by Luke Cawdell

Gillingham chairman Paul Scally believes the current economic climate is restricting his chances of moving the club forward.

Mr Scally is searching far and wide for new investors who he hopes will give the club a welcome cash injection.

But, despite now being based in the Middle East in a bid to whip up interest in investing in the Medway club, Mr Scally is yet to find the right investors.

He’s hoping for the same good fortune which befell Notts County in the summer after their takeover by Middle East-based Munto Finance.

They are aiming to take County from League 2 to the Premier League with the help of former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Mr Scally said: “That’s what I’m working on and the reason I am based out here in Dubai, but I haven’t found the right mix and people yet but we’re constantly trying.

“I’m holding a lot of meetings and making a presentation every week, mostly abroad. It’s difficult though.

The business world is going through a difficult time and a lot of people don’t have cash but we’ll keep working on it.”

Recent speculation however, linking former Birmingham owners David Gold and David Sullivan, who are both friends of the Gills chairman, have been dismissed.

The pair are seeking a new club to invest in after Birmingham were taken over by Hong Kong billionaire Carson Yeung, but are believed to be keen on a bigger club than the Gills.

Mr Scally said: “I do speak with them, but I think they may have other plans.”

The Gills recently parted company with chief executive Mark Jones, who was initially appointed to take over some of the workload from Mr Scally. A replacement is unlikely to be imminent.

“I’ve got issues to deal with, with the one who departed and that’s taking up a lot of my time at the moment,” said Mr Scally.

He revealed at the start of the season that he was putting on hold plans to build a new stadium for the Gills.

He has been pursuing that task since taking over as chairman.
Gillingham’s finances remain tight, despite promotion to League 1 this season and a cash injection after their Wembley success in May.

The biggest boost will come from increased gate money with Saturday’s visit of Charlton expected to be a sell-out.

With visits from Brentford, Leeds and Southampton to come, the gate turnover is expected to be far higher than last season.