Gillingham FC chairman shares his Premier League vision as he celebrates 25 years at the club

  • Watch: Andrew Pate reports on Paul Scally's time at the top of the Gills

The chairman of Gillingham FC says he believes Kent "could sustain a Premier League club" as he reflects on 25 years in charge at the Gills.

Paul Scally took on the club in May 1995, with the club hours away from being wound-up

He was studying for a law degree in London that he was "enjoying very much."

But he remembers seeing that his home club Gillingham had gone into administration.

Paul Scally is the second longest serving Owner and Chairman in English football

He said: "I was at home one day and it came up on the television that Gillingham had gone into administration and I was really saddened to see the trouble they were having.

"And I suppose I made that fateful phone call the day after...six weeks after that I owned the football club!"

Since taking on the club, he's overseen four promotions, three appearances at Wembley and a run to the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Scally believes that Gillingham "could be a Premier League club."

"I believe that it could sustain a Premier League club here in Kent, it's just I've never achieved that yet. "

He says that the club is in a "good position" to bring in "external investment" and that he's exploring who he might be able to work with on his top flight ambitions for the side.

Gillingham finished 10th in League One this year after the season was cut short because of the Covid-19 pandemic.