DAVID BURNS, chief executive of the Nationwide Football League, has intervened in the row between Gillingham chairman Paul Scally and the Gills Independent Supporters Club with an offer to mediate. Mr Burns has written to Mr Scally offering his services in an attempt to resolve the differences of opinion which have lead to the rift between club and the supporters' organisation.

Mr Burns' intervention was warmly welcomed by Mike Keskeys, vice-chairman of the Supporters' Club who are campaigning to have lifted a ban on former chairman Alan Liptrott.

Mr Liptrott, a Gillingham supporter for almost 30 years, has been excluded from Priestfield since the start of the season after refusing to hand over his website to Mr Scally. For the home game against Norwich on October 13, Mr Liptrott hired a light aircraft which flew over Priestfield dragging a banner pleading for the ban to be lifted.

It later emerged that the £250 hire charge was met by an anonymous benefactor. Banned from all club sponsorship, the Gills Independent Supporters' Club instead paid £1,600 to provide a team strip and training equipment for a poverty-stricken football club in Ghana.

Mark Agate, secretary of the Gills Independent Supporters' Club, had a meeting with Mr Scally before the club's home game against Walsall on October 27 but there were no fresh developments. "We are absolutely delighted that somebody with the clout of David Burns has become involved," said Mr Keskeys. We have written to the local MP Paul Clark in the hope that he could help but for someone like David Burns, who is at the very top of the Football League, to become involved is a great boost for us.

"He has the clout to get some meaningful dialogue going on the matter."

He added: "Alan Liptrott is an honest to goodness Gillingham supporter who has done nothing wrong and just wants to see the club he loves play at home."