The story of one man and his dream of reaching the top. We will see the highs and lows of his career so far, which has seen him move from the South to the North of England before settling in the Midlands at the club he supported as a boy.
Paul Scally. Love him or hate him, Gillingham fans will forever be grateful to him that their team hasn’t suffered the same financial difficulties that other clubs floating in the lower divisions have had. They will also be grateful for their spell in Division One, or the Championship as it’s known now, grateful for their League Two playoff win at Wembley. Those that hate him attack his refusal to budge on finances, having strict control on what goes out. A couple of dodgy managerial appointments in recent seasons has seen Gillingham fans ride out some inept performances and a ‘will they, won’t they’ attitude towards relegation.
When Peter Taylor was sacked last season, the next appointment was crucial. Get it wrong and Gillingham were back in the fourth tier, back to square one. In came former Tottenham defender Justin Edinburgh. His Newport County team were 6th in League Two when Gillingham approached in February 2015. His first task was to steer Gillingham away from the relegation zone, being placed in 18th, whilst his second was to finish as high as possible. An obvious talent, he got Gillingham firing, seeing them finish 12th, sparking debate that if he was backed in the summer, the fans could dream about challenging in the upper echelons of League One.
Edinburgh ensured some early business was done in the post-season. A whole range of changes were sanctioned by Scally. More importantly, they were all free transfers or loans. Key signings were Rory Donnelly, Max Ehmer and Josh Wright, as well as loanee Adedeji Oshilaja, from Cardiff. He had also brought in Ryan Jackson from former club Newport County. However, a behind-the-scenes falling out, rumoured to be about a transfer budget for new signings, meant that the relationship between himself and Scally was strained to say the least. Just days into pre-season, Scally announced that the club had parted ways with the Scottish manager. Gillingham were, once again, in a position with no manager and a bleak outlook ahead of the new season.
Bookies had shortened odds on the most recognisable names, Ian Holloway and Nigel Clough, to name two. Not thought to be considered in the running was 26 year old coach Steve Gibson. Having played professionally before retired early due to persistent knee problems, Gibson was a well-respected coach at Gillingham. His playing career saw him start in the Millwall youth team, progressing through the ranks before finally making his first team debut aged 19. He was sent on loan a few times in his early twenties, first to Maidstone United and then to Sittingbourne. His time spent off the pitch unfortunately overshadowed what he did on the pitch and found himself released by Millwall in 2011. A ligament injury in 2009 had not been quite fixed and saw Gibson spend several long stints in the treatment room. His loan spell to Sittingbourne lasted 3 months, though Gibson only played twice.
On medical grounds, Gibson decided to hang-up his boots in 2012 and decided to kick on with his coaching badges. Having already picked up the entry level qualifications following his time out injured, he was able to progress quickly. He was able to take on a coaching position at Sittingbourne, his now home-town. Former Sittingbourne manager, Steve Lovell, now Gillingham coach, was a contact of Gibson’s and was able to give him some advice during his time at Bourne Park. It was in 2014 that Gibson was offered a coaching role at Gillingham.
Fans were calling for a big name, though were pessimistic at their chances of being listened to. Edinburgh had won over the fans and the club seemed to be heading in the right direction. Frustrations spilled into a pre-season friendly against Crawley, as a 3-0 loss sparked chants from the 100 or so Gills fans that made the trip of ‘Scally, get out of our club.’ The time didn’t seem appropriate for the club to take risks but just 12 hours later, Scally announced that 26 year old coach Steve Gibson had just earned himself his first managerial position.
“I think it’s a disgrace. We need stability at this club at Scally has just ruined our best chance of it.”
“It’s one thing getting rid of a well-respected, decent manager. It’s another thing bringing in an unknown.” Comments were understandably negative. Did Gibson mind?
“I know the club, I know the fans, I know the town. Of course they’re entitled to be unhappy. Things have happened for whatever reason but I’ve been given a great opportunity to showcase my talent and I will endeavour to do that and prove to the fans I’m the right choice.”
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