IN recent years the big question among Gillingham fans has been ‘why can’t the team win away’.

The worrying trend of late is the team’s inability to impress on home soil.

Home form is crucial to anyone’s hopes of success and at present things at Priestfield are not going to plan.

An opening day win over Cheltenham gave everyone high hopes of success this season, and those certainly haven’t been written off yet, but since then the form on home soil hasn’t been great.

The 3-0 win over Plymouth may look good on paper but the two penalties converted by Danny Kedwell gloss over what wasn’t the best of performances against a team crumbling into oblivion due to financial problems.

A failure to do the business on home soil isn’t confined to this season but seems to have rolled over from the previous one.

Last season the Gills narrowly missed out on a play-off spot after successive 4-2 defeats to Barnet and Macclesfield. That had followed draws against Morecambe and Hereford. All four games were certainly winnable.

So what’s gone wrong at home?

It wasn’t long ago that Priestfield really was a fortress. The 2009/10 season saw the Gills sweep aside the likes of Southampton, Leeds, Huddersfield and Millwall. It really was a place to be feared.

Unfortunately that was a time when the Gills were the small fish in a big pond. Teams weren’t coming to Priestfield shutting up shop but going out for the win. At the time it suited Gills’ attacking style at home.

They enjoyed teams coming at them because with a fired up crowd behind them they had the confidence to exploit the space left and make the most of it.

Nowadays, back in the basement division, the Gills are no longer small fry.

Most of the opposition journalists, when I speak to them, admit their side will be just happy to take what they can from Priestfield. A draw at Gillingham in League 2 is thought of as a big result.

Managers will always say they are going to a win but League 2 teams appear to be heading to Priestfield with some basic instructions to their players. Number one would be to stifle the Gills and frustrate.

Once frustration sets in the players start over-playing and forgetting to do the basics. Some players try to be too clever and then the spiral of frustration just gets worse.

Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler has been banging the ‘patience’ drum into his players and that is key. At the moment it seems clubs are coming to Priestfield and disrupting play. There has certainly been a lack of quality this season, not just from Gillingham.

An early goal is always key to settling a side down and drawing opponents out of their shell. Opposition will protect a 0-0 draw all day long, but 1-0 down, they will have no choice but to leave gaps at the back.

So when Burton arrive in a fortnight let’s hope the Gills players come out positively and keep doing the basics. Smart-arse play won’t get them anywhere.

One or two wins and then the team will be flying. It’s still early days in the season and the Gills shouldn’t be written off yet.

Defeat to Burton though won’t go down well with the home fans who are fast deserting their team.

Gillingham must make do without Jack Payne for the next month through injury and that could be cause for concern.

Medial ligament damage to his knee will leave him sidelined for several weeks.

Payne may only be 19 but he is fast becoming a key figure for the Gills and his brief absences this season have already proved costly.

The youngster’s substitution at Rotherham, because of illness, was followed by a monumental collapse and his departure at the weekend preceded another break down in the team’s ability to defend.

His knack of breaking up play as the extra man in midfield has frustrated many teams this season. His bite and appetite to win the ball back has been key to keeping teams quiet.

With Payne doing the dog work in a five man midfield it should also allow the likes of Curtis Weston and Charlie Lee to break forward and help Danny Kedwell upfront. Unfortunately that didn’t quite work out against Shrewsbury, but that wasn’t Payne’s fault.

When he went off at Rorherham there was a tidal wave of attack that the Gills just didn’t look capable of stopping. It ended 3-0, it could have been four or five.

So what will Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler do now that he has lost his barrier between the defence and midfield?

Reverting to 442 and adding an extra attacker hasn’t worked for the Gills so far this season, but now they have Chris Whelpdale back and, most important fit, it gives them a proper option on the flank. Luke Rooney, fired up by an impressive showing last week, adds another natural option out wide. It means Hessenthaler is not putting round pegs into square holes anymore.

If Hessenthaler wants a replacement for Payne then his best bet looks to be Danny Jackman. He was unlucky not to start the season after doing as well, if not better, than Joe Martin at left-back in pre-season.

He can play midfield, albeit ideally at the left side of a diamond, but no doubt he would just be pleased to be off the subs’ bench again.

It all seems to be resting on whether Hessenthaler can do business in the transfer market.

If a new striker arrives, and the signs are looking more promising now, he is likely to go 4-4-2 against Accrington at the weekend, with Kedwell being joined by the new man.

At least Hessenthaler has options but he will be cursing the loss of another key man. First Adam Birchall and now Payne.

Danny Kedwell apparently has a bang on the knee. Fans will be praying they don’t lose him as well.

And with no spare keeper Ross Flitney better be careful or the Gills may be bringing coach Ron Hillyard out of retirement, although Hessenthaler does rate Matt Fish as an excellent shot-stopper.

It is with great sadness that I heard the news of the disbanding of Medway band The Deccas.

The foursome were one of the first Kent bands who let me in to their little world as a features reporter for What's On.

Chatting to them at their practice sessions at Def Studios in Chatham's Historic Dockyard, I was struck by the way the produced tight, typically Medway-Mod recordings.

Their only album Ways To The Sun was typical of the spiky power pop that has gripped the Medway scene for God knows how long. Short, sharp tunes with a good hook.

Never afraid of admitting they were hoping to "make it" they had that pure quality - not found in nearly enough bands - of just being four good mates.

In an email Twydall-born singer-songwriter and guitarist Wes Wren, Gillingham guitarist Phil Crane, Rochester bassist Dave Sawicki and Rainham drummer Tony Hetherington announced: "It is with heavy hearts that The Deccas are saddened to say that they are no more.

"After four and a half years, over 120 gigs, four CDs and six different members and numerous Subways the time seems right to stop."

For nostalgic Medway-scene followers, the good news is that the band will finish their latest EP and put it out on a limited run for free.

Until then, we mourn you The Deccas. Is it too late to reconsider?

****

For anyone who wondered why I suddenly stopped tweeting when I was at Hyde Park for the Kings of Leon concert last Wendesday, it is because the whole thing was too awesome to take my eyes off.

Great support shows from Mona, White Lies and Paul Weller capped off by a stonker of a set by perhaps the biggest band on the planet right now.

I was so impressed that I am heading back to Hyde Park tomorrow to see Arcade Fire, with support from The Vaccines, Beirut and Mumford and Sons.

Then Kent's festival season kicks off with the Hop Farm Music Festival at Paddock Wood the next day and Lounge On The Farm at Canterbury's Merton Farm the following weekend.

If the updates slow down, it is because I've developed a very serious case of tweeters finger.

****

If you fancy getting your music, latest gig or theatre production reviewed on this blog or inside the KM Group's What's On magazine, drop me an email at cprice@thekmgroup.co.uk.

You can also follow me on Twitter @TheChrisPrice and follow What's On @kmwhatson. Join us on Facebook by liking www.facebook.com/kmwhatson

GILLINGHAM are being snubbed from all angles at the moment but luckily we are still in May and so there is no need to panic.

Andy Hessenthaler currently has an 18-man squad at his disposal, albeit seven of whom have no first team experience, so it looks like being a busy summer for the Gills boss.

Cody McDonald won’t be here next season, which I suppose is no surprise as he will have plenty of offers at his door, while Andy Barcham has also got better offers on the table.

Adebayo Akinfenwa looks set to also depart. He heads away on holiday on Wednesday and with bigger clubs apparently sniffing around it is no shock to hear Hess say he doubts the big man will be sticking around. He waited until well into pre-season before signing on at Priestfield last season and it looks likely he will bide his time again. The Gills would be better to say thanks but no thanks and move on.

Chris Palmer appears to be moving back up to the Midlands and there is no news on Kevin Maher at the moment, as he has been on holiday.

A budget cut at the club means their deals won’t be as good as they had hoped so no doubt they are looking around for what better offers they can get. Both Palmer and Maher impressed last season so perhaps they think they deserve more. Can they be replaced? Certainly.

Joe Martin is supposed to be tying up a deal and expect that to be concluded soon. At least that’s one staying!

It could mean that out of the five players Hess offered deals four will have said no. But fear not.

The market for free-agents is still huge and Hess and his team have been non-stop trying to bring people in. Last week the Gills boss was as busy as he had been all season, fielding calls from agents, representatives managers and when he got a spare five minutes the press.

Jon-Paul Pittman, who played for Wycombe last season, was brought to Priestfield for talks but shortly after leaving signed for his local club Oxford.

For fans of the U’s they may be happy to see boss Chris Wilder filling his squad early, with Ryan James and Tony Capaldi also checking in for next season. But this is no time to rush your business.

It is doubtful that the Gills can compete for the signature of the likes of Clayton Donaldson (Lg 2 top scorer last season) and when I asked Hess about Marvin Morgan, a player who was put to them last season, he didn’t seem overly keen.

It shouldn’t be doom and gloom now though. Hess has the chance to mould the team the way he wants it.

Could the Gills be set to raid Dover? Matt Fish and keeper Ross Flitney have yet to sign terms there and Hess will always be linked to some of the players down Crabble.

It is certainly time to move on and for Hess to say to those players who may be wavering on new deals, see you later.

Of course we all want to hear about new signings now, but many players are still actually being paid by their former employers at the moment, ahead of their contracts expiring in July. It means there is a certain reluctance to announce signings. Some are sitting on a beach taking it easy.

Stevenage and Torquay don’t even know what division they will be playing in next season so the Gills at least have a headstart on them.

Patience at this stage is definitely the key.

Gillingham’s decision to release eight players last week leaves plenty of room for new blood and there is no shortage of players available.

The Gills won’t have a mighty purchasing power but with hundreds of players available for free they shouldn’t need it.

It looks like boss Andy Hessenthaler wants a squad of 18 players with experience to handle League 2 next season.

By taking out the youngsters, that leaves him about seven or eight players short, so we can expect plenty of activity in the coming weeks.

Top of his priority will be a keeper and several strikers.

Last season Alan Julian and Lance Cronin battled for the number 1 shirt but personally I feel it would be better to spend big on one decent keeper than have two lesser talents. With first year pro Daren Hawkes as back-up they will have cover in case of emergencies and there are always plenty of decent keepers available for short-term loan if needed.

That leaves seven more spaces and four of those need to be utilised in attack.

Dennis Oli was hampered by injury last season and Stefan Payne is still raw so experience is a must up-front.

There are some recognisable faces in the free-transfer market with the likes of John Akinde, Rory Fallon, Ryan Jarvis, Scott McGleish, Leon McKenzie, Marvin Morgan, Jason Price and Calvin Zola all on the look out for new clubs.

Add a couple of them with Adebayo Akinfenwa and Cody McDonald, if (a big if) they both sign, and you really have got a quality front-line.

I’m sure Hess is looking at all options and if he has any cash to burn then possibly Gillingham-born Danny Kedwell could be prised away from AFC Wimbledon if they don’t get promoted from the Blue Square Premier.

Defensively the Gills obviously need a left-back and Joe Martin has already been offered a deal but he’ll need competition. Former Millwall man Andy Frampton maybe?

In central defence King, Richards, Lawrence, Essam and Davies offer plenty but maybe one more wouldn’t harm just incase.

There is an abundance of talent in central midfield but out wide the Gills still look lightweight, especially with Andy Barcham still not committing himself for another season. It’s one area in need of attention for the new season as the Gills missed options on the flanks with Barcham and Oli continually injured.

No doubt once Peterborough have finished with their play-off campaign Hess will be knocking on Chris Whelpdale’s door.

We saw at Priestfield what an injection of pace and enthusiasm can do with Barnet ripping the Gills defence apart.

So a busy summer awaits for the Gills and the battle now will take place with the cheque book.

Hess won’t be wanting to deal with money-grabbers though so if the big names don’t arrive it might not be a bad thing. We’ve seen in the past that a name matters for nothing. Finding someone with experience, talent and hunger and someone the club can afford are all things Hess will be dealing with as he begins the rebuilding task.

Who would you want to see at the Gills?

With Gillingham’s recent track record in end-of-day scenarios we should have known it would all end in tears on Saturday.

The Gills had only achieved their pre-match goal once in their previous six final day showdowns and after the recent catastrophes on home turf they had it all to do.

For so long though it looked as if the Gills would do the business. I had one eye on the match and one on the score-flashes filtering through during the afternoon. It made for a tense game.

In the closing stages Bury were beating Stevenage and Torquay were also losing their match. With McDonald’s equaliser at Chesterfield it left the Gills sitting pretty in sixth.

Cue defensive meltdown. The Chesterfield left-back Scott Griffiths twice got in behind the back four and twice put the ball on a plate for his team mates to score. For the Gills they had got within 14 minutes of a play-off spot but eventually showed their weakness.

This wasn’t all about that one game though for Gillingham. It should never have come down to that. After beating Rotherham so well it was criminal of them to then face Macclesfield and get well beaten on home soil. While the away form sent the Gills down last season, it was ironically their poor home form that keeps them in League 2 for another year.

Financially it may not be a disaster but fans will hardly be excited about another year travelling to the likes of Hereford, Burton, Morecambe, Torquay and now Plymouth.

On paper the Gills should have got promoted but those players who should have guided the team to League 1 spent more time with physio Steve Allen (who, after his exploits at the end-of-year award night, seems destined for a spot on x-factor!).

Last season’s player-of-the-year Andy Barcham wasn’t fit from start to finish and nobody was able to see the best of him.

Simon King, well we all know about him and next year looks like being make-or-break for his career. Fingers crossed he is over the worst of his problems.

Dennis Oli was injured for most of the season, Curtis Weston barely got a run-out because of injury, Garry Richards was in the treatment room for much of the campaign. Chris Palmer started the season well but a training injury ruined his second half.

Danny Spiller was out for a while, so was Cody McDonald at the start of the season. Maybe had he been fit from the off he might have helped them get over the relegation hangover quicker.

There were so many players who were unable to get up to full match speed and it showed in their performances. They must have been as frustrated as the fans.

The Gills were short of options in attack at the end of the season as budget constraints meant Hess had to rely on Adebayo Akinfenwa to play every minute of every game. He really did need someone with experience to come off the bench late on in games.

Unfortunately the budget was already spent but who could have envisaged having so many players on the sidelines?

The injury list may look like an easy excuse but how can a team achieve anything without their best players? A consistent team breeds consistent results but rarely did we see that last season.

Fans cursed the team’s reliance on pumping balls up to Akinfenwa, but then without Oli and Barcham on the flanks, the options were pretty limited.

Let’s hope Mr Allen is nowhere near as busy next season and Hess can assemble a side that starts the season fit and continues that way. Injuries will always occur but it’s rare to get so many long-term ones. It really ruined the season.

When you see players like Oli and Fuller limping into the end-of-season awards-do on crutches it does highlight what has been, for me, the biggest problem this season.

The retained list will be out this week and Hess will be already on the phone trying to build for next season. It clearly wasn’t a good season but then it could be worse.

Not only do I now have to report on League 2 football again, but my team Lincoln were relegated to non-league at the weekend and I don’t see them coming back for a long time.

There is always someone worse off!

**If you have time today log into kentonline.co.uk/gillingham at 1pm for the live Q&A session. Come along and contribute to the discussion.

Picture: Barry Goodwin.

It should never have got to this stage but somehow Gillingham will once again be fighting for something on the final day of the season.

Home form has really been woeful in recent weeks and if they are still playing League 2 football next season then they can look at that as one reason for the failure to climb out of the division.

How ironic that it was their terrible AWAY from last season that got them into this mess in the first place.

After going on such a long unbeaten run they really have hit the skids at the worst possible time.

So, it’s down to the final game, and Gillingham not only have to get a result themselves but rely on Torquay and Stevenage slip up.

Two of Torquay, Stevenage and Gillingham will jump onto the play-off bandwagon and stand a chance to win a place in League 1.

One thing not helping the Gills is that goal difference tally (worsened considerably after the last two home shockers).

A five goal swing is needed to over-haul Stevenage. It could still be possible for Andy Hessenthaler’s men to lose 1-0 and Stevenage to be beaten 6-0 and the Gills go into the play-offs (courtesy of scoring more goals during the season!) Not likely I know.

Or even better, Gills win 6-0 and Stevenage 1-0 and going up that way. That, though, is clearly ridiculous.

The Gills then will need at least a point, against a side who need just a point more themselves for the League 2 title, and then rely on results elsewhere. So what of the two other games that count?

ROTHERHAM v TORQUAY

If only Rotherham had beaten Aldershot at the weekend, instead of drawing 2-2, then they too would have had an outside chance of making the play-offs and maybe I would have been a bit more confident of them doing something against Torquay. The Gills made Rotherham look ordinary and deservedly won the match at their place. It could have been different though had Adam Le Fondre started the match. He had one great chance, after coming off the bench, but miscued in front of goal thanks to a bobble on the awful pitch at the Don Valley.

Torquay are a form side, without a loss in 11, but like when the Gills went on their unbeaten run they have drawn many of those matches including the last four. The Gulls should have beaten league leaders Chesterfield on Friday night, denied only by the woodwork, but can they perform away from home? They were held 3-3 last time away at Burton so this one is by no means a certainty.

Rotherham are the out-of-form team and have failed to beat struggling Northampton and Aldershot in recent weeks. So I’m going with form on this one and predict a Torquay win.

So that leaves Gillingham relying on the next game.

STEVENAGE v BURY

Both teams have something riding on this as Stevenage, currently one place above the Gills on goal difference, face an already-promoted Bury side who need a win to stand any chance of clinching the league title.

Bury need the Gills to beat Chesterfield to do that and in turn the Gills need Bury to beat Stevenage!

This could be the key game for the Gills as Bury are a formidable outfit away from home.

They won’t want to finish the season with another defeat, having lost to Wycombe last weekend, and with the title a possibility they will be going all-out for the win.

Stevenage, like the Gills, had a disaster last weekend and slipped up 2-0 against relegation-threatened Northampton.

Of the promotion hopefuls Stevenage have the worst home record and they are going up against a team with the best away stats in the division.

I’m going for a narrow Bury win here (not 6-0!), which really does open the door for Gillingham.

But it still means the Gills need a point at Chesterfield. Hess’ men are doing the business away from Priestfield at the moment and this really would be a big one!　

How do you think the final weekend will end? Comment below.

GILLINGHAM’S fans travelled in their numbers once more at the weekend to boost the home side’s coffers but not once this season in the league has anyone done the same in reverse.

The Brian Moore Stand has been a desolate place this season with League 2 sides failing to bring in numbers and much needed revenue for the Gills.

Last season there were bumper turnouts in the league from Leeds, Norwich, Southampton, Charlton and Millwall. This season there has been none.

The drastic reduction in attendances will certainly not be helping the already fragile bank balance and it highlights the real need for the Gills to get back into League 1.

While prize money, Football League payments and television share may not be much different in League 2, the money coming in the turnstiles from the Town End has certainly plummeted.

Up to and including the visit of Hereford and their 128 supporters, the turnstiles in the away end went round about 4,300 times. That’s the total amount of fans coming in from the previous 20 league games at Priestfield.

Consider the fact that in the final two home games of last season the Gills played Leeds and Southampton and between the two of them they brought 4,417 fans into Priestfield.

It doesn’t take a maths genius to see that Gillingham’s income is going to be drastically reduced this season largely by the scant away following from their League 2 counterparts.

The 64 who made the trip from Rotherham and the 62 from Accrington pale into sorry contrast with last season’s visits from Norwich (1,434), Brighton (1,206), Southampton (2,176), Charlton (2,304), Leeds (2,241), Millwall (1,933) and Southend (927).

That’s 12,221 fans by my calculations and if they were paying on average £15 a ticket that’s £180,000, not to mention programme sales etc.

It’s money that a club with a £13million+ overdraft and big losses in their recent accounts can really afford. No wonder the club are going all out for promotion this season. Another year in League 2 is going to really start hurting financially.

Meanwhile the Gills fans have been out in their numbers and not once this season has a visiting team brought to Kent the same numbers that have gone the other way for the reverse fixture.

Lincoln brought 178 fans to Priestfield back in August but the Gills took 559 the other way. Northampton came with 267 fans but the exodus from Kent numbered 886.

The biggest away crowd this season (apart from Dover’s 2,300 in the cup) has been Southend, with a modest 462, but that was still nowhere near the 926 who made the trip to Roots Hall.

No doubt the likes of Southend, Barnet, Stevenage, Aldershot and Torquay would miss the Gills if they went back up to League 1 after the fans from Kent have put plenty of money in their tills.

On Saturday the Gills are opening up the away end on the cheap for home fans. At last a good incentive to attract more home support, but it’s doubtful there will be much noise coming from the away fans.

Gillingham’s last three home games are against Morecambe, Barnet and Macclesfield - stand that next to the visits from Brighton, Leeds and Southampton from last season’s last three games and it is easy to see why everyone, not just the bank manager, wants to see League 1 football return to Priestfield.

Picture caption: Bradford, with 10,000 plus home attendances, bring a meagre 193 to Gillingham. (Pic by Barry Goodwin)

A QUICK look through the recent goings-on at the Football Association’s disciplinary department highlights the catalogue of cases where respect has clearly not been on the agenda.

The FA have been talking about respect for a long while, insisting it is "the collective responsibility of everyone involved in football to create a fair, safe and enjoyable environment in which the game can take place."

But while players and management at the top level continue to play to their own rules the filtering of respect is never going to reach the grass roots.

Respect certainly seemed a million miles away at Priestfield on Saturday, as referee Paul Tierney rattled everyone’s case. The home fans were denied a decent spectacle, due to the whistle-happy official, who the visiting team used to their advantage.

Hereford players soon realised Mr Tierney was, like themselves, capable of ruining a game of football and between them they sucked all of the life out of Gillingham. The Gills players never got into their stride and it ended up a day to forget.

Eight players were booked as a vicious cycle ensued. The more Mr Tierney wound the players up, the more they responded, and the more his yellow card came out.

Both assistant managers ended up in the stands and the BBC cameras were there in the tunnel at he end to highlight just what little respect exists now between officials in black and officials at clubs.

Sniping between the referee and Gillingham’s management was not a good advert for the FA’s respect programme. But who is to blame?

The likes of Wayne Rooney are certainly no role models, as his recent foul-mouthed out-burst on Live TV confirmed. The FA have now slapped a charge against him and he has until 6pm on Tuesday to respond. A ban looks likely.

Are managers acting much better? Sir Alex Ferguson is certainly never far from controversy and was given a five-match touchline ban for insulting match official Martin Atkinson recently.