From Enfield to Northerners, via Folkestone and St Martins.

Sharp eyed GFC supporters may have noticed that the non league season is always scheduled to end earlier than the proper football season and might be wondering why this is so. It's actually quite straightforward.

The extra few close season weeks available mean there's a good chance that the various appeals and legal procedures,set in course following the traditional eleventh hour points deduction to at least one of the teams in a play-off spot, can be resolved before the start of the following season.

This season's fun and games concerns Enfield Town, who finished 5th in the Isthmian Premier. It seems they signed a player who played a couple of games for them at the beginning of 2015 before they discovered he should have been serving a suspension due to racking up 10 yellow cards. The view from Enfield Town is that prior to fielding the player they checked eligibility via the usual FA information source and there was no record of a suspension. So he played a couple of games before the club became aware of the bookings and informed the FA. The FA instructed them of the steps they'd need to take and, as far as the club is concerned, advised that as long as they followed those instructions that would be the end of it.

And so it seemed until, with just a matter of days until the season's end, the FA charged Enfield with fielding an ineligible player on those two occasions back in January. This then triggers a league rule meaning a points deduction resulting in Enfield dropping out of the play-off places. So it looks like the ball is back in the FA's court for the timebeing as, if their charge is contested and subsequently reversed, the league will be able to reinstate the points.

Until then there's no news on play-off dates in the Isthmian Premier.

Play-offs are proceeding apace in the Isthmian South though and, following two close 'semis' Folkestone Invicta will be hosting Merstham in the final tomorrow.

Folkestone's match against Whyteleafe was marred by the actions of a few dozen scrotes not seen at Cheriton Road for regular matches (but were in evidence at last season's play-off final against Leatherhead). As a result Folkestone have beefed up arrangements for tomorrow's match so hopefully the match will proceed without drama of the wrong kind.

Whatever happens tomorrow there may still be a way to go before the story of Tuesday's match against Whyteleafe reaches a conclusion.

Guernsey football news and a cracking 3-1 (good spot, thank you, Mr T) win for Saints v Sylvans in the Guernsey FA Cup Final this evening at the Track. Doubt that many thought that would be the outcome before kick off.

Tomorrow at Northfield it's the Jeremie Cup Final between North and St Peter from Jersey. North suffered a bit of a drubbing, to put it mildly, in the Upton last week so why not get down the Grand Fort Road and get behind them (and Guernsey football). Kick off is at 12.30.

Keep it Green, Black & White and Chocolate & Blue.....