don't shout for scally to go!

[Buddha]

So you suggest we stop going just because we don't like Scally? How would that help the financial situation at the club? We'd be in proper sh*t within months and probably go out of existence by the end of the season.
Yep, sounds like a true Gills fan...you do realise there has been a pandemic where millions of working class men and women (the main audience for league one football) have been furloughed and have or will lose their jobs?
Sorry Chris, we all have a reason for not getting to games, mine is working a 60 or 72 hour week with mainly just a Sunday off. I'd love to go a lot more because I'm a Gills fan but can assure you that I'm not so sensitive that having Scally as Chairman will stop me.
Mistakes are made but I genuinely feel he has the club at heart and makes the best of an unenviable task. I've gone on record as saying that he has taken us as far as he can without a massive injection of cash but that isn't coming for the foreseeable future so we are where we are for now unless you have a solution? Set up some stocks on the strand? Gallows in the centre circle?
The best way to get us out of the situation is to encourage more people to go, not a rallying cry for fans to leave.

If it is true that a large number of people are boycotting Priestfield because if their views about our chairman (and I accept that that is a. 'if'), how would you feel about them returning to games but also making their feelings known?

Would you prefer they stayed away, or return and increase the volume of the 'Scally Out' chants?

 

[Captainreblue]

Or...

He did an excellent job to restructure the business and firm up the balance sheet and he gives the manager the absolute maximum possible playing budget without running up a debt and so far it has been sufficient to achieve consecutive top 10 finishes.

Our top 10 finishes have been achieved despite the budget not because of it. SE has played as far bigger role in our last couple of season finishes than our budget.

I really do wonder how PS will approach next season (or whenever SE leaves).

 

[Trashbat]

How do you make that out? You were the one that decided to compare your experience to Scally's and asked me for my thoughts so I gave you them. You used the words about starting from the school of hard knocks and working "bloody hard" and I do not doubt it. Your tone just sounded a but self congratulatory so I just pointed out that maybe a combination of talent and being in the right place with the right product would have been equally relevant because there are people that work crazy hours on tight deadlines that earn diddly squat out there.

I just find it laughable that there seems to be an agenda on here for defending Scally and almost making out he is underpaid when at times he has trousered a multiple of eight times the national average wage running a business that is about the 54th most successful in its field. Not even working 60 hours a week, as some claim, justifies that.

Just observations. I'm chilled.

Yawn. I don’t think you’d be happy unless there was a flat salary for everyone. Unemployed, bin man, nurse, doctor, builder, swim instructor, football chairman, MP... ...they should all earn the same. Politics of envy and jealousy.

 

[Trashbat]

Our top 10 finishes have been achieved despite the budget not because of it. SE has played as far bigger role in our last couple of season finishes than our budget.

I really do wonder how PS will approach next season (or whenever SE leaves).

I agree. BFSE has overachieved for the resources available to him.

But there are some that want him out too only a few games ago.

For all the passionate debate on here, we’re actually all broadly agreed.

- I think everyone would like a rich benefactor to come along and buy success as long as it didn’t affect our long term sustainability.

- I think everyone (inc PS) agreed that he doesn’t have the personal wealth to buy success.

- I think that everyone probably accepts that rich benefactors don’t grow on trees.

- I think that everyone acknowledges that PS is trying hard, but does make the occasional PR blunder.

- I think that everyone on this forum, at least, disagrees with the personal abuse he gets from some quarters.

 

[markinkent]

Our top 10 finishes have been achieved despite the budget not because of it. SE has played as far bigger role in our last couple of season finishes than our budget.

I really do wonder how PS will approach next season (or whenever SE leaves).

The most interesting thing about this debate is that so many are looking at the past for reasons to support or argue against scally.

For me we should be looking to the future and asking can he take us forward.

For those who argue its too risky to change, careful what you wish for and better the devil you know then I respect that view. I think the last two seasons have been excellent finishes but I credit Evans and his contacts for that. When Evans goes in the summer (and I believe he will based on his there is no project here comment) then what next.

Can scally fund another manager of Evans leagues experience or are we back to Pennock/lovell level of league experience?

I know what I believe.

This debate should looking forward not back.

Do we believe he can take us forward or will we go backwards over the next 5 years ? If we drop back to league 2 and struggle are you content?

We could be an Oldham right !

Club motto was never look back. What do we think looking forwards?

 

[Trashbat]

The most interesting thing about this debate is that so many are looking at the past for reasons to support or argue against scally.

For me we should be looking to the future and asking can he take us forward.

For those who argue its too risky to change, careful what you wish for and better the devil you know then I respect that view. I think the last two seasons have been excellent finishes but I credit Evans and his contacts for that. When Evans goes in the summer (and I believe he will based on his there is no project here comment) then what next.

Can scally fund another manager of Evans leagues experience or are we back to Pennock/lovell level of league experience?

I know what I believe.

This debate should looking forward not back.

Do we believe he can take us forward or will we go backwards over the next 5 years ? If we drop back to league 2 and struggle are you content?

We could be an Oldham right !

Club motto was never look back. What do we think looking forwards?

I think people are looking forwards... ...but there is nobody in the wings who has the finances to deliver the vision.

 

[markinkent]

I think people are looking forwards... ...but there is nobody in the wings who has the finances to deliver the vision.

Without going over old ground. I think you need to add "under the current terms being offered by scally".

There are absolutely people taking over lower league football clubs. Who knows if they looked at us and wouldn't accept scallys terms

We simply don't know.

We do know there were people out there. Fact.

 

[Therealwaldo]

Whilst we‘re on the general issue of what Paul Scally does for the money, let’s have a quick look at community involvement.

All league clubs are required to have a community programme. I haven’t got the details to hand but I believe a percentage of our share of the TV money is dependant upon it. Norwich City for example run a programme for socially disadvantaged adults, to improve their access to local services.

At Gillingham we run the GFC School. There is a description of what they do in their last Ofsted report.

”The school is currently registered for 50 pupils. Most join the school after a disrupted education. Pupils have either been excluded or were at risk of exclusion from other mainstream schools or pupil referral units. Many pupils have an education, health and care plan related to social, emotional or mental health difficulties. All pupils are placed and funded by Medway or Kent local authorities.”

Anyone with knowledge of education would tell you that these are the most challenging pupils. Very few local authorities run successful units for these pupils.

Here are Ofsted’s judgements in 2018.
“Effectiveness of leadership and management - Outstanding
Quality of teaching - Good
learning and assessment - Good
Personal development behaviour and welfare - Outstanding
Outcomes for pupils - Good
Summary of key findings for parents and pupils This is a good school
30 April–2 May 2019
Overall effectiveness at previous inspection - Requires improvement”

Believe me, these are exceptional results for a school of this type. In terms of outcomes,

”The vast majority of pupils who left the school in July 2018 went on to further education placements or employment. However, due to the changes in leadership, the school has not yet tracked how successfully these placements have been sustained. All current Year 11 pupils are on track to achieve a place at college in September.”

In other words the school is turning round lives. Scally is named as the proprietor and therefore takes ultimate responsibility for the success or failure of the School.

I for one am extremely proud of what the Club has achieved with the school and I think others should be too.

And of course this is just one element of the Club’s community involvement. My grandsons’ primary school has had a member of the Gills youth set up seconded to their PE department. The club runs football centres although they have been closed during the pandemic. I think the one at Sittingbourne is set to reopen. Players and Tommy (and Tammy) T Trueblue do local visits to hospitals and schools. Yesterday, Tommy and Tammy visited a local centre for adults with learning difficulties. There were the Open Days. Gills youth players regularly attend school fairs and fetes to run penalty shoot outs.

Perhaps some should just get a bit real about how much is involved in running the club.

 

[Trev_GFC]

We’re a small club in a catchment area where most people don’t want to watch us. I like our squad and manager and think anything’s possible, next season we can be in Bournemouth’s league. But we’re going to be limited by turnover. We can compete like this while hoping we can build a new stadium; we can hope the authorities bring in the same regulation that we’re seeing in Spain etc; or we can hope Scally gets replaced by someone who wants to immediately make our playing budget 100+% of income to get us into the Championship.

All we’re saying is we need to be pragmatic. There’s no need to twist it in such a way that we’re accepting of mediocrity and worse. I’m not going to use project fear and say an asset stripper will come in.

 

[markinkent]

Fair comments Trev that wasn't really what I meant but appreciate it could come across that way.

To try to word it differently the apathy around the club is what scares me. We need to wait a few more games to make a true assessment but I think we've lost a chunk of supporters. Only a few years back our averages were in the five thousands but I believe they are falling year on year.

Its that trend that needs to be addressed and my argument is whether the club, which means scally really, is doing all that it can to make it an easy and pleasant experience to visit the Gills

I'd argue not but covered that to death already.

At least the queues for the gents at half time are shorter !!!

 

[bathnightattheminogu]

I agree. BFSE has overachieved for the resources available to him.

But there are some that want him out too only a few games ago.

For all the passionate debate on here, we’re actually all broadly agreed.

- I think everyone would like a rich benefactor to come along and buy success as long as it didn’t affect our long term sustainability.

- I think everyone (inc PS) agreed that he doesn’t have the personal wealth to buy success.

- I think that everyone probably accepts that rich benefactors don’t grow on trees.

- I think that everyone acknowledges that PS is trying hard, but does make the occasional PR blunder.

- I think that everyone on this forum, at least, disagrees with the personal abuse he gets from some quarters.

My thoughts exactly

 

[jokerman]

Yawn. I don’t think you’d be happy unless there was a flat salary for everyone. Unemployed, bin man, nurse, doctor, builder, swim instructor, football chairman, MP....

Tell me how much the flat salary is. I’m open to the idea.

 

[jokerman]

Whilst we‘re on the general issue of what Paul Scally does for the money, let’s have a quick look at community involvement.

All league clubs are required to have a community programme. I haven’t got the details to hand but I believe a percentage of our share of the TV money is dependant upon it. Norwich City for example run a programme for socially disadvantaged adults, to improve their access to local services.

At Gillingham we run the GFC School. There is a description of what they do in their last Ofsted report.

”The school is currently registered for 50 pupils. Most join the school after a disrupted education. Pupils have either been excluded or were at risk of exclusion from other mainstream schools or pupil referral units. Many pupils have an education, health and care plan related to social, emotional or mental health difficulties. All pupils are placed and funded by Medway or Kent local authorities.”

Anyone with knowledge of education would tell you that these are the most challenging pupils. Very few local authorities run successful units for these pupils.

Here are Ofsted’s judgements in 2018.
“Effectiveness of leadership and management - Outstanding
Quality of teaching - Good
learning and assessment - Good
Personal development behaviour and welfare - Outstanding
Outcomes for pupils - Good
Summary of key findings for parents and pupils This is a good school
30 April–2 May 2019
Overall effectiveness at previous inspection - Requires improvement”

Believe me, these are exceptional results for a school of this type. In terms of outcomes,

”The vast majority of pupils who left the school in July 2018 went on to further education placements or employment. However, due to the changes in leadership, the school has not yet tracked how successfully these placements have been sustained. All current Year 11 pupils are on track to achieve a place at college in September.”

In other words the school is turning round lives. Scally is named as the proprietor and therefore takes ultimate responsibility for the success or failure of the School.

I for one am extremely proud of what the Club has achieved with the school and I think others should be too.

And of course this is just one element of the Club’s community involvement. My grandsons’ primary school has had a member of the Gills youth set up seconded to their PE department. The club runs football centres although they have been closed during the pandemic. I think the one at Sittingbourne is set to reopen. Players and Tommy (and Tammy) T Trueblue do local visits to hospitals and schools. Yesterday, Tommy and Tammy visited a local centre for adults with learning difficulties. There were the Open Days. Gills youth players regularly attend school fairs and fetes to run penalty shoot outs.

Perhaps some should just get a bit real about how much is involved in running the club.

Now GFC School might be a thought at clog-popping time for those with a bit left over. A Gills thing, but a good thing besides.

 

[Buddha]

Tell me how much the flat salary is. I’m open to the idea.

How about, from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs?

Not my idea, but it's always sounded fair enough to me.

 

[Rob_b100]

Somebody earlier mentioned “what happens in future seasons”, I have posted before about the regular cycle we appear to go through. I think PS was up for having a real crack at promotion, by bringing in Evans (who has achieved it a few times) and giving him the backing. Many were opposed to SE joining, I think most of us are still surprised that 2 1/2 years on he is still here. I do feel there probably was a plan in place, scuppered by bloody COVID of course. And we can’t blame PS for that (well, the lot on the Facebook site probably could)

Unfortunately I agree that come the end of this season, SE will say thanks and leave for a job with more chance of success. Then we will scratch about for a few years with an unknown or former player as manager.

 

[markinkent]

Somebody earlier mentioned “what happens in future seasons”, I have posted before about the regular cycle we appear to go through. I think PS was up for having a real crack at promotion, by bringing in Evans (who has achieved it a few times) and giving him the backing. Many were opposed to SE joining, I think most of us are still surprised that 2 1/2 years on he is still here. I do feel there probably was a plan in place, scuppered by bloody COVID of course. And we can’t blame PS for that (well, the lot on the Facebook site probably could)

Unfortunately I agree that come the end of this season, SE will say thanks and leave for a job with more chance of success. Then we will scratch about for a few years with an unknown or former player as manager.

I'll be putting my money on Neil Smith !

 

[GillsBluenose]

Jealousy is an unattractive trait.

Agreed, as is avarice.

 

[GillsBluenose]

Yawn. I don’t think you’d be happy unless there was a flat salary for everyone. Unemployed, bin man, nurse, doctor, builder, swim instructor, football chairman, MP... ...they should all earn the same. Politics of envy and jealousy.

A bit of a jump, that, but believe what you will.

I just don't think a society where about 10% of the population own about 90% of the wealth is healthy. If that makes me a marxist, then so be it.

I have nothing to complain about personally. I retired at 55 and I am very comfortable, not being materialistic. Just bought a 5 year old car that gets me from A to B, which is all I want, and live in a quiet area. I have pretty good health for a 63 year old, which is the thing I am most grateful for, and is one of the many things money can not buy.

I am also grateful that I was never paternal as I don't like the look of the way things are going for future generations due to the current fondness for self interest.

 

[Lark]

Depends on what year you compared. If you took the figure from May 2018 (£311k) then he might be one of the best "paid" but if you compare it with he figure he took in May 2019 (£168k) then he would probably be one of the worse "paid". And if you took a running 5 year average which would be closer to £200k then he'd probably be somewhere in the middle. This is of course all assuming all the other owners have consistent wages.

Lots of suppositions in your post.
It’s not me who compared the wages, it was a well publicised article a couple of years back, and was discussed at length on here at the time. I’m surprised you missed it. Many directors at our level do not take any wages at all.

 

[SE1_Gills]

How do you make that out? You were the one that decided to compare your experience to Scally's and asked me for my thoughts so I gave you them. You used the words about starting from the school of hard knocks and working "bloody hard" and I do not doubt it. Your tone just sounded a but self congratulatory so I just pointed out that maybe a combination of talent and being in the right place with the right product would have been equally relevant because there are people that work crazy hours on tight deadlines that earn diddly squat out there.

I just find it laughable that there seems to be an agenda on here for defending Scally and almost making out he is underpaid when at times he has trousered a multiple of eight times the national average wage running a business that is about the 54th most successful in its field. Not even working 60 hours a week, as some claim, justifies that.

Just observations. I'm chilled.

I don't like the word trousered; makes it sounds like something iffy is going on