Coca-Cola League One 2009/10: What Lies Ahead for Gillingham FC

On Saturday, May 23, 2009, Gillingham Football Club did exactly what they set out to do.

In a vibrant Wembley Stadium with over 53,000 fans in attendance, the Gills beat Shrewsbury Town 1-0 in the League Two Play-off Final, to claim instant promotion back up to League One.

And having achieved their aim, here is what subsequently lies ahead for Gillingham back up in League One:

Fight for a King...and a little Canadian

As with all types of success for lower league teams in the football pecking order, once the team's star players have delivered the success they're meant to, the big boys will come in and want to take those star players off the lower league teams.

It may not be like what La Liga giants Real Madrid are doing to lure a certain Portuguese maestro to their side, but the big boys will do everything in their power to get the player they want.

And so Gillingham are one of these lower league teams who will have to fend off the big boys in order to keep two of their star players.

The first player in question is a king, Simon King to be precise; a central defender for whom the Gills bought back in June 2007 for a fee of around £200,000.

At the time of purchase, the manager of his former club Barnet said: "Simon King is a player who is no doubt destined for the Premiership one day."

Following a string of rock solid performances at the heart of defence, which at one point lead to Gillingham having the second best defensive home record in England (after Premier League giants Chelsea), it seems like Simon King could well be destined for the Premier League sooner than expected, with a whole host of top-flight and Championship clubs reported to be interested in the ex-Barnet man.

The other player in question was the guy who headed Gillingham (literally) back up to League One.

Diminutive striker Simeon Jackson has scored 20 goals this season for the Gills, including his team's only goal in the 2-1 home defeat at the hands of top Premier League side Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup (a game which showed off the true potential of "Jacko," as it was televised live on national UK television).

And speaking (or typing) of the Villans, manager Martin O'Neill was rumoured to be lining up a £1M bid for Jackson, who recently netted on his debut for the Canada national team.

From past experiences, one can tell that a lower league team like Gillingham would be powerless in stopping a top-flight side (especially one as highly regarded as Aston Villa) from getting their target player.

So as the pre-season progresses, whilst Gills manager Mark Stimson plots his summer targets, he will also have to keep one eye on his prized assets, and be prepared for a fight if he wants to ensure he retains their signatures for the 2009/10 League One road ahead.

Big boys gonna eat y'all alive...

Last time Gillingham were in League One, they got relegated (obviously).

In the 2007/08 season, the Gills did not face Norwich City, Charlton Athletic and Southampton, nor did they face MK Dons in the league, either.

The first three of the aforementioned teams were considered top Championship sides gunning for promotion back into the Premier League.

Now they will face Gillingham in League One, after being relegated last season.

And according to recent odds, I checked at the bookies, they're strong favourites for promotion, along with a few others.

To put it bluntly, they are expected to demolish "new kids on the block" in League One like Gillingham and the other promoted sides from League Two.

Well them, along with MK Dons (who only two seasons ago were considered inferior to the Gills), Millwall, Leeds United, Carlisle United, Stockport County, Yeovil Town, Colchester United, Doghead Athletic, and well... anyone else who has ever beaten Gillingham in a competitive encounter, although admittedly the last opponent mentioned wasn't real.

But the point is, it will be a tough road ahead for the Gills as almost every team in the league is considered to be favourites over Gillingham, and is considered to have higher prestige, which leads me onto my next point.

"Lush away days"

The above is a phrase almost synonymous with League One to all Gillingham fans, with the word "lush" used as common slang for meaning "really good".

And what it refers to is all of the stadiums Gillingham will be visiting in League One next season.

Gillingham will visit The Valley, which is a 27,111 capacity stadium and home of Charlton Athletic, close neighbours and strong rivals of the Gills.

They will also play at Carrow Road, home of Norwich City and with a capacity of 26,034.

And they will visit several other stadiums with capacities of: 32,689; 20,146; 39,401; 22,000. And yes, you will receive a medal for guessing which capacity links in with what stadium.

So all in all, instead of visiting the perhaps not-so glamourous Accrington Stanley and their 5,027 capacity ground which is only ever 20 percent full, the Gills will be playing at stadiums and against teams of Premier League calibre, in front of tens of thousands in places with very glamourous facilities.

Hatred is rife in the lower leagues...

Lastly, one other aspect of League One life next season Gillingham will encounter is that of the re-ignition of the odd rivalry here and there. Well, two rivalries to be precise.

Firstly, there is the perhaps not-so nice little encounter with London club Millwall. Matches between the two have always been fiery encounters, although mainly for the passion (or simply hatred) between the fans, and the odd seat that gets ripped out of its place and thrown at the supporter of the other team.

And finally, there is of course the age old hate Gillingham fans have for Swindon Town, due to hot encounters from the past, and if anything the extra policing at the game always adds immensely to the occasion, with fans deciding to turn even on the poor old coppers just doing their job.

After achieving their aim and getting instantly back up to where they want to be, the above is just a small sample of what lies ahead in the 2009/10 League One road for Gillingham Football Club.