Paul Scally confident Martin Allen can achieve further success at Priestfield
Chairman Paul Scally believes Martin Allen’s style of management has been the key to achieving promotion this season.
The Gills secured their rise to League One at the weekend after a 1-0 win over Torquay at Priestfield, and the Chairman says Martin’s meticulous attention to detail and ability to organise his team has been exemplary.
He said: “Martin is a Manager but also a friend and sometimes we speak two or three times a day.
“He is a Manager who needs a close relationship with the Chairman and there are not many Chairman that would be able to give him that sort of closeness.
“I was warned off him by a number of Chairman before I appointed him because they said he was too hard to handle, but he isn’t if you respect him and treat him in the way he needs to be treated, and that’s just man management really.
“I have always believed he can do a good job here or any other club if he’s managed properly. I think the problem has been that there are not a lot of Chairman strong enough to manage him in a positive way.
“He gives as good as he gets from me and we have a good relationship – he is certainly different and I think that different style has brought us the success that we enjoyed on Saturday.
“He’s certainly not mad; I don’t know why he has that nickname! I would say he’s OCD, but it’s that which makes him special because he does attend to detail when other Managers may just flick over.
“He will go through it five or six times. The team are very organised, he knows how he wants them to play and he gets the results.”
“All I can do is provide him with the funds to bring in the players and every player he has asked for we have gone and got and he has brought in some very good players.
“Look at Leon Legge. If he had been playing all season he would have walked the player of the season, I think he has been exceptional as has Adam Barrett, the full backs and the keeper.
“He has been outstanding and doesn’t get a lot of plaudits but why Stuart Nelson isn’t playing in the Championship at the very least I don’t know because he’s good enough.”
The Chairman said that if the club could keep hold of Martin for the long term then he could potentially be the one that guides the club back to the second tier of English Football.
He added: “If we can keep Martin here, which I’m sure we can, he is the man who can take us back to the Championship.
“There are a lot of Chairman who are a bit fearful of him so that might work in our favour! If Chairman aren’t bold enough to go for the Managers to think outside the box then you are not going to take your club anywhere, I think that’s the difference.
“When we got promoted at Fulham in the 95/96 season it didn’t feel like a promotion because we went in to the dressing room and didn’t realise we had gone up until someone had came in and told us.
“It was wonderful to do it in front of the fans and hopefully by our next home game we have clinched the Championship by then, that will be a special day and a big party!”
To watch the Chairman's press conference following Saturday's game click here.