1980–81 Gillingham F.C. season
FA Cup: per FAC
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As a Third Division team, Gillingham entered the [[1980-81 FA Cup]] at the first-round stage in November; they were drawn to play [[Dagenham F.C.|Dagenham]] of the semi-professional [[Isthmian League]].{{sfn|Rollin|1981|pp=465, 904}} Gillingham took a 2–0 lead and, although they conceded a goal, held on for a 2–1 victory.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/195722979| work = [[The Daily Telegraph]]|page=25 | access-date = 17 April 2026 | via = [[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=limited | title = Kellow gol burst hits Leatherhead|first=Trevor|last=Williamson| date = 24 November 1980}} Trevor Williamson of ''The Daily Telegraph'' wrote that Gillingham had been given a harder fight than the scoreline suggested. In the second round, they were paired with their fellow [[Kent]]-based team, [[Maidstone United F.C. (1897)|Maidstone United]] of the [[Alliance Premier League]], the highest tier of [[non-League football]].{{sfn|Elligate|2009|p=198}} The interest in a match between the county's two leading teams meant that the match drew an attendance of 9,099, the highest recorded at Priestfield for more than a year.{{sfn|Brown|2003|pp=89, 90}} With less than ten minutes remaining and the score still 0–0, White seemed to have scored for Gillingham but the goal was disallowed for an offside offence.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/193491177| work = [[Sunday Telegraph]]|page=35 | access-date = 16 March 2026 | via = [[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=limited | title = The prize guy|first=Michael|last=Field| date = 14 December 1980}} In the final minute the same player's header beat the Maidstone goalkeeper but struck the goalpost. The match finished goalless, meaning that a [[replay (sports)|replay]] was required, which took place at Maidstone's stadium, [[Athletic Ground, Maidstone|the Athletic Ground]].{{sfn|Elligate|2009|p=195}} In the second match, both teams had several goalscoring opportunities but squandered them, and the game again finished 0–0.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/193494048| work = [[The Daily Telegraph]]|page=22 | access-date = 16 March 2026 | via = [[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=limited | title = Maidstone fight to another replay|first=Paul|last=Ward-Smith| date = 17 December 1980}} |
As a Third Division team, Gillingham entered the [[1980-81 FA Cup]] at the first-round stage in November; they were drawn to play [[Dagenham F.C.|Dagenham]] of the semi-professional [[Isthmian League]].{{sfn|Rollin|1981|pp=465, 904}} Gillingham took a 2–0 lead and, although they conceded a goal, held on for a 2–1 victory.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/195722979| work = [[The Daily Telegraph]]|page=25 | access-date = 17 April 2026 | via = [[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=limited | title = Kellow gol burst hits Leatherhead|first=Trevor|last=Williamson| date = 24 November 1980}} Trevor Williamson of ''The Daily Telegraph'' wrote that Gillingham had been given a harder fight than the scoreline suggested. In the second round, they were paired with their fellow [[Kent]]-based team, [[Maidstone United F.C. (1897)|Maidstone United]] of the [[Alliance Premier League]], the highest tier of [[non-League football]].{{sfn|Elligate|2009|p=198}} The interest in a match between the county's two leading teams meant that the match drew an attendance of 9,099, the highest recorded at Priestfield for more than a year.{{sfn|Brown|2003|pp=89, 90}} With less than ten minutes remaining and the score still 0–0, White seemed to have scored for Gillingham but the goal was disallowed for an offside offence.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/193491177| work = [[Sunday Telegraph]]|page=35 | access-date = 16 March 2026 | via = [[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=limited | title = The prize guy|first=Michael|last=Field| date = 14 December 1980}} In the final minute the same player's header beat the Maidstone goalkeeper but struck the goalpost. The match finished goalless, meaning that a [[replay (sports)|replay]] was required, which took place at Maidstone's stadium, [[Athletic Ground, Maidstone|the Athletic Ground]].{{sfn|Elligate|2009|p=195}} In the second match, both teams had several goalscoring opportunities but squandered them, and the game again finished 0–0.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/193494048| work = [[The Daily Telegraph]]|page=22 | access-date = 16 March 2026 | via = [[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=limited | title = Maidstone fight to another replay|first=Paul|last=Ward-Smith| date = 17 December 1980}} |
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The second replay took place at Priestfield.{{sfn|Rollin|1981|p=469}} At half-time the score was once again 0–0, but shortly after the break Maidstone ended more than four hours of goalless play between the two teams by taking the lead. They added a second goal in the final ten minutes and secured a 2–0 victory.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/193499967| work = [[The Guardian]]|page=16 | access-date = 16 March 2026 | via = [[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=limited | title = Dashed by Daubney|first=Robert|last=Armstrong| date = 23 December 1980}} The result was seen as humiliating for Gillingham and the biggest victory in the history of their semi-professional opponents.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/188516187| work = [[The Daily Telegraph]]|page=16 | access-date = 9 January 2026 | via = [[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=limited | title = Maidstone storm through|first=Paul|last=Ward-Smith| date = 23 December 1980}}{{sfn|Elligate|2009|p=198}}{{Cite news|work=[[Kent Messenger]]|first=Tony|last=Hudd|date=24 December 1980|page=36|title=Watling's wonders win glory}} Speaking 35 years later, Barry Watling, Maidstone's manager at the time of the victory, highlighted that several of his team had previously played for Gillingham and added "They’d been told they weren’t good enough |
The second replay took place at Priestfield.{{sfn|Rollin|1981|p=469}} At half-time the score was once again 0–0, but shortly after the break Maidstone ended more than four hours of goalless play between the two teams by taking the lead. They added a second goal in the final ten minutes and secured a 2–0 victory.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/193499967| work = [[The Guardian]]|page=16 | access-date = 16 March 2026 | via = [[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=limited | title = Dashed by Daubney|first=Robert|last=Armstrong| date = 23 December 1980}} The result was seen as humiliating for Gillingham and the biggest victory in the history of their semi-professional opponents.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/188516187| work = [[The Daily Telegraph]]|page=16 | access-date = 9 January 2026 | via = [[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=limited | title = Maidstone storm through|first=Paul|last=Ward-Smith| date = 23 December 1980}}{{sfn|Elligate|2009|p=198}}{{Cite news|work=[[Kent Messenger]]|first=Tony|last=Hudd|date=24 December 1980|page=36|title=Watling's wonders win glory}} Speaking 35 years later, Barry Watling, Maidstone's manager at the time of the victory, highlighted that several of his team had previously played for Gillingham and added "They’d been told they weren’t good enough [...] and they’d gone back there and proved a point."{{Cite web|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/sport/the-night-of-watlings-wonders-239672/|title=Forty years today since non-league Maidstone United beat Football League Gillingham after FA Cup trilogy|first=Craig|last=Tucker|date=22 December 2020|accessdate=30 January 2026|work=Kent Online|publisher=[[KM Media Group]]}} |
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====FA Cup match results==== |
====FA Cup match results==== |
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