Towards the end of the 1980/81 season Gills manager Gerry Summers, although nearly getting us promoted, dispensed with the services of Priestfield crowd favourites Damien Richardson and Terry Nicholl, and therefore made his position virtually untenable.

The Gillingham Board of Directors declined to renew his contract and the search for his successor commenced through the then Chairman Doctor Clifford Grossmark. The gentleman doctor announced the appointment of a gentleman manager of Gillingham Football Club.

Keith Peacock was not necessarily the first choice; John Hollins was amongst a number of other well-known names linked with the position at that time.

Peacock however was definitely the correct choice with his belief in good quality attacking football and his ability to motivate without ranting, raving or swearing.

Keith started as a young man at Charlton and spent his entire professional career at The Valley. Playing in what today would be described as a wide position, he combined close control with excellent crossing ability. An eye for goal as well saw him develop into a fine all round player. Once established in the first team, he became an automatic choice playing over 500 matches.

Strangely, it was a game in which he did not start, that saw Peacock make a small piece of history. It was straight after the inception of the substitute rule and Keith having started on the bench, became the first replacement to be used in a Football League match.

After a long and distinguished career with Charlton, Keith Peacock retired but spent some time in the U.S. as assistant manager with Gordon Jago at Tampa Bay Rowdies.

When the opportunity to manage Gills presented itself, Keith left the warmth of Florida for the rather colder environment of Medway. However, he soon set about bringing some sunshine into the lives of Gills supporters by making three highly significant signings.

He raided the Valley to obtain the services of Charlton’s flying winger Colin Powell (left) plus former Gills midfielder Dick Tydeman. At little more than £40,000 for two such experienced players, this represented a bargain.

A further £25,000 secured Richie Bowman from Reading. Bowman was an outstanding midfield player with an excellent scoring record. The Gills team was considerably strengthened and supporters were able to look forward to the opening fixture versus Burnley with a high degree of confidence and the optimism proved well founded.

Tydeman’s (recently pictured left) accurate passing allied to Bowman’s non-stop running enabled Gills to take control in midfield. Powell unhinged the Burnley defence with darting runs down the right and it was not long before Ken Price made the pressure count with a well-taken goal.

Soon after half time Trevor Lee made it 2-0 to Gillingham. Lee had been signed from Colchester in January 1981 in a successful bid to stave off relegation. He cost a club record £90,000.

Burnley gradually got back into the match but an incredible own goal assured Gills of a well-deserved victory. Brian Laws was rather too positive with a back pass that sailed into his own net from around forty yards out. Gills won 3-1 and a fine start for their new manager.

Results for a while were variable then Gills hit a purple patch winning six League matches in a row.

Gills also got as far as the F.A.Cup 4th round before losing 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion in front of 16,000 at Priestfield.

In December Keith had signed the now legendary Tony Cascarino from Crockenhill, effectively for nothing. In February he returned once more to Charlton to secure the services of experienced centre-half Peter Shaw. Despite one or two unexpected setbacks, Keith remained true to his principles and never resorted to the long ball game. In a strong finish Gills won four of their last five League games to finish a highly creditable sixth.

This, coupled with the F.A. Cup run meant that even that modest man, Keith Peacock could feel justifiably proud of his first season as a League manager.

Keith Peacock’s second season in charge (1982/3) was one of severe financial constraint. The only summer signing of any note was that of Neil Grewcock on a free from Leicester City, replacing Richie Bowman who had become a long-term injury victim.

A poor start saw Gills lose three of their first five games, although on the credit side, Micky Adams and Tony Cascarino (right) played well enough to establish themselves, thus providing two bright rays of hope for the future.

The loss of the dynamic Bowman, coupled with the failure of Trevor Lee up front were major factors in what can only be described as a season marred by inconsistency. Indeed it took an unbeaten ten run at the season’s end to banish fears of relegation and secure a mid table position.

On a more positive note, a Milk Cup run saw Gills drawn at home to Tottenham in the third round. A rousing match at Priestfield was played in front of a 14,500 crowd, and Gillingham gave their illustrious   opponents a number of several testing moments, before going down 2-4.

The summer of 1983 saw the departure of left back Micky Adams to Coventry for £85,000. However, a more than adequate replacement in the shape of Mel Sage was waiting for a chance and he made the most of his opportunity. The signing of Dave Mehmet in March 1983 was to prove a Keith Peacock masterstroke.

The former Millwall and Charlton player finished top scorer for the 1983/84 season with 16 goals, a remarkable effort for a midfielder. Cascarino and Weatherly weighed in with 12 apiece and Gillingham finished an encouraging eighth. It should be stated that however shrewd Keith might have been when he snapped up Mehmet, he surpassed himself in October 1983 when he persuaded the Northern Ireland international winger, Terry Cochrane to join Gillingham from Middlseborough.

Cochrane had the reputation of being difficult, but Keith Peacock brought out the best in an enormously talented player.

The 1984/5 season brought a genuine promotion push, despite the pre-season loss of Steve Bruce (left) to Norwich. The tribunal fixed fee of £135,000 was disgracefully low for such an immensely talented player, and the Canaries were the beneficiaries of a massive bargain. Fortunately Peacock pulled off another coup in obtaining Keith Oakes from Newport for just £17,000 as Steve’s replacement.   

An even better signing was that of striker Dave Shearer (below left)  from Grimsby. Shearer, a rugged powerful Scot had featured regularly for Middlesborough before his spell with the Mariners. With Cochrane, the two were a class act.

Sadly it was injury that curtailed Shearer’s appearances, but he still managed 12 goals in just 19 league games.  Cascarino and Mehmet also got well into double figures, and with wingers Cochrane and Robinson scoring 17 times between them, Gills had the firepower to challenge for promotion. Unfortunately the month of March proved to be their undoing, when just two out of seven matches ended in victory. Gills finished fourth, but with the promise of better to come.

The 1985/86 season commenced with little change to the playing staff.  Gills challenged for promotion until they once again encountered their nemesis. In March packed with eight fixtures, Gills failed to win any of their first six matches. Promotion dreams died, but fifth place was still highly creditable.

Keith sowed the seeds for yet another promotion challenge in the summer prior to the commencement of the 1986/7 season, with a host of quality signings.

Colin Greenall, a brilliant young centre half was obtained from Blackpool for just £40,000. Full backs Paul Haylock from Norwich and Graham Pearce ex-Brighton, further bolstered the defence. Up front Mel Eves the former Wolves striker and talented wide man Howard Pritchard (Bristol City), were added to an already powerful squad.

The stage was set for promotion, but Bournemouth and Middlesborough swept all before them leaving Gills 16 points adrift and in fifth place.

All was not lost because this was the inaugural season of the play-offs. Gills had a titanic struggle in which they overcame Sunderland and set up a play off final, home and away, versus Swindon. After the two legs it was all-square and a replay loomed.

Shearer missed two chances he would normally have buried, but no blame attaches to him, as collectively it was a poor team performance. The neutral venue of Selhurst Park saw Gills lose 2-0. The fact that almost 50,000 witnessed the three matches was of no consolation.

Before the start of the 1987/88 season, Tony Cascarino got his wish for a move to a higher grade of football when he signed for Millwall, the fee was £250,000.

Concerns about goal scoring power following his departure were soon allayed. On August 29th. Gills smashed a Southend side 8-1 with Welsh international Steve Lovell netting four times. A week later and Priestfield was treated to another incredible goal fest, with Chesterfield the victims. Lovell did not score this time but Gills recorded a staggering 10-0 victory.

Then it all went disastrously wrong.    

From a high point of second in September a slump set in. Karl Elsey and Trevor Quow worked tirelessly in midfield but there was a distinct lack of creativity in that area. Keith solved the problem by bringing in his son, Gavin (right) from QPR, initially on loan and then on a permanent basis.

In a bid to bolster the attack he paid Tottenham £102,000 for the services of Mark Cooper, who looked to be a fine prospect.  Unfortunately for both Keith and Gillingham, Cooper failed to live up to his potential, and the slide continued.

Despite all this few if any, other than the Board, could have realised that a few short weeks after his son Gavin joined the club, Keith Peacock would be cruelly cast aside. The catalyst that brought about Keith’s dismissal occurred on Monday 28th. December. The sombre setting was the Recreation Ground at Aldershot, where in an abysmal display Gillingham collapsed to a 6-0 defeat.

Following the sad death of Doctor Grossmark in November 1983, the composition of the Board had changed, and in act of extreme intemperance the manager was sacked. Supporters demonstrated and the local media was deluged with demands for Keith’s reinstatement. It was all in vain, and the decent man who had achieved so much in so many ways, was gone.

Following his sacking Keith’s success as right hand man to Alan Curbishley at the Valley, brought much pleasure to Gills supporters, and Gills Wembley success, has in turn, brought great pleasure to the respected Keith Peacock.