# 1924–25 Gillingham F.C. season

During the 1924–25 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division South, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the fifth season in which the club competed in the Football League.
Gillingham also competed in the FA Cup, reaching the sixth and final qualifying round; they were defeated by Barrow in a match which had to be replayed four times before Barrow emerged victorious after a total of nine hours of football. Gillingham played 49 competitive matches during the season, winning 14, drawing 18, and losing 17. Fred Brown, Frank Marshall, and Tommy Hall were join top goalscorers with 10 each. Marshall made the most appearances, being absent for only one game. The highest recorded attendance at the club's home ground, Priestfield Road, was 9,000 for the FA Cup match against Barrow.

## Background and pre-season

The 1924–25 season was Gillingham's fifth season playing in the Football League. The club had been one of the founder members of the Third Division in 1920. A year later, the division was re-branded the Third Division South when a parallel Third Division North was created. Gillingham had finished in 22nd and last place in the league table in their first season in the division, but improved their final position each season since; in the 1923–24 season, they had finished in 15th place.
Harry Curtis was the team's manager for a second season. He was the first Gillingham manager to be given full control of all team-related affairs; previously some of these matters had come under the remit of the club's secretary. The club also employed a Mr Kane as trainer. Gillingham signed a number of new players prior to the season, including four forwards: Frank Marshall and Thomas Wilkinson joined the club from the Scottish teams Shettleston and Maryhill respectively, and Fred Brown and George Chance were signed from fellow Third Division South clubs Brighton & Hove Albion and Bristol Rovers respectively. Two new half-backs also joined the club: Albert Hook from fellow Kent-based club Maidstone United and Charles Davis from Liverpool. The team wore Gillingham's usual kit of black and white striped shirts with white shorts and black socks. At the time, pre-season friendlies between Football League teams were not permitted, and clubs instead generally prepared for the season with a public trial match between two teams chosen from within their own squad of players. Gillingham staged such a match a week before the start of the season and Wilkinson and Brown both scored two goals as the "Probables" beat the "Possibles".

## Third Division South
### August–December

Gillingham's first match of the season was away to Luton Town on 30 August; Marshall, Davis, Hook, Chance, Brown and Wilkinson all made their club debuts in a match which was played in heavy rain and ended in a goalless draw. Four days later, the team played their first game of the season at their home ground, Priestfield Road; a goal from Tommy Hall gave Gillingham a 1–0 victory over Brentford. The Daily Telegraph wrote that Gillingham could have scored more goals but that their forwards "lost many opportunities owing to over-eagerness". The victory was followed by a run of eight games without a win. Gillingham drew 0–0 at home to Watford on 6 September, again missing many goalscoring chances; the Athletic News said that if they had "won by three clear goals little surprise could have been felt". Gillingham played Brentford again on 8 September; Hall gave them the lead but Brentford scored twice to win. Gillingham finished the game with only ten players after Hook was injured. Following a goalless draw at home to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, Gillingham lost 2–0 away to Brighton & Hove Albion and 3–0 at home to Plymouth Argyle. At the end of September, Gillingham were in 22nd and last place in the Third Division South league table; they had won only once in seven matches and recorded only two goals, both scored by Hall.
Gillingham's winless run continued in the first game of October with a 2–1 defeat away to Bristol City. The home team scored the winning goal in the final ten minutes; Freddie Fox, Gillingham's goalkeeper, appeared to have kept the ball out of the goal but, after being confronted by the Bristol City players in what the Western Daily Press called a "most discreditable scene", the referee consulted both linesmen and ruled that it had in fact crossed the goal line. A week later, Gillingham played Swindon Town; the Athletic News reported that "better football has seldom been seen played by Gillingham than during the opening half", but after leading at half-time Gillingham had to settle for a 1–1 draw. After a 2–1 defeat to Aberdare Athletic, Gillingham ended their winless run by beating Millwall 1–0 on 22 October with a goal from Hall. Gillingham lost 1–0 away to Northampton Town on 25 October, but began November by beating Charlton Athletic 2–0 at Priestfield Road. Brown scored both goals, the first time all season that a Gillingham player had scored more than once in a game. It was the first in a run of five consecutive league games without defeat foe the team. A goal from Hall secured a 1–1 draw with fellow strugglers Queens Park Rangers on 8 November, after which Gillingham were in 19th place in the league table.
At the end of 1924, Gillingham were in 15th place in the Third Division South league table.

### January–May

Gillingham's first match of 1925 was away to Watford.
Gillingham finished the season in 13th place in the league table, meaning that they had improved their final position for a fourth consecutive season.

### League match details
#### Results

| Date | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
| 30 August 1924 | Luton Town (A) | 0–0 | | 8,000 |
| 3 September 1924 | Brentford (H) | 1–0 | Hall | 5,500 |
| 6 September 1924 | Watford (H) | 0–0 | | 6,000 |
| 8 September 1924 | Brentford (A) | 1–2 | Hall | 6,000 |
| 13 September 1924 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic (H) | 0–0 | | 5,500 |
| 20 September 1924 | Brighton & Hove Albion (A) | 0–2 | | 11,000 |
| 27 September 1924 | Plymouth Argyle (H) | 0–3 | | 8,000 |
| 4 October 1924 | Bristol City (A) | 1–2 | Marshall | 9,000 |
| 11 October 1924 | Swindon Town (H) | 1–1 | Hall | 7,000 |
| 18 October 1924 | Aberdare Athletic (A) | 1–2 | Brown | 3,000 |
| 22 October 1924 | Millwall (H) | 1–0 | Hall | 3,000 |
| 25 October 1924 | Northampton Town (A) | 0–1 | | 7,000 |
| 1 November 1924 | Charlton Athletic (H) | 2–0 | Brown (2) | 2,000 |
| 8 November 1924 | Queens Park Rangers (A) | 1–1 | Hall | 9,000 |
| 15 November 1924 | Merthyr Town (H) | 2–1 | Brown, Marshall | 6,000 |
| 22 November 1924 | Reading (A) | 1–0 | Hall | 6,000 |
| 6 December 1924 | Exeter City (A) | 3–3 | Brown, Berry, Hall | 6,000 |
| 20 December 1924 | Newport County (A) | 0–2 | | 8,000 |
| 25 December 1924 | Southend United (H) | 3–1 | Hook, Marshall (2) | 8,000 |
| 26 December 1924 | Southend United (A) | 0–4 | | 9,000 |
| 27 December 1924 | Luton Town (H) | 4–1 | Marshall, Ramsell (2), Chance | 1,000 |
| 3 January 1925 | Watford (A) | 2–1 | Berry, Brown | 5,000 |
| 17 January 1925 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic (A) | 0–3 | | 6,000 |
| 24 January 1925 | Brighton & Hove Albion (H) | 2–0 | Chance (2) | 6,000 |
| 31 January 1925 | Plymouth Argyle (A) | 0–2 | | 10,401 |
| 7 February 1925 | Bristol City (H) | 1–1 | Chance | 5,000 |
| 11 February 1925 | Bristol Rovers (H) | 0–0 | | 4,000 |
| 14 February 1925 | Swindon Town (A) | 0–2 | | 5,000 |
| 21 February 1925 | Aberdare Athletic (H) | 2–0 | Marshall (pen.), Brown | 5,000 |
| 28 February 1925 | Northampton Town (H) | 0–1 | | 6,000 |
| 7 March 1925 | Charlton Athletic (A) | 0–2 | | 7,000 |
| 14 March 1925 | Queens Park Rangers (H) | 1–0 | Crockford | 5,000 |
| 18 March 1925 | Swansea Town (H) | 0–0 | | 3,800 |
| 21 March 1925 | Merthyr Town (A) | 0–0 | | 4,000 |
| 28 March 1925 | Reading (H) | 0–0 | | 5,000 |
| 4 April 1925 | Swansea Town (A) | 0–2 | | 11,300 |
| 10 April 1925 | Norwich City (H) | 3–1 | Marshall, Berry (2) | 6,000 |
| 11 April 1925 | Exeter City (H) | 1–1 | Marshall | 6,500 |
| 13 April 1925 | Norwich City (A) | 0–0 | | 12,000 |
| 18 April 1925 | Bristol Rovers (A) | 0–0 | | 6,000 |
| 25 April 1925 | Newport County (H) | 1–0 | Craddock | 5,000 |
| 2 May 1925 | Millwall (A) | 0–2 | | 10,000 |

### Partial league table

Football League Third Division South final table, positions 11 to 15 :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 11 | Watford | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 38 | 47 | 0.809 | 43 |
| 12 | Norwich City | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 53 | 51 | 1.039 | 41 |
| 13 | Gillingham | 42 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 35 | 44 | 0.795 | 40 |
| 14 | Reading | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 37 | 38 | 0.974 | 38 |
| 15 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 46 | 48 | 0.958 | 38 |

## FA Cup

Gillingham entered the 1924–25 FA Cup in the fifth qualifying round, and were drawn to play Kettering Town of the Southern League. The match took place at Rockingham Road, Kettering's home ground, and ended in a 1–1 draw, meaning that a replay at Priestfield Road was required. In the second match, Gillingham scored four goals in the first half and went on to win 6–2, despite having to play with only ten men for much of the second half after Davis was injured.
In the sixth and final qualifying round, Gillingham played Barrow of the Football League Third Division North at Priestfield Road. A game in which both teams' defences were dominant ended in a 0–0 draw. Barrow took the lead in the replay at their home ground, Holker Street, but Norman Jones scored an equaliser for Gillingham; unlike in the first match, scores being level at the end of the regulation 90 minutes meant that 30 minutes of extra time were played, but no further goals were scored. The second replay took place at a neutral venue, Molineux Stadium, home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Syd Smith gave Gillingham the lead but Barrow equalised; extra time was again played but once again the match finished with scores level.
The third replay took place at Arsenal Stadium in London on 30 December and was played in heavy rain; the Birmingham Gazette reported that the pitch was "scarcely fit for play" and that "mud and slush reduced everything down to a game of chance". Barrow took the lead from a penalty kick but Hall equalised for Gillingham and the game ended in another draw, setting up a fourth replay. The two teams thus equalled the record for the greatest number of replays required to settle an FA Cup tie; Gillingham themselves (then known as New Brompton) had been involved in the record-setting tie 25 seasons earlier when they had needed four replays to defeat Woolwich Arsenal. A day later, Gillingham and Barrow met again at The Den, home ground of Millwall. Barrow scored twice in the first half and, although Marshall pulled a goal back from a penalty kick in the second half, Gillingham lost 2–1 and were eliminated from the competition; the teams had played for nine hours before a victory was achieved.

### Cup match details
#### Results

| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
| 29 November 1924 | Fifth qualifying | Kettering Town (A) | 1–1 | Brown | 8,986 |
| 3 December 1924 | Fifth qualifying (replay) | Kettering Town (H) | 6–2 | Brown (2), Hall (2), Marshall, Berry | 8,202 |
| 13 December 1924 | Sixth qualifying | Barrow (H) | 0–0 | | 9,000 |
| 18 December 1924 | Sixth qualifying (replay) | Barrow (A) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Jones | 3,600 |
| 22 December 1924 | Sixth qualifying (second replay) | Barrow (N) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Smith | 2,342 |
| 30 December 1924 | Sixth qualifying (third replay) | Barrow (N) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Hall | 2,325 |
| 31 December 1924 | Sixth qualifying (fourth replay) | Barrow (N) | 1–2 | Marshall (pen.) | 4,242 |

## Players

During the season, 24 players made at least one appearance for Gillingham. Marshall made the most, missing only one game. Chance, Fred Brown, Jones and Jock Robertson all played in at least 45 of the team's 49 games, and three other players made more than 40 appearances. At the other end of the scale, Charles Orford was the only player to make just one appearance; it was the only game he played for Gillingham's first team and the only appearance he made in the Football League for any club during his career. Brown, Hall and Marshall were joint top scorers with ten goals each; no other player scored more than five times.
Player statistics :
| Player | Position | Third Division South | Third Division South | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Player | Position | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Bill Berry | FW | 37 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 43 | 5 |
| Fred Brown | FW | 39 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 46 | 10 |
| Charlie Butler | FB | 21 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| George Chance | FW | 40 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 47 | 4 |
| George Cook | HB | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Joe Craddock | FW | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Harold Crockford | FW | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Charles Davis | HB | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Dick Edmed | FW | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Freddie Fox | GK | 36 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| Tommy Hall | FW | 37 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 44 | 10 |
| Dick Hendrie | FB | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Albert Hook | HB | 20 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| Norman Jones | HB | 39 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 46 | 1 |
| Jimmy Keegan | FW | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Frank Marshall | FW | 41 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 48 | 10 |
| Charles Orford | HB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Len Ramsell | FW | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 |
| Jock Robertson | FB | 38 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| Jack Rutherford | HB | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Syd Smith | FW | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Arthur Sykes | GK | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Alf Vango | HB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Thomas Wilkinson | FW | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
FW = Forward, HB = Half-back, GK = Goalkeeper, FB = Full-back

## Aftermath

Less than three weeks after the final match of the domestic season, Fox played for England in an international match against France; the club has at times listed him as the first player to gain an international cap while on Gillingham's books, but although he was still with Gillingham when the team selection was announced on 24 April, he was transferred to Millwall before the match actually took place.
Gillingham improved their final position again in the 1925–26 season, ending the campaign in 10th place, the first time the team had finished in the top half of the league table since entering the Football League. Curtis left the club at the end of that campaign to become manager of Brentford; after his departure it would be a further seven seasons before Gillingham finished in the top half again.

## Footnotes

a. ^ The concept of substitutes was not introduced to English football until the 1960s; previously, an injured player had to play on or else the team had to continue with a reduced number of players.