Gillingham’s first home game in 2019 will be an enthralling Emirates FA Cup Third round tie against Premier League strugglers Cardiff City and their enigmatic manager Neil Warnock.

At Monday night’s draw at Stamford Bridge, former Dutch legend Ruud Guillit pulled the Gills number 64 ball, and with manager Steve Lovell looking on in the invited BBC crowd, Paul Ince then provided Lovell with his first giant killing opportunity as a manager.

It has been said of course in the past that the sides towards the bottom end of the Premier League “don’t respect” the Competition at this stage and make wholesale changes.  And normally that would be possibly a boost for the Gills, but with Warnock in charge, it could be argued that it’s very unlikely, as down the years there has been occasions when the veteran manager has had some less than polite words to say about the Gills.

When Mark Chapman asked Lovell for his reaction to the draw, the Gills boss told the nation, “Delighted with it really – to get a home tie against a Premier League club; and I’ve got some good friends at Cardiff as well with Andy Legg and Neil there obviously!  So really looking forward to it – it’ll be a great tie – they’ll bring a good crowd and it’ll be a good day for the club!”

For the record, Gills best run in the competition is the last eight in 2000 whilst Cardiff are the only “non” English side to lift the Trophy albeit back in 1927!

It will be the fifth time that the two sides have met in the competition, with the Gills winning two (including the most recent in 1996 when the Gills won 2-0 at Ninian Park) and in the third round of 1985 when Keith Peacock’s side won 2-1 at Priestfield before going out to Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Round Four.