Scally 14 page letter | Page 5 | Vital Football

Scally 14 page letter

alphabet_king said:
It amazes me that so many misunderstand what the difference between an investment and a takeover are.

If someone wants to take over control of the club, they are no longer an investor in the sense of the word scallys looking for. They are a buyer and are taking over the club, not investing in it with scally. I think Scallys been clear he's not particularly looking to sell the club. Hes looking for an investor to work with him. By definition this means he'll retain control. When you watch dragons den, and the dragons invest 40% in the businesses, the dragons dont take over control of the business, nor are they interested in doing so.

As an investor, investors will only have very limited input to the decision making process. Theyll no doubt have shares/voting rights according to their investment. Cant see scally giving out more than 50% of any shares of gfc unless he's fully selling up and making a good profit.
Click to expand...

Your last paragraph sums up why Scally is still flying solo. Nobody in their right mind (Unless your Michael Anderson and look how that turned out) would put any of their money into GFC to let PS generally decide what he does with it. That's basically what PS wants and is why he's still looking. What PS also doesn't seem to understand is that you can want investors all you want but unless you make it attract to them they won't come and they haven't. I don't believe there haven't been interested parties over the years but it has not been on PS' terms so hasn't happened.
 
markinkent said:
1. We can't compare premier league to league one. Whole different ball game financially speaking.
Click to expand...
Yes I already said that.

markinkent said:
...without an investment in the playing squad we don't need a new stadium. He actually needs both. A partner to fund the stadium and an investor to take the club forward to help fill it.
Click to expand...
That's not the case. It's a common argument I've heard from people against scally/new stadium and I never understand why. Scally's argument is very simple on this matter. While the new stadium might have a marginal effect on attendances, quite frankly it's quite a small factor of the business case - so it's a complete red herring in the discussion.

The key benefit of a new stadium to GFC is the increase of non-matchday revenues. We have to be clear here - it is not just a stadium he is proposing here. It's a complex of GFC School, Conferencing no doubt other features too - anyone got the brochure?

Scally's been clear here - the idea is to generate much more income than they do currently at Priestfield which will then be used to increase the investment into the playing squad/budget. Unless you know of any wealthy/stupid sugar daddies who are keen to throw their money at the playing squads, Scally has been very honest that this approach really is the only way for the club to grow/progress in a proper manner, by increasing our non-footballing revenues first.

It makes sense to me. It is certainly more realistic than hoping for a rich sugar daddy to take us over one day.
 
Captainreblue said:
Your last paragraph sums up why Scally is still flying solo. Nobody in their right mind (Unless your Michael Anderson and look how that turned out) would put any of their money into GFC to let PS generally decide what he does with it. That's basically what PS wants and is why he's still looking. What PS also doesn't seem to understand is that you can want investors all you want but unless you make it attract to them they won't come and they haven't.
Click to expand...
I personally think the real reason behind the lack of investment is the lack of concrete support from the council towards GFC and our plans to move to a new site. With the council virtually ignoring GFC's ambitions, we simply don't have the kind of weight behind any potential planning proposal yet. I would imagine any potential partner simply doesn't believe Scally has sufficient backing from the council to warrant going in with us as a partnership. For a start, a site has not even been committed to yet by the council.

Certainly to me it's clear that's what Scally thinks also (hence his charm offensive with the council in recent years).
 
alphabet_king said:
Yes I already said that.


That's not the case. It's a common argument I've heard from people against scally/new stadium and I never understand why. Scally's argument is very simple on this matter. While the new stadium might have a marginal effect on attendances, quite frankly it's quite a small factor of the business case - so it's a complete red herring in the discussion.

The key benefit of a new stadium to GFC is the increase of non-matchday revenues. We have to be clear here - it is not just a stadium he is proposing here. It's a complex of GFC School, Conferencing no doubt other features too - anyone got the brochure?

Scally's been clear here - the idea is to generate much more income than they do currently at Priestfield which will then be used to increase the investment into the playing squad/budget. Unless you know of any wealthy/stupid sugar daddies who are keen to throw their money at the playing squads, Scally has been very honest that this approach really is the only way for the club to grow/progress in a proper manner, by increasing our non-footballing revenues first.

It makes sense to me. It is certainly more realistic than hoping for a rich sugar daddy to take us over one day.
Click to expand...

But the MS and the over the top fit out of the banqueting and conferencing facilities were all justified on the proviso that that side of the business was going to fund and contribute a significant amount of money to the footballing side of the business meaning we would no longer have to rely on player sales to help balance the books. We're years down the line but that still isn't happening.

I just don't get the argument that a new stadium will increase revenue for the club, as well almost certainly be tenants and whoever pays for or owns the stadium will almost certainly take a fair cut out of any profits. Again on the stadium, regardless of the council's malaise, I'd suggest theyd actually what to see some substance to the notion of us having the capabilities of funding/partners to produce the new stadium developement (other than just a glossy pipe dream brochure) before investing serious time and money in locating/giving up land.

Think Medway Council and PS have had enough time sparring to understand each other and when there is a serious proposition to be discussed.

PS has talked the talk for 20 years on New stadiums and investors. He has yet to walk the walk and deliver on either and who knows how much time and money has been spent achieving, to date, zilch.
 
Captainreblue said:
But the MS and the over the top fit out of the banqueting and conferencing facilities were all justified on the proviso that that side of the business was going to fund and contribute a significant amount of money to the footballing side of the business meaning we would no longer have to rely on player sales to help balance the books. We're years down the line but that still isn't happening.
Click to expand...

Yes it does, it brings in £1.5m in revenue a year as per the letter.
 
MedwayModernist said:
Yes it does, it brings in £1.5m in revenue a year as per the letter.
Click to expand...

But were still reliant on transfer sales of 500k a year to balance our current budget. So £1.5m of our £2.6m playing budget comes from the banqueting and hospitality. 500k is needed to be raised per season from players sales as well according to PS to balance the books.

It might bring in £1.5m but i doubt a ) that's profit b) it all goes into the playing budget.
 
alphabet_king said:
It's a complex of GFC School, Conferencing no doubt other features too - anyone got the brochure?
Click to expand...

2012 Mill Hill story from KM here

Gills stadium plans spark petition from angry opponents (kentonline.co.uk)

It quotes "The project includes a supermarket, petrol station, fast food restaurants, fitness centre, shops, nursery and tennis academy. "

Supermarket - Asda now built in Chatham Docks, assume the same for the petrol station.

Tennis academy - now built at top of Featherby Road in Hessy's old club.

Two big monetary pulls have gone now!

Another 2012 KM story that shows the a stadium layout at

New plans for Gillingham FC stadium unveiled (kentonline.co.uk)
 
The last glossy brochure I saw on line was full of apartments. There seems an insatiable appetite for them so that might still work.

IIRC club would pay rent to the mill hill company. Not owning your own ground is always a concern to me. Ask Coventry!
 
Last edited:
OneSirKeefy said:
I agree with a lot of what you normally say on here Chris. But I think you are very wide of the mark on this, and sounding like those previously mentioned lot on the “fans” site.

As said by others above, Scally in his letter talks about those that abuse him and GFC staff, make comments that damage GFC brand and comments that are downright slanderous.

With all that I agree wholeheartedly with him.

The (fewer and fewer lately) times I scroll through that site, I’m gobsmacked at some of the things people post on there whilst purporting to be Gills supporters. If some of it was said about me I’d be looking at my options as well.


He says nothing, and probably cares not a jot, about people who simply disagree with him or moan about him. He’s been a business owner his whole life and is probably very used to people disagreeing with him.
Click to expand...
It was tongue in cheek. I don't read the Facebook forum as I have said I know one West Ham fan who lives in Medway who writes on at least one Gills Facebook page.
 
chris who said:
It was tongue in cheek. I don't read the Facebook forum as I have said I know one West Ham fan who lives in Medway who writes on at least one Gills Facebook page.
Click to expand...

A few years ago, I once joined a love Gills hate Scally group, during a particularly bad spell at Gills when I wanted him to go.

I lasted about 30 minutes before getting kicked out after being accused of a being a Scally apologist.

Plenty of mouth breathing going on there still I dare say
 
You must log in or register to reply here.