1949–50 Gillingham F.C. season

Gillingham 1949–50 football season

Gillingham

1949–50 season

Chairman

Charles Cox

Manager

Archie Clark

Southern League
Division One

5th

FA Cup

Second Round

Southern League Cup

Second Round

Top goalscorer

League: Harry Williams (18)
All: Harry Williams (18)

Highest home attendance

TBC

Lowest home attendance

TBC

Home colours

← 1948–49 1950–51 →

During the 1949–50 English football season, Gillingham F.C. played in the Southern League Division One. It was the fourth season of the club's third spell in the league.

Gillingham also competed in the FA Cup, reaching the second round.

Background and pre-season

Gillingham had been among the founder members of the Football League Third Division in 1920, which was renamed the Third Division South when a parallel Third Division North was created a year later. In 18 seasons between 1920 and 1938, the team consistently struggled, only finishing in the top half of the league table three times. They finished in the bottom two on five occasions, requiring them to apply each time for re-election to the League. The club's fifth application was unsuccessful; Ipswich Town of the regional Southern League received more votes than Gillingham from the Football League's other member clubs in the ballot following the 1937–38 season and thus secured election to the Third Division South. Gillingham initially took Ipswich's place in the Southern League; when competitive football resumed after the Second World War, Gillingham played in the more localised Kent League for one season before returning to the Southern League in the 1946–47 season and winning the championship twice in three seasons.

Archie Clark was the team's manager, a post he had held since 1939. The club signed several new players, including Harry Williams and Billy Bates, both forwards, from Tottenham Hotspur and Watford respectively. Williams was signed after he scored a hat-trick in a pre-season trial match. Joe Millbank, a half-back, was signed from Queens Park Rangers; he had been made available for transfer by his former club and valued at £5,000, but because Gillingham played outside the Football League they were not required to pay any fee to sign him. Jack Day, a goalkeeper who had played for Gillingham between 1946 and 1948, rejoined the club after short and unsuccessful spells with Football League clubs Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion, The team wore Gillingham's usual kit of blue shirts and white shorts.

Southern League Division One

August–December

Gillingham began the season with a 3–0 defeat away to Gravesend & Northfleet on 20 August. Williams and Bates made their debuts for the club, as did Fred Collier, a full-back, and Victor Cook, a goalkeeper; it would prove to be the only match Collier played for Gillingham. Four days later, the team played their first game of the season at their home ground, Priestfield Stadium, against Hastings United. Day replaced Cook in goal. In an extremely one-sided game, Gillingham won 8–0; Williams scored six goals, the most scored by a Gillingham player in a single game since Hughie Russell scored nine times in a 12–1 victory over Gloucester City in November 1946.

Gillingham's final three games of 1949 took place within four days.

January–May

Gillingham's first game of 1950 was at home to the Welsh team Lovell's Athletic.

Gillingham finished in fifth place in the Southern League Division One, 16 points behind champions Merthyr Tydfil.

League match details

Key

In result column, Gillingham's score shown first
H = Home match
A = Away match

pen. = Penalty kick
o.g. = Own goal

Results
Date	Opponents	Result	Goalscorers	Attendance
20 August 1949	Gravesend & Northfleet (A)	0–3		4,915
24 August 1949	Hastings United (H)	8–0	Williams (6), Carr, Forrester	7,568
27 August 1949	Gloucester City (H)	6–1	Williams (2), Warsap (2), Carr, Russell (pen.)	9,164
3 September 1949	Hereford United (A)	1–1	Carr	5,548
7 September 1949	Hastings United (A)	1–2	Carr	1,995
14 September 1949	Chelmsford City (H)	2–2	Carr, Briggs	7,772
17 September 1949	Cheltenham Town (H)	3–1	Briggs (2), Kingsnorth (pen.)	8,580
21 September 1949	Chelmsford City (A)	1–1	Warsap	6,500
24 September 1949	Colchester United (A)	1–2	Williams	10,918
1 October 1949	Cheltenham Town (A)	2–1	Carr, Russell	3,213
8 October 1949	Torquay United Reserves (H)	1–1	Williams	9,312
15 October 1949	Worcester City (A)	1–2	B. Burtenshaw	4,464
29 October 1949	Dartford (A)	1–2	Forrester	5,883
5 November 1949	Kidderminster Harriers (H)	4–2	B. Burtenshaw (2), Forrester, Russell	5,937
19 November 1949	Worcester City (H)	2–0	Russell (2)	9,479
3 December 1949	Bedford Town (H)	1–0	Potter (o.g.)	7,945
24 December 1949	Gloucester City (A)	1–3	Williams	3,253
26 December 1949	Tonbridge (H)	3–0	C. Burtenshaw, Russell, Briggs	10,381
27 December 1949	Tonbridge (A)	1–2	Briggs	6,756
31 December 1949	Yeovil Town (H)	0–1		11,577
7 January 1950	Lovell's Athletic (H)	2–0	Carr, B. Burtenshaw	7,571
14 January 1950	Bedford Town (A)	1–1	B. Burtenshaw	3,954
28 January 1950	Torquay United Reserves (A)	2–1	Williams (2)	1,962
4 February 1950	Gravesend & Northfleet (H)	4–2	Williams, Russell, B. Burtenshaw, Forrester	11,158
11 February 1950	Exeter City Reserves (H)	4–1	Russell, B. Burtenshaw, Carr, Williams	7,609
25 February 1950	Lovell's Athletic (A)	2–2	B. Burtenshaw, Williams	500
4 March 1950	Barry Town (A)	3–0	B. Burtenshaw (2), Williams	171
9 March 1950	Chingford (A)	2–1	B. Burtenshaw, Russell	307
11 March 1950	Bath City (H)	1–1	Carr	7,749
15 March 1950	Hereford United (H)	4–0	McGuire, Carr, C. Burtenshaw (pen.), Williams	6,000
25 March 1950	Yeovil Town (A)	1–2	Russell	not recorded
1 April 1950	Guildford City (H)	0–0		7,973
5 April 1950	Headington United (H)	2–0	Forrester (2)	4,086
7 April 1950	Weymouth (H)	1–1	Briggs	9,233
8 April 1950	Chingford (H)	4–1	Hales (2), Kingsnorth, Warsap	6,277
12 April 1950	Kidderminster Harriers (A)	2–0	Hales, C. Burtenshaw	not recorded
15 April 1950	Exeter City Reserves (A)	1–5	Briggs	not recorded
17 April 1950	Merthyr Tydfil (A)	0–4		not recorded
22 April 1950	Headington United (A)	3–1	Briggs (2), Forrester	5,500
24 April 1950	Weymouth (A)	0–2		not recorded
26 April 1950	Dartford (H)	2–0	Russell, Kingsnorth (pen.)	4,000
28 April 1950	Barry Town (H)	1–0	Carr	3,423
29 April 1950	Colchester United (H)	6–1	Hales (3), Warsap, Russell, Briggs	4,875
1 May 1950	Bath City (A)	1–3	B. Burtenshaw	not recorded
3 May 1950	Merthyr Tydfil (H)	3–1	Russell, Warsap, Carr	8,126
6 May 1950	Guildford City (A)	1–4	Piper	not recorded

Partial league table

Main article: 1949–50 Southern Football League

Southern League Division One, leading positions
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts
1	Merthyr Tydfil	46	34	3	9	143	62	2.306	71
2	Colchester United	46	31	9	6	109	51	2.137	71	Elected to the Football League Third Division South
3	Yeovil Town	46	29	7	10	104	45	2.311	65
4	Chelmsford City	46	26	9	11	121	64	1.891	61
5	Gillingham	46	23	9	14	92	61	1.508	55	Elected to the Football League Third Division South
6	Dartford	46	20	9	17	70	65	1.077	49
7	Worcester City	46	21	7	18	85	80	1.063	49

Source:

FA Cup

Gillingham entered the 1949–50 FA Cup at the fourth and final qualifying round stage; their opponents were another Southern League Division One team, Guildford City.

FA Cup match details

Key

In result column, Gillingham's score shown first
H = Home match
A = Away match

Results
Date	Round	Opponents	Result	Goalscorers	Attendance
12 November 1949	Fourth qualifying	Guildford City (A)	3–2	C. Burtenshaw, Russell, Briggs	7,227
26 November 1949	First	Hastings United (A)	3–1	Collins (pen.), Russell, C. Burtenshaw	9,150
10 December 1949	Second	Yeovil Town (A)	1–3	Russell (pen.)	12,041

Southern League Cup

Gillingham lost to Colchester United in the second round of the 1949–50 Southern League Cup. The veteran forward Tug Wilson made his only appearance of the season in the second round match; it was the final game he played for Gillingham, a club he had joined as a teenager in 1936.

Southern League Cup match details

Key

In result column, Gillingham's score shown first
H = Home match
A = Away match

Results
Date	Round	Opponents	Result	Goalscorers	Attendance
10 September 1949	First	Barry Town (H)	3–1	Forrester, Briggs, Carr	7,690
12 October 1949	Second	Colchester United (H)	0–1 (a.e.t.)		6,639

Players

Charlie Marks made the most appearances, playing 49 times. Harry Williams was the team's top goalscorer, scoring 18 times in just 20 games.

Player statistics
Player	Position	Southern League Division One		FA Cup		Southern League Cup		Total
Player	Position	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
George Armstrong	FB	9	0	0	0	0	0	9	0
Billy Bates	FW	6	0	0	0	2	0	8	0
Jimmy Boswell	HB	30	0	3	0	2	0	35	0
Jackie Briggs	FW	25	10	3	1	1	1	29	12
Johnny Burke	GK	28	0	2	0	1	0	31	0
Bill Burtenshaw	FW	18	12	3	0	0	0	21	12
Charlie Burtenshaw	FW	26	3	3	2	0	0	29	5
Jackie Carr	FW	36	12	0	0	1	1	37	13
Fred Collier	FB	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Bill Collins	HB	35	0	3	1	0	0	38	1
Victor Cook	GK	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Jack Day	GK	16	0	1	0	1	0	18	0
George Dorling	FB	37	0	3	0	2	0	42	0
George Forrester	FW	35	7	3	0	2	1	40	8
Billy Hales	FW	9	6	0	0	0	0	9	6
J. Kay	FW	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
Tommy Kingsnorth	HB	42	3	3	0	2	0	47	3
Charlie Marks	FB	44	0	3	0	2	0	49	0
Les McGuire	FW	4	1	0	0	0	0	4	1
Joe Millbank	HB	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
George Piper	HB	23	1	0	0	0	0	23	1
George Poulton	FW	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Hughie Russell	FW	32	13	3	3	2	0	37	16
Stan Trumper	FW	4	0	0	0	1	0	5	0
Johnny Warsap	FW	21	6	0	0	0	0	21	6
Harry Williams	FW	19	18	0	0	1	0	20	18
Tug Wilson	FW	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0

FW = Forward, HB = Half-back, GK = Goalkeeper, FB = Full-back

Aftermath

The Football League opted to increase the membership of each of the two Third Divisions from 22 to 24 clubs with effect from the 1950–51 season; Gillingham applied for one of the new places in the Third Division South and received the highest number of votes among the applicants, thereby returning to the Football League after 12 years. Charles Cox, the club's chairman, told the press "It has been an uphill struggle to get back. Thank God we've done it. We must never find ourselves in that position again."

References

Bradley & Triggs 1994, p. 392.
Soar & Tyler 1983, p. 110.
^ Mitchell, Reeves & Tyler 2013, p. 140.
"Ipswich Town F.C. in Third Division". Daily Telegraph. 31 May 1938. Retrieved 8 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
Rollin 1990, p. 253.
Elligate 2009, p. 180.
Brown 2003, p. TBC.
Chaplin, J. C. (19 August 1949). "Clashing of seasons always bring 'chaos'". Essex Newsman-Herald. p. 4. Retrieved 24 May 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"How the money goes / Four at Chelmsford". Evening Standard. 12 August 1949. p. 11. Retrieved 24 May 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
Triggs 2001, p. TBC.
^ Brown 2003, p. 59.
Coles, Frank (5 June 1950). "4 More Clubs in League". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
Elligate 2009, p. 101.

Works cited

Bradley, Andy; Triggs, Roger (1994). Home of the Shouting Men: Complete History of Gillingham Football Club 1893–1993. Gillingham: Gillingham F.C. ISBN 0-9523361-0-3.
Brown, Tony (2003). The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record. Nottingham: Soccerdata. ISBN 1-899468-20-X.
Elligate, David (2009). Gillingham FC On This Day. Durrington: Pitch Publishing. ISBN 978-1-9054-1145-0.
Mitchell, Colin; Reeves, Jon; Tyler, Daniel (2013). The History of English Football Clubs. London: New Holland Publishers. ISBN 978-1-78009-449-6.
Rollin, Jack, ed. (1990). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1990–91. London: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 978-0-35617-911-7.
Soar, Phil; Tyler, Martin (1983). Encyclopedia of British Football. London: CollinsWillow. ISBN 978-0-0021-8049-8.
Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Stroud: Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-75242-243-5.

v t e Gillingham F.C. seasons
1893–94 1894–95 1895–96 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–1900 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25

Gillingham F.C. seasons

1893–94
1894–95
1895–96
1896–97
1897–98
1898–99
1899–1900
1900–01
1901–02
1902–03
1903–04
1904–05
1905–06
1906–07
1907–08
1908–09
1909–10
1910–11
1911–12
1912–13
1913–14
1914–15
1919–20
1920–21
1921–22
1922–23
1923–24
1924–25
1925–26
1926–27
1927–28
1928–29
1929–30
1930–31
1931–32
1932–33
1933–34
1934–35
1935–36
1936–37
1937–38
1938–39
1939–40
1944–45
1945–46
1946–47
1947–48
1948–49
1949–50
1950–51
1951–52
1952–53
1953–54
1954–55
1955–56
1956–57
1957–58
1958–59
1959–60
1960–61
1961–62
1962–63
1963–64
1964–65
1965–66
1966–67
1967–68
1968–69
1969–70
1970–71
1971–72
1972–73
1973–74
1974–75
1975–76
1976–77
1977–78
1978–79
1979–80
1980–81
1981–82
1982–83
1983–84
1984–85
1985–86
1986–87
1987–88
1988–89
1989–90
1990–91
1991–92
1992–93
1993–94
1994–95
1995–96
1996–97
1997–98
1998–99
1999–2000
2000–01
2001–02
2002–03
2003–04
2004–05
2005–06
2006–07
2007–08
2008–09
2009–10
2010–11
2011–12
2012–13
2013–14
2014–15
2015–16
2016–17
2017–18
2018–19
2019–20
2020–21
2021–22
2022–23
2023–24
2024–25

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