RTG’s totally and utterly (we hope) indispensable guide to this season’s away grounds.
THE OPPO – Gillingham aka The Gills
DATE – Saturday 11 September
KO TIME – 3pm
THE GROUND – The Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham, Kent– click here and here for maps of the area – the arrow points to where the ground is.
CAPACITY 11,582 since the stadium’s redevelopment, including about 1,500 away supporters in a temporary stand.
The Priestfield Stadium is close to the centre of Gillingham, close to the M2 and also to Gillinhgam railway station.
TICKETS
Supporters are advised that this is an ALL TICKET game for Sunderland fans and there will be NO TICKETS available for purchase on the day at Gillingham.
Sunderland AFC have a limited number of tickets still available at the
Stadium of Light Ticket Office, priced at £24 for adults, £20 for senior
citizen and £18 for juniors.
Sunderland AFC advise all supporters not to travel without a valid
ticket. No tickets will be made available to Sunderland supporters at
the Stadium and fans without tickets will be turned away.
GOING BY CAR?
You can “look forward” (ahem) to a 600 mile round trip but the vast majority of it is on motorways.
Travelling from the north east, get yourself onto the A1/A1M southbound and stay on for about 190 miles – until you get into Cambridgeshire, past Peterborough and just before Huntingdon.
Look for signs for the A14 and stay on that road for 15 miles – look for signs for the M11 southbound.
Stay on the M11 for 42 miles until jcn 6, then join the dreaded M25 signposted ‘Gatwick Airport (M23)(M25), Dartford Tunnel’. Stay on the M25 for 16 miles.
Leave the M25 at jcn 30/31 and head onto the A282 then after a mile, turn left onto the A2.
After 8 miles pick up the A282 again, signposted ‘Rochester, [A2] Gillingham, Gillingham [A289], Grain [A228].’
After the Medway Tunnel continue to the roundabout – take the 3rd exit onto Maritime Way.
At the next roundabout take the second exit onto Dock Road
At the next roundabout take the first exit onto A231 Wood Street for 1 mile
Continue straight onto Balmoral Road then straight ahead to Priestfield Road.
The following roads are residents’ parking by permit only: Balmoral Road, Windsor Road, Ferndale Road, Linden Ave, Priestfield Rd, Gordon Rd, Livingstone Rd, Coulman St, Beaconsfield Ave, Harold Ave, School Ln, Toronto Rd, Redfern Ave, and parts of Sunnymead Ave.
Suggested areas for street parking are: furthest parts of Sunnymead Ave, Chicago Ave, Canadian Ave, Valley Rd, Sturdee Ave, Woodlands Rd, Carlton Ave, Alexandra Rd, Larkfield Ave, Third Ave and Fourth Ave.
Gillingham FC tell us that traffic wardens are out and about on matchdays!
GOING BY TRAIN?
There’s a railway station only quarter of a mile from the ground.
If you want to get there in time for a couple of drinks and something to eat before the match, catch the 7.30am from Newcastle central station which gets you to King’s Cross at 10.40am. Nip across town to Victoria Station, catch the 11.34am SouthEast Trains service from there, and you’ll be in Gillingham around 12.20pm. If, however, you like more of a lie-in, catch the 8.59am GNER from Newcastle (arrives at Kings Cross just after noon) then the 1.04pm from Victoria to Gillingham.
Coming home there are trains leaving Gillingham for Victoria at 5.29pm, 5.59pm and 6.59pm, then nip back across town to King’s Cross and catch a northbound GNER leaving at 7pm, 7.30pm or 8.30pm.
Alternatively ALS are running their usual coach service – click here for details.
For train times for that day or to book tickets in advance, check the National Rail website.
STOPPING OVER?
Travelodge Medway, M2 motorway Rainham – tel 0870 0850950
The Railway Hotel, Balmoral Road, Kent – tel 01634 577735
SCRAN AND BOOZE
Plenty of pubs in Gillingham town centre, within walking distance of the ground. The ‘Will Adams’ is in the good beer guide and serves food too. Or there’s the ‘Southern Belle’ opposite the station which comes recommended, and the ‘Livingstone Arms’ on Gillingham Road also welcomes away supporters – although travelling supporters should avoid ‘The Cricketers’ in Sturdee Avenue.
LEND US A FIVER I’M OUT OF CASH
There’s a Woolwich ATM at Gillingham Railway Station, or an Alliance & Leicester one at the ‘One Stop Community Store’ on Sturdee Avenue. Failing that if you’re in Gillingham town centre before the match, there are a good few ATMs there including Abbey, Lloyds TSB, Nationwide and Nat West.
IN THE NEWS
Darren Byfield left Sunderland in the close-season and signed for the Gills and has already scored three goals in six league matches.
Gillingham recently announced that Byfield is to take over from John Hills as the team’s penalty-taker.
Gills’ gaffer Andy Hessenthaler is hoping to land midfielder Gary O’Neil from Pompey.
Striker Iwan Roberts has been charged with improper conduct by the FA after commenting in his autobiography that while he played for Norwich, he deliberately stamped on Wolves’ Kevin Muscat.
LAST SEASON
Finished 21st out of 24 with 51 points.
THIS SEASON
Currently 11th of 24:
P6 W3 D0 L3 F7 A8 Pts 9 GD -1
HOME FORM
P3 W1 D0 L2 F3 A5 Pts 3 GD -2
LAST MEETINGS
23/03/04 Sunderland 2 Gills 1 (Thornton 11, Byfield 53)
04/11/03 Gills 1 Sunderland 3 (Downing 45, Oster 58, Stewart 72)
30/01/88 Sunderland 2 Gills 1 (old Div 3)
15/09/87 Gills 0 Sunderland 0 (old Div 3)
17/05/87 Sunderland 4 Gills 3 (old Div 3 playoff)
14/05/87 Gills 3 Sunderland 2 (old Div 3 playoff)
TRIVIA
Famous ex-Gills: Steve Bruce, Ade Akinbiyi, Gavin Peacock, Tony Cascarino, Carl Asaba, Micky Adams, Glen Roeder, Nico Vaesen, Gavin Peacock, Peter Stringfellow (THE Peter Stringfellow?!!)
Mackems/Ex-Mackems with a Gills connection: Darren Byfield, Gary Breen (92-94), George Burley
– Best league win: 10-0 vs Chesterfield in 1987.
– Worst league defeat: 2-9 vs Nottm Forest in 1950.
– Record transfer fee received: £1.5m from Man City for Robert Taylor (Nov 99)
– Record transfer fee paid: £590,000 to Reading for Carl Asaba (Aug 98)
Credits: Gillingham FC, Medway Council, Link, Rough Guide to English Football, Soccerbase, streetmap.co.uk, RAC, BBC, National Rail.