Friday 24 April 2015 17:31, UK
The race to be promoted to the Conference South has been thrown into confusion less than 24 hours before the final day of the season.
The outcome of this season’s Ryman Premier Division is in doubt after an FA charge was brought against Enfield Town, who are currently in the play-off places.
Enfield have been penalised for playing midfielder Aryan Tajbakhsh earlier in the season when the player was due to serve a suspension.
The club contacted the FA in February to inform them that they themselves had learned of the player’s ban after going through their own paperwork, and it was agreed Tajbakhsh should sit out the next two matches to complete the punishment.
But on Wednesday, Enfield were called to attend a disciplinary meeting, at which they were found guilty, to the potential disruption of the league’s promotion picture.
The most likely option is a three-point deduction which, depending on the outcome of the final week of fixtures, could see Enfield drop out of the play-offs altogether.
Another option is to replay the games which Tajbakhsh played, one of which was against second-placed Hendon Town, who can theoretically still catch a Maidstone United side who are due to be presented with the league championship on Saturday.
“We feel that there has been an injustice and that an organisation which promotes fair play has shown no fair play at all in this instance,” said Enfield chairman Paul Millington.
“We are now waiting for the written reasons from the FA but we have seven days to respond to the League’s charge and then we would have a hearing in 14 days.
“It’s only fair that clubs are penalised for this sort of thing but the only reason we were is because we highlighted it to the FA.
“We asked them what their procedure is for going through their records and checking for these things and they said there isn’t one.”
The Ryman League said in a statement: "The Ryman League has been advised by The Football Association that a charge of playing a player who should have been suspended has been made and proven against Enfield Town FC.
"Enfield Town has been charged by the Isthmian League with playing an ineligible player and the League is working with the club over when the hearing should be in order that play-off matches in the Premier Division are disrupted as little as possible.
"The League does not propose to issue a further statement at this time."
