Jump to content

1929–30 Gillingham F.C. season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gillingham
1929–30 season
ChairmanJack Knight
ManagerDick Hendrie
Third Division South21st
FA CupFirst round
Top goalscorerLeague: Fred Cheesmur (17)
All: Fred Cheesmur (17)
Highest home attendancetbc
Lowest home attendancetbc

During the 1929–30 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division South. It was the 10th season in which the club competed in the Football League. Gillingham finished 21st and the club was required to apply for re-election to the League. The team lost in the first round of the FA Cup to Margate of the Kent League.[1]

Forward Fred Cheesmur scored six goals in a match against Merthyr Town on 26 April 1930, a club record haul for a single match at a professional level which stands to this day.[2]

Background

[edit]
Footballer Dick Hendrie
Dick Hendrie took over as the club's new manager.

The 1929–30 season was Gillingham's 10th season playing in the Football League; the club had been one of the founder members of the Third Division in 1920, which had been re-branded the Third Division South a year later when a parallel Third Division North was created. Gillingham had consistently struggled in the Third Division South and only once finished in the top half of the league table; in the 1928–29 season, the team had finished bottom and been required to apply for re-election to the Football League.[3] Shortly afterwards, former Gillingham player Dick Hendrie, who had most recently served as assistant manager at Brentford, was appointed as Gillingham's new manager, replacing Albert Hoskins, who had resigned in late March.[4]

Hendrie signed nearly an entire team of new players, including half-back Jack Beacham and teenaged forward Thomas Brennan from his former club Brentford.[5] Four players joined from Scottish clubs, including goalkeeper Dave Smith from Hamilton Academical and full back John Geddes from Celtic.[6] Half-backs Albert Collins and George Bishop were signed from Millwall and Merthyr Town respectively.[7] New forwards joining the club included Fred Castle from Chesterfield and Fred Cheesmur from Charlton Athletic,[8] as well as Jim McCafferty from minor Scottish club Shieldmuir Celtic and Campbell Whyte from Third Lanark.[9]

Third Division South

[edit]

August–December

[edit]
Footballer Jack Beacham
Jack Beacham was one of a number of players who made their Gillingham debuts in the first game of the season.

Gillingham's first match of the season was at home to Walsall at Priestfield Road. New signings Smith, Beacham, Collins, Bishop, McCafferty, Cheesmur and Castle all made their debuts. Castle and Cheesmur scored the goals in a 2–1 victory for Gillingham. The attendance of 8,160 would prove to be the largest crowd of the season at Priestfield Road.[3]

January–May

[edit]

In the penultimate game of the season, Gillingham beat Merthyr Town 6–0; Cheesmur scored all the goals. It was the first time a Gillingham player had scored as many goals in a single game at a professional level and a record that stands to this day. The final match of the season was at home to Luton Town; Cheesmur and John Speed scored in a 2–0 win. Gillingham had ended the season with an unbeaten run of six games, comprising four wins and two draws, but still finished 21st in the division, ahead of only Merthyr Town.

Match details

[edit]

Key

Results

Date Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
31 August 1929 Walsall (H) 2-1 Castle, Cheesmur 8160
4 September 1929 Exeter City (A) 0-3 5297
7 September 1929 Queens Park Rangers (A) 1-2 Cheesmur 11875
11 September 1929 Exeter City (H) 2-0 Castle (2) 4574
14 September 1929 Fulham (H) 0-1 7901
16 September 1929 Luton Town (A) 0-2 7168
21 September 1929 Norwich City (A) 0-2 9981
28 September 1929 Crystal Palace (H) 1-1 Dowell 6818
5 October 1929 Plymouth Argyle (A) 0-3 5777
12 October 1929 Northampton Town (A) 1-3 Pateman 10663
19 October 1929 Swindon Town (H) 0-0 5597
26 October 1929 Brighton (A) 0-2 7504
2 November 1929 Bristol Rovers (H) 3-3 Cheesmur, Collins, Pateman 4794
9 November 1929 Brentford (A) 1-2 Cheesmur 9603
16 November 1929 Clapton Orient (H) 2-0 Cheesmur (2) 1889
23 November 1929 Coventry City (A) 0-5 8755
7 December 1929 Newport County (A) 1-5 Geddes 1991
14 December 1929 Torquay Utd (H) 0-2 3310
21 December 1929 Merthyr Town (A) 1-1 Dowell 1352
25 December 1929 Bournemouth (H) 1-5 Castle 3954
26 December 1929 Bournemouth (A) 2-1 Durnion (2) 11481
28 December 1929 Walsall (A) 2-1 Durnion, Dowell 3568
4 January 1930 Queens Park Rangers (H) 3-1 Durnion, Whyte, Cheesmur 5961
11 January 1930 Watford (H) 1-2 Whyte 5562
18 January 1930 Fulham (A) 1-2 Dowell 15196
25 January 1930 Norwich City (H) 1-2 Dowell 3249
1 February 1930 Crystal Palace (A) 1-5 Whyte 8783
8 February 1930 Plymouth Argyle (H) 0-0 4905
15 February 1930 Northampton Town (H) 5-2 Durnion (4), Cheesmur 4665
22 February 1930 Swindon Town (A) 0-3 3070
1 March 1930 Brighton (H) 2-2 Durnion, Dowell 5035
8 March 1930 Bristol Rovers (A) 0-3 5011
15 March 1930 Brentford (H) 1-3 Dowell 6749
22 March 1930 Clapton Orient (A) 0-2 9348
29 March 1930 Coventry City (H) 0-3 3865
5 April 1930 Watford (A) 1-4 Brennan 4787
12 April 1930 Newport County (H) 5-0 Ellis, Bethell, Cheesmur (2), Jones 2743
18 April 1930 Southend Utd (H) 1-0 Jones 7964
19 April 1930 Torquay Utd (A) 1-1 Bethell 3472
21 April 1930 Southend Utd (A) 0-0 9036
26 April 1930 Merthyr Town (H) 6-0 Cheesmur (6) 3513
3 May 1930 Luton Town (H) 2-0 Cheesmur, Speed 4831

FA Cup

[edit]

Gillingham entered the 1929–30 FA Cup in the first round, and were paired with Margate of the Kent League, who had progressed from the qualifying rounds for the first time. In what was seen as a significant upset, Gillingham lost 2–0 to their lower-level opponents and were eliminated from the competition.[10]

Match details

[edit]
Key
Results[3]
Date Round Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
30 November 1929 First Margate (H) 0–2 4,150

Players

[edit]
Footballer Fred Cheesmur
Fred Cheesmur was the team's top goalscorer.

Twenty-seven players made at least one appearance for Gillingham during the season. George Bishop and Fred Cheesmur made the most, each playing in 41 of the team's 43 competitive matches; four other players each played more than 30 times. Ronald Baird was the only player to make just one appearance; he played against Coventry City in March, but it would prove to be the only game of his professional career.

Thirteen players scored at least one goal for Gillingham during the season. Cheesmur was the top goalscorer with 17 goals; no other player reached double figures.

Player statistics[1]
Player Third Division South FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Ronald Baird 1 0 0 0 1 0
Jim Bartley 9 0 0 0 9 0
Jack Beacham 35 0 1 0 36 0
Jack Beby 20 0 0 0 20 0
Roy Bethell 12 2 0 0 12 2
George Bishop 40 0 1 0 41 0
Thomas Brennan 7 1 0 0 7 1
Fred Castle 16 4 0 0 16 4
Fred Cheesmur 40 17 1 0 41 17
Albert Collins 36 1 0 0 36 1
Leonard Dowell 22 7 0 0 22 7
Andy Durnion 19 9 1 0 20 9
Fred Ellis 20 1 0 0 20 1
John Geddes 11 1 1 0 12 1
Syd Gore 32 0 1 0 33 0
William Jones 12 2 0 0 12 2
Sydney Martin 2 0 1 0 3 0
Jim McCafferty 14 0 1 0 15 0
George Pateman 7 2 0 0 7 2
Jock Robertson 30 0 1 0 31 0
Robert Robinson 2 0 0 0 2 0
Jack Rutherford 2 0 0 0 2 0
Dave Smith 20 0 1 0 21 0
John Speed 6 1 0 0 6 1
Campbell Whyte 24 3 0 0 24 3
Joe Wilson 21 0 1 0 22 0
Lewis Woolven 2 0 0 0 2 0

Aftermath

[edit]

As a result of finishing 21st, Gillingham were required to apply for re-election for the second consecutive season, but were again re-elected. In the following season, the team finished 16th in the Third Division South.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Brown 2003, p. 43.
  2. ^ Triggs 2001, p. 349.
  3. ^ a b c Brown 2003, p. 42.
  4. ^ Elligate 2009, p. 82.
  5. ^ Triggs 2001, p. 10, 12.
  6. ^ Triggs 2001, pp. 18, 30.
  7. ^ Triggs 2001, pp. 12, 14.
  8. ^ Triggs 2001, p. 14.
  9. ^ Triggs 2001, pp. 22, 32.
  10. ^ Elligate 2009, p. 185.

Works cited

[edit]
  • Brown, Tony (2003). The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record. Nottingham: Soccerdata. ISBN 978-1-89946-820-1.
  • Elligate, David (2009). Gillingham FC On This Day. Pitch Publishing. ISBN 978-1-905411-45-0.
  • Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Stroud: Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-75242-243-5.