GILLINGHAM FC avoided a fine for a late team-sheet at Luton on Saturday after a Medway Messenger sports reporter came to their rescue.

Luke Cawdell was on hand to deliver the team-sheet to referee Andy Penn with seconds to spare after the team bus was stuck on the motorway.

Clubs are required to hand in their teams to match officials an hour before kick-off, but with the management sat helpless on the team bus and Gillingham chairman Paul Scally also delayed, there was only one option.

"I was happy to help," said Cawdell later. "I had a race on my hands to get to the ground by the deadline but, thanks to the help of the staff at Luton, I was there at the referee’s door bang on 2pm – I even beat Luton’s assistant manager Sam Ellis to it."

Grateful Gills manager Ronnie Jepson said: "We got to the ground at five past two. That just about sums us up and sums our start to the season up."