2009 League Two Play-off Final: Simeon Jackson Fires Gillingham to £1M Victory

For all Gillingham fans, Saturday 23rd May 2009 could've well been the perfect day.

Of course, there was the on-pitch action; star striker Simeon Jackson popped up with a dramatic late winner to send the Gills straight back up to League One.

There was also the off-pitch action, with the chants of fans (although perhaps better described as "football hooligans" to London tourists) heading to Wembley creating a fantastic atmosphere in the underground train stations of Central London.

And lastly, still looking at the whole picture for all Gillingham fans, the weather was absolutely beautiful. The sun was shining at optimum intensity, the air temperature hit a perfect score, and the rain and wind went into hiding.

So overall, it could well seen by many from England's South East county of Kent as a near, if not perfect, day.

For the players of Gillingham, it almost goes without saying that it was indeed as near perfect a day as possible.

The day before "The Game," the Gills players had acclimatised to the newly perfect Wembley carpet (or pitch as it's sometimes called) by training at none other than Arsenal FC's Boreham Wood training ground.

And of course on the day, they got all that comes with playing at what many call "the home of football," Wembley Stadium.

They played on the perfect pitch, got ready in the perfect changing rooms, relaxed in the perfect players' lounge, and probably walked down the perfect tunnel.

And at the final whistle, they walked up the perfect steps to receive...probably not the perfect trophy (hence why I said "near as perfect a day as possible"), but nonetheless the best trophy realistically on offer to them.

For the club's chairman, Dubai-based businessman Paul Scally, it probably was the perfect day, as his Canadian striker Simeon Jackson had won him an estimated £1m through prize money and TV rights amongst other things.

So on the whole, a very near-perfect day for everyone connected to Gillingham Football Club.

And for me personally, it was a perfect day, for all the reasons described above, and for the remark I overheard from a somewhat over-excited Gillingham fan about just the trip to London.

When refering to the female population in a seemingly permanently packed London Victoria train station, this poor old chap coined a rather unpleasant yet very amusing phrase from the popular UK comedy programme The Inbetweeners.

Whilst observing his surroundings, he turned to his friends and said: "I think I've died and gone into clunge heaven." If you're not familiar with common language in England, I think it's best to keep it that way.

If you are on the other hand, I suppose I have just painted the picture of the social lives of a few male football fans from the town of Gillingham.

In any case, here is the summary of Gillingham's "big day out" from me, the typical Gillingham fan present at Wembley.

Big day build-up

One of the brilliant things about seeing your local team play in big matches is the national media coverage.

From SkySports to the BBC, and from the tabloids to the broadsheets to pretty much every sports publication in England, in some way, shape or form, Gillingham FC had been thrusted into the national media spotlight.

Of course, having been a proud supporter throughout the good and bad times, it feels great knowing your local team are starting to get more seriously noticed by audiences all over the country.

Seeing all the previews to this game everywhere I looked brought out several feelings ahead of matchday, and above all excitement.

I just wanted to walk up Wembley Way, get into the "home of football", take my seats and watch this game that'll be viewed across the nation now.

It was a feeling most likely shared by the 53,705 others on both sides of the equation, as this game just couldn't come quick enough for the fans of Gillingham and Shrewsbury.

This feeling of excitement ahead of kick-off would be heightened upon arrival in London on matchday, certainly for those in blue anyway, as one would be greeted by the songs and chants associated with the Gills.

It was clear that Gillingham had taken Central London by storm, as bemused Londoners, curious policemen, and terrified tourists were treated to a full live performance from representatives of the Gillingham FC fan base.

In other words, fat drunk men gathered in clumps and sung their hearts out in aid of their beloved Gills.

Perhaps even the stereotypical Chinese tourist with the massive camera would've left London that day singing "Gills! Gills!" or "Mark Stimson's barmy army!".

Show time baby!

Oh yes, walking up Wembley Way, looking at that section of the East Stand, and seeing that famous Wembley arch, it was indeed show time.

Walking into that stadium, it was indeed show time for Wembley Stadium's facilities and that fancy electronic system where you put the end of your ticket into a machine, the machine checks the ticket's validity and that you're in the right area of the stadium, and lets you into the ground.

And then sitting down in the seats, looking at that hallowed turf and watching the players as the game commenced, to the nation it truly was League Two's show time.

Perhaps it wasn't the show we were all expecting though, as for the neutral it was a low scoring encounter.

And certainly there would be more important matches played on this pitch, something that hit me at one point during the match.

I looked at that pitch, and for a split second day-dreamed of all the other massive spectacles that would take place there.

In just two days time (Monday) this place will host the richest game in football, the Coca Cola League Championship Play-off Final, where the winner receives in surplus of £60M.

Next Saturday, this place will host the most prestigious domestic cup competition in World Football, the FA Cup, which will be played by two Premier League clubs, Everton and the world famous Chelsea.

In 2011, this place will host the final of club football's greatest prize, the UEFA Champions League.

And quite possibly, in 2018 this place could host one of, if not the greatest sporting spectacle on Earth, the FIFA World Cup Final.

And of course all of this just added to the pure esctasy of seeing a diminutive Canadian jump up and make the ball ripple the Shrewsbury net with even less than a few seconds of normal match time remaining.

Gillingham Football Club, in gaining instant promotion back up to League One, had emerged victorious 1-0 in World Football's greatest arena.

After being rejected by the club as a youngster, Simeon Jackson repayed £150,000 worth of faith in his employers by becoming the hero to all children in the South East of England.

As was written in the headline of an article in the official matchday programme for this game, Shrewsbury FC really "Kent Touch This".

Oh happy days... or just a long way home

In the instant aftermath (well, after all the trophy celebrations and the "yay we won!" stuff) of the match, of course there were two feelings stemming from Wembley Stadium and spilling out onto Wembley Way and the Wembley train stations.

Sheer joy from the fans decked in Gillingham colours, with songs and chants and pretty much everything directed at anyone and everyone along Wembley Way and even across all of Central London.

And for those in Shrewsbury colours, a lot of happy celebrations and cheerfulness of course... not.

I can assure you that as soon as that final whistle went, you'd have thought that a bomb had gone off in the West Stand of Wembley Stadium.

It was the stand which housed the 21,000 or so Shrewsbury fans, and it was emptied out quicker than the stampede that would form if I went up to the 32,000 Gills fans and said: "Free money, get your free money!", so trust me, that is quick.

In the more long-term aftermath, once the dust had settled (as the cliché saying goes) and representatives of the Gillingham FC fan base had got bored of taking Central London by storm, one would assume that by now (a day after the game) people would start coming back down to reality.

And this is true certainly, as the town of Gillingham has become very sloggish, with many fans delighted yet regretting that drink too much which has meant they've been staring into that toilet for quite a while now.

And of course, where the media is concerned, the aftermath of this game has provided every sports publication in the UK the opportunity to give you this message:

Gillingham FC rejected Simeon Jackson in 2004 but now in 2009 he's won them promotion, because they were so wrong to reject him but it's OK now because they splashed £150,000 on him and isn't it amazing how I know that? READ THIS ARTICLE.

So basically, Gills fans will enjoy a one day extension to their club's time in the national media spotlight.

In any case, if one thing is for certain about the 2009 League Two Play-off Final, it's that it's timing for Gillingham and the club's attention was spot on.

Today (Sunday 24th May 2009) is the League One Play-off Final at Wembley, but unlike the game yesterday, hardly anyone will care as this time there is actually something better going on.

Today is the climax of the English Premier League (EPL), arguably the greatest football league in the world.

Whilst the Play-off Final today was a far more entertaining spectacle for the neutral, with Scunthorpe United beating Gillingham's fierce rivals Millwall 3-2, it clearly did not have the same attention as the final yesterday between two teams in the lower league.

Scunthorpe United may have won promotion to League One, but it is almost a certainty that Gillingham FC have gained the most out of the media spotlight; another reason to make the Gills' victory all the more sweeter.