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Gillingham’s season opener against Hull City could have been a packed-out affair - a home crowd buzzing with expectation and 2,500 away fans hoping for a marker to get their promotion campaign off to a flyer.
Instead there won’t be a supporter in town but at least one of Gillingham’s new arrivals might not notice. Trae Coyle is used to playing inside near-empty stadiums, having just emerged through the youth ranks at Arsenal.
Coyle scored his first goal for the Gills on Tuesday, a classy one-two with fellow newcomer Jacob Mellis unlocking the Crawley Town defence before he finished with a low strike into the bottom corner.
There was a ripple of applause, nothing more. He’s looking forward to showing what he can do infront of a crowd, the 19-year-old likes to create and score and could be a fans’ favourite, but that will have to wait.
And for now, no crowd is no big issue for the Arsenal hopeful.
He said: “I am used to playing with no fans but I know a lot of the lads find it difficult. It is not going to affect us. We just have to knuckle down and put in a good performance.
“There are not many fans at youth game and so for me it hasn’t been too difficult. For a lot of the lads who are used to playing inside big stadiums with crowds. For them it is tough but for me it is not any different.
“I can get myself, I have never really had the fans to help.”
Coyle has come to the Gills to develop and playing infront of fans will help his game. Good or bad, he’s going to have to get used to the expectation from the stands.
He’s looking forward to that experience.
He said: “I have heard the Rainham End gets going so I am looking forward to when the fans do come back, it will be very different, but it is not something I have had before so I am not missing anything.”
Coyle describes himself as a creative player and looks up to Perre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal, while taking on the advice and words of encouragement fro the likes of David Luiz and Alexandre Lacazette.
He’ll hope to one day follow the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, both also 19, into the first team at Arsenal. First things first, he needs to make his mark with the Gills.
“Coming to League 1 is a challenge,” he admits.
“It isn’t going to be easy and I am looking forward to it. I will learn a lot regardless of what happens. I am very excited by the season ahead.”
Gillingham’s first game is against Hull City, a team who weren’t long ago in the Premier League themselves, and Coyle is relishing their first big challenge.
He said: “We know we have a lot to work on but we are buzzing and confidence is high. I am sure the players will give their all, I will be.
“This is a good club for me to take my first step into men’s football and I will definitely learn a lot. It wasn’t too hard to make a decision to come here.
“Hull are one of the strongest teams in the division this year, they were Premier League not too long ago, they have some good players and it will be a tough test.
They are a good side and we will have to be on our A game to get anything from it but we will be ready for it.”
