RELATIONS between Charlton and Gillingham have hit rock bottom following an outspoken attack by Gills chairman Paul Scally over the Addicks’ decision to expand their award-winning community scheme into Kent.

Mr Scally said at the weekend he did not think Charlton had any real interest in the community and just wanted to fill their stadium but the Addicks’ chief executive Peter Varney said that was “laughable”.

The Gills chairman was responding to a new community scheme deal between Charlton, its charitable trust and Kent County Council.

He said: “I think Charlton are behaving in a grossly underhand way. They are riding high at the moment but it does not give them the right to come down here and use their bully-boy tactics on us.

“They should remember that it wasn’t too long ago that they didn’t even have their own ground. The football family didn’t try and muscle in on their territory and supporters then.”

“The tide will turn one day and when it does, I will be in the Charlton area offering free tickets and free buses to Gillingham to get people who would otherwise be supporting Charlton at our games.”

Mr Varney retorted: “To say we aren’t interested in the community is almost laughable. Our community programme has been commended both domestically and internationally for the work it does to improve people’s lives.

“In the last year we have embarked on a project in a deprived township in South Africa - we are not doing that because we expect them to catch a bus to The Valley. Community projects are perceived as excellent ways of using football to tackle social issues and not just as a means to sell tickets.”

Jason Morgan, project manager for the Charlton Athletic Football in the Community scheme, said: “One of our biggest projects in Kent at the moment is an officer working in Dartford and Gravesham, who has received funding from the Home Office to lay on football coaching courses in targeted hot spots to divert youngsters away from potential criminal activity.

“It is not a football development programme or a money-making project, it is strictly there to help the community.”

Mr Varney added: “I take it we are no longer welcome at Priestfield for friendlies when, in the past, all the gate receipts have been kept by Gillingham.”