Manager Mark Stimson is excited by the challenges that could lie ahead in League 1

by Luke Cawdell

Gillingham manager Mark Stimson believes the incentive of playing big games in League 1 gives the club strong motivation to win promotion from the play-offs.

If successful at Wembley on May 23, the Gills would play Norwich, Southampton and Charlton next season, along with other teams in the southern half of the country, such as Brighton, Brentford, Wycombe, Swindon and Southend.

Stimson said: “It would be fantastic to be promoted after last year’s nightmare and for the club it can be the start of something really good.

“That league next year is like the Southern League and there are so many local games that attendances would shoot right up.

“If we get people in the stadium then that gives me more money to go and buy maybe a different type of player and that can only take the club forward.

“Whatever does happen, the club is going in the right direction and we just need to win that game.”