|
They ended last season in 11th place and this is all great credit to manager Andy Hessenthaler who took over after Peter Taylor walked out after promotion in the summer of 2000.
They have hardly splashed the cash either, in fact there is none to spend, and Hessenthaler has managed with a few free transfers here and there. This season is no different and the only signings have been Ian Cox who was released by the Clarets and John Hills who joined on a Bosman free from 2nd Division Blackpool. Hills was brought in to replace Roland Edge who decided to leave at the end of his contract.
Much of the summer was spent with the fans once again falling out with Chairman Paul Scally who decided that the club would play in white rather than blue. It is an uneasy relationship, simply most of the fans don’t appear to like or trust Scally, and on this occasion they look to have got their way and they are now playing in blue and black hoops.
It is certainly helping them to defend and with Coxy in the centre of that defence they have so far kept a clean sheet in each of their first three matches. The first two of these, at Sheffield United and then at home to Derby, both ended in 0-0 draws but their third league match of the season saw them score their first goal and grab their first win.
Chris Hope got the goal after 77 minutes as they won 1-0 at Bradford. Manager Hessenthaler was pleased enough with the performance claiming his side looked great at the back and not too bad up front although he admitted to still being concerned at the lack of firepower.
They were though able to welcome back Marlon King after a nine month injury lay off, he came on as a substitute for the last 25 minutes.
Gillingham lined up:
Jason Brown, Nicky Southall, John Hills, Chris Hope, Barry Ashby, Ian Cox, David Perpetuini, Paul Shaw (Mark Saunders 77), Danny Spiller (Mamady Sidibe 65), Nyron Nosworthy, Tommy Johnson (Marlon King 65). Subs not used: Vince Bartram, Richard Rose.
They have though conceded a goal in the Carling Cup although they went through to the 2nd round after a 2-1 win at Cambridge. They will now visit Stoke in the next round.
We’ll be looking for our first win at the Priestfield Stadium since Wayne Biggins scored the only goal of the game in the 1983/84 season.
Past Results in the last 20 years
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
a | |||||
1983/84 | 3 | h | 2-3 | 5,590 | Hamilton Dobson |
a | 1-0 | 4,319 | Biggins | ||
1984/85 | 3 | h | 0-1 | 3,595 | |
a | 1-1 | 5,935 | Biggins | ||
1989/90 | 4 | h | 1-2 | 7,274 | Walker(og) |
a | 0-0 | 3,853 | |||
1990/91 | 4 | h | 2-2 | 6,459 | Futcher(pen) Davis |
a | 2-3 | 3,679 | Futcher(pen) Deary | ||
1991/92 | 4 | h | 4-1 | 8,908 | Conroy(3) Randall |
a | 0-3 | 3,729 | |||
1996/97 | 2 | h | 5-1 | 10,004 | Cooke(2) Smith Barnes(2 1pen) |
a | 0-1 | 6,116 | |||
1997/98 | 2 | h | 0-0 | 11,811 | |
a | 0-2 | 5,886 | |||
1998/99 | 2 | h | 0-5 | 8,981 | |
a | 1-2 | 5,702 | Payton | ||
1999/2000 | 2 | h | 0-3 | 17,026 | |
a | 2-2 | 7,347 | Payton Wright | ||
2000/01 | 1 | h | 1-1 | 15,611 | Ashby(og) |
a | 0-0 | 9,331 | |||
2001/02 | 1 | h | 2-0 | 16,236 | Ball Johnson |
a | 2-2 | 8,067 | Taylor Little(pen) | ||
2002/03 | 1 | h | 2-0 | 14,031 | Taylor Diallo |
a | 2-4 | 7,905 | Taylor Blake(pen) |
Click HERE
to see more results against Gillingham.One from the past
Gillingham 3 (Price Laws(og) Lee) Burnley 1 (Taylor)
Football League Division Three – Saturday 29th August 1981
|
His colleague and the Burnley Express Sports Editor Peter Higgs had long since set off for Kent after opening his mouth a year earlier. As Burnley prepared for their first season ever in Division 3 Higgs said that if Burnley didn’t finish in the top six then he would walk to the first away game of the following season.
The Clarets duly finished eighth and then he just hoped for a trip to Preston or Blackpool. It was just about as bad as it could be but he was true to his word and along with seven Burnley fans made the long journey on foot raising money for charity on the way.
Tired and weary he was still able to report on a dreadful opening day performance that left manager Brian Miller bemused and demanding more. He issued a threat saying, "Improve or else".
Help was on the way though and on the same day the reserves drew their opening game at home to Manchester City. Star of the show was a 17 year-old youngster by the name of Trevor Steven. Two weeks later he was to make his first start in the first team.
Gillingham were in front on 15 minutes when Price, unmarked, headed in a Powell cross. That was the only goal in the first half with Burnley having only one shot at goal and that from full back Brian Laws.
It was Laws though who just about won the game for Gillingham with only six minutes of the second half gone. He won the ball from Gillingham’s Lee a matter of a few feet inside his own half. He turned and tried to hit the ball back to keeper Alan Stevenson but from fully 50 yards hit an unstoppable effort into the top corner of his goal.
It just had to be one of the most bizarre own goals ever from the youngster and things went from bad to worse when Lee added a third a minute later.
That thankfully was as bad as it did get and in fact we pulled a goal back from Steve Taylor on the hour when he converted a Billy Hamilton cross.
It said much about the game that Peter Higgs, presumably soaking his feet, named Kevin Young the sub as his Clarets Star despite the fact that he came on after the scoring had been completed).
It was the beginning of a bad start to the season with six defeats coming in the first eight games. Incredibly there were to be only two more as Burnley ended the season as champions.
The teams lined up:
Gillingham (4-3-3): Sutton, Sharpe, Steve Bruce, Weatherly, Ford, Bowman, Tydeman, Duncan, Colin Powell, Trevor Lee, Price (White 76).
Burnley (4-3-3): Alan Stevenson, Brian Laws, Micky Phelan, Martin Dobson, David Holt, Derek Scott (Kevin Young 61), Tommy Cassidy, Eric Potts, Phil Cavener, Billy Hamilton, Steve Taylor.
Referee: M James (Horsham).
Attendance: 4,663.