Gillingham Football Club is an English association football club originally formed in 1893 under the name New Brompton F.C. The club adopted its present name in 1912, and played in the Southern League until 1920, when that league's top division was absorbed into the Football League as its new Division Three. The "Gills" were voted out of the league in favour of Ipswich Town at the end of the 1937–38 season, but returned 12 years later, when that league was expanded from 88 to 92 clubs.
Twice in the late 1980s Gillingham came close to winning promotion to the second tier of English football, but a decline then set in and in 1993 the club narrowly avoided relegation to the Football Conference. In 2000, Gillingham reached the second tier of the English league for the first time in the club's history. They went on to spend five seasons at this level, achieving a club record highest league finish of eleventh place in the 2002–03 season before being relegated twice to return to the league's bottom division, known since 2004 as Football League Two. The club has won honours at a professional level namely the Football League Fourth Division championship in the 1963–64 season as well as the Football League Two championship in the 2012–13 season.
Division shown in bold when it changes due to promotion, relegation or league reorganisation. Top scorer shown in bold when he set or equalled a club record.
Key to league record:
P – Games played
W – Games won
D – Games drawn
L – Games lost
GF – Goals for
GA – Goals against
Pts – Points
Pos – Final position
Key to rounds:
QR1 – First qualifying round
QR2 – Second qualifying round, etc.
RInt – Intermediate round
R1 – First round
R2 – Second round, etc.
QF – Quarter-final
SF – Semi-final
Grp – Group stage
GrpS – Group stage (Southern section)
R1S – First round (Southern section)
R2S – Second round (Southern section), etc.
R1SE – First round (South Eastern section)
SQF – Quarter-final (Southern section)
n/a – Not applicable
^The Football League Cup competition did not start until the 1960–61 season.
^The EFL Trophy did not start until the 1983–84 season.
^Other than where stated, includes all senior competitive first-team matches.
^New Brompton's only entry to the FA Amateur Cup. In 1894 the club turned professional and ceased to be eligible to enter.
^FA Cup goals only. The scorers of New Brompton's goals in the FA Amateur Cup are not known.
^New Brompton, as champions of Division Two, played the bottom team in Division One, Swindon Town, in a two-legged test match and won 5–1, thus gaining promotion.
^Southern League and FA Cup goals only. Details of the club's goalscorers in the Kent League in this season are not recorded.
^ abcdefgSouthern League and FA Cup goals only. Details of the club's goalscorers in the Thames and Medway Combination in this season are not recorded.
^Scorer of one FA Cup goal in this season not recorded.
^Despite finishing last, New Brompton avoided relegation due to the expansion of the league.
^Under a restructuring of the leagues, all members of the Southern League Division One were elevated to form the new Third Division of the expanded Football League. Gillingham thus avoided relegation despite having finished the previous season in last position.
^ abThere was no automatic relegation from the Football League until 1987. Gillingham thus avoided relegation despite finishing last.
^The Football League Third Division North was formed in 1921, with the existing Third Division being re-designated the Third Division South.
^Gillingham failed to be re-elected having finished in last position, and Ipswich Town were chosen to replace them in the Football League. Gillingham returned to the Southern League.
^The Southern League season was abandoned after three matches due to the outbreak of war in September. Beginning in November, Gillingham played in the Kent Regional League East, which like other wartime competitions is regarded as unofficial.
^Gillingham were awarded one point for an away fixture against Millwall that never took place.
^Gillingham were elected into the Football League as part of the expansion of the Third Division South from 22 teams to 24.
^Having finished in the lower half of the table, Gillingham were placed in the new Football League Fourth Division following the amalgamation of the Third Division South and Third Division North.
^Gillingham finished with the same number of points as Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, but finished above them on goal average and thus escaped relegation.
^From the 1981–82 season, points were allocated on the basis of 3 for a win and 1 for a draw; previously only two points had been given for a win.
^Gillingham qualified for the play-offs in the first year that these were staged, defeating Sunderland in the semi-final on away goals after a 6–6 aggregate score, and losing the final 2–0 to Swindon Town in a replay at Selhurst Park after a 2–2 aggregate over two legs.
^Crown also scored one goal in a match against Aldershot which was declared void when that team resigned from the league before the end of the season.
^On the formation of the FA Premier League, the Fourth Division was re-designated as the Third Division.
^Twenty goals remains a record for the lowest number of goals conceded in a 46 match Football League season.
^Gillingham missed out on a place in the play-offs on goals scored, which took precedence over goal difference at that time.
^Gillingham were defeated 1–0 by Millwall on the Golden goal rule, the only time this method of resolving a match was applied to a Gillingham match.
^Qualifying again for the play-offs, Gillingham defeated Stoke City 5–3 on aggregate in the semi-final, and beat Wigan Athletic 3–2 after extra time in the final to gain promotion to the second level of English football for the first time in their history.
^This achievement in reaching the quarter-finals represents the furthest progress Gillingham have ever made in the FA Cup.
^This position, equivalent to 31st place in the English football league system, represents Gillingham's highest ever league finish.
^Gillingham finished with the same number of points as Walsall, but avoided relegation due to a superior goal difference.
^The First Division was renamed the Football League Championship as part of a new sponsorship deal in the 2004–05 season.
^Gillingham finished on the same number of points as Crewe Alexandra, but were relegated on account of an inferior goal difference to the recently renamed third tier, Football League One.
^By finishing 5th, Gillingham reached the play-offs, then defeated Rochdale 2–1 on aggregate in the semi-final, and beat Shrewsbury Town 1–0 in the final to gain promotion.
^The 2019–20 season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with league positions decided on a points-per-game basis. Gillingham averaged 1.46 points from 35 games.
References
General
Brown, Tony (2003). The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record. Soccerdata. ISBN1-899468-20-X.
Bradley, Andy; Roger Triggs (1994). Home of the Shouting Men: Complete History of Gillingham Football Club 1893–1993. Gillingham F.C. ISBN0-9523361-0-3.