Gills play out a 1-1 draw with Stockport County but with a population of 280,000, a new owner and a wider catchment area in Kent could the Gills be a Premier League club within 10 years?
Пікірлер: 57
@harrymarsh6272 Жыл бұрын
As a gillingham fan , it’s not just Medway we attract fans from. I come from Canterbury and know many others that have come to gillingham games from all across kent. Sadly at the moment , for many people , they would prefer to hop on a train to london rather than watch the only football league team in Kent. Hopefully Brad can push us up the leagues and we can attract fans not just from Medway but the whole of kent. Great video , Up the gills 👍
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Thanks Harry, I did mention the surrounding Kent areas as well in the video. Unfortunately 100 years of lower league football takes its toll on the fan base, can’t change the past but can change the future 👍🏻 UTG
@davidwilliamgay4821 Жыл бұрын
Great answer. My family live in Ashford and go to the games. I cant and follow on i follow from Berlin. Its only a question of time before the Gills move up the leagues but we need patience at present. I cannot see Shannon and Brad Galinson resting on their laurels. The catchment is alone 280000 in Medway. Take into account from Gravesend to Dover and the huge area around Maidstone. The sky is the limit. New multi purpose stadium with car parking amenities, shops etc and keeping the prices affordable...see Bradford for example, and as you say Matt..at least top Championship football in 10 years. By the way the video was brilliant and your 2 buddies bring even more highlights to the entertainment. UTG. What did you think about the atmosphere Matt. The crowd want as big as expected, but it will be on tuesday against Orient. Berlin Dave
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
@@davidwilliamgay4821 hello Berlin Dave, when anybody laughs at me making a statement about Gillingham, possibly being a top flight club, I just always point them in the direction of Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton. Torquay and Barrow are never going to be top flight clubs as they don’t have the catchment area, but Gillingham, Plymouth, Bristol City etc could be, nothing ever stays the same forever. The atmosphere on Saturday was really good, good vibe about the place 👍🏻
@davidwilliamgay4821 Жыл бұрын
@@mattthegroundhopper9242 anyone laughing about our views on the Gills will be eating their hats in time to come. The Galinsons haven't invested for fun. Apart from being honest people, they are very successful business people. In a couple of years less people will be wasting their time going to London and paying extortionate prices, when they see their own town club going places. Would anyone have bought our club in the position we were in, if they didnt have plans and visions. Still trying to work out where you take the train from, having looked closely to non existant station names. UTG Berlin Dave
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
@@davidwilliamgay4821 the new owners seem to really know what they are talking about which gives me and many other Gills fans cause for comfort, but they are business people who will be looking for a return on their investment! Reference the train station, keep guessing Berlin Dave!
@danjohnson2062 Жыл бұрын
First time iv seen your vid am a gillingham man born and bred twydall lived in Portsmouth for 30 years but always a gills man
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Cheers Dan, I don’t live in Medway myself anymore but I am still in Kent. Pity Gills got relegated last season as you would have had Pompey v Gills to watch 👍🏻
@francishuddy94627 ай бұрын
Excellent video 👍 Maidstone itself is about 160,000 population, although they have their own football club, which somewhat dilutes the persuasive Gillingham / Medway catchment area argument. I live in Exeter, Devon - though originally from Tunbridge Wells, in west Kent - and you could make an argument for the Grecians making it to the Premier League. The Exeter and East Devon / South Devon, and Mid Devon areas have an overall population of about 350,000 (excluding Torbay, which is about 130,000). Actually, what about the Exeter Chiefs, in rugby? Just 18 years ago, they were a tiny club stuck in level 3 of the national pyramid, playing in front of crowds of just 1,500 at the old, decrepit County Ground. But, they built a new stadium (Sandy Park, now 16,500 capacity) which catapulted them to spectacular success - they've won not only the Premier League, but even the European Cup. Although, Exeter City FC have never been higher than level 3, where they look like being relegated from this season (2023/24). Like Gillingham FC, Exeter City would need a new stadium, although Luton Town's Kenilworth Road is only 9,000.
@mattthegroundhopper92427 ай бұрын
Thanks Francis, originally from Tun Wells eh, I was working there today 👍🏻 with clubs trying to build, it is a generational thing, it takes several years of sustained success for the youngsters to support the club so they are not swayed by the big London clubs, thanks for your comments, good shout out about the rugby team 👍🏻🏉
@no_soy_rubio Жыл бұрын
Only one team in Kent! Certainly got the potential and 'catchment area' (as Scally always used to like to say) and if Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford are up there competing there's no reason why we can't be 🔵⚫️🔵
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for your comments, it is possible with money and the right owner, why not 👍🏻
@tonygledhill8827 Жыл бұрын
I have been a Gills fan from a boy. I have always believed Kent is literally crying out for success, ...I live in Rochester in the Medway Towns...It's a strange question but vocal locals always bang on about the idea that the towns are some separate or different or not connected.... utter and complete rubbish....ask someone from another part of the world or another part of this country and they will say it is all the same place, it is one big urban area it is a City,,,I don't understand why there are people who seem to hate the idea of Medway being a City, after all it' has far more history and character than places like Chelmsford, Colchester, Southend, Milton Keynes and Guildford that are cities and are painfully dull and boring..... Gillingham FC represents Kent and Medway,,,, with the right investment the right leadership the football knowledge Gills could be Giants! Simple!
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Hello Tony, thank you for your well thought out comments. Medway is a city in all but name, for some reason the crown don't seem to want officially award the status as every time Medway Council apply the status is rejected for another area. I have mentioned for a long while the Gills could seriously compete at a much higher level but we have been under-invested for a few years. Hopefully this will now change with the Galinsons and maybe we can unleash the beast of Medway and Kent within the football league pyramid!
@francishuddy94627 ай бұрын
If Brighton & Hove can become a city - yet, two distinct towns - then why not the Medway towns??
@HenrikCOYG Жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing mate, love the vids🙌🏼
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching, subscribing and commenting Rufus 👍🏻
@danlipscombe9611 Жыл бұрын
good video mate,much improved gills from a few moths ago
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Cheers Dan, it was a good day out 👍🏻
@Lancastrian501 Жыл бұрын
As somebody who isn't from the area it's hard to say. How much is the new owner willing to invest in the club? You need serious money to take a team to the Premier League nowadays. Also it depends on how many of those in the Medway catchment area are Gills fans. Are there plenty of the local population who support the big London clubs being only about an hours' drive away? (I know there' are many here in Lancashire support the big Manchester and Merseyside clubs.) Would they start supporting the Gills if they started to rise through the leagues? Nice to see Chatham clinch promotion btw. My team Clitheroe qualified for the play-offs yesterday so not too bad a weekend all round.
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Hello Lancy, I did look up your team after the last time we spoke and I looked up your ground 👍🏻There will be many local fans who have the Gills as their second club but will support a big London club, that’s the problem with being in the bottom 2 leagues for around 100 years. However Brentford are a lot closer to big clubs and they made it
@no_soy_rubio Жыл бұрын
Plenty of local population who 'support' Man U & Liverpool as well
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
@@no_soy_rubio yes, ridiculous isn’t it
@Paul-eb4jp Жыл бұрын
I think Championship is a realistic ambition but once you're there why not? My club Stockport County have Championship ambitions and we're now attracting full houses week after week, Stockport has a population of 290,000 people but we have a couple of teams 7 miles up the road in Manchester to compete with. We got away with it on the day, I don't think there was much wrong with the goal you had ruled out, although the penalty claim was a shocking dive.
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Thanks Paul, why can’t Stockport and Gills compete at the championship or higher. The same naysayers probably would have said the same just a few short years ago about Luton, Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton 👍🏻
@jopgames403710 ай бұрын
My family have support the gills for generations I do too but I can’t see them being a prem club I’d love it if they were but I think we should be a championship club in 10 years and if that seems to be gallinsons goal so we shall see
@jopgames403710 ай бұрын
And btw I go see home games when I can as a northerner it’s hard to go but it’s great going to priestfield
@mattthegroundhopper924210 ай бұрын
I hope you are right regarding the championship 👍🏻⬆️
@mattthegroundhopper924210 ай бұрын
Where abouts up north are you? What are your easy Gills away games to get to? Thanks for your comments BTW 👍🏻⚽️
@jimmycburfield5997 Жыл бұрын
Interesting. The population of the Medway was apparently targeted by Charlton Athletic, my Palace supporting mate used to laugh at the ‘chumps’ attempting to bus in fans from north Kent. The new stadium would need to happen You will certainly note the rise of Brighton; the Amex really kicked on their revival I live in Carlisle I think we could do it also. Previously I lived in Hull. Again build a good ground, get some investment much can be achieved. Gillingham show play up the whole Kingdom of Kent thing as well as Medway.
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Thanks Jimmy, yes I agree about Carlisle, also a large town with a huge catchment area. If you went up through the leagues you would probably pick up some Scots 🏴 fans on the border as well 👍🏻
@clivegrenville9685 Жыл бұрын
unlikely but possible . is scally still involved?getting back to your recent chatham game correct me if im wrong but didnt the gills get frannie collin from there way back
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Hello Clive, look at Bournemouth and Brentford, anything is possible 👍🏻 Paul Scally no longer owns the club but is still there as a director but decisions are now made by the Gallinsons. Frannie Collin was born in Chatham but I’m not sure if he played for them?
@jamisbillson4872 Жыл бұрын
Love Gillingham’s ground. It could do with a properly designed new stand and a half but it’s got something about it. I thing beats the Vatican of Football Kenilworth Road though.
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Thanks Jamis, it needs upgrading in places especially to the open air temporary away stand but things may be happening to that side soon 👍🏻
@no_soy_rubio Жыл бұрын
Also look at where Luton are right now, not so long ago they were a non-league club. And their ground isn't much better than Priestfield 😂
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
I would say Kenilworth Road is a lot worse than Priestfield but a very valid point 👍🏻
@no_soy_rubio Жыл бұрын
@@mattthegroundhopper9242 only the Gillingham End 'temporary' stand lets Priestfield down
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
@@no_soy_rubio apparently there is plans to replace it
@vincentkemsley5859 Жыл бұрын
It would be lovely for medway Matty, it would stop all the locals supporting London teams 😉
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Thanks Vince, Medway and North Kent need a team doing well in the pyramid, sustained championship football and watch the fans come!
@themansfield2089 Жыл бұрын
No
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
To the point 😀 why not?
@Truthteller2341 Жыл бұрын
Horrible ground horrible fans horrible club will be in league 2 forever
@mattthegroundhopper9242 Жыл бұрын
Noooo, you are misinformed 👍🏻
@Truthteller2341 Жыл бұрын
@@mattthegroundhopper9242 can’t be misinformed if I have been there and seen it for myself