Gillingham have been handed a home draw against Premier League side Stoke City in the Third Round of the FA Cup.
That will mean a return to Priestfield for former manager Tony Pulis who was in charge of the Gills for four seasons between 1995 and 1999, overseeing a stellar period in the club’s history.
His last game in charge of the Gills was the Play-off final loss to Manchester City at Wembley after a dispute with Gills Chairman Paul Scally.
The return of Pulis to Priestfield is sure to add extra interest to the tie scheduled for the weekend of January 7th and 8th. It will also see a return for former defender Adrian Pennock and midfielder Mark O’Connor who are both on the coaching staff at Stoke.
Former Gillingham striker Mamady Sidibe is on the books with Stoke, but has been out of the game since snapping his Achilles tendon in a game against Tottenham in August 2010.
Fans are expected to flood to Priestfield for the tie which could become a sell-out, similar to the game against Aston Villa in the Third Round of the FA Cup in January 2009.
The game will also see an expected return to Priestfield for striker Peter Crouch who was less than complimentary about the Gillingham fans in his autobiography.
Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler was optimistic with the draw, telling the club’s official website: “It will be an interesting game. It will be tough against Premier League opposition but we have nothing to fear.”
“If we play to our maximum and catch them on an off day then who knows. We will have to put on a good performance.”
“We will look forward to it when it comes round. It should be financially rewarding for the club – with a good crowd.”
Gillingham booked their place in the Third Round of the FA Cup after Curtis Weston’s goal dumped Leyton Orient out at Brisbane Road on Saturday afternoon.
Full FA Cup Third Round Draw:
Middlesbrough v Shrewsbury
Nottingham Forest v Leicester City
Manchester City v Manchester United
Dagenham & Redbridge/Walsall v Millwall
Crawley v Bristol City
Doncaster v Sutton Utd/Notts County
Bristol Rovers v Aston Villa
Tottenham v Cheltenham Town
Sheffield Wednesday v West Ham
Milton Keynes Dons v QPR
Hull City v Ipswich Town
Coventry v Southampton
Brighton v Wrexham
Fulham v Charlton Athletic
Birmingham v Wolves
Norwich v Burnley
Arsenal v Leeds United
Derby v Crystal Palace
Fleetwood/Yeovil v Blackpool
Swindon v Wigan
Barnsley v Swansea
Chelmsford/Macclesfield v Bolton
Newcastle v Blackburn
Everton v Tamworth
Sheffield United v Salisbury City/Grimsby
Liverpool v Southend/Oldham
Gillingham v Stoke
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Watford v Bradford
Peterborough v Sunderland
West Brom v Cardiff
Reading v Stevenage
Ties to be played 7-8 January 2012