Wikipedia

User:ChrisTheDude/Sandbox2

< User:ChrisTheDude
Gillingham
1937–38 season
ChairmanJack Knight[1]
ManagerAlan Ure
Third Division South22nd
FA CupFirst Round
Third Division South CupSecond Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Jimmy Watson (8)
All: Jimmy Watson (13)
Highest home attendancetbc
Lowest home attendancetbc

During the 1937–38 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division South at the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 18th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League. The team finished bottom of the division, 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.

Background and preseason

edit

The 1937–38 season was Gillingham's 18th season playing in the Football League. The club had been among the founder members of the Football League Third Division in 1920, which was renamed the Third Division South when a parallel Third Division North was created a year later. In Gillingham's 17 seasons in this division, the team had consistently struggled, only finishing in the top half of 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.[2][3]

Alan Ure was the club's manager; he had been appointed at the conclusion of the previous season following the resignation of Fred Maven.[4] Jack Oxberry assisted him in the role of trainer. The club signed several new players, including Jimmy Nichol, who arrived from Portsmouth; the veteran half-back had spent three seasons with Gillingham in the 1920s and returned for a second spell with the club at the age of 34.[5]

Third Division South

edit

August–December

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

Gillingham's first match of the season was away to Bristol City.[6]

January–May

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

Gillingham's final match of the season was away to Reading.[6]

Match details

edit
Key
Results[6]
Date Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
28 August 1937 Bristol City (A) 1–3 Taylor 14134
1 September 1937 Newport County (H) 1–0 Walker 6295
4 September 1937 Watford (H) 0–0 8408
9 September 1937 Newport County (A) 0–2 5662
11 September 1937 Mansfield Town (A) 1–3 Watson 7291
15 September 1937 Reading (H) 1–2 Watson 4160
18 September 1937 Exeter City (A) 5–3 Wilson, Smith (2), Walker (2) 5846
25 September 1937 Swindon Town (H) 0–0 5792
2 October 1937 Aldershot (A) 0–2 5238
9 October 1937 Millwall (H) 2–3 Watson, Wilson 9831
16 October 1937 Bristol Rovers (H) 0–1 6628
23 October 1937 Northampton Town (A) 1–4 Taylor 7618
30 October 1937 Walsall (H) 3–0 Watson (2), Scott 4328
6 November 1937 Cardiff City (A) 0–4 14818
13 November 1937 Bournemouth (H) 0–2 4648
20 November 1937 Brighton (A) 0–1 7701
4 December 1937 Southend United (A) 0–2 6700
18 December 1937 Torquay United (A) 0–1 2317
27 December 1937 Notts County (A) 0–1 23337
1 January 1938 Bristol City (H) 1–0 Brallisford 5126
8 January 1938 Queens Park Rangers (H) 1–5 Fowler 7699
15 January 1938 Watford (A) 1–1 Watson 7843
22 January 1938 Mansfield Town (H) 0–0 5590
29 January 1938 Exeter City (H) 2–1 Fishlock, Herbert 3844
5 February 1938 Swindon Town (A) 0–3 8543
12 February 1938 Aldershot (H) 2–0 Herbert, Watson 3138
19 February 1938 Millwall (A) 0–5 17358
23 February 1938 Clapton Orient (H) 1–2 Herbert 1789
26 February 1938 Bristol Rovers (A) 1–2 Taylor 4289
5 March 1938 Northampton Town (H) 2–1 Herbert (2) 4582
12 March 1938 Walsall (A) 1–3 Neal 3665
16 March 1938 Notts County (H) 2–1 Watson, Hartley 3949
19 March 1938 Cardiff City (H) 1–0 Herbert 6710
26 March 1938 Bournemouth (A) 0–2 6559
2 April 1938 Brighton (H) 1–1 Wilson 6450
9 April 1938 Queens Park Rangers (A) 0–2 10356
15 April 1938 Crystal Palace (A) 0–3 15390
16 April 1938 Southend United (H) 2–1 Brallisford, Neal 6822
18 April 1938 Crystal Palace (H) 2–4 Herbert, Brallisford (pen.) 6602
23 April 1938 Clapton Orient (A) 0–3 5970
30 April 1938 Torquay United (H) 1–1 Fishlock 2364
07 May 1938 Reading (A) 0–2 3958

Cup matches

edit

FA Cup

edit

As a Third Division South club, Gillingham entered the 1937–38 FA Cup in the first round, where they were paired with fellow Third Division South club Swindon Town. Jimmy Watson scored Gillingham's only hat-trick of the season, including two goals from penalty kicks, but his team lost 4–3 and were eliminated from the competition.

Match details

edit
Key
Results[6]
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

edit

Gillingham entered the 1937–38 Third Division South Cup in the first round.

Match details

edit
Key
Results[6]
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

edit
 
Laurie Fishlock, who played both football and cricket professionally, made 20 appearances during the season.

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

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

Aftermath

edit

As a result of finishing last,[6] Gillingham were again required to apply for re-election.[3] The only non-League club to apply to join the Third Division South was Ipswich Town of the Southern League. They joined the two bottom teams in the division, Walsall and Gillingham, in a ballot among the League's member clubs for two places in the division for the subsequent season. Ipswich received 36 votes, Walsall 34, and Gillingham 28, meaning that Ipswich were elected to the Football League and Gillingham lost their place.[7] The club returned to the Southern League but would be elected back into the Football League when it increased its membership by four clubs in 1950.[8]

References

edit
  1. ^ Bradley & Triggs 1994, p. 392.
  2. ^ Soar & Tyler 1983, p. 110.
  3. ^ a b Mitchell, Reeves & Tyler 2013, p. 140.
  4. ^ Elligate 2009, p. 94.
  5. ^ Triggs 2001, p. TBC.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Brown 2003, p. 52.
  7. ^ "Ipswich Town F.C. in Third Division". Daily Telegraph. 31 May 1938. Retrieved 8 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Coles, Frank (5 June 1950). "4 More Clubs in League". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

Works cited

edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:ChrisTheDude/Sandbox2&oldid=1109343881"