Crystal Palace, taking a 2–0 lead in the first half before conceding four goals after the interval.[36] The result left them once again bottom of the table.[37] Gillingham lost two of their final three games, finishing with a 2–0 defeat away to Reading, the team's 26th league defeat of the season.[13] Gillingham finished bottom of the division with 26 points from 42 games; the points total was the lowest and the number of defeats the highest recorded by the team in 18 seasons in the Football League.[2]

Match details

Key
Results[13]
Date Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
28 August 1937 Bristol City (A) 1–3 Taylor 14,134
1 September 1937
Newport County
(H) 		1–0 Walker 6,295
4 September 1937 Watford (H) 0–0 8,408
9 September 1937
Newport County
(A) 		0–2 5,662
11 September 1937 Mansfield Town (A) 1–3 Watson 7,291
15 September 1937 Reading (H) 1–2 Watson 4,160
18 September 1937 Exeter City (A) 5–3 Wilson, F. Smith (2), Walker (2) 5,846
25 September 1937 Swindon Town (H) 0–0 5,792
2 October 1937 Aldershot (A) 0–2 5,238
9 October 1937 Millwall (H) 2–3 Watson, Wilson 9,831
16 October 1937 Bristol Rovers (H) 0–1 6,628
23 October 1937 Northampton Town (A) 1–4 Taylor 7,618
30 October 1937 Walsall (H) 3–0 Watson (2), Scott 4,328
6 November 1937 Cardiff City (A) 0–4 14,818
13 November 1937 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic (H) 0–2 4,648
20 November 1937 Brighton & Hove Albion (A) 0–1 7,701
4 December 1937 Southend United (A) 0–2 6,700
18 December 1937 Torquay United (A) 0–1 2,317
27 December 1937 Notts County (A) 0–1 23,337
1 January 1938 Bristol City (H) 1–0 Brallisford 5,126
8 January 1938 Queens Park Rangers (H) 1–5 Fowler 7,699
15 January 1938 Watford (A) 1–1 Watson 7,843
22 January 1938 Mansfield Town (H) 0–0 5,590
29 January 1938 Exeter City (H) 2–1 Fishlock, Herbert 3,844
5 February 1938 Swindon Town (A) 0–3 8,543
12 February 1938 Aldershot (H) 2–0 Herbert, Watson 3,138
19 February 1938 Millwall (A) 0–5 17,358
23 February 1938
Clapton Orient
(H) 		1–2 Herbert 1,789
26 February 1938 Bristol Rovers (A) 1–2 Taylor 4,289
5 March 1938 Northampton Town (H) 2–1 Herbert (2) 4,582
12 March 1938 Walsall (A) 1–3 Neal 3,665
16 March 1938 Notts County (H) 2–1 Watson, Hartley 3,949
19 March 1938 Cardiff City (H) 1–0 Herbert 6,710
26 March 1938 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic (A) 0–2 6,559
2 April 1938 Brighton & Hove Albion (H) 1–1 Wilson 6,450
9 April 1938 Queens Park Rangers (A) 0–2 10,356
15 April 1938 Crystal Palace (A) 0–3 15,390
16 April 1938 Southend United (H) 2–1 Brallisford, Neal 6,822
18 April 1938 Crystal Palace (H) 2–4 Herbert, Brallisford (pen.) 6,602
23 April 1938
Clapton Orient
(A) 		0–3 5,970
30 April 1938 Torquay United (H) 1–1 Fishlock 2,364
7 May 1938 Reading (A) 0–2 3,958

Partial league table

Main article: 1937–38 Football League § Third Division South
Football League Third Division South final table, bottom positions[38]
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
19
Clapton Orient
 42 13 7 22 42 61 0.689 33
20 Torquay United 42 9 12 21 38 73 0.521 30
21 Walsall 42 11 7 24 52 88 0.591 29 Required to apply for re-election
22 Gillingham 42 10 6 26 36 77 0.468 26

Cup matches

FA Cup

As a Third Division South club, Gillingham entered the

hat-trick of the season, including two goals from penalty kicks, but Gillingham lost 4–3 and were eliminated from the competition.[39]

Match details

Key
Results[13]
Date Round Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
27 November 1937 First Swindon Town (H) 3–4 Watson (3, 2 pen.) 5,000

Third Division South Cup

Gillingham entered the

1937–38 Third Division South Cup in the first round, where they played Brighton & Hove Albion. In front of an attendance of 2,000, one of the lowest of the season at Priestfield Road, Watson scored twice in a 3–1 win for Gillingham. In the second round, Gillingham played Millwall. Several fringe players were brought into the team in place of regular starters, and Gillingham lost 4–0, ending their participation in the competition.[13]

Match details

Key
Results[13]
Date Round Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
28 September 1937 First Brighton & Hove Albion (H) 3–1 Watson (2), Walker 2,000
8 November 1937 Second Millwall (A) 0–4 2,000

Players

During the season, 32 players made at least one appearance for Gillingham. Whitelaw and forward

Richard Maudsley, who played in one Third Division South Cup game but never made an appearance in the Football League for Gillingham or any other club.[40][41] Bill Williams also played his only game for the club during the season; Leslie Williams made his sole Football League appearance for Gillingham during the season but remained with the club and played non-League football the following season, as did Donoghue, whose one Football League game for Gillingham during the season was the only appearance he made in the competition during his career.[42][43] Watson was the team's top goalscorer, with eight goals in the Third Division South and five in the cup competitions. He was the only player to reach double figures; Herbert had the second-highest total, despite playing in fewer than half the team's games, with seven goals.[13]

Player statistics[13]
Player Position Third Division South FA Cup
Third Division South Cup
 Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bill Armstrong FB 27 0 1 0 2 0 30 0
George Ballsom FB 20 0 1 0 0 0 21 0
Albert Brallisford FW 14 3 1 0 0 0 15 3
Norman Brickenden GK 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Charlie Campbell HB 7 0 0 0 1 0 8 0
Bryan Dalton FW 6 0 0 0 1 0 7 0
Frank Donoghue
 		HB 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
William Duncan FW 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
George Emmerson FW 10 0 0 0 0 0 10 0
Laurie Fishlock FW 20 2 0 0 0 0 20 2
Arthur Fowler FW 8 1 0 0 1 0 9 1
Syd Hartley FB 38 1 0 0 2 0 40 1
Fred Herbert FW 17 7 0 0 1 0 18 7
George Holland HB 10 0 1 0 0 0 11 0
John Jones HB 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
Fred Lester FB 10 0 0 0 1 0 11 0
Richard Maudsley
 		FW 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Reginald Neal FW 14 2 0 0 0 0 14 2
Jimmy Nichol HB 8 0 0 0 1 0 9 0
James O'Neill HB 8 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
Edwin Scott FW 18 1 1 0 1 0 20 1
Fred Smith FW 15 2 1 0 1 0 17 2
John Smith HB 14 0 0 0 0 0 14 0
Albert Taylor FW 9 3 0 0 1 0 10 3
George Tweed FB 31 0 1 0 1 0 33 0
Cyril Walker FW 10 3 0 0 1 1 11 4
Jimmy Watson FW 35 8 1 3 2 2 38 13
Dave Whitelaw GK 39 0 1 0 2 0 42 0
Bill Williams HB 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Leslie Williams HB 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Tug Wilson FW 40 3 1 0 1 0 42 3
Archie Young HB 21 0 1 0 1 0 23 0

FW = Forward, HB = Half-back, GK = Goalkeeper, FB = Full-back

Aftermath

As a result of finishing last, Gillingham were again required to apply for re-election.

1938–39 season.[47] The club applied to rejoin the Football League at the first opportunity, but the application was rejected.[48] Gillingham would be elected back into the Football League when the two Third Divisions were expanded from 22 to 24 clubs each in 1950.[3][49]

References

  1. ^ Bradley & Triggs 1994, p. 392.
  2. ^ a b Soar & Tyler 1983, p. 110.
  3. ^ a b c Mitchell, Reeves & Tyler 2013, p. 140.
  4. ^ Elligate 2009, p. 94.
  5. ^ a b Triggs 1999, p. 46.
  6. ^ Triggs 2001, p. 24.
  7. ^ Joyce 2004, p. 196.
  8. Newspapers.com
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  9. ^ Triggs 2001, pp. 14, 30, 32.
  10. ^ Triggs 1999, p. 48.
  11. ^ Bradley & Triggs 1994, p. 424.
  12. Newspapers.com
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  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Brown 2003, p. 51.
  14. Newspapers.com
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  15. Newspapers.com
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  16. Newspapers.com
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  17. ^ "Division Three (South) table after close of play on 30 September 1937". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  18. Newspapers.com
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  19. Newspapers.com
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  20. ^ Triggs 2001, p. 32.
  21. ^ "Division Three (South) table after close of play on 31 October 1937". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  22. Newspapers.com
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  23. Newspapers.com
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  24. ^ "Division Three (South) table after close of play on 13 November 1937". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  25. Newspapers.com
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  26. ^ "Division Three (South) table after close of play on 31 December 1937". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  27. ^ "Division Three (South) table after close of play on 31 January 1938". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  28. ^ Triggs 2001, pp. 14, 20.
  29. Newspapers.com
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  30. Newspapers.com
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  31. ^ "Division Three (South) table after close of play on 19 March 1938". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  32. ^ "Division Three (South) table after close of play on 31 March 1938". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  33. ^ "Division Three (South) table after close of play on 09 April 1938". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  34. ^ Triggs 2001, p. 12.
  35. Newspapers.com
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  36. Newspapers.com
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  37. ^ "Division Three (South) table after close of play on 15 April 1938". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  38. ^ Soar & Tyler 1983, p. 206.
  39. Newspapers.com
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  40. ^ Brown 2003, p. 123.
  41. ^ Joyce 2004, p. 180.
  42. ^ Brown 2003, p. 127.
  43. ^ Joyce 2004, pp. 76, 282.
  44. ^ Soar & Tyler 1983, p. 114.
  45. Newspapers.com
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  46. ^ Elligate 2009, p. 98.
  47. ^ Brown 2003, p. 52.
  48. Newspapers.com
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  49. Newspapers.com
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Works cited

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