1973–74 Gillingham F.C. season

Gillingham

1973–74 season
Chairman	Dr Clifford Grossmark
Manager	Andy Nelson
Football League Fourth Division	2nd
FA Cup	First Round
League Cup	Second Round
Top goalscorer	League: Brian Yeo (31) All: Brian Yeo (32)
Highest home attendance	12,577 vs Peterborough United (3 April 1974)
Lowest home attendance	3,864 vs Doncaster Rovers (29 September 1973)

The 1973–74 season was the forty-second season in which football club Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League, and the twenty-fourth since the club's return to the League in 1950. Gillingham finished the season as runners-up in the Football League Fourth Division, gaining promotion back to the Third Division three years after dropping down from it. Brian Yeo equalled the club record of 31 Football League goals in a season, set by Ernie Morgan 18 years earlier.

Football League

Manager Andy Nelson retained a largely unchanged squad from the previous season, making no new signings during the summer. The team began the season with a defeat to Crewe Alexandra, but then recorded four wins and three draws in the next nine games, including a 7–2 defeat of Scunthorpe United. After the 2–1 defeat to Exeter City on 6 October the team then went on a run of 20 games without defeat before losing 2–0 to Stockport County on 10 March. Two further defeats followed in March but the team hung on to finish the season in second place, three points behind Peterborough United, and gain promotion. Striker Brian Yeo scored his 31st league goal of the season in the 2–0 win over Lincoln City on 24 April, equalling the club record set by Ernie Morgan in the 1955–56 season.

Date	Opponents	H / A	Result F – A	Scorers	Attendance
1973-08-25	Crewe Alexandra	A	0–1		2,091
1973-09-01	Newport County	H	1–1	Yeo	3,971
1973-09-08	Swansea City	A	3–0	Lindsey, Yeo, Tydeman	2,144
1973-09-12	Scunthorpe United	H	7–2	Yeo 3, Wilks, Richardson 2, Tydeman	4,610
1973-09-15	Darlington	H	0–1		5,446
1973-09-18	Rotherham United	A	1–0	Yeo	3,757
1973-09-22	Hartlepool United	A	1–1	Jacks	1,399
1973-09-29	Doncaster Rovers	H	5–1	Yeo, Wilks, Richardson 2, Peach	3,864
1973-10-03	Rotherham United	H	1–1	Yeo	5,330
1973-10-06	Exeter City	A	1–2	Peach	4,744
1973-10-13	Bury	H	3–0	Hill, Yeo 2	4,531
1973-10-20	Chester City	A	4–2	Peach, Yeo 2, Richardson	2,187
1973-10-23	Scunthorpe United	A	1–1	Jacks	2,544
1973-10-27	Stockport County	H	2–1	Peach, Wilks	5,777
1973-10-31	Bradford City	A	0–0		2,567
1973-11-03	Reading	A	1–0	Yeo	8,248
1973-11-10	Torquay United	H	2–1	Yeo 2	6,201
1973-11-14	Workington	H	4–0	Wilks 3, Yeo	6,804
1973-11-17	Mansfield Town	A	2–2	Yeo, Peach	2,908
1973-12-01	Brentford	A	3–0	Richardson 2, Galvin	5,748
1973-12-08	Colchester United	H	4–1	Richardson, Wilks 2, Jacks	8,411
1973-12-22	Doncaster Rovers	A	2–1	Tydeman, Jacks	1,878
1973-12-26	Northampton Town	H	3–1	Yeo 3	11,313
1973-12-29	Swansea City	H	1–1	Jacks	9,960
1974-01-01	Newport County	A	3–3	Jacks, Wilks, Peach	5,888
1974-01-05	Barnsley	H	1–1	Richardson	6,825
1974-01-12	Darlington	A	3–1	Richardson, Peach, Yeo	2,204
1974-01-20	Crewe Alexandra	H	3–0	Yeo, Richardson, Jacks	11,478
1974-02-03	Lincoln City	A	3–2	Wilks, Yeo 2	7,154
1974-02-10	Hartlepool United	H	3–0	Opponent own goal, Wilks, Yeo	8,724
1974-02-17	Bury	A	2–3	Opponent own goal, Coxhill	8,813
1974-02-23	Exeter City	H	2–1	Yeo, Wilks	7,994
1974-03-03	Northampton Town	A	0–0		8,583
1974-03-10	Stockport County	A	0–2		1,940
1974-03-17	Chester City	H	1–0	Richardson	7,481
1974-03-23	Torquay United	A	1–0	Richardson	2,887
1974-03-26	Barnsley	A	1–3	Richardson	5,132
1974-03-30	Reading	H	0–1		7,140
1974-04-03	Peterborough United	H	1–0	Lindsey	12,577
1974-04-06	Workington	A	3–3	Richardson 2, Jacks	1,181
1974-04-13	Mansfield Town	H	2–2	Lindsey, Yeo	7,972
1974-04-15	Bradford City	H	2–0	Yeo, Wilks	7,720
1974-04-20	Colchester United	A	2–0	Yeo 2	10,007
1974-04-24	Lincoln City	H	2–0	Yeo, Tydeman	9,094
1974-04-27	Brentford	H	1–0	Hill	9,319
1974-05-01	Peterborough United	A	2–4	Lindsey, Wilks	17,569

Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
46	25	12	9	90	49	62

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 3–2 by Cambridge United of the Third Division.

Date	Round	Opponents	H / A	Result F – A	Scorers	Attendance
1973-11-24	First	Cambridge United	A	2–3	Richardson, Tydeman	4,831

Football League Cup

Gillingham entered the League Cup at the first round stage and defeated Colchester United, but were knocked out in the second round by Carlisle United.

Date	Round	Opponents	H / A	Result F – A	Scorers	Attendance
1973-08-16	First	Colchester United	H	4–2	Peach, Quirke, Wilks, Yeo	3,991
1973-09-05	Second	Carlisle United	H	1–2	Richardson	7,871

Squad statistics

Gillingham used only 19 players in total over the course of the season with two, George Jacks and Dick Tydeman, playing in all 49 competitive matches and five others making over 40 appearances.

Name	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Total
	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Glenn Aitken	15	0	0	0	0	0	15	0
Dave Coxhill	30	1	1	0	0	0	31	1
Dave Galvin	34	1	1	0	0	0	35	1
Mike Gibson	41	0	1	0	2	0	44	0
Kenny Hill	24	2	0	0	2	0	26	2
George Jacks	46	8	1	0	2	0	49	8
Joe Jacques	42	0	1	0	2	0	45	0
Kevin Johnson	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Graham Knight	23	0	1	0	0	0	24	0
Keith Lindsey	37	4	0	0	2	0	39	4
David Peach	27	7	1	0	2	1	30	8
Dave Quirke	20	0	0	0	2	1	22	1
Damien Richardson	43	16	1	1	2	1	46	18
Ken Rogers	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Ian Thorpe	5	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
Dick Tydeman	46	4	1	1	2	0	49	5
Alan Wilks	43	14	1	0	2	1	46	15
Dave Wiltshire	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Brian Yeo	43	31	1	0	2	1	46	32

See also

• Gillingham F.C. seasons