From the day he was introduced via media interview, the man with the rolling eyes was always going to set a landmark in the history of Gillingham FC. A new dawn had arrived at Priestfield to replace the man that sat alongside him. But like a shadow, a Hessy shuffle and a glancing stare of nervousness and maybe disapproval from the corner of a chair, the deal was always going to end in one of death by misadventure. This was to be no leisurely swim at the strand but one of balls straight up the heart of the Medway. After all there was a centenary season be marked in red from start to finish. What a start to the season it was to be, eight games without defeat until the visit of eleven men right from our very own branch of the Northern Elite. We saw past Christmas and into the New Year and the MadDog was still with us. But while everything was appearing rosy in the garden of England there were clouds gathering overhead. In with the old and out with the young was always going to come back to haunt you, like a Scrooge Christmas Carol. The man of self promotion at every chance had a crack in his foundations but subsidence had still not revealed itself through as supporters were becoming excited by the prospect of glimmer ware after 49 years. He was to be loved by the supporters because we had waited so long, so when that trophy was eventually lifted into Medway skyline, the psychology, hoof and experienced blood had won our way out of the basement league tier. But near the end it was not beautiful we were clearly going to struggle with the next strides forward. No youth, no pace and as the great Brian Clough once said, If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds he would have put grass up there. We are but a mere lowly league one club at the best of times with no multi million pound venture to reach the instant dream based on pure media and supporter psychology. You need the building blocks at our level as development equals money in the modern era. To destroy the midfield, the man who walked with the crazy smile fell on his own sword minus a Jackman and a Payne. Whoever brought back a supporter favourite front line was always going to be the final nail. Certainly as it appeared against the grain from what had been built the season before. Thank you for emotions and the tears of delight along the way, they will always be remembered but sadly in reality in this wise man eyes, the end was always nigh as those earlier clouds rapidly gathered and eventually cast one final almighty controversial storm. The delightful exuberant echoes of; Championees Championees ole ole ole. Championees Championees ole ole ole. Championees Championees ole ole ole is now but a distant memory... League Two Champions Gillingham Football Club 2012/13 to Wolves and red trouser leftovers over from the season before equal relegation fodder 2013/14, the psychology was no more.
I think that is a leading question... I think the right question is "Did anything go wrong?" Allen was given two years to get the club in L1 and he did it in one, how is overachieving going wrong? The issue was when Scally started listening to a certain section of fans who lost there sense of perspective over "success" and another section of fans who thought Allen was the spawn of Satan as he succeeded the Lord Almighty, Hessenthaler.
