COCAINE CHARGE AFTER CUP TRIUMPH

The greatest night in Gillingham Football Club's history ended with
the arrest of the chairman's wife for allegedly possessing cocaine, it
emerged yesterday.

Lisa-Marie Scally, a 25- year-old singer, was in a nightclub on
Saturday night with some of the players who had beaten Sheffield
Wednesday, the Premier League club, to reach the quarter-finals of the
FA Cup for the first time in the club's history.

As the party drew to an end near 3am at the Ikon Nightclub, Maidstone,
Mrs Scally - the third wife of Paul Scally, the chairman - went to the
cloakroom to collect her coat but could not find the ticket.

The club says that it followed its policy of inviting Mrs Scally to
allow staff search her coat. In one pocket the cloakroom staff are
alleged to have found the suspected drug in a plastic tube, wrapped
inside a lottery ticket.

The club manager telephoned the police who arrested Mrs Scally and
took her to Maidstone police station.

A spokesman for Ikon said: "It is the club's policy to hand over to
the police anyone suspected of possessing drugs." The management says
that there is a sign in the club foyer advertising its policy towards
drugs.

A spokesman for Kent police applauded the nightclub's behaviour
saying: "They have an excellent drugs policy. They deserve a pat on
the back".

The amount of drugs found is believed to have a street value of pounds
2,000.

Mrs Scally was held for several hours before being released on police
bail to return on February 11. Police will in the meantime have the
suspect substance tested.

Her husband appeared on television the day after to watch his club
draw the glamour tie of the quarter-final against
Chelsea.

Neither the police nor the club management would confirm that Mr
Scally was with his wife when she was arrested. Mr Scally was at the
Gillingham stadium yesterday but was not available for comment.

The Second Division club was on the verge of bankruptcy when Mr
Scally, 44, arrived in June 1995.

A flamboyant figure, Mr Scally made a fortune by selling his office
equipment business, which was based in Margate.

He and Mrs Scally met when she sang at a function for a neighbouring
football club in Kent, and the couple were married in July 1997.

Lisa-Marie made an appearance singing on TV's The Big Talent Show, and
also in the Big Big Variety Show in Blackpool as Lisa-Marie Valente.
She first appeared on stage at the Winter Gardens in Margate, Kent.

She once said: "When Paul is not at the football club he comes along
with me to the gigs. He enjoys it all and has been right behind me
since day one."