Gills Ladies

[lidbid46]

Sad but I suppose understandable news that Gills are no longer going to be involved with the ladies team. Hopefully in the future, the club will be able to rethink. Good luck to the Ladies team moving forward.

[gillsfan1066]

Just out of interest what did the Scally and the club do for Gillingham Ladies, any idea what they used to give them in the financial sense ?

[lidbid46]

I don’t really know, but I imagine it included use of the facilities, some financial backing, promotion of their games, coaching support, advice etc. They are still going to be allowed to play in their league but as an independent team which I would have thought will be quite hard. I understand that cost cutting is inevitable but somehow it still seems a backwards step. It’s also worrying if Gills are so concerned about saving what are probably quite small sums of money. It makes you wonder what will be next.

[Garawa]

The sceptic in me thinks they never really did anything for the ladies teams. When they started, the club never supported them and why they had our name was a mystery. As ladies team grew and ours performed well, suddenly they were part of the Gills family. Now money is tight, they have been cast aside. Shame really as both the senior and development ladies squads were doing really well and even met each other in a cup final. Inevitable I guess though in the current climate and hopefully will be back to normal in future seasons.

[fan_of_mulligan]

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/sport/others-have-played-roulette-and-rolled-the-dice-229596/

Keeping the club afloat is his overriding task and that has, and will, lead to some tough calls. Losing the Gillingham Ladies team was criticised in some quarters but Mr Scally won’t make apologies over cutting costs at this time.

He said: “I have seen comments in reference to ladies football and the team not being continued and various other things but frankly I have had to disregard those things. Those people don’t realise what is involved in running a football club.

“My main objective is to make sure the club survives. I will make whatever decisions I have to make.

“Unfortunately ladies football, at this moment of time, is a resource and cash drain and I have to get rid of all resource and cash drains as best I can. It doesn’t mean to say I am against ladies football, it doesn’t mean I am against youth development, or against anything, but at the moment they have to be overboard.

“It is not to say they won’t be coming back in the future but at this moment of time it is not part of the road map. I think most people understand that.

“The ladies team was very important to us, as are all the young girls teams, including the RTC (Regional Talent Club), but unfortunately they are a cash negative. There is no significant support from the Football Association for ladies football, as there should be, but that’s not my argument, I just have to keep the ship above water and make sure it has a journey to go on.”

Paul Scally has spoken about Gillingham Ladies not being part of Gillingham Football Club.