Gillingham and Scally found guilty of ´race victimisation´

Gillingham and their chairman Paul Scally have been found guilty by the Football Association of an “act of race victimisation” and fined £75,000.

The charges were brought against Gillingham and Scally in October, in relation to the sacking of former striker Mark McCammon.

London-born Barbados international striker McCammon represented the club for three years before having his contract terminated in 2011.

He subsequently won an appeal for unfair dismissal due to racial discrimination at an employment tribunal in 2012 – a ruling that saw McCammon awarded £68,000 in damages and that was upheld the following year.

A statement on Friday from the FA read: “Gillingham FC and its chairman Paul Scally have been fined £75,000 each, subject to any appeal, after FA misconduct charges against them were found proven.

“The club and Mr Scally, who has also been ordered to attend an education programme, were found to be in breach of FA Rule E3(1) for failing to act in the best interests of the game and bringing the game into disrepute. 

“This followed an Employment Tribunal decision which held that an employee had been unfairly dismissed by the club and that the dismissal was an act of race victimisation by Mr Scally and the club.”

McCammon alleged that then Gillingham manager Andy Hessenthaler docked his wages for failing to attend training in heavy snow and refused to pay private medical bills to aid his recovery from injury.