THE Gillingham chairman is in candid mood as he talks to about the hopes for the season, his relationship with new manager Neale Cooper, the cost of last season's relegation and his plans for a dream move abroad.

RELOCATION is something Paul Scally has given considerable thought to recently and he admits he could be in for a move himself.

As the chairman continues to lay the groundwork for moving the club away from Priestfield, he also wants a move and a break from the job he’s been in for a decade.

He said: "I’ve done 10 years and it’s a very stressful and difficult time. I need to get my life back a little bit.

"I’ve plans that I want to move abroad with my family but I intend to stay and finish the job that I came here to do.

"Once I get to that position I will pass the club onto someone else to take it forward or maybe just stay and live abroad."

The job involves making Gillingham debt-free and in a new home with a good financial footing.

Mr Scally’s hopes of a dream move abroad may have to wait a little while longer, though, as relegation has put an extra burden on the club’s finances, which are still recovering from the ITV Digital collapse that cost around £7million.

He said: "Relegation cost us £1.4million overall but we are in the process of re-writing the budget that will show us making profit again this year. That will give us a basis to go forward again.

"We were heavily damaged by the ITV collapse but what relegation has allowed us to do is pull together and re-build the structure.

"Whether that takes us one, two or five seasons is a bit irrelevant really because we are and will be much stronger going forward than we have been over the last two or three years."

Mr Scally believes that Neale Cooper is just the man to help reshape the club and was impressed by the man from the day he met him.

He said: "Many people I know in football and respect, people like Chris Kamara, said I should chat to Neale Cooper who had been sacked by Hartlepool over some strange reasons.

"I met Neale and picked him up at Gatwick and I got on with him straight away. He’s totally different to anyone we’ve employed here on a management basis.

"I spoke to Ronnie about being number one, and while Ronnie would have preferred to be number one, he was quite comfortable and happy to work as his assistant.

"Both know the type of players they want here, young hungry fighters – which is one of Ronnie’s terms – and that probably sums up what this club needs now to go forward."

Mr Scally is happy with season ticket sales, which are not far short of last season’s total sales, and the chairman is keen to praise the fans who have backed the club through difficult times.

"We’ve got a new management team," he said. "New players, a new division, new teams who we’re going to be playing and a new challenge.

"I think people will come and watch good football whether it’s Derby or Darlington.

"We’re lucky because we have a very understanding group of supporters. I think that’s because we’ve always been open and honest.

"We’ve some young and exciting players in the side and this management team are happy to give youth a chance. It’s time for them all to pick up the gauntlet."

The chairman, however, is cautious over the team’s chances this coming season after the big changes that have happened over the summer.

He said: "People talk about us returning to the Championship as if it’s just a formality, but I know that this season is going to be one of the toughest for the last five years."