1963–64 Gillingham F.C. season

Gillingham
1963–64 season
Chairman Dr Clifford Grossmark
Manager Freddie Cox
Football League Fourth Division 1st
FA Cup First Round
League Cup Fourth Round
Top goalscorer League: Brian Gibbs (17)
All: Brian Gibbs (18)
Highest home attendance 17,421 vs Carlisle United (9 October 1963)
Lowest home attendance 5,274 vs Chester (7 March 1964)

The 1963–64 season was the thirty-second season in which football club Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League, and the fourteenth since the club's return to the League in 1950. Gillingham finished the season as champions of the Football League Fourth Division, the only honour the club has ever won at a professional level, and also reached the fourth round of the Football League Cup, a feat which the club did not repeat for over thirty years.

Football League

Manager Freddie Cox stuck mainly to the team which had finished in fifth place in the previous season, his only major signing being that of veteran Crewe Alexandra defender Geoff Hudson. The Gillingham team was noted for its strong defensive capabilities, and this was borne out as the Gills conceded only two goals in their first ten matches. Goalkeeper John Simpson went on to set a new club record by conceding only 30 goals all season, and the team finished the season level on 60 points with Carlisle United, but with a fractionally better goal average, and so claimed the championship in the tightest finish in Football League history.

Date Opponents H / A Result

F – A

 Scorers Attendance
1963-08-24Bradford Park AvenueH2–0Pulley, Gibbs 8,562
1963-08-28Bradford CityH0–0 7,923
1963-08-31SouthportA1–1Farrall 4,123
1963-09-07Exeter CityH0–0 8,381
1963-09-11Bradford CityA2–0Gibbs, Godfrey 2,399
1963-09-14Hartlepool UnitedA0–0 3,022
1963-09-18Lincoln CityH1–0Hudson 6,949
1963-09-21DarlingtonH2–1Gibbs, Newman 8,269
1963-09-27Tranmere RoversA0–0 10,277
1963-10-02Lincoln CityA3–0Francis 2, Gibbs 8,968
1963-10-05Halifax TownH2–1Francis 2 10,745
1963-10-09Carlisle UnitedH2–0Opponent own goal, Francis 17,421
1963-10-12Doncaster RoversA2–1Gibbs 2 6,670
1963-10-15Carlisle UnitedA1–3Gibbs 11,900
1963-10-19Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–0White 13,451
1963-10-23Torquay UnitedH2–0Yeo, Gibbs 15,338
1963-10-26ChesterA0–1 8,395
1963-10-30Torquay UnitedA0–1 4,892
1963-11-02York CityH1–0Ballagher 9,548
1963-11-09BarrowA3–0Gibbs 2, Pulley 3,606
1963-11-23Oxford UnitedA1–3Gibbs 8,567
1963-11-30WorkingtonH3–1Gibbs 2, Hunt 9,852
1963-12-14Bradford Park AvenueA0–1 4,930
1963-12-21SouthportH5–1Newman 3, Yeo, Pulley 5,529
1963-12-26ChesterfieldA3–0Pulley 2, Newman 6,590
1963-12-28ChesterfieldH1–0Gibbs 10,792
1964-01-04RochdaleH0–0 8,099
1964-01-11Exeter CityA0–0 10,915
1964-01-18Hartlepool UnitedH2–0Newman 2 7,536
1964-02-01DarlingtonA1–1Pulley 2,814
1964-02-08Tranmere RoversH2–2Newman, Francis 8,166
1964-02-15Halifax TownA0–0 2,080
1964-02-22Doncaster RoversH1–1Gibbs 7,681
1964-02-29Brighton & Hove AlbionA1–2Ballagher 15,349
1964-03-07ChesterH2–1Ridley, Ballagher 5,274
1964-03-27AldershotH2–0Newman, Hunt 12,171
1964-03-28Stockport CountyA0–2 2,649
1964-03-30AldershotA1–1Newman 7,183
1964-04-08BarrowH3–1Hunt, Burgess, Ridley 11,583
1964-04-11WorkingtonA0–1 6,536
1964-04-15Oxford UnitedH2–0Gibbs, Ballagher 12,051
1964-04-18Newport CountyH1–1Gibbs 9,584
1964-04-22Stockport CountyH0–0 12,846
1964-04-25RochdaleA1–2Godfrey 2,737
1964-04-27York CityA1–0Newman 3,317
1964-04-30Newport CountyA1–0Francis 3,229


Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
46
23
14
9
59
30
60

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 4–1 by Queens Park Rangers of the Third Division.

Date Round Opponents H / A Result

F – A

 Scorers Attendance
1963-11-16 First Queens Park Rangers A 1–4 Arnott 12,141

Football League Cup

Gillingham entered the League Cup at the first round stage and defeated Bristol City, followed by a win over Bury in the second round. In the third round the Gills were drawn away to Bristol Rovers of the Third Division. After holding Rovers to a draw, the Gills emerged victorious in a replay at Priestfield Stadium to set up a fourth round match away to Leicester City of the First Division. Top-flight opposition proved too much for Gillingham, who were beaten 4–1 at Filbert Street.

Date Round Opponents H / A Result

F – A

 Scorers Attendance
1963-09-04 First Bristol City H 4–2 Stringfellow 2, Waldock, Gibbs 5,940
1963-09-25 Second Bury H 3–0 Pulley 2, opponent own goal 14,979
1963-11-04 Third Bristol Rovers A 1–1 Ballagher 10,149
1963-11-06 Third (replay) Bristol Rovers H 3–1 Newman 2, Pulley 10,771
1963-11-27 Fourth Leicester City A 1–4 Francis 10,356

Squad statistics

Gillingham used a total of 22 players during the course of the season, two of whom, Mike Burgess and John Simpson, featured in all 52 competitive matches. Brian Gibbs was also ever-present in Football League matches, and finished the season as the team's top scorer, with 18 goals in all competitions.

Name League FA Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
John Arnott43 0 1 1 5 0 49 1
John Ballagher17 4 1 0 1 1 19 5
Mike Burgess46 1 1 0 5 0 52 1
Don Campbell1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Alec Farrall45 1 1 0 5 0 51 1
George Francis16 7 0 0 3 1 19 8
Brian Gibbs46 17 0 0 4 1 50 18
Peter Godfrey13 2 1 0 0 0 14 3
Geoff Hudson36 1 0 0 4 0 40 1
Dennis Hunt43 3 1 0 5 0 49 3
John Meredith11 0 1 0 0 0 120
Roy Moss2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Ron Newman37 11 0 0 4 2 41 13
Gordon Pulley31 6 1 0 5 3 37 9
Bob Ridley7 2 1 0 2 0 10 2
John Simpson46 0 1 0 5 0 52 0
Terry Stacey12 0 0 0 0 0 12 0
Peter Stringfellow25 0 0 0 3 2 28 2
Rod Taylor1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Ronnie Waldock6 0 0 0 3 1 9 1
Jimmy White11 1 1 0 2 0 14 1
Brian Yeo11 2 0 0 0 0 11 2

See also

References

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