User:ChrisTheDude/Sandbox2

The 1937–38 season was Gillingham's 18th season playing in the Football League. The club had been among the founder members of the Football League Third Division in 1920, which was renamed the Third Division South when a parallel Third Division North was created a year later. In Gillingham's 17 seasons in this division, the team had consistently struggled, only finishing in the top half of the league table three times. They had finished in the bottom two on four occasions, requiring them to apply each time for re-election to the League.{{sfn|Soar|Tyler|1983|p=110}}{{sfn|Mitchell|Reeves|Tyler|2013|p=140}}

Alan Ure was the club's manager; he had been appointed at the conclusion of the previous season following the resignation of Fred Maven.{{snf|Elligate|2009|p=94}} Jack Oxberry assisted him in the role of trainer. The club signed several new players, including Jimmy Nichol, who arrived from Portsmouth; the veteran half-back had spent three seasons with Gillingham in the 1920s and returned for a second spell with the club at the age of 34.{{sfn|Triggs|2001|p=TBC}}

File:Meadow Lane 1981 - geograph-1225368.jpg, home of Notts County (pictured in 1981).]]

Gillingham's first match of the season was away to Bristol City.{{sfn|Brown|2003|p=52}}

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File:Elm_Park,_the_former_home_of_Reading_FC.jpg, home of Reading (pictured in 1981).]]

Gillingham's final match of the season was away to Reading.{{sfn|Brown|2003|p=52}}

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;Key

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

• In result column, Gillingham's score shown first
• H = Home match
• A = Away match

{{col-2}}

• pen. = Penalty kick
• o.g. = Own goal

{{col-end}}

;Results{{sfn|Brown|2003|p=52}}

As a Third Division South club, Gillingham entered the 1937–38 FA Cup in the first round, where they were paired with fellow Third Division South club Swindon Town. Jimmy Watson scored Gillingham's only hat-trick of the season, including two goals from penalty kicks, but his team lost 4–3 and were eliminated from the competition.

;Key

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

• In result column, Gillingham's score shown first
• H = Home match
• A = Away match

{{col-2}}

• pen. = Penalty kick
• o.g. = Own goal

{{col-end}}

;Results{{sfn|Brown|2003|p=52}}

Gillingham entered the 1937–38 Third Division South Cup in the first round.

;Key

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

• In result column, Gillingham's score shown first
• H = Home match
• A = Away match

{{col-2}}

• pen. = Penalty kick
• o.g. = Own goal

{{col-end}}

;Results{{sfn|Brown|2003|p=52}}

File:Laurie Fishlock postcard.jpg, who played both football and cricket professionally, made 20 appearances during the season.]]

During the season, 32 players made at least one appearance for Gillingham.

As a result of finishing last,{{sfn|Brown|2003|p=52}} Gillingham were again required to apply for re-election.{{sfn|Mitchell|Reeves|Tyler|2013|p=140}} The only non-League club to apply to join the Third Division South was Ipswich Town of the Southern League. They joined the two bottom teams in the division, Walsall and Gillingham, in a ballot among the League's member clubs for two places in the division for the subsequent season. Ipswich received 36 votes, Walsall 34, and Gillingham 28, meaning that Ipswich were elected to the Football League and Gillingham lost their place.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109170307| work = Daily Telegraph | access-date = 8 September 2022 | via = Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription | title = Ipswich Town F.C. in Third Division| date = 31 May 1938}} The club returned to the Southern League but would be elected back into the Football League when it increased its membership by four clubs in 1950.{{Cite web | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109225807| work = Daily Telegraph|first=Frank|last=Coles | access-date = 9 September 2022 | via = Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription | title = 4 More Clubs in League| date = 5 June 1950}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Bradley

| first1 = Andy

|first2= Roger|last2= Triggs

| title = Home of the Shouting Men: Complete History of Gillingham Football Club 1893–1993

| publisher = Gillingham F.C.

| year = 1994

| isbn = 0-9523361-0-3

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Brown

| first = Tony

| title = The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record

| publisher = Soccerdata

| year = 2003

| isbn = 1-899468-20-X

}}

• {{cite book | last = Elligate | first = David | title = Gillingham FC On This Day | publisher = Pitch Publishing | year = 2009 | isbn = 978-1-9054-1145-0 |location=Durrington}}
• {{cite book | last1 = Mitchell | first1 = Colin| last2 = Reeves | first2 = Jon| last3 = Tyler | first3 = Daniel | title = The History of English Football Clubs | publisher = New Holland Publishers | year = 2013 | isbn = 978-1-78009-449-6 }}
• {{Cite book|last1=Soar|first1=Phil|first2=Martin|last2=Tyler|title=Encyclopedia of British Football|year=1983|publisher=Collins Willow|isbn=978-0-0021-8049-8|location=London}}
• {{cite book | first=Roger|last= Triggs | title=The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club| publisher=Tempus Publishing Ltd | year=2001| isbn=978-0-75242-243-5|location=Stroud}}

{{Gillingham F.C. seasons}}