Steven King will get a taste of the action when Lewes clinch the Ryman division one south title on Saturday.

The Rooks manager will roll back the years by making a one-off appearance in the final league game of the season at home to Banstead Athletic.

Barring a miracle, Lewes will be crowned champions in front of a bumper crowd at the Dripping Pan.

King's side can afford to lose, providing Windsor and Eton do not make up a 17-goal difference in winning at Croydon Athletic.

King's playing debut for the club has a dual purpose. In doing so, he will keep a season-long promise to make one appearance for the club and it also enables him to rest players ahead of the end of season play-offs.

Lewes, providing the title is confirmed, head to Yeading on Monday for the first of potentially three play-offs which could see them promoted to the new Conference south.

A second play-off would follow on Wednesday against probably either Maidenhead or Basingstoke with the winners of that game progressing to a third and final game next Saturday.

King said: "Windsor are never going to score 17 goals so I will probably change the side a bit and rest a few players for Monday.

"I will only play a bit of the match but I am ready for it. I played for the reserves on Wednesday and scored!"

The league trophy will be presented to Lewes at the end of tomorrow's game when a firework display has also been planned, then all thoughts will turn to Monday's game at division one north champions Yeading.

King said: "I know a lot about Yeading. They have a lovely pitch which will suit us. It is not the biggest of pitches but the surface is really nice.

"They are a very pacy side up front with a lot of experienced, older heads in the team. They play 3-5-2 and are very similar to us. They have scored 103 goals and conceded 52 while we have scored 111 and conceded 59.

"People say the north division is not as strong but I don't agree with that. The top five teams in that division are as good as anything in ours."

Lewes will be without Michael Harvey and Warren Haughton for the play-offs while Marc Cable is likely to be absent.

Harvey begins a four-match suspension with tomorrow's game against Banstead, although Lewes were trying to appeal against it this week.

Striker Warren Haughton has been ruled out with a hamstring problem while skipper Cable, who was hoping to recover from an ankle injury which has kept him out for a month, is not expected to be ready.

Former England semi-pro international Barry Moore could figure in a hectic week of play-offs should Lewes be successful.

Striker Paul Scott, signed recently from AFC Wimbledon, could also figure.

Meanwhile, Rooks chairman Terry Parris has hit back at claims by Alan Pook that King's success this season was down to the size of his budget.

Parris said: "Alan Pook does not know what Lewes Football Club pay and he has no right to make daft statements like that.

"He has devalued what Steven King has achieved in his first season of management.

"Steven was given a budget at the start of the season which he has kept to. During the season we had to cut that budget which meant he lost four players.

"Steven was also without an entire defence for four games because of injuries and he still managed to keep to the budget.

"Alan Pook has been a manager for 20 years and he should not devalue what Steve has done. He should be saying well done, like we are about them. Alan has done a fantastic job at Worthing this season.

"For him to say Worthing have had injuries and Lewes haven't is bad. Everybody knows about the injuries we have had.

"We are not throwing money at footballers. We are trying to get things right on and off the pitch which means bringing a number of young players through."

Eastbourne Borough need a point at Newport County to be sure of avoiding the dreaded Dr Martens League play-offs. Boss Garry Wilson misses the match with a snapped Achilles.