Gillingham director Paul Scally talks for the first time about his involvement in the takeover of the club by the Galinson family

Gillingham director Paul Scally has told fans how he had fallen out of love with football - before an email from Brad Galinson changed everything.

Mr Scally appointed a co-chairman in August to oversee operations and stopped going to games. The pressure had become too much and he wanted out. But when Mr Galinson contacted him about possibly investing in the club, the buzz came back. He’s now busy working behind the scenes as both he and the Gills have a new lease of life.

Former owner Mr Scally has been out of the limelight since the Galinsons took over - which has helped re-energise him - but he’s never been far away. He got the chance to tell supporters at Sunday’s end-of-season presentation evening his side of the takeover, as his long era as head of the club came to an end.

He said: “A lot of people have actually said to me, ‘what are you doing at the club at the moment?’ because they weren’t quite sure.

“I had a difficult period last year, between August and December, I didn’t think I would be coming back to Gillingham, didn’t think I would watch football again, I fell out of love with it.

“I was under a lot of pressure, a lot of strain, it was a difficult time for all of us, supporters, staff, management, sponsors, but I was fully intending that I would find someone who would come in to give us the investment we needed to take this great club forward.

“I had four or five different potential investors, all pretty good, one that I didn’t think would get through the Football League’s fit and proper test. We didn’t try that.

“Pretty late in the day I had an email from Brad Galinson, around September/October, asking if it was too late to get involved. He’s a guy that had been looking at lots of clubs around the country