GRAVESEND officials have hit back at the Football Association, who upheld Lee Protheroe’s appeal against his sacking.

The club referred the matter to the FA and the Nationwide Conference management committee following allegations that the defender divulged Fleet team tactics to a friend who plays for Stevenage.

It was alleged that 30-year-old Protheroe, who is on loan at Margate, spoke with an unnamed player on the morning of the Fleet’s match at Broadhall Way on Saturday, March 25. Gravesend lost the game 2-0.

Protheroe admitted as much and although the Fleet accepted the Stevenage player was a friend, they decided the action constituted gross misconduct and sacked him.

Protheroe appealed and the FA wrote to the player and also the club, informing them that they could not take disciplinary action while he was still at Margate.

All Fleet chairman Brian Kilcullen would say was: "My understanding is that we cannot take action against someone who is still one of our employees because he is temporarily playing elsewhere."

Club secretary Roly Edwards offered what he described as purely a personal point of view when he said: "I believe the FA have opened a can of worms.

"I cannot think of any other employment law situation where the issue of who has the contract and who pays the wages doesn’t matter."

Protheroe, who joined the Fleet on a permanent basis from Canvey Island at the start of the 2004/05 season following a spell on loan, said: "I was worried that I would be suspended and wouldn’t be able to play again this season. I just want to see out my loan deal so I’m glad I can remain a Margate player until the end of the season."