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Gillingham’s much-criticised Town End has a new look.
The ‘temporary structure’, which has been in place for a quarter of a century, will be sponsored for the next five years.
Gillingham’s scaffold structure at one end of the pitch was meant to have been a £1.5m 3,200 seated stand, named after former director and commentator Brian Moore. Funding issues meant the stand was never built and the scaffold replaced the terrace that had been demolished.
In the last few years, the top half of the scaffold structure has been closed due to degradation, but the bottom section remains available if additional room is required. In League 2, that’s not often been needed and it’s meant there’s been no desire by the current owners to replace it.
A new advertising hoarding has been added ahead of today’s game against League 2 leaders Port Vale.
Gills fan Paul Wenham is managing director at Hoo-based company Shower Seal UK, who have agreed a new five-year deal with the club.
“This club means everything to me,” said Mr Wenham.
“It’s where I have experienced some of the best, and worst, moments of my life!
“Being a ‘Junior Gill’ with a ticket costing 50p back in the late 80s, fantastic trips to Wembley, watching FA Cup wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford and the trips to
Arsenal and Chelsea, the league survival ensuring victory over Halifax in 1993 and standing on the old Rainham End terrace with my Dad.
“I still have my piece of terrace in our garden and, of course, having met my wife Sarah at a game, Gillingham FC really has shaped my life to a large extent.
“There is one thing at Priestfield that everyone seems to dislike, especially away fans, and that is our temporary stand.
“The national media called it the worst away end in the UK and admittedly calling it a temporary stand when it has been up for 25 years is a bit laughable, but I saw something different.
“I saw an opportunity, the chance to promote my business and partner with the club and hopefully offer a small visual improvement to the Town End at the same time.
“With that in mind I proposed to the club in a meeting with (owners) Brad (Galinson), Shannon (Galinson), Joe and Mike (Sullivan, partnerships manager) that I would like to sponsor the the worst away end in football.
“Once everyone had stopped laughing I explained that I felt it would help tidy the stand up a little and if people wanted to say the Shower Seal UK stand is the worst in football then I was happy with that, as any publicity was good publicity for us!”
The club’s managing director Joe Comper added: “I am absolutely delighted to have Shower Seal UK on board as official sponsors of the Brian Moore Stand.
“Paul is a huge Gillingham supporter and his team have been a pleasure to work with.
“They want to be a big part of our journey moving forwards and I am grateful for their continued backing of the football club.”