Latest news with #PaulScally
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
EFL stadium kitted out with £7m of equipment from the Millennium Dome with kids' play area turned into training centre
AN EFL stadium is packed to the Gills with trinkets from the Millennium Dome. Priestfield Stadium has been home to Gillingham since the club's formation in 1893. 3 3 3 Former Gills chairman Paul Scally grabbed a selection of bargains after the infamous London project was phased out in 2001. The government auctioned off thousands of items following the Dome's demise. Scally - who bought Gillingham for £1 in 1995 - spotted an opportunity. And the 69-year-old got carried away with his bidding at the auction 23 years ago. Scally estimates the club received up to £7million worth of equipment after shelling out just £750,000. The purchases helped Gillingham refurbish a new Priestfields stand at a knock-down price. While the club megastore boasted £250,000 of fittings bought for just £5,000. Scally explained to Sky Sports: "It was a case of being in the right place at the right time. "I've bought tea trolleys, ovens, fire extinguishers, 300 sets of bone china, glasses and all sorts on top of the bigger stuff. "This has allowed us to move the club forward quicker than I had envisaged. We just kept going back to the site for more gear. Abandoned EFL stadium left to rot with pitch covered in weeds just five years after hosting final match "I bought a seven-and-a-half ton lorry to transport everything and we must have made 100 trips to Greenwich. "I've had to borrow a 10,000 sq ft warehouse off a mate because there isn't enough room at the ground for everything." Scally also managed to get his hands on a new indoor training centre. Valued at £1.5million, the Gills chairman converted an 80m x 40m play area from the Dome for just £70,000. Scally gained control of the club in 1995 for a nominal fee of £1, but also took on its £1.5m debt. He sold his controlling stake to US property magnate Brad Galinson in December 2022, while continuing as a non-executive director. Scally was voted off the club's board last year. Gillingham are currently in League Two, having bounced around the third and four tiers for the past two decades. They spent five seasons in the Championship from 2000, but have not returned since relegation in 2005.
The Courier
05-05-2025
- The Courier
Fife paedophile jailed again for downloading child abuse files
A 'hardened' Fife paedophile was caught downloading twisted child abuse files just months after being released from jail. Deviant Paul Scally, 45, began downloading vile files in November 2023, having only been liberated from prison that July. Scally was subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order during some of his offending, having previously jailed a decade ago for sex offences against a child. He was labelled a 'hardened offender' by the sheriff who jailed him again and ensured he will be under social work supervision once he is released. At an earlier hearing at Dundee Sheriff Court, prosecutor Joanne Ritchie said: 'Police executed a search warrant at the home of the accused on August 29 2024. 'The accused was not present and entry was forced with the assistance of a council joiner. 'A full search was carried out and three items were seized from the accused's bedroom floor. 'They were two hard drives and a laptop. Child sexual abuse material was found.' A total of 24 video files were found, with a run-time totalling more than five-and-a-half hours. They featured girls as young as four being sexually abused. Scally, who has been on remand since September 2, admitted that between November 2023 and August 2024, he took or made and possessed indecent images of children at his home in Newburgh. His solicitor Calum Harris said: 'He's clearly built up a record of similar offences. 'Ultimately the number of images and videos found is fairly low. 'He has spent a significant amount of time in custody.' Sheriff Gregor Murray jailed Scally for 20 months and placed him on the sex offenders register for five years. The sheriff backdated Scally's sentence to September and ordered him to be subject to post-release supervision for a year. He told Scally: 'You have a brief but highly analogous record of offending. 'You were only released from custody in July 2023. You almost immediately commenced offending again. 'It's quite clear you're a hardened offender who has no intention of desisting.' Agency worker Scally was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted in 2015 of sexual offences against a child under the age of 13. Then, in 2022, he admitted flouting notification requirements that come with being on the sex offenders register by jetting off to Canary island Fuertaventura.
