Jepson Going Nowhere

By Jack Nolan
March 8 2007

A source close to the club has told GFC-Online that Gillingham manager Ronnie Jepson will not be moving to Huddersfield Town. The reason for this is because the Gillingham chairman Paul Scally has demanded too much money in compensation should Jepson have gone North.

Jepson appeared to be very close to taking over the club where he enjoyed a very successful playing career. But, with the Gillingham chairman demanding too much money in compensation, Jepson seems set to stay put for now.

The Gills chairman had granted the Terriers permission to talk to Jepson earlier today and speaking to BBC Radio Kent he said: Speaking to BBC Radio Kent, the Gillingham chairman Paul Scally said: "Huddersfield called yesterday to ask if their chairman could talk to me. And of course I said yes," said Scally.

"Ronnie was always going to be linked because he's a bit of a legend after his time as a player there."

Speaking to the Kent Messenger however, Jepson refused to speculate on whether he would be the next Huddersfield Town manager. Jepson said: “I don’t go on speculation, and I don’t read websites.

"I know through one or two of my friends I’ve been linked with things, but all I’m doing is focusing on Gillingham for the game on Saturday."

Ronnie started his playing career at Nantwich Victoria before he moved to Port Vale. Vale shipped him out to Peterborough United on loan where he made eighteen appearances scoring five goals. Preston North End signed him up in 1990 where he made thirty-eight appearances scoring eight goals. Ronnie then moved to Exeter where he made just over half a ton of appearances, finding the net twenty-one times. Huddersfield Town then paid £70,000 for his services where in a hundred and seven appearances, he scored thirty-six goals. After a two year spell with Town he moved to Bury for a season where he made just short of half a ton of appearances scoring nine times. Oldham was his penultimate club in his playing career where he made just nine appearances scoring four goals. He finished his playing career at Burnley where he made fifty-nine appearances scoring just the three goals. Unfortunately though, he was forced to hang up his boots after an Achilles problem. Former Gillingham manager Stan Ternent appointed Jepson as a coach at Burnley.

When Ternent’s contract wasn't renewed, he and Jepson left Burnley in May 2004. But, following the resignation of Andy Hessenthaler in November 2004, Stan Ternent was appointed Gillingham manager with Ronnie Jepson as his number two. But Ronnie & Stanley failed to keep Gillingham in the Championship, and Ternent rejected a contract extension and left Gillingham. Jepson however, stayed in Kent to be number two to Neal Cooper.

Cooper however chose to resign from Gillingham in November of 2005, and Jepson was appointed caretaker manager of The Gills who were battling against relegation. Jepson won his first game in charge and kept The Gills in League One following an impressive six game winning run which almost resulted in a late play-off bid.

His current Gillingham record is twenty-one victories, thirty defeats and sixteen draws from seventy-one games, and with it seeming that Jepson will be staying put, his next aim will be to earn his twenty-second victory as Gillingham manager on Saturday.