September 5th 1987 is a date that is embedded in the history of Gillingham Football Club.
It was the day of The Gills biggest ever League win – a 10-0 win over Chesterfield – the only day in the club’s history that a Gillingham side scored ten in a Football League game.
Thirty years on as the two sides prepare to meet again at Priestfield this week on Valentine’s Day, Gills coach Steve Lovell has been remembering – with mixed emotions – arguably one of the most memorable weeks in the club’s history.
The week before Chesterfield were battered into submission, Southend United had been beaten 8-1 on August Bank Holiday weekend – a game where Lovell had helped himself to his first Gills goals – four of them!
“I scored three or four hat-tricks in my time playing at Priestfield, but that Southend game was the only time I ever scored four,” Lovell remembered.
“In those days, (Gills boss) Keith Peacock ran a dressing room book among the players offering scoring odds, through a table hung on the wall.”
“It was a bit of fun for the players and we always had a couple of pounds on ourselves, and this day, he offered 6-1 on me. So to score four…” Lovell admitted with a huge grin on his face, “I won a few quid that day.”
“Keith was pleased with the result, but not very on losing so much money. It was a great start to the season and they were my first goals for the club as well, which made them even more special for me.”
“I’d been injured early on after I joined from Millwall, and there were some who were wondering what Keith had bought. It was all very pleasing as you can imagine.”
Fast forward seven days and Chesterfield’s visit, and of the six different scorers of the ten Lovell incredibly wasn’t one of them.
He takes up the story; “I’ll always remember driving home to Wales after the game as my wife was visiting the family, and I was talking to her on the phone, and I’ve never been so disappointed in my life.”
“She said to me “what a great result – how many did you get?” And when I told her I hadn’t, her reply was something like “you’re joking!” And the funny thing is that, about halfway through the second half when we were nine up, Keith took me off because I was shooting from anywhere as I was desperate to score!”
“He took me off and it capped off an amazing week of my career – to score four one week and then seven days later the team get ten and I didn’t score, was amazing!”
“Undoubtedly that it was the most extreme week of my career – it was brilliant – it was a mad week, but one that I’ll never forget for so many reasons; the happiness of scoring four in one game and the funny mixed feelings of winning by ten and not scoring the following week!”
“It was fantastic too for the team to score eighteen in a week – something that I don’t think many, if any sides have done since!”
“After losing the money against Southend, Keith did the board again to try and get his money back against Chesterfield and he lost even more. When we see each other we still talk about what special times they were, and the fun that we had with some real characters in the team then.”
As the two sides prepare to meet again this week, Lovell knows just how important three points will be to the club this time around.
“We’ve had five tough games, but the only game we’ve lost was to a worldy goal at Oldham. It’s pleasing that we’re creating chances and scoring goals, but the other side is that we’re conceding and that’s something that we’re working hard to stop.”
“The supporters have been great and it’s great to be back – I’ve lived in the area now for over thirty years and this is my home town.”
“I’ve always supported the club and followed them and it’s great to be back working here again. The main thing is now getting the job done on the pitch and you’re judged by that.”
“It’s what happens in football – if you’re doing well, you’re well liked. If you’re not, you’re not – that’s the nature of the game, and that’s why when that first win does come, no-one will be cheering louder or jumping higher than me.”
- For the record, the Gills record against the Spireites since that September day in 1987 is mixed at best. In Chesterfield’s next eight visits to Kent, the Gills won just once. Then Gillingham enjoyed a run of six wins in a row from 1998 to 2008. That win though – 2-1 with Adam Miller and Simeon Jackson scoring – was the last time that Chesterfield lost at Priestfield – there have been four games since!