Future looks rosy for Gills
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by Patrick
Gearey
A Kent finance expert says Gillingham’s
promotion will provide an ‘enormous’ boost to the club’s
finances.
Professor Richard Scase, who is
based at the University of Kent at Canterbury and
is a Gills fan,
believes they are now better placed to weather the recession, which
he thinks will hit football clubs hard.
Mark Stimson’s side can expect big crowds to
watch games against the likes of Southampton, Charlton, Leeds and
Norwich and Professor Scase says that will make a big difference to
the club, who have been working to repay considerable debts to
Royal Bank of Scotland.
He said: “It is an enormous boost. Even I am
thinking about having a season ticket again. I had one a few years
ago but I gave it up when Gillingham got relegated to the fourth
tier of English league football.
“I think lots of people like me will be doing
the same so attendances will go up and they can probably charge
more for a ticket.”
Professor Scase talks
about the likely financial impact of promotion.
But the academic also thinks Gillingham will
need to invest to stay in the division next season.
“I think they are going to struggle to stay in
League One unless they get in some more players of quality - and
that will cost money - but on the other hand Gillingham is now
more competitive in attracting those players than it was when it
was in League Two.”
He also has a warning for all football clubs
that they will not be exempt from the effects of the credit
crunch.
“It is going to be a quite tough year for all
clubs, including those in the Premier League, as sponsorship is
going to come down because companies do not have the spend on
advertising that they have had in the past.
“It will be tough for Gillingham but it would
be even tougher if they had not been promoted.”
Thursday, May 28 2009
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