Gareth Ainsworth and his squad travel to South Wales this weekend on the verge of achieving something that no other Gillingham side have done in over 130 years of history. 

Josh Andrews’ goal last weekend that beat Notts County secured SKY Bet League Two match number twenty without defeat with equalled the Club record set by Andy Nelson’s 1974 Championship winning side meaning that if the 2025 version get anything from Rodney Parade – Newport County’s home – at the weekend, Ainsworth’s side will create a bit of history. 

The Gills boss though is under no illusions on the task that his side face at the weekend. Speaking to KSN this week, Ainsworth told us, “We will have to be at our best to get anything as they are a good side!” 

“Any team can beat any team in this League, we’ve seen that already this season. We will need to be on it as they have some good individual players definitely; they have a manager in David Hughes who is new to League Two management and is still finding his feet, we don’t want it to be against us.”

“We have told the boys not to rest on anything now; we must have the same energy levels and the same commitment that we have had in the past twenty games. We have been working hard on that this week!”  

“It’s always good when there is no midweek game. As a player I loved playing games but as a manager I do like my prep – I like to look at the opposition, get my thoughts together, get some sessions on the pitch.”

“As I have said before, last season we didn’t have many sessions with the players; this season we have, and I am hoping people are seeing the results.”

“To get three days on the grass with them this week and then a brief session before we get on the bus on Friday overnight, and again I can’t thank the Club enough for that as it lets us prepare properly and then to run out in front of five hundred of our own fans at Rodney Parade all those miles from home will be massive!”

“Full respect to every single fan who travels that far up and down the country, week-in week-out, thank you very much!”

“It’s a pleasure to play in front of them at the moment – they really get behind us and again last Saturday at home they were sensational again!”

“At the end, if Aaron Rowe had scored the second in the ninety-eighth minute, I think the roof would have come off Priestfield; it was great and to know that so many are making their way down the M4 on Saturday with us is brilliant, so thank you!” 

Ainsworth has fond memories of the South Wales venue as he explained. “I was Wycombe manager for a couple of seasons before I got it together.”

“It was after I met a guy called Andrew Howard, who came in as Chairman who really sorted the place out and I put my stamp down and what I wanted to be!”

“We almost went down the year before just as I was taking the reins. For me, the Wycombe era started properly at Rodney Parade, I think it was 2014 and we went there and won two-nil… I don’t remember many games, but I remember that one because it was a big one as it was manager and Chairman together, first win and it was the start of the fantastic journey we went on that ended in the Championship.”

“There is a strange crazy memory there – me and Dobbo (Richard Dobson) have done well when we have gone there which I’m I told is the opposite for Gillingham.” Ainsworth was referring to the Club’s recent woes against Newport – the last Gills win at Rodney Parade was on the opening day of the season in 1986 and the Gills have lost six of their last seven against the Welshmen since home and away! 

The Gills manager then gave the squad news; “It’s brilliant to have nearly a full squad to pick from and will give me a headache or two as we will be leaving some good players at home!” the manager admitted.

Gareth McCleary finishes his suspension whilst Seb Palmer- Houlden, Shad Ogie and Ethan Coleman are all “back in fold” and Ainsworth confirmed are all fit for the squad at the weekend, whilst Euan Williams is now back to full training.

“I have some selection thoughts to make,” Ainsworth said, “but that’s what I wanted! We still have one or two knocks that we are still carrying, but apart from that, I have some really brilliant headaches to pick from!”

“It’s tough because all the lads have bought in and a few of them won’t be travelling to Wales, but they are all fine telling me that they will all be ready when I need that.”

“To hear that as a manager is great and I have been there as a footballer. Massive respect to those boys – they are driving this group just as much as those being picked week in, week out – it’s brilliant to have the depth of squad that we have, the quality that we have, and it means that the onus is definitely on those who travel as I know we are leaving good players at home this week, but I am pretty sure that we will be taking the right players to bring something back from Rodney Parade!”