<\/p>\n

Key facts<\/h3>\n

Club: Gillingham FC | Opening: 1893 | Capacity: 10,500 seats<\/p>\n

History and description<\/h3>\n

Priestfield Stadium, officially MEMS Priestfield Stadium for sponsorship reasons, has been the home of Gillingham since 1893.<\/p>\n

Initially, the ground consisted of a pavillion, small seater stand, and terracing in the form of earth banks. By 1908, however, the stadium had significantly expanded with more seating and proper terracing. In the early days, the stadium was still called Priestfield Road.<\/p>\n

Priestfield Stadium recorded its largest attendance in 1948 when 23,002 spectators attended an FA Cup match against Queens Park Rangers.<\/p>\n

Between 1923 and 1997 few changes were made to the stadium save for some improved terracing and additional cover in the 1950s. Capacity hovered around 22,000, though this got reduced in the 1980s due to safety measures.<\/p>\n

By the 1990s the state of Priestfield Stadium had significantly deteriorated and the club therefore embarked on a gradual redevelopment program. In 1997, the Gordon Road Stand was the first new stand to be built, followed by the Rainham End in 1999.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the old main stand got demolished, and one year later the brand new Medway Stand opened. Finally, in 2003, the remaining terrace was demolished and the temporary Brian Moore Stand was erected. Plans were to eventually build a proper stand at the end, but this has never happened.<\/p>\n

In 2007, the stadium was renamed KRBS Priestfield Stadium following a sponsorship deal, which was changed to MEMS Priestfield Stadium in 2011 following a new deal.<\/p>\n

\n