Gillingham are in party mood ahead of their weekend clash against Harrogate Town.
The Gills sit top of League 2 and have just set a new record for league games unbeaten, a feat that the club feels is worthy of celebrating.
Managing director Joe Comper is enjoying the feel-good factor but insists the focus remains on the ‘end game’.
Speaking to kmfm this week, Comper said: “We’re very happy. Obviously, being top of the league is always good, but we’re also cautious. We’re not getting carried away.
“Certainly no one inside the building is talking as though we’ve achieved what we want to achieve, because we haven’t. But also, we are acknowledging we’re on a good run, we’re in a good moment.
“The way football is, there’s more lows than there are highs. We’re trying to enjoy it, but also, we’re not enjoying it too much. We are very focused on the end game rather than just being top of the league at this moment.”
A fan-led campaign to pack Priestfield led the club to open the Town End this weekend, with tickets costing £5.
The open stand behind the goal has been rarely used in recent seasons, and structural engineers were brought in to ensure the bottom section was safe to fill.
With a few issues sorted, the Gills will now be cheered on from both ends of the pitch this weekend.
Comper said: “We’re hoping for a bumper crowd and a good atmosphere to celebrate the unbeaten run that we’ve been on and show our appreciation to the team.
“We want to have a bit of a party, a feel-good factor, try and gee the boys on to carry on this run and also celebrate the run that they’ve achieved, because it’s 132 years of this football club and they’re the only group that have gone 21 league games unbeaten.
“We should acknowledge that and appreciate them for it. That’s what we plan to do on Saturday and hopefully we’ll win.”
The Gills have been targeting promotion for the past few seasons since the Galinsons took over, but under manager Gareth Ainsworth, there’s been no such talk of expectations.
Comper’s experienced the disappointment of under-achievement over those last few years and will be hoping the corner has been turned. On recent evidence, it’s looking good.
He said: “When you have such hope and such expectation and it doesn’t come off, it’s heartbreaking. It kills your mood. It can dictate your life a little bit. That’s certainly what was happening to me over last season. It was tough.
“You feel the pressure. You’ve got thousands of people willing you on. There’s thousands of people whose hopes ride on our shoulders. That weighs heavy.
“But on the flip side, when it’s going well, you feel the love from everybody. There’s a real vibrancy inside the club at the moment.”
Ainsworth was brought in towards the end of last season and kept them unbeaten in the last nine games of the campaign. That form has continued this season.
Comper said: “The great thing is that Gareth Ainsworth’s been there, he’s done it. Him and his assistant, Richard Dobson, they’ve won multiple promotions before.
“They’ve seen it all before. They know what it takes to be at the top of the league and stay there. They’re not getting ahead of themselves. None of the staff are getting ahead of themselves.
“The players are not getting ahead of themselves. It’s business as usual. But also there is a feel-good factor.
“A lot of these players have been here for quite a while now and they’ve seen some really tough times. They’ve taken some stick but there’s a real togetherness and a sort of never-say-die attitude.
“That’s the thing I’ve loved the most is how at Bromley we’re 2-0 down and we look dead and buried. But this team finds a way.
“They find a way of getting a result. Last Saturday, we’re 1-0 down after 30 seconds. There’s a penalty and Glenn Morris comes up with a massive moment.
“It just feels like you look around the team and there’s a team of winners, and not only are they capable, good quality footballers, they’ve also got a little bit of fire and a lot of heart.
“They’re finding a way. Hopefully that carries on because if we keep that trait throughout the season, then it will be a positive year for us.”
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