Monday, 26 May 2025

TLFG: 27 May - 1 June 2026

After suggesting last week's piece could be the last one of the season, I hereby confirm that this one definitely will be.

I had a quiet week on the live football front but it finished on a fairly raucous note at the Actonians end-of-season awards do.

It's been a couple of years since I last went and this one seemed to be a far more lively affair as all three senior squads came together to celebrate their achievements.

Held against a backdrop of an Arsenal win in the Women's Champions League, which was broadcast in the clubhouse before things got underway, there was a joyous mood from the off.

The Unity Cup takes place at Brentford this week

In fact, the actual ceremony was slightly delayed as several players and coaches had gone to the Emirates to watch the live screening. 

There was a bit of controversy when the Supporters' Player of the Year came up - all the first-team players stared my way only for me to reveal that I hadn't received a vote! 

Even among women's fourth-tier fanbases, politics comes into play - the person who probably decided the outcome wasn't even present at the ceremony and this didn't go down well in some quarters.

Nevertheless, the winner was someone who was highly worthy of recognition and I'm glad she won it.

I was invited up on stage and thanked for my efforts, picking up a giant Toblerone and a season-ticket for 2025/26 which was very gratefully received.

The after-party went on until midnight with Sweet Caroline and numerous other anthems getting belted out at some point.

It's now all about planning for next season when the level of competition is likely to increase significantly.

With local rivals Fulham now in the division and other clubs like Luton Town and MK Dons likely to be coming our way too, it's going to be tough.

It will also see the start of a groundshare agreement with CCL club North Greenford United were they played a few years ago.

Playing at a proper ground rather than Rectory Park will be great but whether the pitch, which is prone to waterlogging, can take it remains to be seen.

The most fun event of the week ahead would appear to be the Unity Cup at Brentford.

Ghana, Jamaica, Nigeria and Trinidad & Tobago meet in this mini tournament on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.

In a weird quirk of fate, my wife and daughters will be going for a ladies' night trip to the opening game between Jamaica and Trindad & Tobago with some friends who are supporters of the latter - whilst I stay home!

Well that's it from me for a month or so.

I'm hoping to take the opportunity to apply for a new job over the next few weeks - my current job on the railway has undergone a radical change in its roles and responsibilities and I simply know it's not for me.

If you know of anything interesting going, particularly in the world of football, please get in touch.


THE WEEK AHEAD

This week's highlights include the Unity Cup, an England women's game and the National League play-off final.

As always, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or the venue or kick-off time has changed - this is highly possible for some of the lower non-league clubs. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.


Details on all of this week's games can be found on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (orange pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.
Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top.

MATCH MAP
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - turquoise pin
Friday fixtures - black pin
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin




    
TLFG DAILY DIGEST
In the following section, I list what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Tuesday 27 May

Unity Cup Semi-Final
Jamaica v Trinidad & Tobago @745pm - this mini international tournament will be dominating proceedings in the capital this week. Being played at Brentford's GTech Stadium, the atmosphere should hopefully be really great. The Reggae Boyz are ranked 63 in the world and will start as marginal favourites under former England manager Steve McClaren. The Soca Warriors are down in 100th but games between these two are usually close. They played twice back in February with Jamaica winning the first game 1-0 before the second one ended 1-1. Dwight Yorke, who played at Manchester United whilst McClaren was a coach, is in charge of T&T and he'll be looking for his first win over their local rivals. Tickets - use code CARIBBEAN20 to get a discount

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Wednesday 28 May

Unity Cup Semi-Final
Ghana v Nigeria @745pm - in the second semi final, we get to see the two giants of West African football go head-to-head. These sides have won seven AFCON titles between them, with Ghana narrowly ahead on four wins but it's been a long time since either of them won. I was surprised to discover that the Black Stars are only 76th in the world. Led by Bundesliga winner Otto Addo, they'll start as marginal underdogs against the Super Eagles. At 43 in the rankings, Eric Chelle's side look like the favourites to win the whole thing. Tickets - use code SOCCER10 to get a discount

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Friday 30 May

UEFA Women's Nations League
England v Portugal @745pm - this competition seems very overcomplicated but I think I've got the gist of it. To win it you have to begin the campaign in League A which these teams have. There are four groups of four and the winner of each makes the semi-finals. The bottom team in each group gets relegated to League B and the third place team goes into a relegation play-off. With two games to go, England are second and Portugal third. When they met in Portimao in February it finished 1-1. A semi-final place is still there for the taking but a win would seem to be absolutely necessary unless Spain suffer a shock defeat to Belgium in the other group game. This is being played at Wembley and tickets are available

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Saturday 31 May

Unity Cup Finals Day
The concluding day of action at Brentford gets underway at 1230pm with a third-place play-off followed by the final. At the time of writing we don't know who will contest each game. There appear to be a number of musical acts booked to perform between matches so you shouldn't get bored. Tickets are available

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Sunday 1 June

National League Play-Off Final
Oldham Athletic v Southend United @3pm - finishing fifth and seventh in the fifth tier, neither of these sides were expected to get this far so they've done really well to make it to Wembley. Up for grabs is a place back in the EFL from which both of these clubs originally descended. It seems hard to believe but the Latics were founder members of the Premier League in 1992 and made the FA Cup semi-finals twice in 1990 and 1994. After a slow decline, they've been playing non-league football for three years  but have got better every season. The Shrimpers were in the second tier as recently as 2007 and have endured a very turbulent time off the field in recent years, which makes this run to the play-offs even more remarkable. Games between the two this season were really tight with a 1-1 draw at Boundary Park and a 1-0 win for Southend back in Essex in March. At the time of writing, ticketing for the game is a real sore point. Both sides were given much smaller allocations than normal in part because Wembley Park station is closed on the day of the game. Lobbying attempts were expected to yield some results from the relevant authorities but check with both clubs for the latest news

GET INVOLVED
If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've  been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground in the London area for this blog then get in touch. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

NEED HELP?
Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries. I do not charge for this advice like some other sites so don't hold back!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

Monday, 19 May 2025

TLFG: 19-26 May 2025

With the Premier League and EFL seasons concluding this weekend, that's more or less it for the 2024/25 season here in London.

I've been pushed for time again, so apologies for this late publication and its rather rushed look.

The maps are below for you to have a look through but that could be it until July when pre-season starts all over again.

Last week I was lucky enough to get an invite once again to the Non-League Paper's National Game Awards and enjoyed meeting a number of luminaries.

These included Justin Edinburgh's son who now runs a cardiac charity in memory of his father who passed away suddenly in his 40s after winning promotion with Leyton Orient back to the EFL.

Plough Lane played host to the National Game Awards

I was sat on a table with Andy Peaks who led Tamworth on a fantastic FA Cup run which culminated in them taking Spurs to extra-time back in January and also enjoyed the company of the three chairmen of the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues plus the man in charge of league allocations at the FA - there was some fine chat and gossip I can tell you.

This weekend I'm looking forward to going to the Actonians end of season awards which are usually good fun too.

At the beginning of July I'll be heading off to Switzerland to see a game in the Women's Euros and then the friendlies will be getting back into full swing here.

If I don't do any more pieces between now and then, have a great break and I look forward to catching up with you soon.

THE WEEK AHEAD

This week's highlights include the final round of games in the Premier League, the EFL play-offs and one or two other lower level matches.

As always, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or the venue or kick-off time has changed - this is highly possible for some of the lower non-league clubs. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.


Details on all of this week's games can be found on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (orange pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.
Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top.

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Monday fixtures - yellow pin
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - turquoise pin
Thursday fixtures - purple pin
Friday fixtures - black pin



WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin


    
TLFG DAILY DIGEST
In the following section, I list what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 19 May

Robert Rowan Invitational
Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur @7pm - the focus of today's action is this U21 game at the GTech. Robert Rowan was the club's technical director but he died suddenly of a heart condition at the age of just 28 back in 2018. This fixture is being used as fundraiser for the club's 'Heart of West London' initiative and tickets are £3 for adults

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Tuesday 20 May

Premier League
Crystal Palace v Wolverhampton Wanderers @8pm - the Eagles dominated the headlines on Saturday when they won the FA Cup - their first ever major trophy. As a result of their trip to Wembley, they have this game in hand. Currently 12th, a top half-finish is the best they can hope for but with the cup in the bag and a Europa League place confirmed, they have very little to play for. Wolves are a couple of places back but can't catch them. Presumably the FA Cup will be paraded at some point and the atmosphere should be celebratory. Tickets are only available to members

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Wednesday 21 May

CCL U23 Division Cup Final
CB Hounslow & Abbots v Hillingdon Borough @745pm - these sides finished third and second respectively so we should get a well-matched contest. This match is being played at Ashford Town to the south of Heathrow Airport

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Thursday 22 May

CCL U18 Division Cup Final
Kingstonian v Hillingdon Borough @745pm - over at CB Hounlsow's ground, the top clubs in the east and west divisions of the CCL's U18's league meet for what should be a very interesting game

Suburban League Shield
Abbey Rangers v Metropolitan Police @745pm - this U23 game could also be a final but I haven't found any information to confirm that. Either way, it's being played at Abbey Rangers near Chertsey
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Friday 23 May

CCL U18 Division East
AFC Wisla Krakow v Horley Town @730pm - these sides will complete their league campaigns with this fixture at Colliers Wood United's ground. Krakow have already finished bottom, well adrift of everyone else. Horley will finish third if they win
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Saturday 24 May

Championship Play-Off Final
Sheffield United v Sunderland @3pm - with a place in the Premier League up for grabs, this is reportedly the richest game in football with at least £220m heading to the winners. The Blades have become a bit of a yo-yo club in recent seasons and will be looking to make an instant return after last season's relegation. The Mackems, however, have gone eight years since they last had a place at the top table of English football. The match is being played at Wembley as usual. Tickets are available from the clubs' websites

MCFL Finals Day
If you can't get into the game above or you prefer a non-league option, then the Middlesex County Football League is holding its two cup finals back-to-back at Uxbridge's ground. First up is the Division 1 Cup Final for 12th-tier teams between Harrow Bhoys and AFC Southall at 1pm. Next up is the Premier Division Cup Final at 530pm where Larkspur Rovers take on Indian Gymkhana Club. I'm not certain what the admission details are but it won't cost much

A bit further afield

CCL Premier South Play-Off Semi-Final
Redhill v Cobham @3pm - after what seems like an eternity, the play-offs in this ninth-tier division can finally go ahead. After Jersey Bulls and Redhill were both adjudged to have fielded ineligible players, AFC Whyteleafe were awarded the title and the other two have to go into the play-offs. Redhill is located just beyond the southern border of the M25 on the way to Gatwick so it's pretty easy to get to. The winners will play Fleet Town or Jersey in the final. Tickets are £9 on the gate and a sizeable crowd is expected so don't be late!

Friendly
Surrey International v Sutton HKR @3pm - just to the south of London, Surrey's representative team play this friendly at Dorking Wanderers' ground which is easy to reach by car or train from central London. It's £5 on the gate
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Sunday 25 May

Premier League
Fulham v Manchester City @4pm - we've reached the final day in the top flight and with the title going to Liverpool and the relegation battle already concluded, it's now all about the race for European places. Amazingly, half the teams in the Premier League could potentially be playing in a UEFA competition next season if results go the right way. However, despite their win at Brentford last weekend, the Cottagers are not one of that lucky 10 and could potentially end up just one place and one point adrift if they win here. For City though, they still need to make sure of their Champions League place and only a win will do that. Tickets
Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton & Hove Albion @4pm - it's a different story for Spurs and their fans who can really enjoy this one having won the Europa League in midweek. That victory booked their place in next season's Champions League despite their worst Premier League campaign for over 30 years. Brighton know a draw here will see them finish eighth which could be enough for a place in the Conference League, but they'll still need to rely on Chelsea beating Real Betis in this year's Conference League final next week. Tickets

League One Play-Off Final
Charlton Athletic v Leyton Orient @1pm - third tier play-off matches don't come much bigger than this with local London rivals meeting at Wembley. As I understand it, the Addicks have sold out their allocation and a tiny amount were still exclusively available to people on the O's database. Charlton finished fourth to the O's sixth but it was the latter who came into the play-offs in the best form and did really well to knock out Stockport County in the semi-finals. Nathan Jones' side will start as favourites but Richie Wellens' team boasts the division's top scorer in Charlie Kelman so this could go all the way to penalties

Craig Dundas Testimonial
Sutton United v FA Cup 2017 XI @3pm - the U's are honouring striker Craig Dundas with this testimonial at Gander Green Lane. He's played more 300 times for Sutton over three separate stints at the club and was part of the side that went on a famous FA Cup run in 2017, eventually losing to Arsenal in the Fifth Round. Tickets are £10
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Monday 26 May

League Two Play-Off Final
AFC Wimbledon v Walsall @3pm - there's more London interest in the last EFL play-off final of the year as the Dons look to get back to the third tier after three years away. Both themselves and the Saddlers stumbled into the play-offs so don't come into this in the best form. Walsall were well clear at the top at one point so if they don't go up it will be a particularly bitter for them if they lose. A few tickets are available from each club's website - AFC Wimbledon tickets or Walsall tickets


GET INVOLVED
If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've  been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground in the London area for this blog then get in touch. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

NEED HELP?
Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries. I do not charge for this advice like some other sites so don't hold back!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

Monday, 12 May 2025

TLFG: 12-18 May 2025

Greetings one and all and welcome to one of the last editions of TLFG for the 2024/25 season.

Games are getting really thin on the ground now that most of our local leagues have concluded.

This week I've trawled the lower leagues and youth competitions to give you a few more options and as a result we do have games every day.

Although few in number, those that we do have are crucial league matches, play-off games or cup finals so there should be plenty of drama.

Did you get to any matches this week?

As I mentioned in my last blog, I was hoping to get to the QPR U21 match against Peterborough United and I did get there.

The Women's FA Cup Final takes place on Sunday - tickets

They completed their league fixtures with a comfortable 2-0 win and although the campaign has been disappointing, they do have an unexpected Premier League Cup Final to look forward to against local rivals Brentford on Thursday.

I had also hoped to attend Non-League Finals Day at Wembley on Sunday but family commitments took precedence as Whitstable Town and Aldershot Town won the FA Vase and FA Trophy respectively.

Given I'm working next weekend, my match watching for the season is probably over.

My next game could well be in Basel where I've got tickets to watch hosts Switzerland play their first fixture of the Women's Euros against Norway - I've never been to St Jakob Park before and have barely spent any time in Switzerland either so I'm looking forward to it.

To make sure I got this blog up before 0900 on Monday, I've only written previews up until Friday - I'll add the weekend ones later.

THE WEEK AHEAD

This week's highlights include games in the Premier League, EFL and National League play-offs and the men's and women's FA Cup finals.

As always, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or the venue or kick-off time has changed - this is highly possible for some of the lower non-league clubs. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.


Details on all of this week's games can be found on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (orange pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.
Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top.

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Monday fixtures - yellow pin
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - turquoise pin
Thursday fixtures - purple pin
Friday fixtures - black pin



WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin


    
TLFG DAILY DIGEST
In the following section, I list what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 12 May

Premier League 2 Play-Off Semi-Final
Crystal Palace v Southampton @7pm - the play-offs continue in this U21 competition with a game at Selhurst Park. In this division, the top 16 make the post-season with first playing 16th and second taking on 15th etc. Palace have already beaten Brighton and Chelsea, the latter 6-0. The Saints have got past Leicester and Fulham. Only a point separated them in the regular season so this should be close. Tickets are £5

EAL Division 3 Cup Final
IONA Wheels v Changing Lives @730pm - there are several U23 matches featuring non-league teams but if you want to see a cup final, head to Dagenham & Redbridge's ground where the top two in this 15th-tier division do battle. IONA won the division by one point so will be looking to complete a double. Also of interest, apparently Changing Lives are the only competitive men's team in the UK made up entirely of refugees. I haven't seen any admission prices but it shouldn't break the bank

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Tuesday 13 May

Capital Women's Senior Cup Final
Arsenal Academy v Dulwich Hamlet @745pm - a women's cup final tops the bill on Tuesday and with the Gunners and Dulwich involved, there should be a decent crowd at Uxbridge's ground. The Hamlet made their debut in the fourth tier this season and found it possibly tougher than expected as they finished eighth out of 12. However, they beat Spurs in the last four of this competition to make their first final and will be looking to end the season on a big high. The Gunners' youngsters won this two years ago and have beaten AFC Wimbledon, Fulham and Haringey Borough on their way to the final and will start as favourites. Tickets are £5

CCL Division 2 Cup Final
Langley U23 v London Rangers @745pm - back in the men's game, we've got a cup final for teams in this 11th-tier division. Langley come into the game in second and still have a slim chance of winning the divisional title. However, their chances of winning the cup look considerably better as London Rangers finished sixth out of eight. Langley's first team won the Division 1 Cup last week so they'll be hoping to continue their successful season here. This match is being played at Bedfont Sports but I haven't seen any ticket details yet. It was £10 to get into the Division 1 Cup Final

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Wednesday 14 May

EAL Senior Division Cup Final
Woodford Town Reserves v Kulture @730pm - with Woodford's first team losing out in the Essex Senior League play-offs again, they'll be hoping their reserve team can bring them a bit of joy in this cup for 11th-tier teams. They will start as favourites as Kulture finished in the relegation zone. This is being played at Dagenham & Redbridge and tickets are £6
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Thursday 15 May

League One Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg
Charlton Athletic v Wycombe Wanderers @8pm - these sides fought out a cagey 0-0 draw in the first leg on Sunday so it's all to play for at The Valley on Thursday. The last three seasons have seen the Addicks drifting around in the League One doldrums but this year Nathan Jones has transformed them into a far more competitive force and took them to a fourth-place finish. In the four years since their relegation from the Championship, the Chairboys have always been in the top 10 and were in contention for automatic promotion until very late in the day but they ultimately ended up fifth. The winners will play Leyton Orient or Stockport County in the final. Tickets were selling fast and may well be gone by the time you read this

Premier League Cup Final
QPR v Brentford @7pm - open to clubs in the Premier League and EFL, this U21 competition began with a 36-team group stage and we're now down to the final two. Neither of these sides are in the elite Premier League 2 which shows you perhaps how seriously the bigger clubs approach this - many don't even enter. What we do have to look forward to though, is a great West London derby. On paper, the Bees should start as strong favourites. They finished second, on goal difference, in Group South of the Professional Development League and are currently contesting that league's play-offs. They also beat the R's 4-1 and 5-1 in their league meetings this season and won this competition two years ago. The match is being played at Loftus Road and the initial allocation of around 2,000 tickets sold out in hours. Thankfully the club has said it will release more so check to see what becomes available
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Friday 16 May

Premier League
Chelsea v Manchester United @815pm - the weekend begins with what would normally be a top-flight blockbuster at Stamford Bridge. However, things aren't normal at all this year. The Blues haven't won the title since 2017 and have been well off the pace again this time. They are, though, much improved on last season and a win here will go a long way towards them sealing a Champions League spot to go with their trip to the Conference League final later this month. United, on the other hand, are well on course for having their worst season since 1990 when they finished 13th. How they and fellow strugglers Spurs made the Europa League final so comfortably is staggering. Have they saved their best for Europe or is the overall quality of the Premier League way better than everywhere else? Anyway, back to this game - Chelsea are unbeaten at home against the Red Devils since 2020 and that really doesn't look like changing here. Tickets 
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Saturday 17 May

Men's FA Cup Final
Crystal Palace v Manchester City @430pm - the showpiece event of the English football calendar is here again and it's great to see that the weekend's Premier League games have all been moved to different days to make sure it gets all the attention. At first glance it looks like there can only be one winner but with City having their worst season for a while, Palace do have a chance. Saying that, Pep Guardiola's side are much improved and are currently showing the best form of anyone in the top five. The Eagles have made the final twice but never won it, they've never won the EFL Cup either so a victory here would be huge for the club. Manchester City have made the final 13 times, winning it on seven occasions - the last time in 2023. Tickets have sold out

League Two Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg
AFC Wimbledon v Notts County @1230pm - earlier in the day in south London, there's another big game at Plough Lane. The Dons finished fifth and picked up a very useful 1-0 win in the first leg. They've also won all three of the home games they've played against the Magpies since they reformed as 'AFC'. Walsall will await the winners in the final. Tickets have sold out

HSCFL Premier
OIR FC v Hinton @2pm - if you can't get into either of the above, then all your other options are in the county leagues of the 11th tier and below. To be honest, I'm not a huge expert on this level and I usually only list games which are being played at proper non-league grounds but given there's so little on, I've included a few more. This match is the only remaining fixture in the whole division and will decide whether the hosts stay up or get relegated. A draw against midtable Hinton will be enough but will the pressure take its toll? This is being played on a 3G pitch at a college in Enfield so there's unlikely to be an admission fee

MCFL Division 1 North & West
Brook House v Wood Lane @tbc - in the 12th tier, one of my local clubs have just been crowned champions. Wood Lane hail from White City Estate and are made up of local players who live there. This season they've pipped Bloomsbury and Harrow Bhoys to the title and if they win this final game of the campaign, their final winning margin will be five points. Brook House first team play in the Combined Counties League so I'm presuming this is their reserve or development team. Annoyingly, this league rarely publishes kick-off times on it's website and they do vary quite a bit so I'm still chasing that info. Admission should be free but have a bit of change ready just in case

CCL Division Two
Langley U23 v FAB @3pm - in theory this league should be in the 11th tier but it exists in a weird ether outside the pyramid and offers no promotion or relegation to anywhere as far as I can tell. There are eight teams in it and these are the top two but they've both played well over 14 games so I don't really know how that works either as information is scant. It's being played at Brunel University near Uxbridge - give it a go if you live on that side of town and let me know what it's all about!
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Sunday 18 May

Premier League
West Ham United v Nottingham Forest @215pm - this match is really all about the visitors. They've had a great campaign, going from relegation prospects at the start to top-four contenders by the end. No-one saw this season coming and boss Nuno Espirito Santo has done an amazing job. However, his magic seems to be wearing off at the most critical time. With only one win in six, they've slipped down to seventh as their form has deserted them. A Champions League spot is still within their grasp but if they lose here, it could well be gone for good.  The Hammers have been pretty abject this season but still managed to win 2-0 at Old Trafford in their last game to go above Manchester United and heap further shame on the Red Devils. Forest could only draw with already relegated Leicester in their last game so any result seems possible here. Tickets
Brentford v Fulham @3pm - on the west side of town it's derby day and with four wins in a row, the Bees suddenly find themselves in the top eight and in the race for a European place. To get it, they'll need to finish eighth and hope Manchester City beat Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Saturday and finish in the top four. Their rivals for that final Euro spot are Brighton, Bournemouth and Fulham who visit here. The stakes are therefore incredibly high for both, with defeat for the Cottagers knocking them out of the race. Tickets are only available to members
Arsenal v Newcastle United @430pm - the biggest game of the day sees second play third at the Emirates. The Gunners seem to have been second all season but with two games to go, they can mathematically still be caught by Forest down in seventh (unlikely as the goal difference is huge). Newcastle are two points behind Arsenal so are even more vulnerable to slipping out of the top five but with the EFL Cup already won, they have at least a Conference League place to look forward to. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality packages are available from £525

National League South Play-Off Final
Boreham Wood v Maidstone United @1230pm - having finished fifth and seventh, these two have done well to find themselves just 90 minutes away from a return to the fifth tier. The Wood looked dead and buried when they went 3-1 down in the 81st  minute of their opening play-off game against Dorking Wanderers but sensationally came back to win 4-3. They then made the long trip down to Devon to beat former EFL club Torquay United 1-0. By only claiming the last play-off place, the Stones have had to play all their games away from home so it's some achievement to have made it this far after wins over Worthing and Eastbourne Borough. Unsurprisingly it has sold out

Women's FA Cup Final
Chelsea v Manchester United @130pm - the showpiece of the women's football calendar takes place less than 24 hours after the men's event on the same hallowed Wembley turf. Despite their domestic dominance of recent years, the Blues are still several years away from surpassing Arsenal as the most successful team in the competition and it's been two years since they last won. If they do win, they'll complete an impressive domestic treble under new boss Sonia Bompastor having won the WSL and League Cup already. United are the reigning champions and made the final in 2023 too. Finishing third in the league, they'll do really well to retain their title but games between the two have been tight this season with both ending 1-0 to Chelsea. If you've never been to Wembley, now's your chance as tickets are very reasonably priced

L&SE Women's Regional League Premier
Dartford v Fulham @3pm - these two complete their seasons at Princes Park. It could've been a huge title decider but with the Cottagers having already wrapped up the title and the Darts confirming a second-place finish, there's not a lot riding on it. However, more important things are going on as the club are celebrating 25 years of DWFC and raising funds for breast cancer charity CoppaFeel as one of their former players, still in her 30s, is fighting the disease. With a DJ, bouncy castle, face painting and much more, there's loads going on. Tickets are £7


GET INVOLVED
If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've  been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground in the London area for this blog then get in touch. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

NEED HELP?
Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries. I do not charge for this advice like some other sites so don't hold back!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

Tuesday, 6 May 2025

TLFG: 6-11 May 2025

Greetings and welcome to TLFG as we begin to reach the end of the season.

With most leagues now concluded, the amount of football on offer has fallen sharply.

What we do have should be good though, with play-offs and cup finals and semi-finals topping the bill.

Non-League Finals Day takes place on Sunday

I'm dashing this out before work so I haven't quite finished the previews for the weekend but I could well finish them later today.

First up is an U21 game at QPR on Tuesday lunchtime which I might get out of work for - maybe see you there.

THE WEEK AHEAD 

This week's highlights include games in the Premier League, Conference League, EFL, FA Trophy, FA Vase and Women's Super League.

As always, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or the venue or kick-off time has changed - this is highly possible for some of the lower non-league clubs. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.


Details on all of this week's games can be found on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (orange pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.
Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top.

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - turquoise pin
Thursday fixtures - purple pin
Friday fixtures - black pin



WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin


    
TLFG DAILY DIGEST
In the following section, I list what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Tuesday 6 May

Professional Development League
QPR v Peterborough United @1pm - both sides finish their fixtures in this U21 competition at Loftus Road on Tuesday lunchtime. Whatever happens here, the R's will finish second bottom in 'Group South' but there's no relegation. Posh are in 'Group North' and haven't pulled up any trees either. These matches are free entry although a donation to the club's trust on arrival is appreciated - cash and card accepted

CCL Challenge Cup Semi-Final
Cobham v Horley Town @745pm - ineligible players have held up the CCL Premier South play-offs and now the CCL Challenge Cup too. Cobham are still awaiting their play-off opponents but now they've found themselves reinstated into the cup as well. They came back in with Epsom & Ewell but the Salts were then also found to have played an ineligible player so went out again! As a result, the Hammers now find themselves in the last four. The winners will play North Greenford United or Windsor & Eton in the final. Tickets are £8 on the gate

Invitational Charity Cup Final
SC Thamesmead v FC Elmstead @730pm - I'm not sure who does the inviting or who organises this cup but it's for clubs in south-east London and Kent. These two play in the tenth tier SCEFL Division 1. They finished two points apart in lower midtable so it should be a well-matched contest. The game is being played at Thamesmead's ground and tickets are £5 on the gate

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Wednesday 7 May

Middlesex Charity Cup Final
Broadfields United v Southall @745pm - running since 1901, interest in this cup has fluctuated over the years. Several of Middlesex's biggest clubs have taken part and I remember some big crowds for Harrow Borough's ties against Chelsea and Spurs back in the late '80s and early '90s. The 1988 final was even played at Wembley Stadium thanks to sponsorship from TV astrologer Russel Grant. In more recent times, it's become more of a thing for clubs in the eight and ninth tiers from which Wednesday's finalists come. Broadfields play a level below the 'All so they'll cause something of an upset if they win. This is being played at Bedfont Sports and tickets are available in advance for £12

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Thursday 8 April

UEFA Conference League Semi-Final Second Leg
Chelsea v Djurgarden @8pm - the Blues won last week's first leg in Sweden 4-1 to all-but secure their place in the final. The London club have pretty much had one hand on the cup since they entered it and they've lived up to their favourites tag as they've breezed through the competition. Given their big lead, progress should be a formality but the level of opponent will increase significantly in the final where they'll face either Fiorentina or Real Betis in the Polish city of Wroclaw. Tickets

SPCFL Premier Division
Wimbledon Casuals v Dial Square @730pm - two of the top three in this 11th-tier division meet in their final games of the season. It could have been a blockbuster conclusion to the campaign but Casuals wrapped up the league title over the Bank Holiday to seal their third title success on the bounce. Sadly the club haven't applied for promotion so they'll be back to defend their crown next year. Dial Square will finish second if they win and that could see them go up as they did put in an application. This is being played at the Quintin Hogg Memorial Ground by Chiswick Bridge and should be free to watch

EAL Premier Division Cup Final
Inter Newbury v Sporting Bengal United Reserves @730pm - this cup final is for 12th-tier teams I don't normally cover but it's being played at Dagenham & Redbridge which I know some of you might want to visit. SBU Reserves won the Premier Division West so they'll start as favourites as they look to do a league and cup double. I haven't seen any ticket prices advertised but it won't be much
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Friday 9 May

CCL Division 1 Cup Final
Holmer Green v Langley @745pm - there's just one game on Friday but it's this cup final for tenth-tier clubs. Being played at Abbey Rangers in the Addlestone/Chertsey area, Holmer Green should start as favourites as they finished seventh, seven places and 23 points above Langley in the league. Again, I haven't seen any ticket details but it shouldn't exceed £10
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Saturday 10 May

Premier League
Fulham v Everton @3pm - with three defeats from their last four, the Cottagers' season is in danger of petering out after showing so much promise. If they win their remaining three, then an eighth-place finish is still possible but there's also a danger that they could finish in the bottom half which would be disappointing. The Toffees were in real trouble before David Moyes took over but he steadied the ship and secured their place in the top flight for another year. They don't play particularly thrilling stuff and have become the division's draw specialists but they're still above Man Utd and Spurs. Tickets

League One Play-Off Semi-Final First Leg
Leyton Orient v Stockport County @1230pm - the O's and fellow Londoners Charlton Athletic have both made it to the League One play-offs after fine campaigns. Orient secured their place on the final day with a resounding 4-1 win at Huddersfield Town as they pipped Reading to the final spot. That result put them top of the division's form table as it was their sixth win in a row. Stockport are a formidable side though and with eight wins from their last 10 and home advantage in the second leg, they're going to be really tough to beat. I think I'm also right in saying that if Leyton Orient do make it through and win promotion, it will be their first time in the second tier since 1982. General sale of tickets will begin on Wednesday 7 May but don't expect them to hang around for long

SCEFL Division 1 Cup Final
Clapton CFC v Forest Hill Park @2pm - over in east London we've got this tenth-tier cup final at Barking's ground. CCFC finished seventh to miss out on a play-off place by six points. For FHP, the closing months of the season have been disappointing if not worrying. They were seemingly cruising to the title but won only one of their last 10 to finish third. At the weekend, they lost to SOUL Tower Hamlets in the play-off final. They also made the League Cup Final but lost to Premier Division strugglers Snodland Town. With all that disappointment behind them, they're going to have to raise their game again against the best supported side in the league who drew with them on the final day of the season. Tickets are £8 and must be bought online in advance - there will be no sales on the day

Women's Super League
Arsenal v Manchester United @1230pm - it's the final day of the WSL season and this is the biggest match that's taking place. With Chelsea having already won the league, this match will decide who finishes second. Both sides have already qualified for the Champions League but the runners-up in the WSL get to enter at a later stage. Arsenal are currently second but since sensationally making it to this season's Champions League Final, they've been blown away in the two league games that have followed, conceding nine goals to midtable opposition. This is being played at the Emirates Stadium so if you haven't been, now's your chance as tickets are available and it's way cheaper than watching a men's game
Chelsea v Liverpool @1230pm - as mentioned above, the Blues have won the league already - their sixth title in a row. The main reason to go to this match will presumably be to see them parade the trophy in front of their fans. For them it's now all about winning next weekend's FA Cup Final to complete a domestic treble. The Reds are sixth, and given their inferior goal difference, that's as high as they're likely to finish even if they pull off a shock win. This is being played at Stamford Bridge and tickets are available

CCL Women's Cup Final
Watford U23 v Chatham Town @230pm - if you're on the far north side of town then this cup final at the Hornets' training ground could be the game for you. The hosts' U23 side have been in superb form this season, winning their division of the WNL Reserve League with a 100% record. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the first team of a strong FAWNL team. Chatham finished third in the FAWNL Division 1 South East (fourth tier) and have already won the Isthmian League Women's Cup and Kent Women's Cup. To put things in some context, Actonians played Chatham three times this season beating them twice and drawing the other. However, when they played this Watford side in an earlier round, they lost 4-0 so who knows how this will go? I haven't seen any ticket prices mentioned but it wouldn't surprise me if it's free
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Sunday 11 May

Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace @215pm - despite having one of the worst seasons in the last 30 years, Spurs made it through to the Europa League Final on Thursday night with a comfortable 5-1 aggregate win over Bodo/Glimt. Next up they face another set of cup finalists in Palace who play Manchester City in next weekend's FA Cup Final. Neither side is in great form in the league and a draw is probably the most likely outcome. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality packages are available from £149

Non-League Finals Day
The big showpiece of the non-league calendar takes place at Wembley on Sunday. It sees the finals of the FA Vase and FA Trophy played back-to-back and one £30 ticket gets you into both. This year we have four sides who've never been to their respective finals before so it'll be a huge occasion for all of them. It's a great day out but beware, once you're in you're there for the day - you can't pop out for a cigarette and expect to get back in. 

AFC Whyteleafe v Whitstable Town @1215pm - first up we have the Vase final which is a competition for sides in the ninth and tenth tiers. The Leafe made the play-offs in the CCL Premier South and are still waiting to play in the them. The Oystermen play in the parallel SCEFL Premier and also made the play-offs but lost out to Fisher. In essence, we have two very similar teams from the ninth tier who hail from the south-east - it's an incredibly tough one to call
Aldershot Town v Spennymoor Town @415pm - given we could have extra-time and penalties in the first game, this one doesn't start until four hours later. The FA Trophy is for clubs in the fifth to eighth tiers. The Shots are the biggest team in action on Sunday and are said to be bringing nearly 20,000 fans. Playing in the fifth tier, a level above their opponents, they should start as favourites. I say should because Spennymoor have beaten not one, not two but three National League clubs on their way to the final - a quite spectacular effort

Friendly
Surrey International v Wanderers @115pm - this Surrey representative team made up of players from around the county play their third game of the spring/summer. After wins over London Japanese and London Thai, they'll be looking to extend their winning run against one of the oldest clubs in the world. With five FA Cup wins to their name between 1872-1878, Wanderers have a glittering past. This match is being played at Farleigh Rovers just up the road from Whyteleafe. Tickets are £5 on the gate

L&SE Women's League D1 North
Bromley v Brentford @1pm - the top two in this sixth-tier division meet at Hayes Lane. Sadly, there's nothing riding on it. Brentford have already won the title and claimed the only promotion spot whilst the hosts will finish second whatever happens here. Tickets are £5

GLWFL Finals Day
Like NLFD at Wembley, this women's league for clubs in the seventh to ninth tiers has its two cup finals on Sunday. Played back-to-back at Bedfont Sports near Heathrow, the action gets underway at 1115am with ninth-tier clubs Civil Service and Tooting Bec Reserves meeting in the GLWFL Trophy Final. Following this at 230pm, the top two in the Premier Division will contest the GLWFL Cup Final. Camden Town have already won the league so they'll be wanting to complete the double against Hammersmith. Tickets will be available on the gate for just £3


GET INVOLVED
If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've  been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground in the London area for this blog then get in touch. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

NEED HELP?
Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries. I do not charge for this advice like some other sites so don't hold back!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

Sunday, 27 April 2025

TLFG: 28 April - 5 May 2025

Welcome to this week's TLFG.

It's late on Sunday night and I need to be up early for work so I'll keep this brief.

With many leagues having now wrapped up, there aren't a lot of games on but the ones we do have are hugely important.

It's largely about play-off games and cup semi-finals and finals this week so it should be really exciting.

Youngster Prudie Todd-Warmoth has impressed for Actonians this season 

I managed to see one game this week - Actonians' final match of the season at Ashford Town.

They won 4-0 to finish in the top six of the women's fourth tier again - a fine achievement when you consider the big budgets of some of the clubs they're up against.

With some more big names likely to join their division next year, it's going to require another big effort to compete but I'm confident they'll be able to give it a good go.

Anyway, I've got to go to bed. I'll update the guide as the week progresses.

Enjoy!

 THE WEEK AHEAD

This week's highlights include games in the Champions League, Europa League, Premier League, EFL, National League, Women's Super League and lots of other games featuring our local non-league and women's clubs.

As always, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or the venue or kick-off time has changed - this is highly possible for some of the lower non-league clubs. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.


Details on all of this week's games can be found on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (orange pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.
Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top.

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Monday fixtures - yellow pin
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - turquoise pin
Thursday fixtures - purple pin
Friday fixtures - black pin



WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin


    
TLFG DAILY DIGEST
In the following section, I list what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 28 April

Premier League 2
The week begins with a couple of U21 matches. With the 20 regular season games complete, these are both first round play-off games. Crystal Palace host old rivals Brighton & Hove Albion at Sutton United, whilst Fulham take on Nottingham Forest at their Motspur Park training ground. Both matches kick-off at 7pm and tickets will be available on arrival

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Tuesday 29 April

UEFA Champions League Semi-Final First Leg
Arsenal v Paris Saint-Germain @8pm - arguably the biggest game of the week takes place at the Emirates. After sensationally beating Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, the Gunners next take on PSG. Both sides have been to the final only once before but neither of them have ever won it. For me, Arsenal will win this tie but come unstuck in the final. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality packages are available from £1,395 per person

National League Cup Final
Sutton United v Leeds United U21 @7pm - this competition is for fifth tier clubs and Premier League/EFL U21 teams. It  has received a lot of criticism as it was essentially set up as a form of compensation to the biggest non-league clubs for getting rid of FA Cup replays. Fans weren't amused and have voted with their feet, creating very low crowds for many of these games. This is the first final and it's being played at Sutton's ground rather than a neutral venue. Tickets are £12

National League South Play-Off Eliminator
Boreham Wood v Dorking Wanderers @745pm - the real fun this week will be found in the numerous play-off matches which are taking place. Six teams headed into the final day of the NLS season with a chance of winning the title. Neither of these made it but they've got another crack at promotion through the play-offs. In this division, the teams in second to seventh qualify with the teams in second and third getting a bye through this round. These sides got relegated from the fifth tier together last year but only one of them can progress. The Surrey club are unbeaten in four against The Wood and could well win. Tickets

SCEFL Premier
VCD Athletic v Punjab United @745pm - the hosts pushed Faversham Town hard for the title but ultimately fell short. They finished 14 points ahead of Punjab who sealed their spot in the post-season on the final day. Although the Vickers have had a better season, the visitors arrive in better form which is often crucial at this stage. Tickets will be available on the gate and shouldn't exceed £10

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Wednesday 30 April

Isthmian League Premier Play-Off Semi-Final
Dartford v Cray Valley PM @745pm - the title was theirs to win with two games to go but with only one point from those final matches, the Darts finished third. They've picked up a devilishly tough semi-final against local rivals CVPM. New to this level this season, the visitors are in better form and will no doubt make life challenging for the hosts. You are strongly advised to buy your tickets in advance

Southern League Premier South Play-Off Semi-Final
Walton & Hersham v Gloucester City @745pm - among the leading group for sometime now, the Swans always looked like making the play-offs. With Welsh club Merthyr Town having won the title, the Surrey club will be hoping to join them. The winners will play AFC Totton or Dorchester Town in the final. Another big crowd is expected so buy your tickets in advance

Isthmian League South Central Play-Off Semi-Finals
Hanworth Villa v Ascot United @745pm - the Villains won their final game against Horndean 5-2 to demonstrate that they should be a force to be reckoned with at this stage. They drew 0-0 with Ascot a couple of weeks ago and it will no doubt be tight again here. Tickets are £11 on the gate
Uxbridge v Kingstonian @745pm - the Reds would seem to be the team to beat in the play-offs. They finished second and are in better form than any of the other contenders. The K's were second for a long time but fell away badly and if it wasn't for an upturn in results right at the end, they would've probably missed out on a top-five finish - they'll do very well to win. Tickets are £10 on the gate

Essex Senior League Play-Off Semi-Final
Woodford Town v Great Wakering Rovers @745pm - the hosts were in title contention for most of the season but Stanway Rovers eventually prevailed as Woodford finished third. GWR, who hail from the Southend area, finished fifth but are in very similar form coming into this so it could go all the way to penalties. Tickets are £7 on the gate

SSML Premier Play-Off Semi-Final
Cockfosters v London Lions @745pm - we've got a north London derby in this other ninth-tier division. Finishing just three points apart, this is another one which looks too close to call. With Milton Keynes Irish having won the title, one of these two will play Tring Athletic or Wormley Rovers in the final. Tickets are £10 on the gate

ECL Division 1 South Play-Off Semi-Final
AS London v Rayleigh Town @745pm - dropping into the 10th tier, this game was held up because of a delayed decision about reports of racism in an earlier game featuring AS London. The match against Cannons Wood was ordered to be replayed but they opted not to and forfeited the points. Rayleigh, from Essex, finished a point behind them and now have to make this trip to Haringey. The two played in their final league game a week ago and AS London won 5-1 away. Tickets will be available on the gate. Update - this match has been postponed 

SCEFL Division 1 Play-Off Semi-Final
Forest Hill Park v Croydon @745pm - in a four-horse race for the title going into the final game, both these sides could only manage a draw so have ended up playing each other in the battle for the second and final promotion spot instead. FHP were top but lost a load of momentum in the closing weeks of the season and finished 14th in the form table. The Trams finished below them in the regular table but come into this on a lengthy unbeaten run. Tickets will be available on the gate
SOUL Tower Hamlets v Sheppey Sports @745pm - STH missed out on the title on goal difference whilst Sheppey squeaked into the play-offs on the final day. The hosts have won four of their last five so should start as favourites. Tickets will be available on the gate. Update - this now being played outside London at Corinthian FC in Kent

Premier League Cup Semi-Final
QPR v Burnley @7pm - these two Championship clubs have made it to the last four of this U21 competition. Their respective first teams met at Loftus Road for an EFL game on Saturday with the Clarets winning 5-0. The young R's will hope to do a lot better than that. The winners will face Southampton or Brentford in the final. This is also being played at Loftus Road and apparently it's free entry although a donation to the club's trust would be appreciated 
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Friday 2 May

CCL Division 1 Play-Off Final
Westside v Eversley & California @730pm - the hosts, who play at Colliers Wood United's ground, have had a fantastic season. Having only been in senior football since 2019 and never having finished above 11th, it's been remarkable to see them come second. Often described as the least supported club in London too, it's even more of an achievement. E&C hail from Hampshire rather than America's west coast and came fourth. They got past Penn & Tylers Green on penalties in the semi-finals and will start as marginal underdogs. Tickets will be available on the gate - prices haven't been published but it shouldn't exceed £10

Professional Development League
Millwall v Hull City @2pm - earlier in the day, the teams in third in the parallel Group North and Group South meet at The Den. The Lions need to win this final game of the regular season to keep their play-off hopes alive. Tickets

EAL Senior Division
Philip United v Waltham Forest Borough @745pm - the hosts, who have no website or social media presence which I'm aware of, go into this final game as the newly crowned league champions. For a club founded in 2023, they've got off to an exceptional start. They have applied for promotion to the 10th tier so let's see if they get accepted. The match is being played at Redbridge

SPCFL Premier
Dial Square v Worcester Park @745pm - third plays fourth in this 11th-tier game. This will be the visitors' final game and they are out of the title race whatever happens here. Dial Square, who were formed by a group of disillusioned Arsenal fans five years ago, have two games to go and can still finish first. They will need to win here though to have any chance. This is being played at Ashford Town
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Premier League
Arsenal v AFC Bournemouth @530pm - only drawing with Crystal Palace to end their slim title hopes and losing the first leg of their Champions League tie against PSG, it's been a disappointing week or so for the Gunners. Still not assured of second, they need to keep on winning. The Cherries were threatening a top-six finish but now it's more about making certain they stay in the top 10. Since returning to the Premier League in 2022, they've lost four of their five games against Mikel Arteta's team but crucially they won the last one in October. Tickets are only available to members and their family and friends. Hospitality packages are available from £595

Championship
Watford v Sheffield Wednesday @1230pm - the EFL season concludes on Saturday with all games in this division starting at lunchtime. A point apart in midtable, these clubs have nothing to play for other than who finishes 12th. With the pressure off, these games can either be a non-event or highly entertaining as the sides can go for it without any real consequences. The Hornets have lost five of their last six so are in way worse form. Tickets

League One
Charlton Athletic v Burton Albion @3pm - the Addicks have already secured their play-off place but a win here could see them finish as high as third and get home advantage in the second leg. The Brewers sit just above the relegation zone but have done enough to stay up so have little to play for. Tickets

League Two
Bromley v Cheltenham Town @3pm - a win in their final game could see the Ravens finish tenth which would be a fine performance from a club playing in the EFL for the first time. Cheltenham are three points behind in midtable so this is another game with little riding on it. Tickets

CCL Premier North Play-Off Final
Bedfont Sports v Harefield United @3pm - when this blog started in 2011, Bedfont were in the 10th tier. Since then they've won two promotions, making the heady heights of the Isthmian League. However, they came back down to this division two years ago. Third last year, they lost in the play-offs. Second this time, they'll hope to go one better. Harefield finished fourth and caused an upset by beating Amersham in the semi-finals so if they win here it will be a huge bonus - they haven't played in the Isthmian League since the '90s. Tickets are £8 on the gate

SPCFL Premier
Wimbledon Casuals v Bagshot @215pm - if Dial Square lose on Friday, then Wimbledon will already be champions coming into this. If Dial Square pick up three points, then a win here will see Casuals over the line. Bagshot are one point and one place above the relegation zone so they're going to do well to get anything here. This is being played at the Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex in Walton-on-Thames
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Sunday 4 May

Premier League
Brentford v Manchester United @2pm - these sides both had great Thursday nights. The Bees went to high flying Nottingham Forest and won 2-0, meaning a top-eight finish is now a possibility. United, on the other hand, went to the Basque Country and beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the first leg if their Europa League Semi-Final. Brentford have become expert at giving the bigger clubs an uncomfortable time but they've struggled against the Red Devils winning only one of the seven games against them since 2021. Tickets are only available to members
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur @2pm - I can't really believe I'm writing this but these two are a point apart just above the relegation zone. Thankfully for them, the bottom three have been so bad that they've both been safe for a while. The Hammers have been playing some pretty stodgy stuff of late, eking out the odd draw here and there whilst Spurs have lost five of their last six. Tickets
Chelsea v Liverpool @430pm - the biggest game of the day takes place at Stamford Bridge where the Blues welcome the newly crowned league champions. Out of all the cups, the Reds can simply enjoy their final four games of the season. Chelsea, however, are still in the dogfight for a Champions League place so they'll be under far more pressure to succeed. Tickets

Isthmian League South Central Play-Off Final
Uxbridge v Hanworth Villa @3pm - finishing second and third in the regular season, the 'right' teams have made it to the final. The hosts squeaked past Kingstonian on penalties in the semi-finals whilst Hanworth beat Ascot 2-1. Despite their success, both sides have only averaged crowds a little over 200  this season so to see them both pull in around 700 on Wednesday shows how big these games are. Matches between the two were tight this season and when they last met a couple of weeks ago, it took a 98th-minute penalty from Sam Merson to salvage a 2-2 draw for Hanworth. As such a big crowd is expected, you must buy your ticket in advance

Women's Super League
Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea @215pm - after getting trounced by Barcelona in the Champions League on Sunday, the Blues went to Manchester United on Wednesday and beat them 1-0 to win the title with two games to spare. With the League Cup already won, it's now all about beating Manchester United again in the FA Cup on 18 May and winning a domestic treble. As for Spurs, this season has been hugely disappointing. After breaking into the top six and reaching the FA Cup final, they've failed to push on and this season has been a real slog. Their last win was in January when they just about beat bottom club Crystal Palace 3-2. If Robert Vilahamn keeps his job into next season, he'll have been lucky. This is being played at the THS so it's a great opportunity to visit arguably London's best stadium for a fraction of the normal price. Tickets
Crystal Palace v Leicester City @2pm - as mentioned above, the Eagles have struggled this season and their relegation has now been confirmed. After all the joy surrounding their promotion a year ago, they spent pretty much all of their first season in the WSL at the bottom. There were a lot of spirited performances and they didn't disgrace themselves but it's now all about rebuilding and going again in the Championship. The Foxes are just above them in the table but in no danger of going down so neither side really has anything at stake here. This is being played at Sutton United. Tickets
West Ham United v Aston Villa @3pm - boss Rehanne Skinner should be in contention for manager of the year such has been the transformation of the Hammers' fortunes this season. Second from bottom last year, a win here could see them go fifth. Unbeaten in five and with German wunderkind Shekiera Martinez banging in nine goals in ten games since joining the side in January, things are looking really bright. After a very challenging campaign, Villa are in the best form they've been in and arrive in east London on the back of thrashing Champions League finalists Arsenal 5-2. This is being played at Dagenham & Redbridge. Tickets

L&SE Women's League Premier
Fulham v SL Benfica @230pm - with no Championship sides playing in London and the WNL finishing last week, our next featured match is way down in the fifth tier but it's a big one. The Cottagers are playing this one at Craven Cottage as victory will see them clinch the title and secure promotion, something that has looked inevitable for weeks if not months. It's also huge for Benfica who pipped Brentford to promotion last season and but are on the verge of being relegated. Currently just above the bottom two, only goal difference is keeping them above Ashford United. This will be Benfica's final game but Ashford still have a game in hand. Tickets
Millwall Lionesses v Ashford United @130pm - talking of Ashford, they're being given the opportunity, in what could be one of their last games at this level, to play on the hallowed turf of The Den. The Lionesses have coasted along in midtable and if they win this final game, then they could achieve a top-half finish. As we've already mentioned, Ashford are in trouble. If Benfica somehow do the unthinkable and win at Fulham, then Ashford will have to win here as their goal difference is significantly inferior to Benfica's. Millwall have also made this a 'Family Fun Day' with bouncy castles and all other kinds of kid-friendly entertainment to encourage attendance. Tickets

L&SE Women's League D1 North
Clapton CFC v Brentford @2pm - in the sixth tier there could be quite a substantial crowd at the Old Spotted Dog. London's oldest ground plays host to the game which will almost certainly see the Bees crowned as champions. After the embarrassment of failing to win a division where their resources must have outstripped all the other clubs put together, Brentford have taken no chances this time round. Having assembled a side probably good enough to compete a couple of divisions above this, they've won every single game. For CCFC, this will be all about the official opening of the alleyway behind the ground which used to be a dark and quite scary thoroughfare for local residents. They've cleaned it, opened it right up and made it far safer and will name it after club legend Walter Tull. He was only the third person of mixed heritage to play top-level football in this country. One his descendants and biographer will be present at the ceremony. Entry is by a suggested donation of £5 - more details on this and everything that's going on can be found here
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Monday 5 May

Premier League
Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest @8pm - this could've been a dress rehearsal for the FA Cup Final but with the Eagles making it to Wembley, Forest lost to Manchester City in the semis. With four defeats in five, the East Midlands club are having a wobble at the worst possible time but Champions League qualification is still a possibility if they win here. Palace look like finishing 12th so it's all about being at their best for the FA Cup in two weeks time. Tickets are only available to members

National League
Wealdstone v FC Halifax Town @3pm - it's the final day in the fifth tier with the most important game in the capital being this one at Grosvenor Vale. The Stones have struggled this season and go into their last game knowing that a win is essential but might still not be enough to keep them up. The visitors have already secured a play-off place but a win could see them get home advantage for the opening round of the post-season. Tickets
Sutton United v Woking @3pm - in the other fixture we've got a game between two midtable sides. Although there's not a huge amount at stake, they both fall under the jurisdiction of the Surrey FA so there's a bit of a derby feel to this one. Tickets

Isthmian League Premier Play-Off Final
Dartford v Dover Athletic @3pm - the stakes will be far higher at Princes Park where these two Kent clubs will do battle for a place in the National League South. Both sides suffered relegation from that division last season so are looking for an instant return. When they last played each other here a couple of weeks ago, the Darts won 3-1. However, Dover caused an upset by winning at Billericay in their play-off semi on Wednesday so they arrive in good form. Unsurprisingly, tickets have sold out

SCEFL Premier Play-Off Final
VCD Athletic v Fisher @3pm - two TLFG teams from south-east London go head-to-head for promotion to the Isthmian League South East. VCD were in title contention for most of the season, finished second and will start as favourites in an attempt to get back to the level they last played at two years ago. The Fish, descended from Fisher Athletic, reformed in 2009 as a tenth-tier club. In the intervening years, they've spent most of that time in the ninth tier where they find themselves today. If they win here, they'll rise to the highest level in their history. In the semis they caused upset by winning at FA Vase finalists Whitstable Town. Tickets are £10 on the gate

SSML Premier Play-Off Final
London Lions v Wormley Rovers @3pm - in the far north of London, the capital's top club for Jewish players are also on the cusp of reaching the highest level in their history. After edging past Cockfosters on penalties, they now prepare to welcome Wormley who beat Tring Atheltic a side who finished 13 points ahead of them. The visitors are located around a 30-minute drive from Rowley Lane so they should bring a sizeable following. I haven't seen any ticket prices but it shouldn't be more than £10

ECL Challenge Cup Final
Hackney Wick v Harlow Town @3pm - these two finished level on points at the top of the ECL Division 1 South. Showing how strong they are, they've both made it to the final of competition which is open to ninth-tier clubs too. With the Wickers still involved in the play-offs, Harlow will be looking to complete a league and cup double. This match is being played at Aveley and tickets are £8 on arrival

Professional Development League
If all the matches above weren't thrilling enough, there are also a couple of U21 games at lunchtime. Brentford are playing Barnsley at the GTech at 1pm (tickets) whilst Watford host Sheffield Wednesday at Vicarage Road at 2pm (tickets)


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