When Gillingham FC found out a young fan had been knocked over and hurt on his way back from a game they wanted to put a smile back on his face.

Priestfield staff took to social media to track down the lad who suffered a painful accident near the ground after a spot of high-jinx amid the euphoria of a 5-1 win against Fleetwood a month ago.

For the first time Charlie Nash had watched the Gills play with a group of friends and on the walk home excitement turned to recklessness and when the 15-year-old’s friend chased him into the road, he was hit by a car.

He said: “We were all mucking about. There were lots of people walking out of the club and cars parked on both sides of the road.

“I couldn’t see the traffic and when I stepped out I got hit.

“I just remember laying on the ground and my shoulder was hurting.

“The driver got out and was shouting at me, but a lot of people came over and told him to calm down, that I’m only a kid and it was a mistake.

“He apologised, but it was my fault. I apologised as well.”

The teen was taken to Medway hospital with a suspected fractured shoulder which is expected to take six weeks to heal.

A spokesman for the club said: “Following the horrible ordeal, Charlie was invited to be Gills ‘12th man’ as a special treat to mark his speedy recovery.”

Charlie and his family, mum Tracy, dad Mark and sister Maddie, 12, experienced the whole package – including dinner, a VIP tour around the stadium, a signed Gillingham shirt and a meet-and-greet in the manager’s office – before watching the Gills win against Scunthorpe.

Charlie said: “The highlight was being asked to choose the man of the match.

“I chose Bradley Dack. He’s my favourite player but he actually had a really good game so that was the reason I picked him.

“I really appreciate the club letting me come down and do all of this, it was great.”

Tracy, 48, from Newnham, near Sittingbourne, said: “That night he’d called me to say he was on the way to the station, then just a few minutes later a strange man was calling me on his phone to say he had been knocked down.

“I didn’t believe it at first. It was surreal. I said, ‘It can’t be him, I’ve just spoken to him’. It was so upsetting.

“The accident was Charlie’s fault, but everyone at the stadium said it didn’t matter, that they were sorry for him and didn’t like to think it happened right outside.

“I’ve never been anywhere where everyone was so nice.

“They treated us like royalty and we all had a lovely time.

“It was the first match me and Maddie had been to and we loved it. We will go more often now.

“Thank you to the club, and to Anna and Charlotte who organised our visit.”

For more information on the 12th Man package call 01634 350350 or email sales@priestfield.com