Gillingham open their home League Two campaign with a game against Walsall this weekend with players and supporters alike eager for 3pm Saturday afternoon to arrive to start another season at MEMS Priestfield and it was there that we went this week to talk to defender Max Clark. 

“It was a tough ninety minutes,” the Gills left-back admitted to KSN this week looking back on the opening draw at Accrington Stanley last Saturday.  

“We knew it would be as it was the first game of the season, first at home for them and our first on the road and come away with a point as when you go to Accrington you know that as soon as you get off the bus, you’re in for a battle, you need to stand up to it and Saturday was no different!”

“We worked hard during the game and to get back into it, and to get a point away from home was good and we thought that we thoroughly deserved a draw.” 

“We have great fans, home and away, but it’s just nice to be back at home and we are all looking forward to getting out there at the weekend, we all know that we have to make it as harder place to come as we possibly can this season, there is a great buzz about the place this week and we are all looking forward to it!” 

“You obviously want to impress your own fans and we’re all hoping that we can give them the start that they all want and we do as well. We want everyone to be one family and together this season, players, staff, fans everyone who has an interest in the club, we want to make sure that we absolutely give it our all!” 

“I think, and hope that we’ll get a big crowd Saturday to see us! As I said, we are all really looking forward to it. We know from last year that Walsall will be a good test. They have a good style of play and a high intensity about them and will be difficult for teams who come up against them.”

“I know they went down to ten men in their last game (the Saddlers played for seventy minutes of their season opener last weekend against Swindon with ten men) and won the game!”

“We know it’s going to be a tough test. But we back each other within the group, and we will stick together, and we know that we must focus on what we are going to do. We know it’s going to be a long season!” 

“In some ways it has helped us that we have a smaller squad this year and there are not that many new faces coming in. We all know each other and the lads who have come in have settled straight away, I feel like we have that togetherness that in the past has taken time to build, especially after having the Gaffer and Dobbo come in at the end of last season.”

“I think you see that already and I think having the group that we have we can get through everything together and hopefully do well!”