Guernsey FC will enjoy the advantage of home turf when they face Peacehaven and Telscombe in the Southern Combination Premier Division play-off final, with the match now set for Victoria Park on Saturday, May 23 at 1:30 PM BST.
This showdown was originally scheduled for Sunday, May 10, but Guernsey's Liberation Day celebrations created logistical challenges in arranging flights for the visiting team. The Southern Combination Football League initially decided to strip the Green Lions—who finished third in the division—of home advantage, ordering the game to be played on the English mainland on either Tuesday, May 12, or Wednesday, May 13.
However, following productive discussions between the clubs and the league, a compromise was reached that keeps the final on the island. It's a dramatic turn of events after Guernsey manager Tony Vance expressed being "dumbfounded" by the original ruling.
"From the unforgettable scenes of jubilation last Saturday to the frustration, disappointment and disbelief that followed, it has been an emotional rollercoaster for everyone connected with Guernsey FC," said club director Nic Legg. "But now our focus turns firmly towards what lies ahead. A play-off final at Victoria Park in front of our island community is exactly what we set out to achieve when this season began. The players have earned this opportunity. Our supporters deserve this moment. Now it is time for the whole island to come together once again and turn Victoria Park into the fortress we all know it can be."
Both teams arrive with momentum after impressive semi-final victories. Peacehaven, who finished fifth, upset second-placed Haywards Heath Town with a 1-0 win, while Guernsey cruised past Horsham YM 3-0 in the other semi-final. The stakes couldn't be higher: the winner earns promotion to the eighth tier of English football, and Guernsey is hungry to bounce back at the first attempt after relegation last season.
"There is something incredibly special about the prospect of competing for promotion on home soil," added Legg. "These are the occasions football is all about. The atmosphere, the emotion, the sense of community and togetherness—it's what makes this sport truly unforgettable."