Why Reading should beat Gillingham tomorrow

Reading have a formidable record at home against Gillingham, winning almost 60% of their home matches with the Kent-based side so should feel confident going into tomorrow's clash.

Indeed, the Royals have not lost at home to the Gills since April 1989.

And current Reading boss Steve Coppell will fondly recall Reading's home game against Gillingham last season.

In his first game in charge, Coppell's Reading beat Gillingham 2-1 thanks to a late goal from ginger-haired midfielder Steve Sidwell.

And the Royals won the return game at the Priestfield Stadium 1-0, Shaun Goater scoring the only goal of the game.

Reading had defeated the Gills by the same scorelines, 1-0 away and 2-1 at home, the year before.

In total, Reading have played Gillingham ninety-nine times, and have the slightly better record in head-to-head encounters.

The Royals have won on forty-one occasions, the Gills thirty-eight times, with the remaining twenty games ending all square.

But in home games against the Kent-based side, the Royals have a far more comprehensive winning record. Reading have won twenty-eight times, with Gillingham winning on just thirteen occasions.

If tomorrow afternoon sees history repeat itself the Royals can expect to maintain their 100% home winning record.

The full history of Reading v Gillingham clashes:

 

At Reading (49)				At Gillingham (50)
Results	Total	%		Results	Total	%
Reading	28	57.14		Gillingham	25	50.00
Gillingham	13	26.53		Reading	13	26.00
Draws	8	16.33		Draws	12	24.00
Goals	Total	Av.pg		Goals	Total	Av.pg
Reading	94	1.92		Gillingham	84	1.68
Gillingham	52	1.06		Reading	51	1.02
On Neutral Ground (0)
	Overall (99 matches)
Results	Total	%		Results	Total	%
Reading	0	0.00		Reading	41	41.41
Gillingham	0	0.00		Gillingham	38	38.38
Draws	0	0.00		Draws	20	20.20
Goals	Total	Av.pg		Goals	Total	Av.pg
Reading	0	0.00		Reading	145	1.46
Gillingham	0	0.00		Gillingham	136	1.37

Records
Highest Aggregate	8	Reading	5 - 3	Gillingham	1954/1955
Highest Reading score:	6	Reading	6 - 2	Gillingham	1936/1937
Highest Gillingham score:	5	Gillingham	5 - 1	Reading	1954/1955

Season	Date	Home	Score	Away	Competition
2003/2004	Sat 21 Feb	Gillingham	0 - 1	Reading	League Division One
	Tue 14 Oct	Reading	2 - 1	Gillingham	League Division One
2002/2003	Mon 10 Feb	Reading	2 - 1	Gillingham	League Division One
	Sat 09 Nov	Gillingham	0 - 1	Reading	League Division One
1999/2000	Fri 07 Apr	Reading	2 - 2	Gillingham	League Division Two
	Mon 03 Jan	Gillingham	2 - 2	Reading	League Division Two
1998/1999	Thu 01 Apr	Gillingham	2 - 1	Reading	League Division Two
	Sat 17 Oct	Reading	0 - 0	Gillingham	League Division Two
1995/1996	Sat 06 Jan	Reading	3 - 1	Gillingham	F.A. Cup
1994/1995	Tue 23 Aug	Reading	3 - 0	Gillingham	League Cup
Reading won 4-0 on aggregate
	Tue 16 Aug	Gillingham	0 - 1	Reading	League Cup
1988/1989	Sat 22 Apr	Reading	1 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division
	Sat 24 Sep	Gillingham	0 - 1	Reading	Third Division
1985/1986	Sat 29 Mar	Gillingham	3 - 0	Reading	Third Division
	Wed 01 Jan	Reading	1 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division
1984/1985	Tue 14 May	Reading	0 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division
	Tue 23 Oct	Gillingham	4 - 1	Reading	Third Division
1982/1983	Sat 16 Apr	Reading	0 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division
	Tue 28 Sep	Gillingham	1 - 0	Reading	Third Division
1981/1982	Tue 18 May	Gillingham	2 - 1	Reading	Third Division
	Sat 05 Sep	Reading	3 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division
1980/1981	Wed 12 Nov	Reading	0 - 1	Gillingham	Third Division
	Tue 19 Aug	Gillingham	2 - 0	Reading	Third Division
1979/1980	Sat 12 Jan	Gillingham	1 - 1	Reading	Third Division
	Sat 01 Sep	Reading	1 - 3	Gillingham	Third Division
1978/1979	Tue 28 Nov	Gillingham	1 - 2	Reading	F.A. Cup
	Sat 25 Nov	Reading	0 - 0	Gillingham	F.A. Cup
	Tue 15 Aug	Gillingham	1 - 2	Reading	League Cup
Reading won 5-2 on aggregate
	Sat 12 Aug	Reading	3 - 1	Gillingham	League Cup
1976/1977	Sat 22 Jan	Reading	1 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division
	Sat 21 Aug	Gillingham	2 - 2	Reading	Third Division
1975/1976	Mon 25 Aug	Gillingham	1 - 1	Reading	League Cup
Gillingham won 2-1 on aggregate
	Wed 20 Aug	Reading	0 - 1	Gillingham	League Cup
1973/1974	Sat 30 Mar	Gillingham	0 - 1	Reading	Fourth Division
	Sat 03 Nov	Reading	0 - 1	Gillingham	Fourth Division
1972/1973	Sat 10 Mar	Reading	3 - 1	Gillingham	Fourth Division
	Sat 18 Nov	Gillingham	1 - 2	Reading	F.A. Cup
	Sat 14 Oct	Gillingham	1 - 0	Reading	Fourth Division
1971/1972	Sat 04 Mar	Gillingham	4 - 2	Reading	Fourth Division
	Sat 13 Nov	Reading	1 - 2	Gillingham	Fourth Division
	Wed 18 Aug	Gillingham	4 - 0	Reading	League Cup
1970/1971	Sat 17 Oct	Reading	3 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division
	Sat 15 Aug	Gillingham	0 - 0	Reading	Third Division
1969/1970	Wed 08 Oct	Reading	1 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division
	Sat 16 Aug	Gillingham	1 - 3	Reading	Third Division
1968/1969	Thu 26 Dec	Gillingham	2 - 2	Reading	Third Division
	Fri 04 Oct	Reading	3 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division
1967/1968	Sat 03 Feb	Reading	3 - 1	Gillingham	Third Division
	Sat 23 Sep	Gillingham	3 - 0	Reading	Third Division
1966/1967	Sat 15 Apr	Gillingham	0 - 2	Reading	Third Division
	Sat 19 Nov	Reading	2 - 1	Gillingham	Third Division
1965/1966	Wed 23 Mar	Gillingham	2 - 4	Reading	Third Division
	Wed 15 Sep	Reading	2 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division
1964/1965	Mon 19 Apr	Reading	3 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division
	Fri 16 Apr	Gillingham	2 - 1	Reading	Third Division
1957/1958	Sat 12 Apr	Reading	4 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Sat 30 Nov	Gillingham	2 - 1	Reading	Third Division (South)
1956/1957	Sat 06 Apr	Gillingham	0 - 0	Reading	Third Division (South)
	Sat 24 Nov	Reading	4 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
1955/1956	Sat 31 Dec	Gillingham	2 - 0	Reading	Third Division (South)
	Sat 03 Sep	Reading	1 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
1954/1955	Sat 22 Jan	Gillingham	5 - 1	Reading	Third Division (South)
	Mon 13 Dec	Reading	5 - 3	Gillingham	F.A. Cup
	Sat 11 Dec	Gillingham	1 - 1	Reading	F.A. Cup
	Sat 11 Sep	Reading	2 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
1953/1954	Sat 19 Dec	Reading	0 - 1	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Sat 22 Aug	Gillingham	3 - 0	Reading	Third Division (South)
1952/1953	Sat 04 Apr	Reading	3 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Sat 15 Nov	Gillingham	2 - 1	Reading	Third Division (South)
1951/1952	Sat 19 Jan	Reading	2 - 1	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Sat 15 Sep	Gillingham	1 - 1	Reading	Third Division (South)
1950/1951	Tue 26 Dec	Reading	1 - 1	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Mon 25 Dec	Gillingham	0 - 3	Reading	Third Division (South)
1937/1938	Sat 07 May	Reading	2 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Wed 15 Sep	Gillingham	1 - 2	Reading	Third Division (South)
1936/1937	Sat 27 Feb	Reading	6 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Sat 24 Oct	Gillingham	2 - 1	Reading	Third Division (South)
1935/1936	Sat 18 Jan	Gillingham	2 - 0	Reading	Third Division (South)
	Sat 14 Sep	Reading	1 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
1934/1935	Sat 05 Jan	Gillingham	1 - 1	Reading	Third Division (South)
	Sat 01 Sep	Reading	3 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
1933/1934	Sat 06 Jan	Reading	2 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Sat 02 Sep	Gillingham	5 - 1	Reading	Third Division (South)
1932/1933	Mon 17 Apr	Reading	4 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Fri 14 Apr	Gillingham	4 - 1	Reading	Third Division (South)
1931/1932	Sat 07 May	Reading	2 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Wed 02 Sep	Gillingham	1 - 1	Reading	Third Division (South)
1925/1926	Sat 06 Feb	Reading	1 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Sat 26 Sep	Gillingham	4 - 1	Reading	Third Division (South)
1924/1925	Sat 28 Mar	Gillingham	0 - 0	Reading	Third Division (South)
	Sat 22 Nov	Reading	0 - 1	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
1923/1924	Sat 09 Feb	Reading	4 - 0	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
	Sat 02 Feb	Gillingham	1 - 0	Reading	Third Division (South)
1922/1923	Sat 24 Mar	Gillingham	2 - 1	Reading	Third Division (South)
	Sat 17 Mar	Reading	1 - 1	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
1921/1922	Sat 25 Feb	Gillingham	2 - 0	Reading	Third Division (South)
	Sat 18 Feb	Reading	2 - 1	Gillingham	Third Division (South)
1920/1921	Wed 08 Sep	Gillingham	1 - 0	Reading	Third Division
	Wed 01 Sep	Reading	1 - 2	Gillingham	Third Division