The Western Gazette of 28th. November 1879 reported that a Football Club was formed at the Phoenix Hotel on Sunday 14th. November 1879. This makes Gillingham Town the oldest club in Dorset.
A photograph of a team taken under the viaduct shows that the club was playing at Chantry Fields into the late 1800’s, and another picture just prior to the 1914-18 war was taken at the same venue.
Following the war the pitch was moved to a site behind the present Police Station and moved to its present site in Hardings Lane after vacation by the Gillingham Show Society.
Little real success was recorded until the mid 1960’s when Dorset football began to sit up and take notice of the ‘Gills’. The Dorset League championship was won four times in five seasons, and the Mark Frowde Cup was won two years on the trot against strong Dorset Combination League sides.
The Shaftesbury Open Cup has been won on seven occasions when in the Dorset League Division One, and again when in the Dorset Combination League. Also, the Blackmore Vale Open Cup has been won on numerous occasions, and the Stokes Hospital Cup once during the 1970’s against Wiltshire club Amesbury Town.
In 1977, one of the main highlights of the club’s history was the completion of the new clubhouse, and a game against Yeovil Town’s Southern League side, in which the ‘Gills’ recorded a fine 1-0 victory.
The club continued to fare reasonably well in the Dorset Combination League during the mid 1970’s, and in 1978/79 the ‘Gills’ almost carried off the championship, only being narrowly denied by Poole Town Reserves, who pipped the ‘Gills’ by just a single point!
One of the highlights in the Dorset Combination League was at the end of the 2001/2 season when, under the managership of Paul Down, the lads came from behind to win 2-1, after extra time, in the Dorset Combination League Cup Final against Westland Sports at Raleigh Grove, Sherborne.
Leading Ryman League Premier Division side Aldershot Town, now members of the Football League, visited Hardings Lane for a pre-season friendly in readiness for the 2002/3 season. The ‘Shots’ put out their full 1st. team squad during the game and, although they subsequently ran out 5-0 victors, the ‘Gills’ were by no means disgraced. At the start of the 2002/3 season the ‘Gills’ also won the Mark Frowde Cup for the third time, winning 2-1 against Poole Borough at the County Ground, Hamworthy.
The 2002/3 season saw the Dorset Combination League take on a new title becoming the Dorset Premier League. That seasons campaign saw Paul Down’s charges lose only one league match all season, but again the ‘Gills’ were denied the title by a single point, this time by Hamworthy United, even though the ‘Gills’ amassed 87 points!
The 2003/4 season saw manager Paul Down depart early in the season to be replaced by club stalwart Dave Graham, assisted by Colin Isaac. The Gills finished 4th. in the league, and reached the League Cup Final, only to lose 0-1 to Dorchester Town by the last kick of the match, and also reached the Semi-Final of the Dorset Senior Cup to again lose by the last kick of the match 1-2, after extra time, to Poole Town.
The subsequent seasons saw some outstanding football all of which came to fruition under player / manager Adrian Foster when the Gills earned promotion to the Western League at the end of 2007/08 season. The 2009/10 season was the best in the Club’s history, narrowly missing promotion to the Premier Division, reaching the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup and winning the Dorset Senior Cup for the first time in their history.
