GILLINGHAM chairman Paul Scally has left the door open for banned lifelong supporter Alan Liptrott to be re-admitted to Priestfield for the forthcoming season.

Mr Liptrott, a former chairman of the Gills Independent Supporters’ Club, was excluded from all of last season’s home games and is facing up to the prospect of being frozen out again this term after refusing to sell Mr Scally his website domain name.

Although Mr Liprott's case has won support and sympathy from Football Association chief executive Adam Crozier, Nationwide League chief executive David Burns and the national press, the Gills chairman has remained unmoved.

In a statement issued on the club's official website – five days before the Gills Independent Supporters' Association annual meeting – Mr Scally says: “I wrote to Mr Liptrott more than a year ago outlining the reasons for his ban and specifying exactly what he had to do to get the ban lifted.

“So far he hasn't complied, or given any indication that he is going to, or even replied to my letters, so the ban stays. I have never made public what those conditions are because they are confidential between myself and Mr Liptrott but it seems to be common knowledge that our main complaint was over the use of the Internet domain name gillinghamfc.co.uk

“Mr Liptrott registered that name some years before the importance of the Internet could be appreciated. However, it is a trading name of Gillingham Football Club and we would like to use it. It seems that his basic reason for keeping the name is because he uses it for his e-mail address. In other words, giving it up would be inconvenient for him.”

Mr Scally says: "That attitude might be understandable if he didn't claim to be a Gillingham supporter. Surely a true supporter would do what they could to help the club, not hinder. If you asked anyone in football what Gillingham FC stands for, it would be the football club. Non-one in their right mind would think it stands for the Gillingham Independent Supporters’ Club.

"Furthermore, he hasn't even registered the internet names of Gillingham Independent Supporters Club.co.uk or com, which are still available. Finally, Mr Liptrott's e-mail address, which is alan@gillinghamfc.co.uk gives the impression that he works for the football club. He doesn't and while I am here, he never will.

“However, if he is a little more co-operative, he might at least get into the ground. It's up to him.” Mr Liptrott, who was not available for comment, has had one meeting with Mr Scally but has steadfastly insisted that he wants the ban lifted before entering into negotiations.