GILLINGHAM chairman Paul Scally has issued a rallying cry for the people of Medway to get behind the club next season.

The Gills averaged just over 8,500 per home league game last campaign and Mr Scally believes more supporters are needed if the club is to fulfil its potential and overcome the financial blow from the collapse of ITV Digital.

He said: “The fans who turned up to home games this season have been fantastic but we need more of them. We are in the middle of a conurbation with a population of 250,000 and I don’t understand why more of these people don't come to the games.

“If we could turn our average gate from 8,500 to 10,500 then that would earn the club around £250,000 that could help buy new players.

Priestfield only played host to more than 10,000 fans on two occasions in the league in 2003/04 - for the visit of West Ham and the last home game of the season against Coventry.

And attendance sunk below the 7,000-mark for the visit of Crewe in November, a situation Mr Scally wants to improve.

He said: “It’s not good enough only getting 11,000-plus when West Ham come to town. You could argue that the bigger crowds are more important when we play the likes of Crewe and Rotherham because they can get behind the team and have a real influence on games.

“We have a fantastic product here, a great arena and a good football team. Perhaps the fans have become too complacent in recent years.”

A new influx of support would boost the club as Mr Scally tries to achieve his aim of taking the Gills to the Premier league.

He has personally taken over the running of the sales office at Gillingham and the club are offering plenty of incentives to get the fans flooding back.

“We have radically reduced our pricing structure and from next season games will be grouped into different pricing categories.

“A family of four - two adults and two children - will be able to come and see a game at Priestfield for about £20, which is very cheap. My aim is to take this club into the Premiership and we need the fans behind us all the way if we’re going to make it.”