Gillingham Managing Director Joe Comper has completed a year in the job in the past week, and he has been talking to KSN about the latest managerial appointment at MEMS Priestfield. 

“We set about in January,” Comper told us, “We almost hit pause as we’ve been round and round in circles hiring multiple managers as we know.”

“At the press conference in January when we appointed John Coleman to the end of the season, we did announce that we were going to hit pause, decide what we want, outline a vision for the Club – what do we want our team to look like – and we will identify all the people who are going to suit that position when the time comes.”

“We – myself, Andy Hessenthaler, Ronnie Jepson – spent a bit of time working with the owners and some of the first team staff as well, to set about what is our vision, what do we want for our Gillingham to look like?”

“What is the identity? Once we had been through that process, having met Gareth and Richard in the summer, it was obvious that things we had spoken about there, things that we had outlined – we didn’t outline the vision for these guys, they gave us their own vision!”

“I was on the phone to Brad (Gallinson) and he said are they available and told him “No, that they were at Shrewsbury” and then explained to him it was complicated as he asked if we could talk to them.”

“So, whilst this has been thought through, it hasn’t been an easy appointment – there were far easier options for us, but we think that it is the appointment that fits our vision both character wise and style and play wise.”

“That helps us to believe that as we go on this journey with our two-year plan, we will be able to build something, it won’t be smooth!”

“The journey the guys went on at Wycombe wasn’t a straight line for them from League Two to Championship – ultimately it went from there to there but it was very up and down – it suggests to me that the guys are steady, consistent, determined – it’s not an easy thing to be at the same Club for that length of time and continue to move it forward!”

“That’s what we want to achieve here, and we’re really pleased to have these guys as we think that they are going to do it for us!” 

Ainsworth’s arrival at MEMS Priestfield meant an earlier than possibly planned departure for interim boss John Coleman, for whom Comper had nothing but praise for as he said, “He wasnt actually in the building on Tuesday and when we spoke to him initially on the phone, he was happy with the decision, as we had been honest with him all throughout the process.”

“So, it wasnt out of the blue and that was important to me that we were honest with John as he had been honest with us, as we had had that sort of relationship from the start and to show how well it ended he came into the Club, sat with Shannon and I having a coffee with us, we had a long chat about the Club and his time here – I think he really enjoyed it – and now he’s going back up North to his family and his parting comment was that if he sees any players whilst he’s out watching players, he will be in touch!”

“A real top guy – he and Jimmy (Bull) are really top guys and I hope will always be friends of Gillingham Football Club!”  

Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.