Chapter 6 An attempt to add a touch of humour to our travelling fortunes whilst following The Gills in our 2013/14 League One campaign. In align with an idiot abroad. Angry maybe, but possibly better described as two grumpy old men sharing the fate of their beloved team; win, lose or draw. The camel reigns were back between my teeth for this journey, as I make my fifth away trip out of six for the season. So as we venture on to the travel coach for the onward journey, probably dreaming more of walking a hot beach somewhere with âwhateverâs comfortableâ as winter feels now just around the corner after Fridayâs atrocious weather, youâve seen the ad and Iâm sure can picture the scene while that music is still going around in my head. So what happened when my friend travelled to Crewe in our last away game without me, well I read he took up a touch of train spotting, a good job the Gills Northern Elite (GNE) were there to keep him in check, although except a certain younger member, mentioning no names losing the dayâs programme bought for him and having to succumb to the deserved wrath from the female member of the group. Stolen...yeah right! Mind you itâs a surprise I have not been banned from future Gillingham games, up until the trip to the Railwaymen I had attended all previous eight league games home and away this season and had not witnessed a single win, so the turn of fortunes in my absence and three points after an emphatic 0-3 win for match nine, left me somewhat embarrassed. Good job the MKD game lifted that shadow from over me the following week. Anyway I thought it best turn to a more cultural theme this week as we headed somewhere in the direction of the Welsh border. My first thoughts asked is Shrewsbury in Wales, well Iâm led to believe it was once somewhere in the Kingdom of Mercia. The mere mention of that word âMerciaâ brings thoughts of no mercy, when during our invasion in September 2008 we retreated back home with a 7-0 beating by the ruthless longbows of the Salops. By coincidence, like some medieval jester sketch, Martin Allen asked the same question (see Gills Player) this week by saying âI think we go to Wales or Shrewsbury is that in Walesâ - reporter replying âcloseâ...MA responds in typical style: âthat is what I donât want, is it, is it or is it not, I donât want the grey area, you know what I mean, itâs not is it, itâs in England. Those words...is it, is it or is it not...itâs not is it, itâs in England. Could quite easily have been written by Chapman, Cleese, Gilliam, Idle, Jones and Palin, maybe a good starting line up for a Gills team, I only jest, on the basis of those opening eight games. So if Martin Allen was to have a film made about him (see his newspaper column), what would it be, âMad dogs and Englishmenâ. I would probably class him more in a scene screaming, âhereâs johnnyâ as mentioned in my (brb) âyouth v experienceâ article about nine months ago. Shrewsbury a town steeped in history, the birthplace of Charles Darwin (Darwinâs Shrewsbury), an Abbey, a Cathedral and Churchâs galore, even a Castle along with some monument called Lord Hills Column so I believe, well you didnât actually expect me to know all that, did you? Quite frankly this all looks a bit too historical and far too intellectual for a working class supporter like me, like the repressed peasant that I am (read on). No wonder my companion for the day dodged this write up... That was until a Python caught my attention, no not a bloody snake. It appears the much travelled Michael Palin spent part of his education here. So maybe a response in true Monty Python style is more fitting... MA itâs not Shrewsbury, in mad dogâs old English itâs Scrobbesbyrigscīr, get your linguistics round that one, if you can. Surely with such a place name this has to be the new setting for a remake of the film Monty Pythonâs Holy Grail, I can just imagine it now, the legend of âScally the King of the Gillinghamâ and his successful quest in lifting a playoff trophy some seven months after that aforesaid drubbing, just a shame Darwinâs theory of evolution never really extended to Gillingham Football Club over the past 100 years. Although maybe our evolution is about to begin, we saw our Chairman going into our hosts ground today, so why was he there? You donât really get to see Shrewsbury the town because as soon as you arrive in the area you are more or less there at the ground. And plenty of ground there is...one large enormous car park. Coach area for whole fleets to be parked up and easily turned around. A Home team bar, which was banned to away fans, despite it strangely being at the visiting supporterâs end of the ground with the Away team and coaches parked right outside! The stadium quite awe inspiring and minus the urban sprawl to be replaced by rolling hills, but what about the Townâs history and retailers along with traditional pubs, none of that here. Now the awkward moment on how after a long journey to get into the home team bar for a desperately needed pint of beer, how thoughtless not to cater for weary travels. Worry not, nothing was going to stop these wise old boys of persuasion on gaining entry with jackets done up and shirts tucked in and refreshing it was at £3 a pint. Anyway back to the story... Martin Allen stands tall like the Knight that says âNiâ, having lifted the Holy Chalice in our centenary, so maybe Darwinâs theory is starting to fruit. Although in AD 2013 his thoughts of âsmashingâ league one, I say âNiâ as this appears a bigger task than a swallow carrying a coconut (you need to see the film) unless we spend a few nickels more. Mart will demand nothing but sacrifice at Greenhous Meadow on the back of a consecutive two game win. Why did they drop the âeâ? The greatest sacrifice this season has been coming from Charlie Lee, the man that fights like a black knight, with the strength of many men and none shall pass, he moves for no man. It is but a scratch âa scratch, your arms offâ?! â âIâve had worse itâs just a flesh woundâ. Then between the sticks, we have the best keeper in league one, âEnglandâs Number Oneâ also described for #AskNels as the banter king, could he be a future John Cleese, with a hairstyle like that it would be no surprise. But the heroics for this game was shown by the younger breed, Callum Davies, time and time again, have you learnt anything yet Mart about the youngsters you allowed to depart. I would like to have joked at the end, like the story of the black knight with no arms and no legs he insisted it was a draw. But there were no arms and leg limbs given in this game, hence we came home with a two nil defeat. At least with humour you can smile in front of all the cost and time of following our beloved team, not made better by a miserable home journey. So I leave the last words to the Monty Python team then GFC. How can you tell he is King? Because there is no **** on him. Look out for our next away adventure as the two angry camels travel to...Port Vale Chapter 1: http://www.not606.com/showthread.ph...amels-travel-to-Wolves-Gillingham-FC-Football Chapter 2: http://www.not606.com/showthread.ph...mels-travel-to-Swindon-Gillingham-FC-Football Chapter 3: http://www.not606.com/showthread.ph...mels-travel-to-Crawley-Gillingham-FC-Football Chapter 4: http://www.not606.com/showthread.ph...els-travel-to-Coventry-Gillingham-FC-Football Chapter 5: http://www.not606.com/showthread.ph...el-in-a-tiny-car-travel-to-Camp-Nou-(-Crewe-) Chapter 6:
Well what can I say other than ....... “We are no longer the knights who say ni! We are now the knights who say ekki-ekki-ekki-pitang-zoom-boing!”
Nice write up. We had what was claimed to be one of the most picturesque surroundings at the old Meadow ground surrounded by the river, a Victorian railway station, mature trees and a castle. Set in the centre of town and near many an ale house, parking and shops, naturally in walking distance of homes. Of course this land was worth money and left a worn out football stadium to move to a nice new one on the outskirts of the town. Travel plans were developed etc but humans are lazy tikes and park their cars all around. There are limited drinking holes nearby, admittedly they are not the prettiest. We have yet to understand the bar being at the away end although it was put there due to the PowerLeague 5 aside pitches built as part of the new stadium permission. Beers are available in the ground at the bars, but in plastic bottles. If you ever get a new location for your ground, fight as early as you can to make sure the minor things that make the day special are considered from the start! If you have Port Fail next week then take your hard hat and not small kids incase they hear some profanities or see some aggression from the fans.
I never to the life of me thought when writing this story that the very same day of publishing that MA would be slayed...shocked.
Just be afraid lest Scally turns Priestfield into a shrubbery ( or a wasteland ) Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni Ni ( or should that be ninny )
