PHIL Parkinson has launched a scathing attack on Gillingham owner Paul Scally over the way the Kent club conducted their summer long pursuit of Chris Dickson.

Dickson joined Bristol Rovers on a three-month loan seven days ago in a move which saw the Gills miss out on their number one target.

Scally blasted Parkinson earlier this week, branding him as “paranoid” because the Addicks boss didn’t want to risk the embarrassment of seeing Dickson banging in goals down the A2.

However, Parkinson today hit back at the claims and revealed Gillingham’s failure to cough up the full fee for Josh Wright’s loan last season hadn’t exactly strengthened their hopes of landing Dickson.

He said: “I’ve said all along and documented quite clearly what went on there.

“I’ve tried to ring Paul Scally this week. He did come back to me and I got back to him but I keep leaving messages and haven’t actually spoke to him.

“The bottom line is we’ve kept a very professional stance on this but they did have the option to take him on loan on the same terms as Bristol Rovers.

“There is no problem between the clubs because we let them have Josh Wright last year, who helped them get promotion at Wembley and played a pivotal role in their promotion season, and they still owe us money for the Josh Wright loan deal.

“So to have the audacity to be moaning about not letting Chris Dickson go there when they still owe us money for a player we lent them who did exceptionally well for them, really means I don’t think I have to say any more about the professionalism of both clubs.”

Parkinson added: “If you are in our situation where we haven’t exactly been in a great financial position and a club is trying to get a player off us when they haven’t paid the bill for the last player, do the board look favourably on that request?

“But equally we have a player who is constantly throughout the summer being spoken to by Gillingham through his agent about going there and affecting his mindset around the building.

“It has made him disgruntled because he knew he could go to Gillingham and they promised him he could play.

“We’ve had that problem and it has caused us problems but Chris Dickson is a good lad.

“He is a decent boy but I just feel for us to be called unprofessional is something I imagine most supporters would be reading and just having a chuckle to themselves because I think it is quite clear where the unprofessionalism has taken place.

“I imagine Paul Scally has had a little bit of stick from his own supporters so he is trying to deflect it on to me and the club but it is totally not the case.

“Firstly, Gillingham could have taken him for the exact same deal Bristol Rovers did and secondly, they offered us a deal and then withdrew it.

“For me there are quite a few reasons Chris Dickson isn’t at Gillingham and they are all down to Gillingham.”