A FITNESS trainer at Gillingham Football Club was forced out of her job by jealous footballers' wives, a tribunal was told.

Laura Church, 40, from Hempstead, near Gillingham, was sacked from the first division club by chairman Paul Scally just weeks after being employed as a nutritionist last August.

She told a sexual discrimination employment tribunal in Ashford that her sacking came after she had sent the midnight text message to defender Chris Hope following the Gills' 7-0 victory over Canvey Island.

Miss Church told the tribunal: "Paul [Scally] said to me, 'I'm going to have to let you go. I'm getting too much grief from the wives and the text message is causing lots of problems.'

"I asked to meet the wives and he refused, saying they would scratch my eyes out."

Miss Church claimed her text message read: "Well done, brill game, brilliant player, Laura."

But Mr Scally told the tribunal that she had added three kisses after her name, which had caused distress to Mr Hope's wife.

He said: "In football, pre-season is a very important time, when players come back from their holiday and there are very often new players. The last thing you want is to have any disruption to your plans at the start of the season or to have any unhappy or unsettled players."

Mr Scally denied that he would have treated a male member of staff any differently. But Elizabeth Vanbergen, Miss Church's representative, said that the situation would not have arisen if her client had been a man.

Mr Scally sacked Miss Church after team manager Andy Hessenthaler complained to him that Mr Hope was unhappy with the text message and the grief he was getting from his wife.

Mr Hessenthaler admitted that Miss Church's sacking was 'a brutally executed dismissal'.

He added: "If I don't get results out of my players, I'll be out of a contract. I deal with situations and I have to be brutal."

The tribunal bench, which heard Miss Church's claim of unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination on Wednesday, decided to reserve the decision.

The result of the hearing is expected to be announced on Wednesday, March 10.