1963–64 Gillingham F.C. season

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Gillingham
1963–64 season
ChairmanDr Clifford Grossmark
ManagerFreddie Cox
Football League Fourth Division1st
FA CupFirst Round
Fourth Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Brian Gibbs (17)
All: Brian Gibbs (18)
Highest home attendance17,421 vs Carlisle United (9 October 1963)
Lowest home attendance5,274 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 first honour the club had 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
1963-08-24 Bradford Park Avenue H 2–0 Pulley, Gibbs 8,562
1963-08-28 Bradford City H 0–0 7,923
1963-08-31 Southport A 1–1 Farrall 4,123
1963-09-07 Exeter City H 0–0 8,381
1963-09-11 Bradford City A 2–0 Gibbs, Godfrey 2,399
1963-09-14 Hartlepool United A 0–0 3,022
1963-09-18 Lincoln City H 1–0 Hudson 6,949
1963-09-21 Darlington H 2–1 Gibbs, Newman 8,269
1963-09-27 Tranmere Rovers A 0–0 10,277
1963-10-02 Lincoln City A 3–0 Francis 2, Gibbs 8,968
1963-10-05 Halifax Town H 2–1 Francis 2 10,745
1963-10-09 Carlisle United H 2–0 Opponent own goal, Francis 17,421
1963-10-12 Doncaster Rovers A 2–1 Gibbs 2 6,670
1963-10-15 Carlisle United A 1–3 Gibbs 11,900
1963-10-19 Brighton & Hove Albion H 1–0 White 13,451
1963-10-23 Torquay United H 2–0 Yeo, Gibbs 15,338
1963-10-26 Chester A 0–1 8,395
1963-10-30 Torquay United A 0–1 4,892
1963-11-02 York City H 1–0 Ballagher 9,548
1963-11-09 Barrow A 3–0 Gibbs 2, Pulley 3,606
1963-11-23 Oxford United A 1–3 Gibbs 8,567
1963-11-30 Workington H 3–1 Gibbs 2, Hunt 9,852
1963-12-14 Bradford Park Avenue A 0–1 4,930
1963-12-21 Southport H 5–1 Newman 3, Yeo, Pulley 5,529
1963-12-26 Chesterfield A 3–0 Pulley 2, Newman 6,590
1963-12-28 Chesterfield H 1–0 Gibbs 10,792
1964-01-04 Rochdale H 0–0 8,099
1964-01-11 Exeter City A 0–0 10,915
1964-01-18 Hartlepool United H 2–0 Newman 2 7,536
1964-02-01 Darlington A 1–1 Pulley 2,814
1964-02-08 Tranmere Rovers H 2–2 Newman, Francis 8,166
1964-02-15 Halifax Town A 0–0 2,080
1964-02-22 Doncaster Rovers H 1–1 Gibbs 7,681
1964-02-29 Brighton & Hove Albion A 1–2 Ballagher 15,349
1964-03-07 Chester H 2–1 Ridley, Ballagher 5,274
1964-03-27 Aldershot H 2–0 Newman, Hunt 12,171
1964-03-28 Stockport County A 0–2 2,649
1964-03-30 Aldershot A 1–1 Newman 7,183
1964-04-08 Barrow H 3–1 Hunt, Burgess, Ridley 11,583
1964-04-11 Workington A 0–1 6,536
1964-04-15 Oxford United H 2–0 Gibbs, Ballagher 12,051
1964-04-18 Newport County H 1–1 Gibbs 9,584
1964-04-22 Stockport County H 0–0 12,846
1964-04-25 Rochdale A 1–2 Godfrey 2,737
1964-04-27 York City A 1–0 Newman 3,317
1964-04-30 Newport County A 1–0 Francis 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, however, 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 Arnott 43 0 1 1 5 0 49 1
John Ballagher 17 4 1 0 1 1 19 5
Mike Burgess 46 1 1 0 5 0 52 1
Don Campbell 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Alec Farrall 45 1 1 0 5 0 51 1
George Francis 16 7 0 0 3 1 19 8
Brian Gibbs 46 17 0 0 4 1 50 18
Peter Godfrey 13 2 1 0 0 0 14 3
Geoff Hudson 36 1 0 0 4 0 40 1
Dennis Hunt 43 3 1 0 5 0 49 3
John Meredith 11 0 1 0 0 0 12 0
2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Ron Newman 37 11 0 0 4 2 41 13
Gordon Pulley 31 6 1 0 5 3 37 9
Bob Ridley 7 2 1 0 2 0 10 2
John Simpson 46 0 1 0 5 0 52 0
Terry Stacey 12 0 0 0 0 0 12 0
Peter Stringfellow 25 0 0 0 3 2 28 2
Rod Taylor 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Ronnie Waldock 6 0 0 0 3 1 9 1
Jimmy White 11 1 1 0 2 0 14 1
Brian Yeo 11 2 0 0 0 0 11 2

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.
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