GILLINGHAM skipper and Player of the Year Paul Smith, plus Chris Hope and Barry Ashby, could all be disciplined by the club for attending Saturday's Gills Independent Supporters' Club annual awards.

Smith, Hope and Ashby all went to the function at Gillingham's Franklin Room in direct contravention of chairman Paul Scally's instruction. Mr Scally refuses to recognise the Independent Supporters' Association and has been in dispute with them since the start of the season.

Smith swept the board of honours at both the official and unofficial award presentations and created history by taking the Supporters' Award for a third year.

Hope, who completed 100 consecutive appearances for Gillingham at Walsall last month, finished runner-up in both polls. The three were first told to stay away from the club by Mr Scally but were due to have meetings with him today.

Smith and Hope are believed to have been ordered to return their trophies to the Independent Supporters' Club. All three received an ovation by more than 150 supporters when they arrived at the Franklin Rooms on Saturday before attending the club's official function at Priestfield.