Tom Clee
Gills365 Interview: Nicky Southall
Published by Tom Clee on February 4, 2010
As Gillingham cult heroes go, certainly for my generation, Nicky Southall is up there with the best of them. The tireless midfielder notched up over 350 appearances during three separate spells in Kent, all spanning a decade which saw the most successful period in the club’s history.
There has been a lot to look back on during the past ten years: memorable cup runs, three play-off finals, two promotions and two relegations. But it goes deeper than that for Southall, who is Gillingham through and through. For Southall, it is not just the moments in the sun that stick in the mind, but the hard graft along the way.
“I will always remember the 0-0 away to Stoke (on the final day of the 03/04 season) that kept us up. It is the most draining game I can remember, knowing that one goal could see us down. Words can’t describe the feeling when that whistle went.”
And it was this unerring dedication that meant the crowd took Southall, affectionately known as Trigger, to their hearts. Now one could be forgiven for assuming the nickname was derived from a powerful shot that produced many unforgettable goals over the years. Wrong. It stems from his apprentice days at Hartlepool.
“When I was young and naïve, I was taken in by some of the wily foxes that were the older players. They convinced me that if I super glued my hubcaps to my car they wouldn’t get nicked. I’ve never done anything as stupid again, but the name stuck. I’m actually considering changing my name by deed pole”.
So what was it that made the man from the North-East fall in love with the Medway club?
“The fans always treated me very well, and I have so many fond memories of the club. Priestfield is a lovely, tight little ground and I loved the atmosphere created in there. Sometimes it felt as if the Rainham End could suck the ball into the net. I guess I just formed an addiction that stayed in me and wouldn’t leave, no matter where I went.”
Southall’s final season for the Gills’ culminated in promotion, with a last –minute winner over Shrewsbury in the League Two play-off final. Yet for the 38,000 Gillingham fans at Wembley there was just one thing spoiling an otherwise perfect day: they never got the chance to say goodbye.
Southall was inconceivably left out of the squad, as Mark Stimson plumped for two midfielders on the bench who have since faded into obscurity. For Southall, it didn’t come as a surprise. His relationship with Stimson was rocky from the outset and well documented thereafter.
Other players have found that once you get on the wrong side of the Gills’ boss there is no going back. Yet Southall was soon recalled from a loan spell at Dover and ultimately played a pivotal part in a successful campaign, making Stimson’s final snub all the more puzzling.
“The whole day was a bit of a daze with such a mix of emotions – going from being so excited to unbelievably down. But of course as a fan it was still a fantastic day, and the overriding emotion is one of pride at contributing to a promotion season.”
Southall now finds himself reunited with fellow Gills legend Andy Hessenthaler at Dover Athletic, a friendship that goes back a long way.
“He’s my best mate, my business partner, even our wives are best friends. In football you meet a lot of people and go through a lot with teammates, but it always went way beyond that with Andy. I think we have a very rare bond.”
So having been handed the captaincy of a side that are riding high after two successive promotions and sitting pretty in the Conference South league table, how long does Southall, on the verge of turning 38, intend to carry on playing?
“Well if Andy keeps playing me at centre-back no more than a week or two! I don’t like the stigma that once you are the wrong side of 35 you are past it. I’m still bubbling with enthusiasm and turning up with a smile on my face, and putting in decent performances. We’ll have to review it in the summer but all the while I’m enjoying playing I see no reason to stop.”
Southall, however, is certain of the direction he wants his career to take once he eventually hangs up his boots.
“I definitely want to go into management. I’m not ready to be out casted by the players just yet, once you cross that divide you become ‘one of them’ – I think I’ll put that off for as long as possible. But eventually, of course I’d love to. I’ve made some good contacts during my career, and I still feel I have a lot to offer.”
So, having been denied his emotional farewell, what are the chances of Southall receiving a hero’s welcome at some point in the future, with a fairytale return to Priestfield?
“One day, I’d love to”. And what a welcome it would be.
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Tom Clee
Tom Clee
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