1973–74 Gillingham F.C. season
The 1973–74 season was the forty-second season in which football club Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League, and the twenty-fourth since the club's return to the League in 1950. Gillingham finished the season as runners-up in the Football League Fourth Division, gaining promotion back to the Third Division three years after dropping down from it. Brian Yeo equalled the club record of 31 Football League goals in a season, set by Ernie Morgan 18 years earlier.
| 1973–74 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Dr Clifford Grossmark | |
| Manager | Andy Nelson | |
| Football League Fourth Division | 2nd | |
| FA Cup | First Round | |
| League Cup | Second Round | |
| Top goalscorer | League: Brian Yeo (31) All: Brian Yeo (32) | |
| Highest home attendance | 12,577 vs Peterborough United (3 April 1974) | |
| Lowest home attendance | 3,864 vs Doncaster Rovers (29 September 1973) | |
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Football League
Manager Andy Nelson retained a largely unchanged squad from the previous season, making no new signings during the summer. The team began the season with a defeat to Crewe Alexandra, but then recorded four wins and three draws in the next nine games, including a 7–2 defeat of Scunthorpe United. After the 2–1 defeat to Exeter City on 6 October the team then went on a run of 20 games without defeat before losing 2–0 to Stockport County on 10 March. Two further defeats followed in March but the team hung on to finish the season in second place, three points behind Peterborough United, and gain promotion. Striker Brian Yeo scored his 31st league goal of the season in the 2–0 win over Lincoln City on 24 April, equalling the club record set by Ernie Morgan in the 1955–56 season.
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 August 1973 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–1 | 2,091 | |
| 1 September 1973 | Newport County | H | 1–1 | Yeo | 3,971 |
| 8 September 1973 | Swansea City | A | 3–0 | Lindsey, Yeo, Tydeman | 2,144 |
| 12 September 1973 | Scunthorpe United | H | 7–2 | Yeo 3, Wilks, Richardson 2, Tydeman | 4,610 |
| 15 September 1973 | Darlington | H | 0–1 | 5,446 | |
| 18 September 1973 | Rotherham United | A | 1–0 | Yeo | 3,757 |
| 22 September 1973 | Hartlepool United | A | 1–1 | Jacks | 1,399 |
| 29 September 1973 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 5–1 | Yeo, Wilks, Richardson 2, Peach | 3,864 |
| 3 October 1973 | Rotherham United | H | 1–1 | Yeo | 5,330 |
| 6 October 1973 | Exeter City | A | 1–2 | Peach | 4,744 |
| 13 October 1973 | Bury | H | 3–0 | Hill, Yeo 2 | 4,531 |
| 20 October 1973 | Chester City | A | 4–2 | Peach, Yeo 2, Richardson | 2,187 |
| 23 October 1973 | Scunthorpe United | A | 1–1 | Jacks | 2,544 |
| 27 October 1973 | Stockport County | H | 2–1 | Peach, Wilks | 5,777 |
| 31 October 1973 | Bradford City | A | 0–0 | 2,567 | |
| 3 November 1973 | Reading | A | 1–0 | Yeo | 8,248 |
| 10 November 1973 | Torquay United | H | 2–1 | Yeo 2 | 6,201 |
| 14 November 1973 | Workington | H | 4–0 | Wilks 3, Yeo | 6,804 |
| 17 November 1973 | Mansfield Town | A | 2–2 | Yeo, Peach | 2,908 |
| 1 December 1973 | Brentford | A | 3–0 | Richardson 2, Galvin | 5,748 |
| 8 December 1973 | Colchester United | H | 4–1 | Richardson, Wilks 2, Jacks | 8,411 |
| 22 December 1973 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 2–1 | Tydeman, Jacks | 1,878 |
| 26 December 1973 | Northampton Town | H | 3–1 | Yeo 3 | 11,313 |
| 29 December 1973 | Swansea City | H | 1–1 | Jacks | 9,960 |
| 1 January 1974 | Newport County | A | 3–3 | Jacks, Wilks, Peach | 5,888 |
| 5 January 1974 | Barnsley | H | 1–1 | Richardson | 6,825 |
| 12 January 1974 | Darlington | A | 3–1 | Richardson, Peach, Yeo | 2,204 |
| 20 January 1974 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 3–0 | Yeo, Richardson, Jacks | 11,478 |
| 3 February 1974 | Lincoln City | A | 3–2 | Wilks, Yeo 2 | 7,154 |
| 10 February 1974 | Hartlepool United | H | 3–0 | Opponent own goal, Wilks, Yeo | 8,724 |
| 17 February 1974 | Bury | A | 2–3 | Opponent own goal, Coxhill | 8,813 |
| 23 February 1974 | Exeter City | H | 2–1 | Yeo, Wilks | 7,994 |
| 3 March 1974 | Northampton Town | A | 0–0 | 8,583 | |
| 10 March 1974 | Stockport County | A | 0–2 | 1,940 | |
| 17 March 1974 | Chester City | H | 1–0 | Richardson | 7,481 |
| 23 March 1974 | Torquay United | A | 1–0 | Richardson | 2,887 |
| 26 March 1974 | Barnsley | A | 1–3 | Richardson | 5,132 |
| 30 March 1974 | Reading | H | 0–1 | 7,140 | |
| 3 April 1974 | Peterborough United | H | 1–0 | Lindsey | 12,577 |
| 6 April 1974 | Workington | A | 3–3 | Richardson 2, Jacks | 1,181 |
| 13 April 1974 | Mansfield Town | H | 2–2 | Lindsey, Yeo | 7,972 |
| 15 April 1974 | Bradford City | H | 2–0 | Yeo, Wilks | 7,720 |
| 20 April 1974 | Colchester United | A | 2–0 | Yeo 2 | 10,007 |
| 24 April 1974 | Lincoln City | H | 2–0 | Yeo, Tydeman | 9,094 |
| 27 April 1974 | Brentford | H | 1–0 | Hill | 9,319 |
| 1 May 1974 | Peterborough United | A | 2–4 | Lindsey, Wilks | 17,569 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points
FA Cup
As a Fourth Division club, Gillingham entered the FA Cup at the first round, but were beaten 3–2 by Cambridge United of the Third Division.
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 November 1973 | First | Cambridge United | A | 2–3 | Richardson, Tydeman | 4,831 |
Football League Cup
Gillingham entered the League Cup at the first round stage and defeated Colchester United, but were knocked out in the second round by Carlisle United.
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 August 1973 | First | Colchester United | H | 4–2 | Peach, Quirke, Wilks, Yeo | 3,991 |
| 5 September 1973 | Second | Carlisle United | H | 1–2 | Richardson | 7,871 |
Squad statistics
Gillingham used only 19 players in total over the course of the season with two, George Jacks and Dick Tydeman, playing in all 49 competitive matches and five others making over 40 appearances.
| Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| Glenn Aitken | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Dave Coxhill | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| Dave Galvin | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 1 |
| Mike Gibson | 41 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| Kenny Hill | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| George Jacks | 46 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 8 |
| Joe Jacques | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| Kevin Johnson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Graham Knight | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Keith Lindsey | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 4 |
| David Peach | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 8 |
| Dave Quirke | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 1 |
| Damien Richardson | 43 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 46 | 18 |
| Ken Rogers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ian Thorpe | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Dick Tydeman | 46 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 5 |
| Alan Wilks | 43 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 46 | 15 |
| Dave Wiltshire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Brian Yeo | 43 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 46 | 32 |
See also
- Gillingham F.C. seasons
References
- Brown, Tony (2003). The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record. Soccerdata. ISBN 1-899468-20-X.
- Triggs, Roger (1984). Gillingham Football Club: A Chronology 1893–1984. Kent County Libraries.
- Bradley, Andy; Roger Triggs (1994). Home of the Shouting Men: Complete History of Gillingham Football Club 1893–1993. Gillingham F.C. ISBN 0-9523361-0-3.