Exclusive: Ex-Gillingham chairman Paul Scally accuses club of trying to ‘destroy’ him as ban issued

Paul Scally still owns 30% of League Two side Gillingham, but the previous chairman has reportedly been barred from the club by new American owner Brad Galinson.

Paul Scally has expressed his “hurt” on being kicked out of Gillingham after 29 years.

Former Gillingham chairman Scally, 69, who still owns 30% of the club, has been barred from the boardroom and directors’ box by new American owner Bradley Galinson.

Galinson, a US billionaire who acquired a majority share in December 2022 after making his money via property transactions, has called an EGM on Thursday to remove Scally as a director.

Scally claims he is devastated after saving the club from extinction on multiple occasions, spending five years in the Championship, three trips to Wembley, and rebuilding the stadium during his time.

Scally, a businessman, is one of the most known figures in the EFL, and it was Galinson who originally wanted him to stay as part of his takeover, only to try to drive him out.

Scally remarked, “They informed me I wasn’t welcome. I joined the club because I enjoy football, not because I wanted to gain money. This is my life. I’ve been with the club for more than half of my professional life. This is an extremely awful scenario.

“I haven’t attended a game this season. I’ve been entirely separated from the club. It feels like they’re trying to ruin me. In April, I had a meeting with Brad that escalated into an altercation. That was our last proper talk.

“If Brad Galinson doesn’t want me around the club, why not just come to me and work things out? Instead, I’ve been barred from all official parts of the club, which is quite upsetting. My email account has been disabled, and employees have been instructed they are not permitted to contact me. The greatest issue is how much I miss football.

“Some of the employees are upset. Several of the players have contacted me because they are unhappy with how I have been handled. I’ve kept the club operating in the most horrific conditions, and this is how I’m treated. “It is so wrong.”

Scally claims he has done nothing wrong and is being dragged into legal action against his will. He was prepared to surrender sole authority when Gillingham was relegated to League Two in 2022.

However, Galinson persuaded Scally to stay on as part of his arrangement to acquire the club, and despite Gillingham’s promising start this season, the former chairman is concerned about how the club has been governed in the last year. Scally believes he is being victimized because of these worries.

Scally continued, “I decided when we were demoted that I would never return. These were the saddest days of my life. I was receiving phone calls, threats, and individuals on my property, and I couldn’t get out of it. It made me feel really horrible.

“Covid killed us off since our business was centered on off-the-field activities such as seminars and entertainment. It was extremely difficult for many teams to pay their players and expenditures.

“However, when I first met Brad, I truly liked him. It was satisfactory for the first nine months. I really had other offers that would have paid me off totally, but Brad wanted me to stay.

“When Brad walked in, he informed me that he had sold his company portfolio for more than $2 billion. He informed me that sport was his passion, and he wanted to invest in a well-run English football team.

“However, the atmosphere at the club has changed during the last year. How about the refurbishment? Pre-season tours? People ask me, ‘Why aren’t we doing this? Why don’t we do that? Staff were asking me questions, but I did not know the answers.

Scally maintains that attempts to remove him off the board violate both the contract and the company’s articles. He claims he will have to go to court to dispute it. He is also creating his own website to keep supporters informed after losing his voice at the club.

He went on to say, “I have to push it farther. I am determined to battle it. There are some supporters on social media who dislike me, and no club chairman in the country is adored by all of his followers. That is part of the job.

“But the vast majority of fans, the sponsors and all the stakeholders in the club know what I’ve done down the years for Gillingham.”