The club’s league fixtures for the 2026/27 Sky Bet League 2 season have now been released and it will see Gills host Walsall on the opening day.
The new campaign will start on August 15, one week after the opening round of the Carabao Cup which will see Gills face Luton Town at MEMS Priestfield Stadium.
Gillingham’s opening day record over the last six seasons has been mixed. Below is an overview of how we have fared on each occasion.
September 19, 2020
Gillingham 0-2 Hull City
Gills slipped to a two-nil defeat at home to Hull in 2020/21. The first goal was poked home after just three minutes by Keane Lewis-Potter following a fine cut back inside the penalty area, with Josh Magennis sealing the points late on at the Town End when his header following a free-kick from the right-hand side was headed beyond the reach of Jack Bonham.
Gills: Bonham, Ogilvie, McKenzie, Maghoma, Medley, Mellis (Robertson 45), Dempsey (Willock 63), O’Keefe, Coyle (Oliver 45), Graham, Akinde.
Unused subs: Walsh, Tucker, Woods, Macdonald.
Hull: Ingram, De Wijs, Burke, Smallwood, Wilks, Honeyman (Scott 82), Emmanuel, Lewis-Potter, Fleming, Magennis (Batty 82), Docherty (Jones 86).
Unused subs: Cartwright, Samuelsen, McLoughlin, Jones
August 8, 2021
Gillingham 1-1 Lincoln City
Supporters returned to stadia for this fixture and, on this occasion, it was Lincoln City who made the trip to ME7 with the teams playing out a 1-1 draw.
Again, it was the visitors who took an early lead with Tayo Edun smashing home from close range with Jack Bonham having initially made a great save to keep an effort out from just two yards.
Gills rallied and went close through both Vadaine Oliver and Max Ehmer before Danny Lloyd pounced on a mistake from Josh Griffiths. The keeper spilled an effort and Lloyd just did enough to get the ball over the line before it was cleared.
Gills: Cumming, Bennett, Ehmer, Tucker, Tutonda, Phillips, O’Keefe (Sithole 83’), Dempsey, Lee (Reeves 70’), Lloyd (Carayol 69’), Oliver
Unused Substitutes: Chapman, Lintott, Maghoma, Akehurst
Lincoln City: Griffiths, Poole, Jackson, Melbourne, Edun, Bramall (Adelakun 65’), Scully, Sorenson (Bishop 80’), Bridcutt, McGrandles, Hopper
Unused Substitutes: Long, Montsma, Sanders, Jones, Longdon
July 30, 2022
AFC Wimbledon 2-0 Gillingham
Neil Harris was the man in the dugout for Gills at Plough Lane for the club’s opening fixture of 2022/23, and it ended in a two-nil defeat with AFC Wimbledon scoring in both halves to seal the points.
Ethan Chislett’s brilliant effort from 18 yards opened the scoring on the quarter hour mark when his right footed shot beat Glenn Morris to his left side.
Gills were better in the second half and went close through Jordan Green and Ben Reeves, but the hosts sealed the points when Jack Currie arrived late to head home a high cross beyond the reach of Morris.
AFC Wimbledon: Tzanev, Gunter, Nightingale, Pearce, Brown, Marsh, Maghoma, Currie, Assal, Chislett (Bendle 88’), Davison (Hudlin 87’)
Unused Substitutes: Broome, Young-Coombes, Adjei-Hersey, Kalambayi, Ogundere
Gillingham: Morris, Wright (Alexander 68’), Ehmer, Baggott, Law (Tutonda 82’), Williams, Jefferies (Reeves 46’), Green, Lee, Kashket (Gbode 82’), Mandron
Unused Substitutes: Turner, MacDonald, Macarthur
August 5, 2023
Stockport County 0-1 Gillingham
Gills were on their travels on the opening day of 2023/24 with Neil Harris once again at the helm.
The visitors, at times, were under pressure but stood resilient in their defence and began asking more questions of Stockport towards the end of the game. Scott Malone was brilliantly denied before a late free-kick proved the difference between the teams.
On 86 minutes Robbie McKenzie bagged the winner when Cheye Alexander’s delivery took a deflection, Shaun Williams made slight contact but only sufficient to keep the ball moving and McKenzie was well placed to fire home.
Stockport did have the ball in the net at the death, but the offside flag was raised.
Stockport County: Hinchcliffe, Knoyle, Touray, Horsfall (Richardson 90’), Southam-Hales (Evans 90’), Camps (Wright 79’), Sarcevic, Powell, Rydel, Barry (Madden 64’), Olaofe
Unused Substitutes: Smith, Byrne, Pye
Gillingham: Turner, Alexander, Ehmer, Ogie, Malone (Clark 84’), S.Williams, Coleman, Jefferies (Nadesan 69’), Lapslie (Clarke 84’), J.Williams (McKenzie 69’), Nichols (Gbode 90’)
Unused Substitutes: Morris, Chambers
August 10, 2024
Gillingham 4-1 Carlisle United
Mark Bonner was in the hot seat for this one, and his new-look Gills side put in an excellent display to see of Carlisle at Priestfield.
Tim Dieng opened the scoring when he was first to react to Aaron Rowe’s blocked effort, and drilled an effort into the back of the net from ten yards.
The visitors should have drawn level but struck the bar from close range, and then a defensive error allowed Jacob Wakeling to go through and send an effort beyond the reach of Harry Lewis.
Carlisle did pull one back through John Mellish when his deflected shot beat Jake Turner, but a brilliant solo effort from Jack Nolan put the result beyond doubt when he had space to run into on the right wing, before cutting back inside and finding the top corner with a brilliant strike on his left foot.
Jonny Williams put the icing on the cake when his low drive from 20 yards found the bottom corner.
Gillingham: Turner, Hutton, Ehmer, Masterson (Ogie 78’), Clark, McKenzie, Dieng (J. Williams 51’), Nolan, Little, Rowe (Clarke 70’), Wakeling (Gbode 70’)
Unused Substitutes: Morris, Hawkins, E. Williams
Carlisle United: Lewis, Davies, Thomas, Hayden, Wyke (Kelly 88’), Adu-Adjei (Armstrong 88’), Vela, Neal, B. Williams (Ellis 78’), Mellish, Barclay (Butterworth 61’)
Unused Substitutes: Breeze, Lavelle, Allan
August 2, 2025
Accrington Stanley 1-1 Gillingham
Captain Armani Little rescued a point for the Gills on the opening day of last season, with Gareth Ainsworth’s men having fallen behind on 66 minutes thanks to Tyler Walton’s solo effort. The forward got into the Gills box and evaded two tackles before placing an effort beyond Glenn Morris and into the opposite corner.
It looked as if the hosts may well start the season with maximum points but Little’s corner on 79 minutes was completely missed by everybody and found its way into the net. The skipper was later credited with the goal after initial pictures had seen it given as an own goal.
Accrington Stanley: Kelly, Matthews, Rawson, Smith, Love, Grant, Coyle, B. Woods, Sinclair, Walton (Mooney 85’), Caton (J. Woods 58’)
Unused Substitutes: Wright, Henderson, Popoola, Brown, Conneely
Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, Masterson, Ogie, Clark, Little, McKenzie, J. Williams (Andrews 74’), Dack (Khumbeni 74’), Gbode (Gale 85’), Nevitt (Wyllie 81’)
Unused Substitutes: Turner, Smith, Coleman
