Richard Day reviews this day in the club's history
News relevant to Gillingham FC on this day in history, games, players, debuts etc...FIXTURES...
1902 - New Brompton 2-1 Millwall Ath SLD1
Albert Dunkley and Jack Frettingham netted in this home win
1913 - Brighton & HA 1-0 Gillingham SLD1
1924 - Aberdare Ath 1-1 Gillingham D3S
Despite Tommy Hall putting the Gills ahead, the Welsh side later levelled
1929 - Gillingham 1-3 Brentford D3S Att: 6,749
A Len Dowell effort wasn't enough to stop the Bees winning
1939 - Gillingham 3-1 Guildford City SL
Harry Rowley notched two, including a penalty, and W Johnson added the other to secure the points
1947 - Barry Town 6-6 Gillingham SL
Hughie Russell hit four, Jackie Briggs and Tug Wilson were also on target in an amazing game where the Welsh side hit back from 5-0 down to earn a point
1950 - Gillingham 4-0 Hereford Utd SL Att: 6,000
Goals from Les McGuire, Jackie Carr, Harold Williams and a Charlie Burtenshaw penalty were too much for the Bulls
1952 - Walsall 1-0 Gillingham D3S Att: 6,942
1958 - Bournemouth 2-1 Gillingham D3S Att: 11,549
Ron Saunders found the net at Dean Court
1972 - Gillingham 2-0 Bury D4 Att: 5,244
Second-half goals from Brian Yeo and Mike Bickle secured the points
1975 - Peterborough U 0-0 Gillingham D3 Att: 6,389
1983 - Gillingham 0-2 Sheff Utd D3 Att: 3,387
1986 - Cardiff C 1-1 Gillingham D3 Att: 2,579
Tony Cascarino scored to earn a point at Ninian Park
1997 - Bury 3-0 Gillingham D2 Att: 3,492
2003 - Gillingham 1-1 Rotherham U C Att: 7,284
Rod Wallace equalised in the 22nd minute after the Millers had taken an early lead
2005 - Gillingham 2-1 Stoke City C Att: 7,766
On-loan Jay McEveley gave the Gills an early lead and Paul Smith hit the winner after City had equalised
2008 - Gillingham 0-3 Crewe Alex L1 Att: 4,956
Goals from Tom Pope and Nicky Maynard (2) saw the Railwaymen win this relegation battle
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DEBUTS...
The following player made his Gillingham debut in the above games...
1958 - Cliff Hazell at Bournemouth
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BIRTHS...
1935 - Ed Tudor
Having played for Wirral Schoolboys and Bolton Wanderers as an amateur he was recommended to the Gills while playing for the Royal Engineers in the Army.
He signed for the Gills in April 1958 and spent one season with the club which he spent mostly with the reserves.
Ed made one first-team appearance at Oldham Athletic in September 1958.
1938 - Peter Godfrey
Having played his early schoolboy football with Cardiff City, Peter, who was born in Woolwich, joined Charlton Athletic as a junior and progressed through to sign professional terms in November 1955.
Although he was at the Valley for around eight years, he made just one league appearance at Portsmouth in February 1961.
In the summer of 1961 he joined the Gills and he scored on his debut in a 2 - 2 home draw with Doncaster Rovers in August 1961.
The 1963-64 campaign saw Gillingham win the Fourth Division Championship but unfortunately Peter made just 13 appearances scoring twice.
After scoring nine goals in 66 appearances while at Priestfield he moved to Chesterfield in July 1965 and then Exeter City the following summer before returning to Kent and playing for both Ramsgate and Chatham Town.
1941 - Andy Smillie
Having progressed through the youth system at West Ham United, where he won England Youth honours, Andy went on to play 23 times for the Hammers after making his debut at Tottenham Hotspur on Boxing Day 1958.
He went on to have spells at Crystal Palace, Scunthorpe United and Southend United where he quickly became a regular, scoring 29 times in 180 games for the Shrimpers.
The Ilford-born forward arrived at Priestfield in a £7,000 deal in October 1968 and made his Gills debut the following month at Watford and went on to make 101 appearances for the club, scoring nine goals.
On leaving Gillingham he signed for Folkestone in July 1971 and later returned to live in Southend where he owned a Westcliff seafront restaurant.
1952 - Joe Durrell
Joe is another to have come through the Hammers youth set-up and went on to make half-a-dozen first-team appearances including his debut against Stoke City at Upton Park.
After spells at Bristol City and Cardiff City (loan) he joined the Gills in November 1975 and made his debut against the Bluebirds at home.
In his two seasons at Priestfield he scored nine times in 54 games but moved to Tonbridge in August 1977 and two years later moved to Dagenham.
1953 - Denis Housden
A local lad, from Twydall to be precise, Denis came through the ranks here at Priestfield, signing initially as an apprentice in August 1969.
In November 1970 the versatile forward scored four times for the reserves in a home Football Combination game against Southampton, unfortunately the Saints still won the game - 5-4!
He joined the professional ranks in August 1971 and made his debut two months later in a home game against Newport County. Although far from being a first-team regular he did have a reasonable run at the start of the 1972-73 campaign.
In all he made a total of 17 appearances, scoring just once in a 3-2 win at Stockport in September 1972 before leaving for Canterbury City in the summer of 1973.
Spells then followed at Dover, Folkestone, Faversham Town and Chatham Town.