Gillingham will start their new League 2 campaign with a long trip north.
First up for the Gills for their season opener is an away game at Accrington Stanley on Saturday, August 2.
The Gills won’t have as many long journeys this season compared to last, but the fixture list includes a Tuesday night trip to Chesterfield and a game at Fleetwood just five days before Christmas.
Gillingham’s first home league game of the season comes against Walsall, a side who endured a spectacular dip in form last season.
Walsall started the year with a 12-point lead at the top of the table but blew it and then lost at Wembley against Wimbledon in the play-off final.
Gillingham play twice more at home in August as they welcome Chesterfield and Crewe to Priestfield after an away game at Tranmere Rovers.
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Manager Gareth Ainsworth will no doubt have had an eye on when the Gills played his old team Shrewsbury, having left them for the Priestfield job at the end of March.
Shrewsbury were relegated from League 1 and they host the Gills on Saturday, November 29. They will be heading to Priestfield on Saturday, May 2 for the final game of the season.
Oldham Athletic were promoted from the National League via the play-offs and the Gills meet them at the end of a busy opening month that will also see Ainsworth’s men play a first-round Carabao Cup match.
National League champions Barnet have signed former Gills striker Oli Hawkins this summer and they head to Priestfield in November.
The festive period sees the Gills follow up that long trip to Fleetwood on December 20 with a Boxing Day home match against Neil Harris’ Cambridge United.
Ex-Gills boss Harris was unable to stop the U’s dropping out of League 1 last season. Mark Bonner – who started last season as Gillingham’s head coach – is their director of football.
The Gills entertain Colchester United on Monday, December 29 and their New Year’s Day game is away against historic rivals Swindon Town.
A quick turnaround for the Gills sees them play Notts County on Sunday, January 4.
Easter fixtures see them play away at Walsall on Good Friday and host Accrington on the Bank Holiday Monday.
The League 2 play-off final this season is scheduled for Monday, May 25.
All games are subject to being moved for Sky Sports coverage and on international football weekends.
By next Thursday, (July 3), the EFL say selections shall be announced in respect of all live broadcast matches to be played before the end of September.
An EFL statemet said: “Before a ball is kicked in the 2025/26 season all TV selections will be confirmed for the period up to the FA Cup Third Round on the weekend of 10 January 2026.
“This is up to five months’ notice provided to fans and Clubs, a significant increase on the previous deal, which had seen five weeks’ notice given across the majority of the season. By selecting TV picks early and giving much more notice, fans will be able to plan with certainty when making travel and hotel arrangements.”
The draw for the Carabao Cup takes place later today. Gillingham are in a south section that includes Plymouth Argyle and Swansea City, who they lost to last season. The first round game is provisionally scheduled for Wednesday, August 13.
The Gills already know two of three teams they will face in the group section of the EFL Vertu Trophy, up against Wycombe Wanderers and Colchester United, with another invited top-flight under-21 team to be added to the group.
Trophy dates are to be confirmed with the first midweek game in early September.
Gillingham’s preparations for the new season have already started. Players were due back at Priestfield for fitness testing today (Thursday), with new signings Sam Vokes and Andy Smith announced the day before. Defender Conor Masterson also signed a new deal this week.
The Gills are in pre-season action away to Dover Athletic on Tuesday, July 8 and host League 1 side Reading on Saturday, July 12 at Priestfield.
