Gillingham chairman Paul Scally has opened up about the “dark days” he experienced during the final months of Steve Evans’ tenure.

Evans was in the third year of his three year contract at the Gills, having successfully taken the club to 10th in the table in his first two campaigns, but it all went wrong during his last season as manager, ending in a parting of the ways in early January.

Evans has since taken on the management role at Stevenage while his successor at the Gills, Neil Harris, has moved to the club to within two games of surviving relegation in League 1.

Mr Scally has previously spoken of a “dark cloud” that had lifted when he decided Evans had to go but in a report to fans, published on the eve of their big game at Portsmouth, he went further.

He said: “Looking back, the big mistake I made was not based on appointing Steve Evans as our manager, but more so for not removing him three months before I did.

“I have beaten myself up many times over this, it haunts me at the damage and distress that decision caused to everyone working within the club, and to the very fabric of the club, the damage that decision has caused to me personally, to my health, to my family and friends. It was a monumental mistake.

“His conduct during that period (of the current campaign) took me personally to perhaps some of the darkest places I have ever experienced in my football life, if not entire life, they were difficult, distressing and painful times.

"I battled to keep attending games, to do the things I’ve done for 26 years, to keep believing we could keep the club going with reduced incomes and higher player costs due to situations outside of our control and it took every ounce of inner character, strength and help from those close to me to keep going.

“I can only now look forward and work towards a better tomorrow for myself and all connected to this great club, it’s a recovery process and the appointment of Neil Harris, the response of the players, fans, sponsors and staff, is certainly helping that process.”

Evans’ first two seasons had been a relative success, battling on a modest budget, against often challenging situations. But Mr Scally wasn’t happy with comments made in the press.

Mr Scally, who said Evans had been given the biggest budget by any manager in the club's history at the third-tier, wrote: “Almost from day one of this current season, the atmosphere around/within the club changed, the manager changed in my view, I don’t know why because nothing negative had occurred during the break, however his attitude and indeed conduct definitely changed, sadly not for the better.

“I wondered if there were outside influences affecting him, the travelling he was doing daily perhaps affected him, but I never received a credible explanation from him as to the issue.

“He alluded to budget restrictions, however his budget was up, he alluded to Covid and injuries, acceptable frustrations however many clubs suffered similar, and he alluded to squad size, however that was his strategy and choice, less players, higher salaries.

“Crowds were welcomed back into the stadium in September which was a big positive, and one which we were all delighted about, however, the rhetoric from Steve to the fans via the media in those first four months was often negative, derogatory against me personally and in many cases comments he made were simply untrue and/or misleading, especially in regards to budgets, players, squad size etc.

“It was as if he didn’t want to be at the club, albeit when I asked him he replied in the alternative.

“I was staggered time and time again at what I was being told was being said, issues I took up with him often, I was frequently being ‘thrown under a bus’ by him, there is no question his comments directly and indirectly fueled hateful campaigns and actions, anger, frustration and serious abuse towards me from a section of our supporter base.”

The Gills and Evans have both since moved on. Gillingham are now fighting the drop in League 1 while Evans has challenges of his own at Stevenage in League 2.

Mr Scally’s lengthy report, which can be read in full on the club’s website, highlighted off-the-field progress, with work to build a 70-seater restaurant as part of their Factory bar facility, while bookings are again being taken for events at The Great Hall at Priestfield, having shut down during the Covid pandemic.

He also announced that the current transfer restrictions put in place after taking out a monitored loan will end when the season finishes, allowing them to trade more freely in the summer. A working relationship with KentOnline's sister station KMFM has also been agreed, he said, to help promote the club.

He also revealed that club sponsors MEMS Power Generation have extended their agreement for another year.

Mr Scally has also resurrected the GFC Community Trust in recent weeks, registering himself as director at Companies House, while the club’s charity Take Heart are also hoping to start operations again in Sri Lanka after being revived.

Ticket deals for next season are currently being discussed and Scally said: “We hope to have these launched in the next week or so.”

The Gills chairman, meanwhile, remains open to offers for the club, but said no credible bids have been made and that walking away wasn’t an option, saying: “Given I carry the burden of responsibility for many, and even if I did want to walk away, (which I could not be faulted for doing of recent), the effect on the club would be devastating for everyone.

“This is a marriage which cannot be easily broken, however, with the right parties on board my belief this club can go forward and prosper remains, but we all need to be on the same page for this to happen.”