Paul Scally
Encyclopedia
Paul Damien Phillip Scally (born 1955/1956) is a London
-born businessman who has been the chairman of association football club Gillingham
since 1995.
, a club regarded by fans of the "Gills" as among their fiercest rivals. His tenure has witnessed 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
. The last few seasons have seen less success on the field with two relegations returning them to League Two
.
He has also overseen the radical redevelopment of the club's once crumbling 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. The club's fortunes both on and off the pitch took a downhill turn from about 2004, arising mainly from an overspend on the new stands and facilities and 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.
), saying "The future of this football club is not at this stadium and everyone accepts that is a fundamental point." He dismissed manager Tony Pulis
immediately after he led the team to a Wembley
play-off final in 1999, which brought about a protracted court dispute. He has also become involved in a number of disputes, most notably with several other Football League clubs over player-transfer disputes, the Kent Messenger Group
of newspapers (whose reporters he banned from the ground for several years, but who now sponsor the 'Medway Stand'); and Alan Liptrott
, ex-chairman of the Gills Independent Supporters Club, with whom he had several very public disagreements, the largest over the ownership of an internet domain name
, which led to Scally imposing a lifetime ban from Priestfield on Liptrott. However, on 8 February 2007, Scally unexpectedly lifted the ban after approximately six years.
. He has been married four 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. His surviving children comprise two daughters and three sons. His son Max (born 29 January 1991) was jailed for two years for causing grievous bodily harm
in January 2009, however, this was later shortened by London's Court of Appeal as it was seen as "too severe". His other sons are Jay and Adam, who has worked as editor of Gillingham's matchday programme.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-born businessman who has been the chairman of association football club Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
since 1995.
Career
Scally had become wealthy through the sale of a photocopier business before he bought the "Gills" for the sum of £1 in 1995, taking the club out of administration shortly before they would have been placed in liquidation. Prior to buying the club he had been a fan of MillwallMillwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, a club regarded by fans of the "Gills" as among their fiercest rivals. His tenure has witnessed the most successful period in the club's history, with three promotions, three Wembley play-off finals and four FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
victories over top division opponents, and their highest league finish of 11th in the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. The last few seasons have seen less success on the field with two relegations returning them to League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
.
He has also overseen the radical redevelopment of the club's once crumbling Priestfield Stadium
Priestfield Stadium
Priestfield Stadium is a football stadium in Gillingham, Kent...
, 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. The club's fortunes both on and off the pitch took a downhill turn from about 2004, arising mainly from an overspend on the new stands and facilities and the loss of anticipated income following the collapse of ITV Digital
ITV Digital
ITV Digital was a British digital terrestrial television broadcaster, which launched a pay-TV service on the world's first digital terrestrial television network as ONdigital in 1998 and briefly re-branded as ITV Digital in July 2001, before the service ceased in May 2002. Its main shareholders...
.
Scally is the sole owner of Priestfield Developments Ltd., a company formed in 2007 with the sole purpose of purchasing Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium
Priestfield Stadium
Priestfield Stadium is a football stadium in Gillingham, Kent...
for £9.8m as part of the restructuring of the club's debts.
Controversy
Scally has often shown himself to be unafraid of taking controversial positions. For example, he has made no secret of his desire to relocate the club, possibly to a location away from the Medway Towns (though still within KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
), saying "The future of this football club is not at this stadium and everyone accepts that is a fundamental point." He dismissed manager Tony Pulis
Tony Pulis
Anthony Richard "Tony" Pulis is a Welsh former football player and is currently the manager of Stoke City. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at the age of 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification...
immediately after he led the team to a Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
play-off final in 1999, which brought about a protracted court dispute. He has also become involved in a number of disputes, most notably with several other Football League clubs over player-transfer disputes, the Kent Messenger Group
KM Group
The KM Group, formerly known as the Kent Messenger Group until 2008, is a multimedia company based in the county of Kent in South East England...
of newspapers (whose reporters he banned from the ground for several years, but who now sponsor the 'Medway Stand'); and Alan Liptrott
Alan Liptrott
Alan Liptrott is a retired telephone technician from Walderslade in Kent. He has for many years been a prominent supporter of Gillingham Football Club, having been heavily involved in the fund-raising campaign to keep the club afloat when it was forced into administration in the mid-1990s, and...
, ex-chairman of the Gills Independent Supporters Club, with whom he had several very public disagreements, the largest over the ownership of an internet domain name
Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
, which led to Scally imposing a lifetime ban from Priestfield on Liptrott. However, on 8 February 2007, Scally unexpectedly lifted the ban after approximately six years.
Personal life
As of 2009, Scally resides in DubaiDubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. He has been married four 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. His surviving children comprise two daughters and three sons. His son Max (born 29 January 1991) was jailed for two years for causing grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm is a term of art used in English criminal law which has become synonymous with the offences that are created by sections 18 and 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861....
in January 2009, however, this was later shortened by London's Court of Appeal as it was seen as "too severe". His other sons are Jay and Adam, who has worked as editor of Gillingham's matchday programme.