By Matt Boosey
I think it’s fair to say that it’s been another interesting week for everyone – whether that’s directors, management, players or supporters – associated with Gillingham Football Club.
After the debacle (and that’s me being polite) at Barrow just over a week ago – where John Coleman announced that he didn’t think his players cared nor could they run through a cardboard wall, let alone a brick one – we got the announcement that owner Brad Galinson and managing director Joe Comper would be answering fan questions via a live Space on social media platform X hosted by the ME7 Podcast.
It felt like we needed to hear from at least some of the hierarchy at the club given that at the time our winless run was sat at nine games, but was hearing from them through a fan podcast (and I include my own channel in this) the right route to take?
Whatever your opinion that’s the route that was taken, and it felt like the entire fan base was tuned in at 7pm last Monday evening. Given Brad had essentially said ‘anything goes’, my own assessment of it was that although some questions were answered very honestly, it felt like lots were very much given the politicians’ treatment by both.
Fair play to them though for fronting up and at least trying to be transparent, it certainly caused a few rumblings on social media didn’t it, and not just amongst us fans.
The big question though, especially given Coleman’s comments after the Barrow shellacking, was would he get a reaction from his players when we travelled to leaders Walsall on the Tuesday evening?
I don’t want to talk for everyone, but I am not sure too many (either at the ground or watching on the television) were expecting too much from the game given the nature of our collapse just three days previously.
After a fairly even yet uneventful first half, those expectations probably dropped a little more when we conceded a soft, if slightly unfortunate, opener shortly after the restart. Given our record when conceding first this season, it’s unlikely that too many would have predicted how the final 40 minutes of the game would pan out.
After an initial wobble once going behind the response was impressive, and when the leveller came it was emphatic, oh so emphatic. Upon receiving the ball fully 30 yards from goal, one swing of Robbie McKenzie’s right boot sent a homing missile of an effort across the home keeper before crashing in off the crossbar to get us back on terms.
Goal of the season? Check.
After that it was like a switch had been flicked as we grew in confidence, controlled how and where the game was played, created more than one good opening (Oli Hawkins in particular caused panic in the home defence when introduced) and were denied a stonewall penalty.
Yes, one point could and perhaps should have been three, but that frustration was superseded by the togetherness between players and fans on display both when we scored and at full-time.
So onto Saturday afternoon and another big game, this time against a Crewe Alexandra side very much in the play-off picture. The big question on my lips was could we back up our midweek effort with another positive display? And absolutely we did, to a man.
After a fairly even first half, we bossed the second period (even before the red card) and did everything but score. The frame of the goal was struck twice, the visiting keeper pulled off big stops, we had two penalty shouts waved away and the man in the middle (very dubiously) denied Bradley Dack his big moment when giving the softest of soft free-kicks for an apparent foul.
If only we could score more goals, hey?
However, if at 5pm on the Saturday of the Barrow game you told me I would a week later be frustrated to have only taken two points from Walsall and Crewe I would have probably laughed and asked what you were drinking. They say a week is a long time in football, and despite the winless run now into double figures at 11, these past 180 minutes of football have seemingly given us our team back.
Has it been perfect? Far from it. Is there stuff to be improved upon? Plenty.
But in terms of – in the words of young defender Sam Gale – the ‘non negotiables’, we seem to be getting back to where we want and should be, and us as fans recognised that at full-time on Saturday by giving the entire group a standing ovation.
It feels fitting that my final few words should be about Gale, a young man who has recently come into the side and epitomises what you want in a Gillingham player. Heart, desire and a willingness to work hard for the badge coupled with clear ability and bags of potential.
Future club captain? Potentially.
Son in law material? John Coleman says so.
One of our own. Absolutely.
Matt Boosey, who has been supporting the Gills since his first game in 1989, is a season ticket holder with his daughter Ava and has been running the YouTube channel Gills in the Blood TV since 2017.
