Robert Taylor – aka Super Bob – scored all five Gillingham goals in a league match at Burnley’s Turf Moor on February 27, 1999

It’s a quarter of a century since Robert Taylor wrote his name into the Gillingham history books after one special afternoon in Burnley.

Taylor scored all five goals at Turf Moor in a 5-0 away win on February 27, 1999 - not bad for a striker who started his career with the Gills trying to win the fans over after struggling to impress. He had joined for a then club record £500,000 fee from Brentford.

As described in Roger Triggs’ book ‘The Men Who Made Gillingham FC’ he had arrived at Gillingham “unfit, overweight and clearly lacking match fitness” and “struggled to overcome his detractors who clearly thought he was overpriced!”

His wife had to leave one game early in tears after one fan was giving him so much stick. Manager Tony Pulis had rigged one man-of-the-match award to make sure Taylor won in a bid to give his striker a confidence boost.

Once fully fit, Taylor quickly won those doubters around to become a club legend as the 400-odd away fans at Burnley that day 25 years ago watched a masterclass in finishing.

“It’s safe to say he won over his critics with that performance,” said Pulis at the time.

“All credit to him because he kept at it, determined to prove people wrong. He certainly did that.”

He had gone from “misfit to record breaker” as described by Gills reporter Tony Hudd in the Kent Today in the space of six months. Even the Burnley fans clapped him off the pitch late in the game after his five-goal salvo left Stan Ternent and his team in tatters.

Taylor himself described the feat as “unreal, like a fantasy” and added rather modestly: “I’m pleased but more pleased for the team as a whole because we were terrific as a unit.”

His first goal came on 14 minutes with a 25-yard volley - the perfect way to get off