Gillingham players, and chairman Paul Scally, say thank-you to the fans at after Saturday's draw with AFC Wimbledon. Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

A sell-out crowd of more than 11,000 packed Priestfield to see the Gills clinch the League 2 trophy on Saturday.

Gillingham have also been followed in large numbers away from home and manager Martin Allen has put a lot of effort into making the team on the pitch join forces with the thousands off it.

He said: “The fans are vital and it’s their club. Mr Scally owns it but the bottom line is that it’s the supporters’ club.

“The players should at the end of every game clap the supporters and thank them for coming. It takes about two minutes to do it, to show respect to the supporters who have paid all the money.

“Money is not easy to come by at the moment, jobs are not easy to come by but the people who come to watch us and buy tickets, you should respect them coming, whether you win or draw. The other bit rarely happens to us. Even then you should still do it.

“The fact that so many of our supporters have been on the bench and on the team coach, in the team hotel, involved at the training ground and been in my office to find out what happens behind the scenes, is unique. It doesn’t happen at any other club in the Football League.

“We have had people in dressing rooms and it’s been non-stop. The training ground is open all the time and I wanted the public to come in and feel it.

“It is hard work at times but do I regret it? No. It’s been magnificent.”

Don't miss nine pages of Gills coverage in Monday's Medway Messenger.