Haydn Parry's Avatar

Haydn Parry

@haydnparry.bsky.social

Assistant Editor, BBC Sport NI; 35 years at BBC (in News and then Sport)πŸŽ™οΈ; Man of Kent🐴; half-Irish, half-English; NFL fan and sometime producer 🏈; Ancient Historian/Classicist (MA hons)πŸΊπŸ›οΈ & Gillingham FC fan ⚽️ - yes, 'Never Look Back'

143 Followers  |  292 Following  |  27 Posts  |  Joined: 11.11.2024  |  1.5071

Latest posts by haydnparry.bsky.social on Bluesky

Longest current unbeaten run in all four divisions....

1. GILLINGHAM 16
2. Birmingham 15
3. Man City 11
Leeds 11

20.08.2025 07:29 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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RIP Brian Glanville. As a kid in the mid-70s, getting obsessed with football, I devoured his books on the World Cup and football history - lit a spark. 20+ years later I remember being slightly in awe speaking to him through work. 'Doyen' indeed...his writings are a fine legacy.

17.05.2025 09:42 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
a man in a blue suit is laughing with his mouth wide open ALT: a man in a blue suit is laughing with his mouth wide open

Hmm. Season 2 - it's now become Les Andorables...

07.05.2025 21:32 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Bradley Dack made his 200th app for @thegillsfc.bsky.social after coming on as sub last night. Just the 52nd Gills player ever to reach that total in 132 years.

26.02.2025 12:25 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

13 games without a win in the lge for @thegillsfc.bsky.social

Only 3 longer winless lge runs in club history now.
1. 15 in 1972
2. 14 in 1989 and 2021/2

Still, through thick and thin. And thin and thin!

26.02.2025 12:22 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

With his 434th app for @thegillsfc.bsky.social today
Max Ehmer is now 5th in the all-time club list...

Four legends ahead of him...

1 Ron Hillyard 657
2 John Simpson 617
3 Mark Weatherley 543
4 Jimmy Boswell 523
5 Max Ehmer 434

22.02.2025 14:59 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Ok - ready...

09.02.2025 23:01 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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NFL to touchdown in Ireland with Pittsburgh Steelers? The NFL is looking at the possibility of staging a second American Football regular season game overseas, with Croke Park in Dublin under consideration.

Wrote this 13 years ago now....

Today @pittsburghsteeler.bsky.social have confirmed their arrival next season!

www.bbc.com/news/uk-nort...

07.02.2025 14:46 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Confirmation Conor Masterson will make his 100th appearance for the Gills
@TheGillsFC
this evening.

And Max Ehmer will become just the 6th player in club history to reach the 425 apps mark.

30.12.2024 19:33 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Robbie McKenzie appreciation tweet on a Sunday:

TheGillsFC lge record so far is W9 D2 L8 - win % of 47.4 (projected as 70 pts over a season)

When Robbie plays it's W7 D1 L4 - win % of 58.3 (an 84 pt season)

I know it's not all about 1 player but we do better with him.

15.12.2024 10:07 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Top 10 (well, 11) appearances for @TheGillsFC in the 21st century:

1 Max Ehmer 421
2 Chris Hope 235
3 Barry Fuller 230
4 Stuart Nelson/Cody McDonald 223
6 Nicky Southall 219
7 Paul Smith 210
8 Andrew Crofts 197
9 Mark Bentley 195
10 Bradley Dack 188

13.12.2024 08:35 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Confirmation Max Ehmer makes his 420th app for
Gillingham tonight going 6th on the all-time club list - & only 14 behind the legendary Charlie Marks

1 Hillyard 657
2 Simpson 617
3 Weatherley 543
4 Boswell 523
5 Marks 434
6 Ehmer 420

04.12.2024 18:54 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Colin 'Paddy' Powell was guest at the Gills on Saturday - I got him to sign my programme, for old times' sake. I used to ask pre-match back when i was a pre-teen in the old GRS. An extensive trawl in the grand programme collection revealed that, in fact, the last time I had asked was 42 yrs ago! 😳

25.11.2024 16:14 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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So max ehmer makes appearance 419 today to move alongside Dick Tydeman at 6th in the club's all-time list - gills

23.11.2024 15:14 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Long way to come from Belfast but heading to the Gills @TheGillsFC today - weather permitting. Plane ok...now trains...

23.11.2024 10:04 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

After 60 years of the Gills, his patience was commendable! I will be sitting in his seat this Saturday - over for the game. Say hello if you're nearby!

20.11.2024 00:13 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Today it's 12 years since Dad left us, far too soon (throat cancer). A Gillingham fan for 60 years and the reason i am a fan - I still find myself reaching for the phone to call him for his reaction to a performance/result and have to 'whoa-pause-reset'. UTG

19.11.2024 22:41 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Welcome back to the Gills, Joe.

15.11.2024 23:45 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

none taken - don't worry. Hey - as a Gills fan, I have to have an enormous sense of humour πŸ˜†

13.11.2024 19:52 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

As a Gillingham fan I am used to being a member of a small tribe! Not here for the follows - more for the sanity. It seems like a much nice place.

13.11.2024 19:38 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you. It's like emerging from smog and breathing in fresh air, so far.

13.11.2024 18:36 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The view from the beach at the bottom of my road...always good for calming the soul...

13.11.2024 17:30 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

After tonight's win on pens
The Gills' record in shootouts has now improved to W10 L9 & we've now won our last four pen shootouts
23/8/2022 6-5 v Exeter (H) LC2
11/10/2022 5-4 v v Colchester (H) FLT
08/11/2022 6-5 v Brentford (A) LC3
12/11/2024 5-4 v Stevenage (A) FLT

12.11.2024 21:19 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Read any Hans Van Wees? I remember going to see him lecture in the late 80s when i was doing my own on the Iliad.
warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/cla...

12.11.2024 16:20 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

So a third into season, the Gills have 13 pts from games vs top half sides (W4 D1 L4) & 10 pts v lower (W3 D1 L2).
2nd= best home record (15 pts: only Walsall have more) but just 8 pts on the road (very Gills!).
9 of ther next 10 games are v teams below us, 7 v bottom half.πŸ€”

11.11.2024 23:10 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Hello - I post about my football team, Gillingham FC, mostly. But I do have an eclectic range of interests - ranging from Ancient Greece to the NFL, 80s music to Italian food & drink. Just moved in - nice to cross over from the Dark side.

11.11.2024 23:08 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

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