1912–13 Gillingham F.C. season

Gillingham attacking the Swindon Town goal in the match between the two teams in October

The club's first match of the season, on 7 September, was away to Northampton Town.[14] Wolstenholme scored a goal on his debut for the club, but Gillingham lost 2–1 in what The People called a "capital game".[15] The first home game a week later resulted in a 0–0 draw against Queens Park Rangers (QPR); the writer for The People noted that the game was even in the first half but that QPR attacked more in the second.[14][16] Gillingham achieved their first win of the season on 21 September when a late goal from Albert Court gave them a 1–0 victory away to Brentford.[14][17] They ended September by again drawing 0–0 at home, this time with Millwall, and began October with two away games, losing 2–1 to Reading and winning 2–0 against Bristol Rovers, who had lost every game of the season so far.[14][18] The game on 12 October against Swindon Town ended in a third consecutive home 0–0 draw; the first goal of the season at Priestfield Road was scored four days later by Reading, who went on to secure a 4–0 victory.[14][19] The reporter for the Daily Herald wrote that Gillingham attacked more than their opponents in the first half but in the second they were "all adrift" and "the few attacks they made were not at all dangerous".[20]

Albert Bailey, Gillingham's goalkeeper, was hospitalised after suffering a broken jaw during a 4–0 defeat to Exeter City on 26 October;[21] Harry Crane took his place in the team for the next game, a 4–0 defeat to West Ham United; it was Gillingham's fourth consecutive defeat, three of them by a score of 4–0.[14][22] A goalless draw at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on 9 November meant that Gillingham had scored only one goal in their last six league matches and had still not registered a goal in a home match.[14][23] The team ended a six-match winless run with a 2–1 victory away to Coventry City on 16 November with goals from John Boden and Dick Goffin.[14][24] A week later, Boden scored Gillingham's first goal of the season at Priestfield Road in their seventh home game.[14] The team's captain, Jack Mahon, was missing due to injury but despite his absence the team secured a 2–0 victory over Watford.[23] Boden scored for the third consecutive game in a 1–1 draw at home to Merthyr Town in the final match of November; it meant that Gillingham had gone four games without defeat, their longest undefeated run of the season to this point.[14][25]

Boden scored for the fourth consecutive game in a 2–1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace on 7 December;[14] he had a chance to score a second goal but his penalty kick was saved.[26][27] Gillingham also lost their next game at home, a 1–0 defeat to Southampton.[28] The team ended 1912 with three games in four days. On Christmas Day, they played at home to Norwich City; in a match played in pouring rain and a high wind, a goal from Goffin gave the home team a 1–0 victory.[29][30] The teams played again the following day at The Nest, Norwich's home ground, and Gillingham lost 4–0; an injury to Abel Lee meant that Gillingham had to play the whole of the second half with only ten men.[31] Arthur Johnson, who had missed the last two games after previously having been ever-present in the team,[14] returned to the team in place of Lee for the final game of 1912 and scored from a penalty in a 2–1 victory over Northampton Town.[32] The result left Gillingham 16th out of 20 teams in the table at the end of 1912.[33]

Jack Mahon, the team's captain, made his first appearance for nearly two months in January.

Gillingham's first match of 1913 was away to Queens Park Rangers on 4 January; Mahon made his first appearance since November.[14] QPR scored in the first half and, although Gillingham had several shots on goal, they could not equalise and their opponents added a second goal in the final minute of the game.[34] Gillingham again failed to score in the next league game, losing 4–0 at home to Brentford; it was the first time Brentford had won away from home during the season and the writer for the Daily Herald commented that the Gillingham players looked tired after playing an FA Cup game two days earlier.[35][36] Bailey returned to the team on 25 January for the first time since October; a 2–1 defeat away to Millwall meant that Gillingham had lost every league game during the month.[14] The writer for The People was of the opinion that the result could have been different if Gillingham had had "a steadier line of forwards".[37] The team ended their winless run with a 1–0 victory over Bristol Rovers thanks to a goal from Wolstenholme. Jock Taylor scored twice in a 2–1 win over Portsmouth on 22 February;[38] Gillingham ended the month 17th in the table.[39]

Gillingham's first game of March was a 2–0 defeat away to Exeter City; Johnson appeared to have pulled a goal back for Gillingham with a penalty, but the referee ordered the kick to be retaken due to an infringement and at the second attempt he missed.[40] It would prove to be the final game in a Gillingham shirt for Boden, Wolstenholme, and Taylor.[41] For the next game at home to West Ham United wholesale changes were made to the forward line: Charlie Hafekost made his first appearance since December, Cornelius John played only his second game of the season and his first since November, and A.G. Church made his debut.[14] Despite the new-look line-up, the writer for The People noted that the Gillingham forwards "worked neatly together in the early stages and gave the visitors' defenders great anxiety". Hafekost gave Gillingham an early lead and, although West Ham scored twice before half-time, a goal from Tom Caldwell in the second half secured a draw for Gillingham.[42][43] The new forwards retained their places but could not score any goals in the next two games, which resulted in a 1–0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion and a goalless draw with Stoke; Gillingham were spared a second consecutive defeat when Stoke had a late goal disallowed for offside.[14][44][45]

Goffin scored twice in a 3–0 victory at home to Coventry City on 22 March; all the goals were scored in the first half.[46] Two days later, two goals from Lee secured a 2–0 win away to Stoke, whom the reporter for The Western Times said were "lamentably weak";[47] the results meant that Gillingham had gone three games without conceding a goal for the first time since September.[14] Following two draws, a goal from Church gave Gillingham a 1–0 win away to Crystal Palace on 12 April,[48] extending the team's unbeaten run to six games.[14] The streak came to an end a week later with a 4–0 defeat away to Plymouth Argyle.[49] Having only scored more than two goals in a game once during the first 36 league matches, Gillingham achieved the feat in both of the last two games of the season.[14] A 3–3 draw away to Southampton was followed by a 4–2 win at Priestfield Road over Plymouth, who were already assured of the Division One championship;[50][51] it was the first time the team had scored four times in a match since January 1912.[52] John and Lee gave Gillingham a half-time lead and Johnson scored two goals after the interval, both from penalty kicks.[53] Gillingham finished the campaign 15th in the league table, seven points above the relegation places. It was an improvement on the previous season's performance but the team's fourth consecutive finish in the bottom half of the table.[3]

Key

Results[14]

Results[58]

• Brown, Tony (2003). The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record. Soccerdata. ISBN 978-1-8994-6820-1.
• Conway, Tony (1980). The "Gills". Meresborough Books. ISBN 978-0-9052-7026-5.
• Elligate, David (2009). Gillingham FC On This Day. Pitch Publishing. ISBN 978-1-9054-1145-0.
• Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 – 1939. Soccerdata. ISBN 978-1-89946-867-6.
• Soar, Phil; Tyler, Martin (1983). Encyclopedia of British Football. CollinsWillow. ISBN 978-0-0021-8049-8.
• Triggs, Roger (1999). Images of England: Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-75241-567-3.