Gillingham chairman Paul Scally hopes better crowds at Priestfield will help keep the club’s star players.

Mr Scally last week refused to listen to any offers for the club’s best young players ahead of the latest transfer deadline.

But he may not be able to continue doing that if the crowds fail to grow.

He said: “My job is to try and find enough money within the budget to not have to sell players. That is a difficult task and probably my biggest challenge.

“I am hoping fans turn up in their numbers and buy the products we sell through our shops and tea bars and the catering we are doing.

“The more money we can generate, the less requirement there is for me to sell players to balance the books.

“The fans play a massive role and anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know what they are talking about.

“The fans are the key to this club being successful. If they don’t come out in their numbers and support the club through thick and thin and buy products from within the stadium and not externally, we can’t generate enough income to survive without having to find alternative means – and that would normally be selling a player.

“I can’t envisage any unexpected windfalls right now but things do seem to happen in a season and we will see where we go.”

Read the full story in Friday's Medway Messenger as part of five pages of Gillingham coverage