Joe Hanks has made it his ambition to be second in the appearance list for Gloucester City after he climbed to ninth after the 3-3 draw against Farnham Town.
The big feat is just over 100 appearances away, and with Hanks “not planning on going anywhere anytime soon”, it might not be too long before he hits the milestone.
All-time appearance leader Tom Webb jokingly messaged the midfielder, “I’m close with Tom Webb. He texted me, 400 and something to go,” Hanks said before chuckling.
Congratulations to Joe Hanks on his 300th competitive appearance at Farnham Town tonight. He joins an elite group becoming one of only 9 players in @GCAFCofficial history to reach this target since 1889. pic.twitter.com/ChdgnragBK
— GCAFC Stats (@GCAFCStats) September 23, 2025
Hanks joined the Tigers in 2014 and has become a goal-scoring machine in the last couple of years.
He was presented with a plaque before his match against Basingstoke to celebrate the achievement.
He is alongside legends like Lee Smith and Gary Kemp.
“I know a few of them, and I’ve been at Gloucester a long time, so you get to know a lot of the people around it.
“As long as Gloucester want me, I’ll play as many games as I can and climb that list,” Hanks said.
Jamie Brain Photography (Joe Hanks collecting his plaque)
“The first few hundred games of my Gloucester career weren’t in Gloucester.
“I was playing some in Cheltenham and Cirencester, etc. So, to be playing back in Gloucester in my hometown, getting good results, and attracting is great.
“There’s a lot of positive feelings about the club now. A lot of things seem to be going in the right direction, so long may that continue.”
Gloucester City have made an incredible start to the season, and Hanks believes they can be right at the top come the end of the campaign.
“Daf and Kev Kevin Phillips have come in, and people are buying into what they’re trying to implement. So hopefully we can continue the form we’ve started to show.
“I think there’s a real togetherness and belief between all the management and players. You never know, if we can stay at the top of the table and keep fighting for points, we can be right up there?”
Scoring seven so far this season, Hanks attributes his form to the new role in the team “I’ve been allowed to play a little bit further higher up the pitch, which is the position I’ve always wanted to be given a proper shot at.”
“I’ve scored a couple of goals in the last few games, so it’s great, but it’s just sort of learning different things and trying to help the team out by contributing.
“I’m delighted with how it’s been going. I’m in a very good team with good players who create a lot of chances. So, if they keep creating them, I’ll hopefully keep putting them in the back of the net.”
