Gillingham and Brighton were charged by the FA after tempers flared during this month's Carling Cup clash. Picture: Barry Goodwin

By Luke Cawdell

Gillingham have requested a personal hearing with the Football Association after being hit with a mass confrontation charge.

The FA charged both Gillingham and Brighton with the offence after players came together in the latter stages of the Carling Cup match on August 9.

Brighton players reacted angrily to a challenge from Gills’ Stefan Payne, which even boss Andy Hessenthaler said warranted a red card. Brighton admitted the charge and were fined £5,000 but the Gills are ready to argue their case.

Gills boss Hessenthaler said: “I am disappointed. He (Payne) has made the challenge and it is their players who have come to get after him because they are remonstrating about the tackle.

“Our players are doing nothing. They are just trying to calm the situation. We have appealed it and we will wait and see what happens.”

The Gills boss was angered on the night by the referee who gave a penalty against Andy Frampton. The converted spot-kick was the only goal on the night and was enough to dump the Gills out of the cup.

“There were a lot of things that went on that night,” Hessenthaler said. “I have had no phone call from the FA or referee to say he made a mistake on the penalty, because it’s not a penalty. The DVD clearly shows that. We have had no call. That’s the way it is.”

Chairman Paul Scally was just as incensed with the FA’s decision.

He said: “Anyone present, or indeed anyone seeing the television pictures of the incident, would be hard pressed to describe the reaction of our players as a mass brawl, more appropriately preventing a mass brawl, hence the decision to appeal the charge.”

Were you at the Brighton game? If so, is the charge unfair or do Gills have a case to answer? Have your say below.