We look ahead to Saturday's League Two encounter
GILLINGHAM v CHESTERFIELD
npower League Two
MEMS Priestfield Stadium
Saturday September 1 2012
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Team News -
The only injury worry for Gillingham manager Martin Allen is Charlie Lee (bruised thigh) and the midfielder will be assessed tomorrow (Friday).
Chesterfield are expected to lose their 21-year-old striker Jordan Bowery before the game on Saturday with Aston Villa allegedly poised with a £500,000 offer.
Other than that caretaker boss Tommy Wright, who will be in charge following the dismissal of boss John Sheridan earlier in the week, is expected to have a fully fit squad to select from.
Colours -
The Gills will be wearing their red shirts with blue sleeves, white shorts and blue socks while Chesterfield are expected to wear their away kit of gold shirts, back shorts and socks with gold trim.
So Far This Season…
Chesterfield make the long journey down to Kent for this weekend’s fixture still searching for their first win of the season.
The Spireites began their League Two campaign with a 1-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon and that has been followed by two 1-1 draws against Rochdale and Rotherham United at the Proact Stadium.
They had opened the new season with a home defeat against Tranmere Rovers in the Capital One Cup at the Proact Stadium, losing 2-1 after extra-time.
Previous Meetings -
The two teams have met fairly frequently since the first ever fixture back in the 1961-62 campaign with Gills holding the advantage with 28 wins and 14 draws from the 62 times previous meetings.
Nobody will really need reminding of the Gills record-breaking 10-0 annihilation of the Derbyshire side back in September 1987 when Howard Pritchard, Dave Shearer, George Shipley and Karl Elsey all scored twice with David Smith and Colin Greenall completing the rout.
The first ever game took place in Division Four at Saltergate in September 1961 when despite goals from Dennis Hunt and Peter Godfrey it wasn’t enough as the Gills were beaten 3-2.
In May 2011 the Spireites clinched the League Two title with a 3-1 victory over Gillingham at the b2net Stadium. Danny Whitaker, Jack Lester and Deane Smalley struck for the home side with Cody McDonald’s 67th minute strike proving nothing more than scant consolation.
Officials -
Referee – Pat Miller
Assistant referee’s – Thomas Ramsey & Elliott Kaye
Fourth Official – Marc Wilson
The Bedfordshire official has refereed the Gills ten times previously both here at Priestfield and on our travels which have thrown up a mixed bag of results, three wins, three draws and four losses.
His most recent game involving Gillingham was the 2-1 defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge in December last year while it was back in November 2005 that he first took charge of a game involving the Gills, that one ended in a 2-0 home win for Walsall.