The âKedwellâ thread has got me thinking about the strikers I have seen wearing the Blue shirt of Gillingham and I am wondering who are the best forwards we have had. Now this is obviously very subjective and it would appear to be unfair to compare our Championship strikers with our bottom league strikers, if you are just comparing actual ability, then Rod Wallace is the best striker we have ever had (I donât think we have had any other league winners play for us). So here are my top 20 strikers based purely on my opinion and only includes players who I have actually seen play, so from 1989 to now. I am sure I have missed some peoples favourites but here goes (in no particular order) Marlon King, Rod Wallace, Tommy Johnson, Super Bob Taylor, Carl Asaba, Iffy Onuora, Andy Thomson, Steve Butler, Simeon Jackson, Ade Akinbiyi, David Crown, Steve Lovell, Chris Pike, Dennis Bailey, Leo Fortune-West, Nicky Forster, Darren Byfield, Patrick Agyemang, Adebayo Akinfenwa, Cody MacDonald.
That's pretty much every striker we've had since 89 Ashford For pre-89 (back to early 70's) I'll nominate - Brian Yeo Tony Cas Davey Shearer Steve Lovell Danny Westwood Ken Price Damien Richardson Peter Feeley Dave Mehmet Some of my all-time faves in that list.
Sir Keefy........Brian Yeo 44 goals in a season where a striker was fair game for being kicked into the stands under the guise of a legitimate tackle! Bob Taylor of course. Price and Westwood were a bit of a dynamic duo and both had pace and power.....and again took a lot of stick. In todays game they'd get hatfuls of goals......and what would they be worth? COYG/UTG........
Windy, Bran Yeo was good, but not THAT good! He scored 31 League goals in 73/74 (club record along with Ernie Morgan) with 1 more in the cup.
Sir Keefy, it might seem that way (and I missed out Henderson and Beadle), but when you consider the likes of Mulligan, Facey, Oli, Arnott, Heritage, MacDonald (D), Piper, Jordan, Hislop, Payne (S), Aylott, Crane, Cumbers, Pinnock and Savage, we have had some rubbish up front, and Kedwell is at least better than all of these!!!
Leroy Griffiths and Dennis Oli was a dream pairing! So was Paul Shields and Steven Hislop for that matter.
Really, really Old Timers might just remember centre forward Pat Terry (1958 - 1961 ) who sadly passed away in 2007. Pat had a unique heading ability, rarely ever surpassed at Priestfield. He compared to the great Ron Davis of Southampton and Wales. Both had the ability, once air bourne, to hang in the air and subsequentlyto powerfully direct headers in to the net almost at will. I remember him once rising to a cross at the Town End and collapsing in a heap with concussion. When he eventually came round he was told he had scored, and he jumped up, arm aloft, and ran back to the halfway line. Pat scored 60 goals in 108 league appearences...a pretty good average. I am sure the majority of those must have been scored with his head. One other interesting point, I believe he was the first ever Gills' player to use the services of an agent! Considered very not 'Tickety Boo' in those halcyon days.
In all seriousness as I've only been a fan for 10 years I've missed out on some of the clubs legends so I will have to choose the following: Wallace, Sidibe, Agyemang, Byfield, Dickson (first spell), Jackson, Cody Mac, Bayo. For technical skill ability Agyemang wins. For finishing probably Jackson but as an all round striker Cody McDonald/Darren Byfield are probably the best I've seen.
