Gillingham have parted company with Head Coach Stephen Clemence less than six months after being appointed.

Clemence has been shown the door at Priestfield along with his Assistant, Robbie Stockdale, after the pair guided the side to just 12th place in League Two.

Replacing Neil Harris in November, it had been hoped that Clemence would have been able to secure a top seven finish at the very least, but an indifferent end to the season saw the side fall short.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Doncaster Rovers was therefore his last in the Gillingham hotseat and Clemence is the latest in a long line of bosses that have failed to live up to expectation and the side sit in the fourth tier of English football.

Owner Brad Galinson is still in the country and is expected to begin the process of finding Clemence’s replacement as soon as possible, giving the new boss as much time to build for next season.

A statement issued by Gillingham Football Club reads:

“Stephen joined the Gills in November 2023 and has since worked hard to achieve the ultimate goal of getting the team heading towards the top end of the table. Despite an improvement in performances and style of play, sadly results have not met the expectations set by the club and, as a result, the Board believe a change is necessary to give the club the best possible chance of gaining promotion next season. Assistant Head Coach Robbie Stockdale will also be leaving the club.”

Managing Director Joe Comper said: “Stephen and Robbie are great characters and are good people. We have been met with a really difficult decision, whether to stick with them in the hope results turn around after changes to the playing squad in the summer, or to bring some fresh impetus to the club at a time when a new person can spend time assessing and assembling a squad that they believe can take us forward, hopefully towards League One next season.

“Our supporters have backed us heavily over the past two seasons and we are impatient to achieve success for them, and feel that our best chance of having that success is by making a change at this point.”

Director of Football, Kenny Jackett, said: “We now begin the process of appointing a successor to Stephen and Robbie. We are identifying targets we believe could take this club forward and will be looking to make an appointment as quickly as possible, so the new management team can form an integral part of the squad building process straight away.”