Paul Scally

Paul Damien Phillip Scally (born 1955/1956) is a London-born businessman who has been the chairman of association football club Gillingham since 1995.

Paul Scally
Born1955 (1955) /1956
London
NationalityEnglish
OccupationChairman of Gillingham F.C., former owner of a photocopier company
Spouse(s)1. Ellen
2. Lisa Marie
3. Sara
Children7

Career

Scally had become wealthy through the sale of his Metronote photocopier business in South London prior to buying sole control of Gillingham F.C. for the sum of £1 in 1995, taking the club out of administration shortly before they would have been placed into liquidation. His tenure has witnessed probably the most successful period in the club's history, with three promotions, three Wembley play-off finals and four FA Cup victories over top division opponents, and their highest league finish of 11th in the Championship.

He has also overseen the radical redevelopment of the club's Priestfield Stadium, with three new permanent stands and one temporary one transforming it into an all-seater arena, together with other non-footballing facilities such as a banqueting suite. However the club's fortunes both on and off the pitch took a downhill turn from about 2004, arising mainly from his overspending on the new stands and facilities, and also the loss of anticipated income following the collapse of ITV Digital.

Scally is the sole owner of Priestfield Developments Ltd., a company formed in 2007 with the sole purpose of purchasing Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium for £9.8m as part of the restructuring of the club's debts.

Controversy

Scally has a reputation for often taking controversial positions. For example, he has made no secret of his desire to relocate the club from the town of Gillingham, possibly to a location away from the Medway Towns though still somewhere within the county of Kent, claiming "The future of this football club is not at this stadium and everyone, if they are not stupid, accepts that is a fundamental point."[1] He summarily dismissed manager Tony Pulis immediately after he had led the team to a Wembley play-off final in 1999, which brought about a protracted legal dispute over Pulis' contract. He has also become involved in a number of public disputes, most notably with several other Football League clubs over player transfers, the Kent Messenger Group of local newspapers (whose reporters he banned from the ground for several years for supposedly criticising poor team performances), and Alan Liptrott, then chairman of the Gills Independent Supporters Club, with whom he had several public disagreements, the largest over the ownership of an internet domain name, which led to Scally imposing a lifetime ban from Priestfield on Liptrott.[2][3][4] However, on 8 February 2007, Scally unexpectedly rescinded the ban after approximately six years.[5]

Personal life

As of 2009, Scally is non-resident in the UK for tax purposes, and resides in Dubai.[6] He has been married three times and has had seven children. One of his sons died after a fall at the age of one, and another of a heart defect in 2003 at the age of 16 weeks.[7][8] His surviving children comprise two daughters and three sons. His son Max (born 29 January 1991) was imprisoned for two years in January 2009 having been found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to a 15 year old boy.[9] His other sons are Jay and Adam, the latter of whom has been employed by the club as editor of Gillingham's matchday programme.[8]

References
  1. Cawdell, Luke (15 May 2006). "Scally: My future rests on stadium plans". Archived from the original on 3 August 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  2. "Footymad" (30 June 2001). "Scally Bans GSC". Archived from the original on 13 January 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2006.
  3. Football Fans Census (unknown date). "Fans Comments on Banning from Grounds". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2006. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. Kelso, Paul (15 February 2002). "Scally's rocky road to Highbury". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 December 2006.
  5. "Liptrott 'stunned' as Priestfield ban is lifted". kentonline.co.uk. 8 February 2007. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  6. "Scally: I'm still in charge". kentnews.co.uk. 10 August 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  7. "Gills chairman ties the knot". kentnews.co.uk. 7 August 2006. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  8. Malley, Frank (2000). "Scally optimistic of cup success against Chelsea". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  9. "Son of Gillingham FC chairman Paul Scally is jailed for GBH". mirror.co.uk. 27 January 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
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