Those Were The Games
Who Saw The Goal?
Published by Eccles on January 8, 2009
Gillingham v Queen’s Park Rangers – Saturday January 10th 1948
The Second World War was over and football was enjoying a boom. Although in these early post-war years many wartime restrictions still applied, that had little effect on the public’s hunger to do normal things again, which on a Saturday afternoon meant going to football. Everywhere crowds were up, in some cases hugely, and a good time was had by one and all.
But for Gillingham Football Club it wasn’t exactly a return to normalcy, because we were no longer a Football League Club. Having seen our fifth application for re-election fail at the League’s 1938 Annual General Meeting, and having been shielded from the full impact of Southern League life by the outbreak of war in 1939, the Gills faced an uncertain future. Although new Chairman Charlie Cox proclaimed “It is the intention of my Board to return this club to its rightful place as a Football League Club as soon as possible” the hard truth was that no club had ever regained its League status after losing it. And with one notable exception (ours) that remained the case until the rules were changed in 1987.
W S C Cox, known to everyone as “Charlie” had joined the board in 1943, and although he didn’t succeed to the Chairmanship until 1947 when then Chairman Alderman J J Knight died, he’d been the club’s driving force for several years. Charlie Cox was a very successful and highly popular local businessman, running a chain of public houses and catering franchises. He had a clear vision for Gillingham Football Club, and within the confines of the structure of the game at that time, achieved a great deal. Had he not died in 1959 at the early age of 57 he would have almost certainly achieved a lot more. The 1960’s and 1970’s could have been far more successful than they were.
But to return to the initial and probably most daunting challenge – how were the Gills going to get back into the Football League? It had never been done, and the League’s policy on admitting new clubs was quite clear – clubs in new football areas, especially if they attracted good crowds, would find favour. That was why Ipswich had been given Gillingham’s place – they attracted big crowds and Suffolk was a new football area. Gillingham, with small crowds and having failed lamentably in the inter-war years, were at a distinct disadvantage.
Obviously, the cornerstone of the “return to the League” policy had to be building and retaining a decent side under manager Archie Clark. That side would then challenge for and hopefully win Southern League honours, and the crowds (buoyed by the post-war boom) would pack in to watch. And then there was the FA Cup. With cup-ties attracting the biggest gates of all, a non-league club playing and beating League opposition got huge publicity, and over time several clubs did gain a League place almost exclusively as a result of cup glory – eg Peterborough and Hereford. Getting a slice of that particular cake would be vital in raising “New Gills” profile.
Fortunately for our future, manager Archie Clark did the business, and assembled a squad of players who became one of the strongest on the non-League circuit. They came from several sources. There were players like Tommy “Tug” Wilson, who had been with the club since before the war, players like Hughie Russell, Jackie Briggs, Jimmy Boswell, Johnny Warsap and George Forrester who had all been posted to the area on Army service, and local players like Charlie Marks who we probably would have discovered in any event. For the 1945/46 season national football had not yet fully returned, but Archie Clark’s team showed what it could do by winning the Kent League, the Kent League Cup, the Kent Senior Cup, the Kent Senior Shield and the Kent Challenge Cup. But unfortunately in the FA Cup they met leading amateur club Sutton United in the Fourth Qualifying Round and inexplicably lost 9-3, still the biggest ever defeat at Priestfield.
Although the first post-war tilt at FA Cup glory had been a disaster in the following season, 1946/47, Gills began to make the public sit up. Winning at Guildford City 2-1 in the Fourth Qualifying Round and then beating Gravesend and Northfleet 4-1 in front of a crowd of nearly 11,000 at Priestfield, Gills were drawn away to Bristol City in the Second Round. This was a huge ask as City were third in the Third Division South, and a crowd of 21,684 were in at Ashton Gate to see these Southern Leaguers put to the sword. But the Gills played superbly – on top in a goalless first half and then scoring twice to win 2-1 against well-fancied opposition. Just the result to put the Gills back on the map. The Cup run came to an end in the Third Round against Second Division Swansea, when Gills battled through snow and ice to get to the Vetch Field, and once again held their own in the first half. Sadly Swansea’s superior fitness told in the second half as they ran out 4-1 winners.
But as part of the “return to the League” policy, the 1946/47 cup run had been successful, and for 1947/48 the Gills could go into cup battle with an additional victory plume – Southern League Champions 1946/47. Once again the club entered at the Fourth Qualifying Round stage, with a home tie against then amateur club Barnet. Barnet kicked off, went straight down the field and within ten seconds Irish Amateur International Ron Phipps had scored what is believed to be the fastest-ever goal at Priestfield. The crowd of 12,562 were stunned and Gills spent the rest of the game hammering away at the visitors’ defence. It finally cracked ten minutes from time when Hughie Russell equalised. Government austerity measures after the war meant that no midweek replays were permitted, so if the result was a draw after ninety minutes an extra half hour was played. Fortunately for the Gills Hughie still had his shooting boots on in extra time and rammed in two more to complete his hat-trick and give Gills a 3-1 win.
Into the First Round Proper and Leyton Orient were the visitors. This was much more of a benchmark game because Orient were a steady Third Division South side. Another huge crowd, 15,561, paid then record receipts of just over £1,500 to see this one. It cost one shilling and sixpence (1/6d) on the terraces, ninepence (9d) for boys, an additional 1/6d to transfer to the enclosure in front of the Main Stand, and to sit in the Main Stand itself cost a grand total of five shillings (5/-). Gills went ahead after only ten minutes when right winger Wally Akers cut in and hit a blistering shot past the Orient keeper. Thereafter it was a dour struggle as Gills defence stood firm and ground out a 1-0 win.
The Second Round draw was unkind, and delivered an away tie at Rochdale, to be played on Saturday 13th December 1947. Rochdale were mid-table in the Third Division North, but this was another big ask for the Southern League Champions. There were also some pre-match mind games going on. Rochdale were widely reported to be taking pep-pills to increase their stamina. Asked if this frightened him, Gills manager Archie Clark said “Not at all. Down here in Kent we have a diet of lion’s steak.”
Gillingham were magnificent at Rochdale, battling the pep-pilled northerners to a standstill. Over 11,000 were there, bolstered by a fleet of Supporters Club coaches that were said to have delivered nearly 2,000 Gills fans to Spotland. In times of austerity measures, pre-Christmas, before the motorway systems and with charabancs that would pretty much blow-up if they went over 35 miles an hour, to take this amount of fans to East Lancashire for a second round cup tie was a colossal demonstration of passion for our club.
The Gills goal, after twenty-six minutes, was picture book stuff. Hughie Russell rose above everyone to head left winger George Forrester’s corner into the net. Or, as the local paper described it “that wonderful head of his sent the leather crashing into the roof of the net. What a goal!” It took Rochdale until the sixty-third minute to equalise, when the Gills defence, that had stood so firm throughout the game, suddenly gave a chance and Rochdale’s O’Donnell was left with only Gills keeper John Burke to beat. 1-1. It stayed that way until the end of normal time, and then through the then-standard half hour of extra time. In the last quarter of an hour Gills completely ran the game, and peppered the Rochdale goal with shot after shot, but somehow the Third Division North side held out. Perhaps the pep-pills worked after all.
Or perhaps they didn’t, for the replay the following Saturday, December 20th, (no midweek replays permitted) saw the Gills pick up where they left off at Spotland and put Rochdale to the sword with a sparkling show of football. Another huge crowd was there, this time 17,078 and only 2,500 short of the all-time ground record against Cardiff in 1924. They saw George Forrester volley Jackie Briggs centre into the net early on. Just how Rochdale held out for 1-0 until well into the second half was a mystery, and early in the second half they even showed signs of getting back into the game. But Gills creative general Tug Wilson snuffed that idea out when he surged through from midfield and blasted one low past the Rochdale keeper and just inside the post, and soon after a Jackie Briggs header from Johnny Warsap’s cross wrapped it up at 3-0.
That made three Third Division sides beaten in two years. Could Gills make it another in the Third Round? The draw had already been made, and it was a home tie with Queens Park Rangers. The interest in this match, both locally and nationally, was huge. Rangers were leaders of the Third Division South by eight points, and were said to have a team “packed full of talent worth £100,000.” Big money by the Third Division standards of the time. Their strength was in their forward line, and for cup football the ability to score goals is better than the ability not to concede them. Gillingham felt they had a good defence, and how they would fare against a free-scoring Rangers attack that had already scored nearly 60 goals that season would be one of the many intriguing contests. But above all this match was seen as a showcase for Gillingham getting back into the Football League.
Saturday, January 10th 1948 was a bright cold day, and it was quite obvious that Priestfield could well be hosting the biggest crowd that it had ever seen. Main Stand tickets had sold out before the New Year, but everyone else had to queue up and pay on the day, and by 10.00am crowds several deep snaked all around Priestfield and the surrounding roads. Kick off wasn’t until 2.15 pm, with the gates officially opened at 12.00 noon, although they opened up before 11.00 am on police advice. As a gesture to the fans of the future the club decided that the enclosure in front of the Gordon Road Stand was to be used exclusively by “small boys” so that they could see the game properly. Perhaps a decision made by a club official who had himself seen nothing as a small boy when Cardiff visited in 1924. (And pensioners looking to blag a better view from the Gordon Road enclosure by turning up in short trousers were to be chucked out.).
As well as the crowds pouring in to pack Priestfield to the gunnels, good luck telegrams were pouring in to the club offices. “To Mr Archie Clark – Manager GFC. Congratulations to you and your lads. You are doing a great job at Gillingham. Keep it up. We are flying over to see you beat Queens Park Rangers. – Shorts Drawing Office, Belfast.” And from Malta “We wish you all the best, not forgetting re-election to the League. From all your fans on board HMS Triumph.” And many, many more.
By midday messengers were being sent around the town and outlying areas to tell people not to show up as the ground would be completely full, but that didn’t deter many from making the attempt. The turnstiles were closed just before 1.00pm with officially 23,002 inside Priestfield, paying then record receipts of £2,095. There were several thousand more outside watching from any vantage point they could find, and others just hanging around in the streets being relayed the flow of events inside by the cheers and groans of the crowd. Not that those inside could see that much. The terracing, packed cinders in parts, was not banked particularly well. There had been little change to it since the previous ground record of 19,472 in for the 1924 Cup tie with Cardiff, and most of those hadn’t seen much. There were now 3,500 more – but they were in, hoping to see a great occasion and a wonderful Gillingham win, and that was all that really mattered.
As both teams normally played in blue and white, FA rules required that both teams changed colours. Gills took the field in red shirts and white shorts, while Rangers played in black and white hooped shirts, and black shorts. Our team was:-
John Burke; George Dorling, Cyril Poole; Jimmy Boswell, Tommy Kingsnorth, George Piper; Wally Akers, Tommy “Tug” Wilson, Hughie Russell, Jackie Briggs, George Forrester.
Gillingham had genuine high hopes of winning this match. The defence was very dependable at Southern League level, and in the Cup run so far had only conceded two goals in four games. Up front we had two reliable goal scorers in Jackie Briggs and Hughie Russell, two decent wingers giving them a regular supply of crosses and the masterful Tug Wilson holding it all together. And of course there was a record Priestfield crowd backing them up.
Gills started like an express, and Tug Wilson and Jackie Briggs peppered Rangers keeper Allen. But with their first serious attack after nine minutes Rangers went ahead. Jimmy Boswell miss-headed a clearance to let them in, and with the Gills defence strangely hesitant Boxhall took aim and scored with a high cross shot.
Just what the Gills didn’t want, but they hit back well and Allen had to leap across his goal to divert a Hughie Russell special for a corner. Wally Akers nudged the ball to George Forrester and his inviting centre was cracked home by Hughie. The place went mad and we were back in the match. 1-1. The game then settled down into a bit of a cat and mouse affair, with neither side wanting to commit too many players forward in case they got seriously caught out by these two potent attacks. Gills best chance came just before half-time, when Hughie Russell broke through. Allen slipped his footing, but Hughie shot hurriedly and drove the chance just past the post.
So all to play for in the second half, but for once the much-praised Gills forward line was beginning to falter a little and the chances weren’t coming as often as the huge crowd would have liked. Rangers began to get on top, and the Gills defence was having to play very well as a unit to keep them at bay. John Burke in the Gills goal twice had to make brave saves at Boxhall’s feet and right-back George Dorling cut out two dangerous moves that might have finished as goals.
Although the Gills were being pushed onto the back foot, three minutes from time they had a great chance to win it. Rangers full-back Powell miskicked a clearance and Jackie Briggs was on to it and through. But he took the ball too close to the keeper and from three yards shot straight at him. The shot was powerful enough though and Allen only half saved it, diverting it away for a corner. That wrapped it up for full-time. In gathering darkness the two sides continued for another half-hour by Government decree. Defences dominated and neither side got a clear-cut chance. And despite the packed crowd striving mightily to lift their heroes over the finishing line to glory, it stubbornly remained 1-1.
Had Gills greatest chance gone, or could they still climb Everest? A home tie with Stoke City (minus Stanley Matthews who had been sold to Blackpool a few months earlier) awaited the winners. Once again the replay was on a Saturday (January 17th) and another enormous crowd – 27,557 paying receipts of £2,322-17shillings – was at Loftus Road to see it. Plenty of Gills fans had made the short journey to Shepherds Bush. It had been gloomy and drizzly all day, and the pitch, as so often at Queens Park Rangers in those days, was a sea of mud. It had suited Rangers so far that season however, for in the thirteen home games they’d played they’d won twelve of them.
Gillingham made one change from the tie at Priestfield, with left winger Johnny Warsap coming in for Wally Akers, and George Forrester switching wings. And Johnny made his presence felt after only eight minutes when he headed home Jackie Briggs centre. Just the start Gills wanted, and the Southern League Champions gave the runaway Third Division leaders as good as they got in the first half. Then just what Gills didn’t want, a dodgy equaliser. With half time approaching Hartburn looked well offside when he drove the ball low past John Burke. The linesman was flagging strongly, but the referee ignored it and gave a goal, and Gills went into break on terms when they should have been ahead.
Unfortunately in the second half it all started to catch up on us. George Forrester and Hughie Russell both got injured and carried on as best they could, and Rangers started to show why they had won twelve out of thirteen home games. Under heavy pressure John Burke and George Dorling got into a mix-up after sixty-three minutes allowing Hatton to score a comfortable goal, and then the same player made it 3-1 with twenty minutes left. And that’s how it finished.
Unless you win the FA Cup, all cup campaigns end in defeat. This eventual defeat was no disgrace as QPR went on to the Quarter Finals before losing a replay at Derby. For Gillingham the 1947/48 cup run had been a great success, significantly raising the club’s profile nationally. Gills had played in front of enormous crowds, made money, overturned two League clubs and run a third close. More importantly, they had once again demonstrated to the Football powers that they deserved to have their Football League place back. It would be two more years before that happy day finally came to pass, and perhaps in the final analysis Cup success didn’t swing it. In their two final campaigns as a non-league club Gills didn’t exactly get things rocking, losing 2-1 at Romford in 1948/49, and then 3-1 at Yeovil in 1949/50 (who themselves were basking in their 1949 Fourth Round victory over Sunderland. They still are).
But in the history of Gillingham Football Club the Third Round FA Cup Tie with Queens Park Rangers on January 10th 1948 is a massive match. Not only did it involve one of the most successful groups of players we’ve ever had going for glory, but there to see them play was a ground record attendance at Priestfield of 23,002. An all-time record attendance that will never be beaten.
Eccles
Those Were The Games
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