Gillingham and their chairman, Paul Scally, have each been fined £75,000 for “race victimisation” relating to the departure of the striker Mark McCammon in 2011.
McCammon spent three years with Gillingham, and an employment tribunal in Ashford had previously ruled his departure was because of racial discrimination. McCammon claimed the club refused him treatment for an injury and docked his wages.
An FA statement said: “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.”
Gillingham had appealed the decision by the employment tribunal in 2012 but the verdict was upheld by a judge in September 2013 and McCammon, who has previously played for a number of Football League clubs including Brentford, Millwall, Brighton and Doncaster, was awarded £68,000.
“I am shocked, stunned and angered by this decision, as are my staff at the club,” said Scally in a statement on Gillingham’s website. “The level of these sanctions is manifestly excessive, totally disproportionate and completely unjust. We have been given no reasoned explanation for the severity of the fines. The club and I will be appealing against this decision and, if necessary, we will take the matter beyond the FA.”
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