Ady Pennock’s wait for a Gills win is unprecedented in the club’s history.

No new manager has ever had to wait so long before getting their first league victory on the board.

It’s been a frustrating first eight games for head coach Pennock, brought in to replace Justin Edinburgh, in the hope of reviving the club's fortunes this season.

Pennock has seen some positive performances of late but that has been undermined by a fragile defence.

The signing of experienced centre-back Zesh Rehman will, at least, give him more options now at the back.

But with little money to spend, Pennock has largely had to make do with what he has got, a squad that has underachieved from the off this season.

Beating last season’s ninth place finish is a target long forgotten as the Gills now seek to maintain their status in League 1.

With no wins in 11, three points against Southend on Saturday is a must.

Pennock may not have had an ideal start to life as Gillingham’s manager but he isn’t the only one to have struggled from the off.

Peter Taylor’s first season as manager ended with promotion through the play-offs but that season didn’t start well. It took him six goes to get a win in the league.

While Pennock may not have got his first win yet, at least he has accumulated more points at this stage than Fred Maven did after taking charge midway through the 1931/32 season. He started with a 2-0 win and a draw but then went on a losing run.

William Groombridge spent many seasons in the early years as manager and secretary but his start to the 1922/23 season was a disaster. Like Maven, he started with a 2-0 win, but things quickly went downhill. He failed to win any of his next eight.

In contrast to those sorry starts, Tony Pulis began his reign with four straight wins, leading them to promotion at the end of the season.

Nobody can compare to title-winning boss Martin Allen, however. His first eight games in charge yielded seven wins and a draw. He is back looking for work after being sacked by Eastleigh this week.