Chatham Town lock horns with Medway neighbours to mark 130th anniversary

CHATHAM TOWN begin celebrating their 130^th season with a lucrative three-team tournament at Maidstone Road later in the month.



The Ryman League Division One North club - the second oldest in Kent after Cray Wanderers - will welcome a Gillingham youth development squad and a team from Royal Engineers – the only Kent based side ever to win The FA Cup.

The event – on Sunday 22 July – will consist of three 30 minutes each way games and the winning side lifting the Anniversary Trophy  at the presentation ceremony at five o’clock.

The match order was confirmed today:

Chatham Town  v  Royal Engineers (12:15pm)

Royal Engineers  v  Gillingham (2:00pm)

Chatham Town  v  Gillingham (3:45pm)

“We had hoped to be able to attract a fourth team to take part, but despite our best efforts and countless emails and letters, we couldn’t find another side, said Mike Green, the Chats community officer.

“That said we fully intend to launch into our 130^th season in style and are delighted to welcome our neighbours from the Engineers and Gillingham to take part.

“With the Royal Engineers not only celebrating 200 years of being based in the Medway Towns, their football team is also celebrating their 150^th anniversary and it’s terrific for us as a club to re-establish lost links with the Engineers who quite possibly played a part all those years ago when our club first began.

“With all that past history around, having the Gillingham youth development squad taking part brings our respective stories right up to date as all three clubs look to the future, especially as this season is the 100^th since New Brompton FC became the Gillingham FC we know today.”

Visit Chatham Town’s website: www.chathamtownfc.net