Defender expected to recover
Gillingham COUNTY CAN’T STAND IN BILLINGS’ WAY
Gillingham chairman Paul Scally has handed manager Steve Lovell a new longer-term deal.
Lovell has guided the Gills from second bottom to 10th in League 1, losing just two of his 17 league games in charge.
He took over from Peter Taylor in the middle of October on a deal until the end of the season, with a mission to keep the Gills out of the drop zone.
Gillingham aren’t safe yet, officially, but they are in promotion form and head to leaders Wigan on Saturday full of confidence.
Lovell’s reward is a deal for another two seasons after this one, with terms set to be finalised over the next few days.
Mr Scally said: “Steve has done well and I enjoy working with him.
“I don’t like making changes unless there is a real reason. Right now we are happy with the way things are going and we want to carry on.
“I am hugely pleased, ecstatic, that he has managed to get it right and that he is doing what it takes to win football matches, because we had a long time without winning.
“It is nice to go into a game thinking you have a chance of winning. It is a happy camp and he has played a big part in that.”
After being handed a new deal, Lovell added: “It is lovely and peace of mind as well. It is a great job and one that we love doing. It’s a club I have supported for a long time.
“We have all worked hard as a team to get where we are now and it is nice to be rewarded for your efforts.
“There is a long way to go and we just want to continue what we have started. It is nice now to have that mindset that we can continue for the foreseeable future, for the next two seasons.
“We can build on what we have now and look forward to the rest of this season and the next two.”
Gills’ winning form has certainly made life easier for Mr Scally, who came under fire from some fans himself as the team struggled for results early on this season.
“For the first time in a long time I can’t wait for the next game all the time now,” said the chairman.
“It is a lonely job when you are on your own and when the fans turn against you as well, you wonder why you are doing it.
“The minority of fans who turn against you have no idea what you actually do behind the scenes and how difficult it is to keep the thing going.
“Those that are close to me and those who work within the club, they see the amount of work that everyone puts in behind the scenes but ultimately it rests on my shoulders and it is a huge burden for one person.
“When things go well on the pitch, it takes a lot of pressure off.” Interim Kent Cricket chief executive Ben Green has said the club could not stand in the way of new captain Sam Billings from playing in the IPL. Billings was appointed Kent captain in January but looks set to miss up to the first two months of the domestic season while playing for Chennai Super Kings. Mr Green, 41, said players going to overseas tournaments is something all county clubs have to deal with. He said: “I can understand the frustrations of spectators and members but it is something that we would find difficult if we stood in the way of players. “It is positive for him as a player and we will manage it but all county clubs are facing that challenge now when things like the IPL and the Big Bash come along. It’s something cricket is going to have to continue to adapt to. Gabriel Zakuani is expected to shake off an injury in time for this weekend’s trip to Wigan. The centre-back was substituted during the 2-1 win against Fleetwood last weekend due to a training-ground injury but boss Steve Lovell is confident he will be fit to travel. He said: “I left it until Friday last week, we then gave him a really good fitness on Friday morning and he was fine. “Hopefully, we can do the same this week.” Fellow centre-back Alex Lacey went over on his ankle in the same game and is looking a doubt, with swelling making it difficult to assess the extent of the injury. “Hopefully it isn’t as bad as we think it is,” said Lovell. Lovell does at least have plenty of defensive cover, with Connor Ogilvie coming off the bench for Zakuani last weekend and Ben Nugent on standby to return to the squad. Midfielder Scott Wagstaff played in a practice game on Tuesday as he took a step closer to being involved, after another hamstring strain left him sidelined. “It is part of cricket now and if we stood in the way we just wouldn’t be able to keep players such as Sam Billings.” Billings was bought by Chennai Super Kings during the IPL auction on Sunday for £110,000. The IPL begins on April 4 with the final due to be played on May 31. Kent’s season begins with their first County Championship match on April 13 at home to Gloucestershire. Mr Green has backed 26-year-old Billings as the best man to take Kent forward and plans will be in place to cope with his absence. He said: “Sam was definitely the best captain, so in terms of captain of the club, that was the right decision. “It’s important the players are able to play other forms of cricket. It’s something we have talked about with Sam, Matt and Paul about how we handle those periods.”