The Gallinson family has promised wholesale changes at Gillingham this summer after a mid-season slump tarnished any hopes of progression at the club.
Optimism was bright at Priestfield after a strong start to the season, but since then, the Kent side have fallen into mediocrity, with just one win in 11, which came against relegation-threatened Barrow before their Easter Monday victory over Accrington Stanley.
Gallinsons Apologise For Performance
With Gillingham set for their fifth straight campaign in League Two and heading straight on course for their third 17th-place finish in the past four years, excitement has been hard to come by for fans.
That malaise has lead to owners Brad and Shannon Gallinson issuing a statement to current season ticket holders in a bid to convince them to renew their seats for the upcoming campaign. (Quotes via Kent Online):
“We won’t sugarcoat it — this has been an incredibly difficult season, and we know you’ve felt it. The results on the pitch have not been what this community deserves, and for that we are truly sorry.
“What has never wavered is you. Through the frustrating afternoons and the long away trips, your loyalty and passion for this club have meant everything to us.
“We intend to make large-scale, substantive change this summer. We are not tinkering around the edges — this is a significant rebuild, and we are determined to bring in the quality and character this club and its supporters deserve.
“We are committed to getting this right. The work happening behind the scenes — on the pitch, in recruitment, and across the entire club — is driven by one goal: building a Gillingham FC that you are proud of. But none of that is possible without you renewing your faith in us for next season.
”Please renew your season ticket. Your support is not just appreciated — it is the foundation everything else is built on. We are in this together, and we genuinely believe the best days for this football club are ahead.”
The news of a restructuring comes weeks after manager Gareth Ainsworth pledged to revitalise his playing squad, having previously said that some of the current crop are not good enough to play under his watch at Priestfield.
Club Pulling In Same Direction – But Is Ainsworth The Right Man?
With their newest statement, it seems that both manager Gareth Ainsworth and the owners in the Gallinsons are in agreement that wholesale changes need to be made over the summer to put the club back in contention for League One football.
Gillingham have struggled to even challenge for a return to the third tier, where they spent the best part of a decade, and after the promise of the early stages of this campaign, it will be a bitter pill to swallow for fans to see their side once again stuck in the bottom third of the table.
Recent weeks have emphasised the need for change, with wins being hard to come by, with their form briefly pulling them in with an outside chance of relegation prior to the win against Accrington Stanley, which should make them unpassable for the teams in the bottom three.
The dire spell of form has rightly highlighted that some of the players are not right for the way Ainsworth wants to play, and some key decisions will need to be made as to contracts, with some players, like Bradley Dack, eyeing up extensions for next season.
But some of the blame has to be put at the former Wycombe Wanderers‘ man’s feet, having not been able to reverse what has been a long slide down the table and overseeing some dire performances as of late, such as the trouncings at the hands of Cambridge United and MK Dons.
Ultimately, Gareth Ainsworth is probably the best option to lead the club into next season, and if he can get his recruitment right, he should be able to make this club into a formidable force with the backing from the owners.
