Scally: "I'm not Mr. Popular at the moment"

Gills chairman Paul Scally made a somewhat hesitant radio interview on talkSPORT with Adrian Durham. Scally was initially angry at presenter Adrian Durham as he “sensationalised” the Gillingham chairman’s comments. Although, The Gills chairman did sound quite deflated and appeared hesitant when asked about the finances of the club, and admitted to not being ‘Mr Popular’. Read the full interview:

Durham: I understand you’re not very happy

Scally: Well I think youhave a responsibility as a broadcaster Adrian yeah

Durham: What point are you making?

Scally: You are making me out to be the catalyst for the Leeds Untied’s fifteen point deduction which I thought was a little bit unfair

Durham: Right, you’re referring to something that was said earlier in the show yeah?

Scally: That’s right

Durham: Okay well it was our reporter who deals with Leeds United and our reporter actually said it rather than me, and I think that you were referring to some quotes that you gave the Yorkshire Evening Post

Scally: Right

Durham: I’ll read you the direct quote: “I don’t need to hide behind anonymity or a secret ballot, I voted with the Leagues board and I think I was right to do so. I wasn’t responsible for deciding whether Leeds should be punished or what their punishment should be, neither did any of the clubs, the board took that decision and we were simply asked to back one party or the other using the evidence in front of us. The League’s explanation seemed very convincing to me and to be honest I thought that Leeds United’s case was really poor. There wasn’t any real doubt about the way I should vote.” So what did we get wrong?

Scally: And I stand by that.

Durham: So what did we get wrong then?

Scally: Let me finish. We’ve got a big game coming up with Leeds United this weekend, you know we’ve got this survival thing going on. I stand by the fact that Leeds United were deducted fifteen points, and I made the decision and I wasn’t hiding behind any barriers or any anonymity and I’ve done that. I just don’t think that you should make me the focal point as the person who has been leading the charge as you like. So that’s the way it came across to me.

Durham: Well, listen that wasn’t the way it was intended. Listen if you give quotes to the Yorkshire Evening Post which is read by Leeds fans in the main, the Leeds fans are then going to think: Yeah well his quite outspoken, he’s quite happy to come out and say that he voted against Leeds. He voted…

Scally: I voted against Leeds

Durham: Yeah you voted to give them a fifteen-point penalty, so they’re not going to like you are they Paul? It’s nothing to do with me, they’re not going to like you are they?

Scally: I don’t think that Leeds United supporters like me anyway, but that’s not the discussion here. I didn’t like the way that you came across with the quote on the radio so naturally I’ve taken to task on it.

Durham: Well listen I understand what you’re saying. Are you going to the game on Saturday?

Scally: I’ll be going to the game yeah.

Durham: Yeah I mean it was always going to be whatever I said, whatever the reporter said it was going tobe a volatile situation bearing in mind your quotes saying: Yep Leeds deserved the penalty. Your quotes were in the Yorkshire Evening Post so if you give quotes to their paper, it’s going to happen isn’t it.

Scally: It was they way… I think you’ve got a responsibility as a broadcaster…you do sensationalise…

Durham: What, I’m delivering the facts here...

Scally: You do, you do. You do look for controversy as I’m sure that some of your listeners will saythat on many topics…

Durham: I’ve got to say Paul, on this issue, on the Leeds issue, I’ve been careful to get everything straight on this because there is a lot of misinformation fanning around. Leeds fans, I think, have been given incorrect information along the way sometimes, stuff that maybe favoured Leeds United in a way, they’ve been blinkered in theinformation that they have been given and I think that it is only fair tofootball fans and Leeds fans to deliver the facts to them. The fact is Paul, along the way you were one of the 75% of the rest of the Football League clubs who voted. 75% of them voted against Leeds United to impose that penalty, and that’s just the way it is. I mean if Leeds fans want to take it out on all those chairmen then fine, but not all chairmen have come out and said: Yeah I was one of the ones who voted against Leeds. Some have decided to keep their own council.

Scally: I have spoken to chairmen up and down the country and the vast majority wanted the fifteen point deduction, it’s as simple as that.

Durham: But you’re happy with the outcome today yeah?

Scally: I’m very happy with the outcome yeah

Durham: Onto the game on Saturday, it’s obviously a vital one, well Leeds are already in the play-offs, but it’s vital for you. I guess you’re hoping that they rest players aren’t you?

Scally: Well, you know we are confident that we can go their and get the desired result that will help us in our quest to stave off relegation.

Durham: Is it a disaster if you go down, financially?

Scally: …It’s…it’s something that as a football club we will have to look at and you know… we are not down yet.

Durham: I know there is an issue with the stadium as well, there has been a few ‘Scally Out’ chants at the Priestfield Stadium, I think you are trying to move them but nobody knows where the ground is going to be is that right?

Scally: Well, I’m not Mr.Popular at this moment in time but lets deal with Leeds United on Saturday and then we will go with the programme in terms of helping Gillingham move premises then going forward.

To listen to the interview yourself, go on: http://www1.talksport.net/shows/show.asp?showId=100179&id=102598&c=100008&sCatType=shows