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Paul Scally, “mouthy” Chairman of relegated Gillingham has hit out at Ken Bates following the severe barracking he received at Elland Road yesterday.

Scally whined to the BBC,

“I was one of 63 chairmen who voted to support the action against Leeds for misdemeanours carried out by the people running Leeds at the time. They broke the regulations, got punished by the Football League board of directors and we were asked whether we supported the board.

It was an anonymous vote and I was happy to come out and say I was one of the ones who supported the board. Because of that - and Ken has whipped it up - there were 36,000 out there who think I’m the reason they lost 15 points and that clearly wasn’t the case. Ken Bates has disappointed me enormously. I’m stunned by the way he’s behaved.”

If Scally was stunned by the way Ken Bates behaved then he was the only one in the country! 

Paul Scally’s weekend got worse today when the former manager of Gillingham, Tony Pulis took Stoke City to the Premier League in the second automatic promotion spot. Scally and Pulis had a major fall-out which resulted in Pulis taking Gillingham to the High Court. Scally really does have “people skills” doesn’t he? Instead of being in League Two next season he could have been on the Premier League!
 
 

Ken Bates got his wish when his Leeds United side took all three points against Gillingham and condemned Paul Scally’s Kent side to League Two.

Because of results elsewhere Gillingham were relegated without the Leeds result but Ken got satisfaction of watching the man who vociferously led the support for the Football League deducting 15 points from Leeds United being vocally ridiculed by 38,000 Leeds fans and his team beaten on the pitch.

Gillingham took the lead in the first half to the delight of several hundred Gills fans who had the courage to be there when their team faced almost certain relegation. However, Leeds hit back in the second half with a stunning volley from Bradley Johnson from a cross by the underrated Seb Carole and an 88th minute winner from a one-on-one with the Gills keeper by Tresor Kandol.

Ken’s day was complete and “mouthy”  Scally was left to rue the decision he so publicly endorsed back in August 2007 - perhaps Scally should focus on his own club in future and remember the rhyme about tweaking a tiger by its tail…

Leeds United today received confirmation that Irishman Alan Sheehan is banned for three matches following his straight red card for a challenge on Lee Peltier of Yeovil Town on Friday evening.

Consequently, Sheehan misses the game against Gillingham on Saturday and the Play-Off semi-finals.

“I can’t defend him,” commented Gary McAllister on the official Leeds site. ”It’s a poor challenge, especially in today’s game. You can’t put two feet off the ground in a tackle.

“He knows it and it’s very disappointing. He’s worked himself back into the side and done well. He’s very disappointed.

“He’s already had a suspension for 10 bookings and we’ll miss him for three games now.”

Sheehan is on loan from Leicester City and these substantial suspensions will harm his prospects of earning a full-time move to Elland Road in the summer. Sheehan is relatively young and hopefully will grow out of “youthful” indescretions.

His dismissal presents more immediate problems for McAllister who must choose between Andrew Hughes or Darren Kenton for the left-back berth against Gillingham and the Play-Offs. Ben Parker is not available for the Gillingham match due to suspension but is unlikely to be recalled from a loan spell Darlington for the Play-Off semi-finals - logically if you’re not good enough for the team during the regular season you’re certainly not good enough for the Play-Offs!

The official Leeds United website has just announced that extra tickets are available for Saturday’s game against Gillingham at Elland Road.

Approximately 850 tickets, which are for a section of the South Stand and an area of the East Stand, will be on sale at Elland Road from 09.00 hours on Wednesday, 30th April.

The tickets will be ONLY be on sale to personal applications at the West Stand Ticket Office.

There is a maximum of two per person.