Paul Scally

Paul Damien Phillip Scally (born ) is a London-born businessman who served as the chairman of Gillingham Football Club between 1995 and 2022. Career Scally had become wealthy through the sale of his Metronote photocopier business in South London and retired to study a part-time law degree at Greenwich University prior to buying sole control of Gillingham F.C. for the sum of £1 in 1995. In doing so he took the Kent side out of administration, taking on debts of £1.5m to £2m 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, adding a banqueting suite and a total of four new stands, three permanent and one temporary, transforming it into an all-seater arena. 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.