Statement from the Sussex County Football League:

Today (Wednesday) the SCFL, Crowborough AFC & Rye United presented their appeals to a FA Appeals Board as to the reasons why Crowborough Athletic FC & Rye United should not be laterally moved to Kent. All parties put strong and robust cases to the appeals board which took 5 hours to hear.

In the end the Appeals Board found in favour of all 3 parties and therefore the decision was deferred for 12 months with comments from the Appeals Board to the FA League Committee as to what they must do to satisfy and justify lateral movement in the future. In the end the decision was a common sense decision for football all round at Step 5.