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Gillingham Awaydaze
Gillingham Awaydaze
Wednesday, 26th Sep 2007 22:11

Our trip to Kent is this coming Saturday, with a 3pm kick-off.

Priestfield stadium is approximately a mile to the east of Gillingham town centre. By car you should leave the M2 at Junction 4 and take the A278 towards Gillingham, going straight across two roundabouts. At the 3rd roundabout turn left onto the A2 towards Gillingham town centre. At the traffic light junction with the A231, turn right into Nelson Road and passing the small bus station take a right turn into Gillingham Road, the ground is down on your right. There is a cheap pay and display car park on Railway Street, which as the name suggests is near the station, but if you want to park in the street you will have to leave the car some distance from the ground, to avoid the residents only parking scheme.

 

The ground is about a ten minute walk away from Gillingham railway station, which is served by trains from London Victoria and Charing Cross. Turn left out of the station and follow the road until you come to a crossroads. Go straight on into Priestfield Road, where you will find the visitors' turnstiles are at the far end.

 

A couple of pubs worth mentioning are the 'Will Adams' at 73 Saxton Street

in the town centre, (which is in the good beer guide and does good cheap food), and the 'Southern Belle' opposite the railway station, which also has a cafe located next door. The 'Livingstone Arms' on Gillingham Road is known as an away supporters pub and is situated approximately 100 yards from the away turnstiles, but I'm told that away fans should avoid 'The Cricketers' in Sturdee Avenue. Food-wise you can visit the central chippy by the 'Will Adams' pub, or the Circus Fish Bar close to the ground in Livingstone Road.

 

Priestfield Stadium has been virtually re-built since 1995. On one side of the ground is the impressive two tiered, Medway Stand, opened in 2000 and opposite is the tidy all seater Gordon Road Stand. The Rainham End, has also been re-developed, with a single tier cantilevered stand, which replaced a former terrace. A new 3,200 permanent all-seater stand has replace the temporary seats that constituted the away end on our last visit. This is the 'Brain Moore Stand', after the legendary commentator and life-long Gills fan, who died in 2001. Larger away followings will get the whole stand, and presumably that will include us, although Gills fans will be in part of the stand for some games.

 

Our game is a gold category match, so the prices will be Adults £20 ,OAP's £13, Students & Juveniles £12 and Minors £10. The official Gillingham site says that they are only selling tickets for home areas of the ground to fans who already on their database, though if you need an expensive last resort you could go for the corporate hospitality package they are advertising.

 

One unusual aspect of visiting Priestfield Stadium is that away supporters have to walk down a very narrow terraced street to reach the away entrance, or if coming from adjacent streets down very tight alley ways. However, there are never normally any problems with this although after the game the Police sometimes close of some of the surrounding streets to keep fans apart.

 

The Club have recently announced that they embarking on a joint feasibility study with Medway Council, to look at possible suitable sites for a new stadium. If the Club were to move then Priestfield would be re-developed for housing.

  

Photo: Action Images



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