 After guiding the club to promotion Andy Nelson left to take over as manager of Charlton Athletic and was replaced by Len Ashurst , but his managerial reign lasted only 16 months . Gerry Summers took over and was to take the club the closest it had ever come to promotion to Division Two when , in 1978 – 79 , Gillingham finished just one point off a promotion place , but two years later Summers was replaced by Keith Peacock . Peacock put together a team which developed a reputation for exciting , attacking play , and also brought through the ranks a number of young players who went on to achieve success at a higher level , including Micky Adams , Steve Bruce , and Tony Cascarino , who was famously bought from non @-@ league Crockenhill in exchange for a set of tracksuits . Gillingham came close to promotion several times during Peacock 's reign , with four top @-@ six finishes in six years , and in 1986 – 87 reached the play @-@ offs ( in their first year of existence ) only to lose in the final to Swindon Town . Deadlocked at 2 – 2 after the home and away legs of the final , the two teams had to play a third match at a neutral venue , which Swindon won 2 – 0 . 
