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GILLINGHAM chairman Paul Scally has warned he may not be able to re-sign many of the club’s 10 players who are out of contract in the summer as the row with the Professional Footballers' Association rumbled on.
Among the 10 are in-form goalkeeper Jason Brown who has already intimated that he is looking to commit himself to the club by signing a long-term deal.
Mr Scally, who banned the players’ union from Priestfield after alleging they undermined his authority in the dispute over the negotiation of new bonuses, says that failure to re-negotiate could cost players' jobs.
He disclosed: “There are 10 players out of contract in June and if the new agreement had been in place we could have signed four or five. Now I don't know what will happen.
“Obviously I've got to sit down with the manager and discuss these issues. Each club must be responsible for paying its staff and I have the right to run my business as I see fit.”
He admitted that before the PFA intervened, half of the players had signed the new bonus sheet. I think all the players would have signed until they got the call from the PFA.
The PFA are interfering in the running of my business which I don't like.”
As a result of the stalemate, Gillingham players will retain their existing bonus contracts for the rest of the season. Football League regulations state contracts, including bonus schedules which form part of the contract, may not be altered unless a further 12 months is added to the original contract.
Mr Scally dismissed as “garbage” PFA representative Bobby Barnes’ claim that the union had offered Gillingham financial assistance.