It’s the start of a new era at Gillingham Football Club with Paul Fisher joining as co-chairman and chief executive while Paul Scally, who has been at the helm for 27 years, takes a break from the day-to-day running of the club.

But what challenges face the new man at the helm? Here’s some of the topics that will be in the in tray as Gillingham look to recapture former glories on and off the pitch after some tough times in recent years.

Squad strengthening

Popular manager Neil Harris, who joined the club at the end of January this year, has built a new-look squad ahead of the League 2 campaign which is now two games old. The Gills picked up their first win of the season on Saturday, 1-0 against Rochdale at Priestfield thanks to one of the new recruits, Scott Kashket. He’s one of 13 new faces to have arrived at Gillingham in the summer, and with three more weeks until the transfer window closes, the prospect of further arrivals will be in the thoughts of most Gills fans.

Every manager will always want that extra player, the one stand-out star who could give his team the X-factor or the extra strength in depth needed as injuries or suspensions start to bite going into the autumn months. An extra player or two could yet be the difference between automatic promotion or play-offs and mid-table mediocrity but finances have never been flush at Priestfield, so it may be asking too much for any quickfire changes to the budget this month.

Bringing back the fans

One key component is obviously winning matches on the field. Success equals fans, which casual supporter doesn’t get more engaged if their team is at the top of the table each week rather than turning up knowing you’ll be happy with a battling goalless draw?

There was a clear spike in attendances when Gillingham won the League 2 title under Martin Allen in 2012/13, with average gates exceeding 6,600. Another upturn followed when Justin Edinburgh guided Gills to a play-off challenge in 2015/16, which ultimately saw the club finish ninth, but there was a feel-good factor around the ground.

Recent years have seen crowd numbers fall, but the potential was there to see when Gillingham met Fleetwood on Easter Monday. Adult tickets were reduced from around £24 to £15 in a bid to swell the attendance at Priestfield - and it worked with more than 8,000 home fans backing their team. Although they didn’t get the desired result - a goalless draw - it again underlined the potential for the county’s only Football League team.

More offers are planned for the new season, so Mr Fisher will need to get that right in order to maximise the undoubted potential. Without Mr Scally in the stands this season, perhaps the ‘toxic atmosphere’ inside Priestfield, which some supporters say put them off attending will be a thing of the past, along with planes flying Scally Out banners above the ground.

New stadium

When Ebbsfleet revealed plans to build a new 8,000-capacity stadium on the footprint of their Stonebridge Road ground last month, there must have been more than a few raised eyebrows inside Priestfield. Mr Scally has never made a secret of his desire to find Gillingham a new home in a modern stadium.

While he has transformed Priestfield under his leadership, there is still the temporary stand at the Brian Moore End of the ground while the tight streets of Gillingham mean there is no room for expansion on the Gordon Road Stand. There are hospitality offerings in the Main Stand but a shiny new ground with additional facilities that can be used throughout the week to generate income, which in turn could be put towards the playing squad budget, must stay high on the agenda in the boardroom.

What's stopped Gillingham moving so far has been the money to do it. Someone needs to finance a move and in the many years of trying, nothing has materialised. Mr Scally’s most recent vision that was made public involved moving down the road to a 40-acre area of land known as Mill Hill. Artist impressions were drawn up of how a new 15-18,000 stadium just off Yokusuka Way would look. Those plans were drawn up 10 years ago.

Previous plans for Chatham Docks and before that at Temple Marsh in Cuxton never got off the ground either. There was even a suggestion that the club could leave Medway altogether and move to Gravesham. How frustrating to have seen once-troubled Brighton previously groundshare at Priestfield before taking off towards the Premier League after the completion of their own dream venue, while the Gills continue to chase that elusive move.

Leading the county

There’s now just one division between Gillingham and Maidstone United. At the start of last season, the gap was three levels but relegation at Priestfield was matched by the Stones winning promotion to the National League. The sides were last in the same division prior to Maidstone’s demise, when they clashed in the old Division 4 during the 1991/92 campaign. There’s nothing like a bit of Kent rivalry to spice up the season, but there are no doubt many Gills fans who are quite happy not to have any other teams around the county trying to take their crown of Kent’s premier side.

It’s not just Maidstone that are catching up the Gills, the likes of Ebbsfleet United and Dartford have made no secret of their ambition to win promotion to the National League, when one good season could see either land that coveted EFL spot. So, ensuring the Gills are successful on the pitch will be a big selling point for the club. And what better way to start your CV at Priestfield than adding promotion back to League 1 at the first attempt on it?

Outside investment

Mr Scally has already mentioned it in his statement but it’s no secret that Gillingham need investment if they are to take the ‘next step’. So many clubs chase the dream and while some, such as Bournemouth, reach their goal there are others - Derby being the obvious example - who head down a dark path and put their future at risk. To his credit, Mr Scally has ensured Gills have not found such darkened avenues to contend with but supporters would be rich now if they’d got a penny for every time they’ve heard the phrase ‘seeking fresh investment’.

There’s no doubt a long list of potential investors over the years have held meetings with Mr Scally but he’s not found one that can tick all of his boxes. Maybe Mr Fisher can open new doors, attract fresh investors, or guide Gillingham to a healthy future. A well-run football club can still prosper, of course, but life can be so much more enjoyable in football circles with a few extra million in the back pocket.

• A special look back at Paul Scally's 27 years with Gillingham

• Paul Fisher: Who is the new man running Gillingham?

It’s worth remembering, however, that while Mr Scally has handed over the day-to-day running of the club, there is no change in ownership. The keys to Priestfield remain in Mr Scally’s hands. Just how much free rein Mr Fisher will be given with regards to external investment, and indeed any major changes, remains to be seen. This isn’t a clean break and after 27 years in charge Mr Scally will surely be keen to get involved in anything substantial happening within the club.