TLFG: 24-30 January 2022

I think it's come as a bit of a surprise to some people, not least myself, that a winter break is upon us.

As someone who pays more attention to football in the lower tiers than the top, I'm still not used to the idea of the Premier League taking time off mid-season.

With the conclusion of Chelsea's win over Spurs on Sunday evening, we now won't have a top-flight game in London until 8 February when West Ham play Watford.

In the meantime, the EFL and Women's Super League will provide the top levels of football in this fair city and there's plenty to choose from as you'll find out below.

So what have I been up to over the last few days?

Gosport celebrate taking the lead against Harrow

Well, I managed to get another game in.

Not only that, it was my third Harrow Borough away game in less than two weeks.

To top it all, the journey to Gosport Borough even involved a ferry ride over from Portsmouth - a form of travel I don't think I've ever used to get to a game, certainly not domestically.

The 2014 FA Trophy finalists have built a tough side who could well finish in the Southern League play-off places and they were comfortable 3-1 winners against Harrow, who had beaten them in the reverse fixture earlier in the season.

An attendance of almost 600 was the biggest in the division on the day.

After that glut of games it could well be mid-February before I get to another match but let's see.

Heading back to Portsmouth on the ferry

In other news, Non-League Day is now only eight weeks away and I need to start the Herculean task of putting the match finder together now that the software has arrived from the developer.

It's been pleasing to see that some clubs have already begun announcing their special plans for the day and it gives me the feeling we could be on for a very big year indeed - BUT there's still an awful lot to do at my end!

Lastly from me, many thanks this week to Robert B from Dartford for donating to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund. I really really appreciate it.

                                                             THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the EFL, EFL Trophy, most of our local non-league competitions, Women's Super League and Women's FA Cup too. 

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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, by day, 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 24 January

Premier League 2

Chelsea v Manchester City @7pm - begin the week with this U23 game at Kingsmeadow. Neither side are quite the force the respective first teams are with Chelsea 11th out of 14 in the PL2's top flight and City only second to an impressive West Ham side. Tickets are £5 and can be bought online in advance or on the gate when you arrive

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Tuesday 25 January

Championship

QPR v Swansea City @745pm - if Blackburn fail to beat Middlesbrough, the R's will move into the automatic promotion places if they win here. Since losing to Bournemouth just after Christmas, Mark Warburton's side have enjoyed four victories on the bounce and now find themselves right back in contention. Swansea picked up their first win in a while against Preston on Saturday. The Welsh club have won the last two league games at Loftus Road but will start as underdogs here. Tickets are available

League One

AFC Wimbledon v Ipswich Town @745pm - the Dons' winless run continued with a draw at Burton on Saturday, which means they're now only a point above the relegation zone. The Tractor Boys have had a disappointing season and sacked boss Paul Cook last month. Kieran McKenna, his replacement, has so far presided over three wins from his four games in charge so things appear to be looking up. Tickets are available

League Two

Leyton Orient v Newport County @745pm - with only one win in six, the O's play-off hopes seem to be fading. Although they have games in hand, the nine-point gap to seventh looks daunting. The same can't be said of the visitors who will go third with a victory. Tickets are available

EFL Trophy Quarter-Final

Sutton United v Harrogate Town @745pm - playing in the competition for the first time following their promotion from the National League, Sutton now find themselves in the quarter-finals. Midtable Harrogate, on paper, should be beaten and then they'll be only 90 minutes away from Wembley. Tickets are available

National League

Bromley v Woking @745pm - the Ravens' important 2-1 win at Grimsby on Saturday saw them move above Boreham Wood into fourth to make them London's top club in this division. The Cards have only won two of their last 10 games against Bromley and current form would suggest they're unlikely to win here too. If the hosts do prevail and other results go their way, then they could go level on points with the leaders. Tickets are available

Wealdstone v Notts County @745pm - in terms of resources, light years have separated these clubs, with the Stones doing really well just to be at this level. However, the Ruislip-based club announced this week that they'd received investment from the owner of the Rajasthan Royals cricket club Manoj Badale. How much he's put in and other details remain to be seen but they'll hope to bring some new players in soon as the current crop find themselves just above the relegation zone. Former top-flight club Notts County are one of the biggest clubs in the National League, have won four in a row, have games in hand and should be formidable opponents. Tickets are available and I would buy in advance

National League South

Dulwich Hamlet v Eastbourne Borough @745pm - there are three games to choose from in the sixth tier with this game probably the best on offer. The Hamlet picked up their first league win since the beginning of December on Saturday to keep themselves in the play-off places. Eastbourne could have leapfrogged them in the table if they'd beaten Bath but they lost 2-1 and slipped to 11th. It's always advisable to buy your ticket in advance for Dulwich games although midweek games are usually significantly quieter than Saturday fixtures

London Senior Cup Second Round

Harrow Borough v Brentford B @745pm - aside from their penalty shoot-out victory over Corinthian Casuals in the last round, Boro can't buy a win at the moment. A 100th-minute defeat at Yate last weekend and a comfortable 3-1 loss at Gosport on Saturday means they have to go back to before Christmas when they narrowly beat Tiverton at Earlsmead. The Bees' second-string take no prisoners, putting four, five and 11 goals past the last three non-league sides they've played so it's not going to be an easy night for Steve Baker's side. Tickets are available on the gate and Brentford season-ticket holders get in for half price

Isthmian League Premier Division

Enfield Town v Carshalton Athletic @745pm - despite their dominance, leaders Worthing still haven't been able to shake off the Towners. So with the Sussex club only drawing with Hornchurch on Saturday, Enfield closed the gap to four points with a thrilling 5-3 win at Kingstonian. Elsewhere, Carshalton also played their part in another exciting game as they lost 5-4 at Cray Wanderers. If Worthing come unstuck against Folkestone, a win here will leave Enfield breathing down their necks

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Wednesday 26 January

FA Women's Super League

Chelsea v West Ham United @7pm - postponed from before Christmas, these two will have another go on Wednesday. The Blues come into this on the back of a disappointing 0-0 draw at Brighton which saw them slip to third behind Manchester United. The Hammers enjoyed a 3-0 win over Everton on Sunday to extend their unbeaten run and move up to seventh. Since joining the WSL in 2018, West Ham have played Chelsea nine times in all competitions with their best result being a 1-1 draw in their first season. They'll do very well to match or better that here. Tickets are available

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Thursday 27 January

FA Women's Super League

Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion @745pm - the Gunners missed the chance to open up a four-point lead at the top by only managing a 1-1 draw at Manchester City in Sunday's late game. In fact, it took an injury-time equaliser from Tobin Heath to make sure they avoided defeat so it could have been a lot worse. The result means they've only won two of their last five league games so a well-organised Albion side could conceivably hold them again. Tickets are available

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Friday 28 January

Professional Development League

Charlton Athletic v QPR @1pm - another game to be postponed from earlier this season, this U23 match at Dartford's ground could be a fine start to a double of games to begin your weekend but make sure you check all the details before you travel as this one was previously called off at short notice. UPDATE - this has been moved to Charlton's training ground and it is unclear whether the public will be admitted, check on the day

Isthmian League North Division

Barking v Aveley @745pm - with their 4G pitches pretty much permanently rented out to other teams (both clubs groundshare with two other clubs), these two must be among the richest clubs in Essex! Their fortunes on the pitch, however, couldn't be much more different with Aveley challenging Canvey Island for the title and Barking trying to stay out of the bottom three

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Saturday 29 January

Championship

Fulham v Blackpool @3pm - with the Premier League taking a short winter break until early February, the Championship takes centre stage this weekend. First up we have the Cottagers who now seem to be accelerating away with the title after a 3-2 win at Stoke left them eight points clear at the top. Blackpool have flirted with the play-off places since getting promoted but have been unable to sustain their challenge and a midtable finish looks most likely. At first glance, a home win looks almost certain but The Seasiders did manage to win the reverse fixture 1-0 back in September so they know what it takes to beat them. Tickets are available

Millwall v West Bromwich Albion @3pm - the Lions suffered their third consecutive defeat on Saturday at the hands of Blackpool, which left them 11 points off the top six. If they are to have any chance of hauling themselves back into contention then they'll have to beat one of the current incumbents. Although right up there for most of the season, the Baggies' form has been poor of late so their win over struggling Peterborough was absolutely crucial. Up in fifth, they should get at least a point here. Tickets are available

QPR v Reading @3pm - as mentioned above, the R's are on a cracking run coming into this week and could even be second by the time this kicks off. Reading are dangling just above the relegation zone at the time of writing so badly need to get something from this game. Although not a London club, they play just to the west of the capital and QPR are geographically the closest team to them in this division. The derby feel to the game often leads to unpredictable results and a decent attendance. The fans also see it as a battle to decide who are the 'real' and 'fake' hoops as both clubs have the same blue and white hooped kit. Tickets are available

League One

AFC Wimbledon v Shrewsbury Town @3pm - following on from their tough midweek game against Ipswich, the Dons next welcome fellow strugglers Shrewsbury for a hugely important game. Trailing the Shropshire club by two points at the time of writing, a win would do wonders for morale. Tickets are available

National League

Barnet v Stockport County @3pm - there might well be no Premier League action to enjoy but the National League is spoiling us with four very decent-looking games instead. The Bees have been a bit lacklustre this season but the midtable position they've achieved is way better than anything they managed last year when only Covid stopped them getting relegated. Stockport have endured some tough seasons since falling out of the EFL but they're looking good this year and could possibly go top with a win here. Tickets are available

Boreham Wood v King's Lynn Town @3pm - despite being one of the smallest clubs in the division, The Wood are right up there with all the other title contenders. With only three wins this season, the visitors are as good as down already. Tickets are available

Bromley v Notts County @3pm - my game of the day at this level, takes place at Hayes Lane where two of the division's top clubs do battle. They haven't played many times over the course of history but it's the London club who have the marginally better record. The two drew 1-1 at Meadow Lane back in October and we could well see a similar outcome here. Tickets are available

Dagenham & Redbridge v FC Halifax Town @3pm - there's the prospect of a bit of corker at Victoria Road too. The Daggers were among the early pacesetters and they're still very much in the race for a play-off place. If they can get something against title challengers Halifax then they should be capable of pushing on. Tickets are available

Southern League Premier Division South

Metropolitan Police v Gosport Borough @3pm - my game of the day in the seventh tier is between two of the top six in this division. Although all the leading clubs have played a different amount of games, it would seem that The Met, Farnborough and Hayes & Yeading United are the main title challengers. Gosport are sixth and could mount a very credible play-off challenge but they've currently played more games than anyone in the top nine

Isthmian League South East

Phoenix Sports v Cray Valley PM @3pm - in the eighth tier there's a south-east London derby to be enjoyed. The hosts have endured a tough season and are bottom but with 10 points from their last six games, they're mounting a bit of a fightback. CVPM, on the other hand, are fourth and still in with a shot at the title so both sides could do with the points

CCL Premier Division North

Southall v Hanworth Villa @3pm - if you like a derby, we've got a west London one too. Taking place at Ashford Town's ground, the fourth-placed hosts welcome the leaders. However, even at this stage of the season, the title already looks sewn up as Hanworth are unbeaten and 18 points clear. The 'All have played fewer games than anyone in the division and should climb to second by the time they catch up. Stupid as it sounds, this match could well end up deciding the title

SCEFL Division 1

Stansfeld v Bridon Ropes @3pm - the hosts' great season continued on Saturday with a 4-2 win over Faversham Strike Force to keep themselves two points clear of Sutton Athletic at the top. Bridon Ropes hung on to fifth place despite playing a London Senior Trophy tie 

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Sunday 30 January

Women's FA Cup Fourth Round

Arsenal v London City Lionesses @1230pm - Sunday is all about women's football and more specifically the next round of the FA Cup. Like the men's team, Arsenal are the most successful team in FA Cup history and they should make progress here. Although LCL are a fine side on a good run, they play a level below the WSL leaders and it would be the shock of the competition if they were to win. Tickets are available

Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City @2pm - elsewhere in north London, Spurs play WSL strugglers Leicester. Neither side have been to the final before and you'd expect Tottenham to have a way better chance than the Foxes of making it this year. Tickets are available

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 or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

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

TLFG: 17-23 January 2022

My week off has come to an end but I put it to fairly good use.

I did some Non-League Day prep, which included speaking to an MP about what we're getting up to, began house hunting and went to two games - yes, two!

The first, on Tuesday, saw me travel down to Tolworth in south-west London to watch Corinthian Casuals take on Harrow Borough in a much delayed London Senior Cup First Round tie.

I go past the ground regularly on the train and have been to a pre-season match there before featuring two other teams but I'd never seen CCs in action themselves.

The clubs both play in the seventh tier in the parallel Isthmian and Southern Leagues and I can't remember many games between them so this was a bit of a novelty.

With light rain falling all day, the pitch was soggy to say the least and I'm sure some refs might have called it off but our one didn't and everything went ahead as planned.

Harrow Borough push for an equaliser at Yate Town

Unsurprisingly, the conditions led to a game of little quality but lots of honest effort and endeavour as both sides did their best on the heavy surface.

It ended 0-0 and thankfully went straight to penalties.

CCs saw their first one saved when Harrow keeper Josh Strizovic went possibly a little early, and then watched as the visitors unerringly converted all five of theirs to win 5-3.

The mouthwatering prize of a home tie against Brentford B at the end of the month now awaits the Boro. 

In my second game, I went even further - all the way to Yate Town in Gloucestershire.

This match had been on my schedule for a while as my brother lives in north Bristol about five miles from the ground.

I took the train down and on arrival at Paddington, I discovered it had lost several coaches and was packed to the rafters.

Consequently, I had to stand for the duration of the two-hour journey to Bristol alongside a small group who had occupied the universal toilet as there was no other space!

My brother met me on arrival and we spent a couple of hours walking around the city's docks before having lunch and driving to the game.

Despite being a talented sportsman, my brother is not a watcher of others and declined my offer of treating him to the match and bade me farewell.

Like Harrow, Yate had a good run in the FA Cup this season and the sides were pretty evenly matched throughout.

The Boro started very poorly, went a goal down, survived a couple more scares and then started to have the better of things.

Their play earned a late equaliser but with a Yate defender requiring lengthy treatment for a head injury, a whopping 10 minutes of injury time got added on.

It's FREE ENTRY at Hampton & Richmond on Tuesday

And it was in that 10th minute that the hosts grabbed a scrappy winner from a corner as it finished 2-1.

Agonising stuff for all involved with Harrow.

Thankfully, I'd ducked out just before to catch a train as there aren't that many in this part of the world and didn't experience that moment of utter deflation.

Undeterred, I plan to be back on the road with them on Saturday as they return again to the Portsmouth area for another tough fixture against Gosport Borough.

One of the highlights of this away day will be the need to catch a ferry as part of the journey to Privett Park.

Before I go, a quick shout out to the Actonians U9s who pulled off their most memorable win so far.

When the team played their first-ever match against Ruislip Rangers back in April, they lost 19-2.

On Saturday they turned things around and recorded a 4-2 triumph.

Sadly neither I nor my daughter were involved because of my trip to Yate but we'll be back for the next one against Acton & Ealing Whistlers in a couple of weeks.

Lastly from me, many thanks this week to Lawrence L from Virginia, USA for donating to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund. I really really appreciate it.

                                                             THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the Premier League, EFL, EFL Cup, most of our local non-league competitions and Women's Super League too. 

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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, by day, 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 17 January

Premier League 2

Tottenham Hotspur v Blackburn Rovers @7pm - begin the week with the rare opportunity of watching the Spurs U23 side at the THS. Seats are available in the West Stand for just £5 but make sure you book your ticket online in advance

Essex Senior Cup Third Round

Aveley v Barking @745pm - two Isthmian North clubs do battle in the county cup at Parkside, the winners will host Grays Athletic in the next round

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Tuesday 18 January

Championship

Fulham v Birmingham City @745pm - having scored 13 goals in the process of winning their last two games, the Cottagers may well have got through their wobbly patch. Now two points clear of AFC Bournemouth at the top, the west London club should have too much for a struggling Birmingham side who are winless in six. Tickets are available

League One

AFC Wimbledon v Portsmouth @745pm - given Pompey's relative closeness to London, any match in the capital will tend to draw a big crowd - especially ones on the south side of town. The Dons could only manage a 0-0 draw with Morecambe on Saturday, to slide perilously close to the relegation zone whilst Portsmouth suffered a 2-1 defeat in their important match against fellow play-off contenders MK Dons. The atmosphere should be great inside the new and very compact Plough Lane but only a few tickets remain so don't hang about

League Two

Sutton United v Colchester United @745pm - the U's needed a 98th-minute equaliser to salvage a point at struggling Stevenage on Saturday, so a match against another one of the clubs at the wrong end of the table might not be the foregone conclusion it should be. Despite the result, Sutton are still fifth and having a great debut season at this level. Tickets are available

Premier League Cup

Arsenal v AFC Bournemouth @7pm - the Gunners' U23 side entertain their counterparts from Dorset at Boreham Wood's ground. Regular Premier League 2 games are often free entry but there might be a small charge for a game in this competition - check all the details on the day

National League South

Dulwich Hamlet v Dorking Wanderers @745pm - the biggest crowd for any non-league game on Tuesday will almost certainly come at Champion Hill. Matches at the Hamlet frequently sell out although there is usually a bit of a dip for midweek games. Here they welcome the leaders who are in great form and should bring a few supporters of their own. Dulwich are currently seventh and have games in hand on all of those above them so a win would be very useful indeed. Book your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment

Hampton & Richmond Borough v Braintree Town @745pm - the hosts could get right back into the play-off race if they beat the bottom club. The most notable thing about this game, though, is that it's free entry to all as long as you claim a place online in advance

Isthmian South Central

Chertsey Town v Uxbridge @745pm - despite the best efforts of the chasing pack, Bracknell seem pretty untouchable at the moment and are currently 14 points clear at the top. On Saturday they won 1-0 at former leaders Uxbridge who stay in the top four not far behind Chertsey who are second. The Curfews drew a crowd of almost 500 for the visit of Ashford Town on Saturday to show they are definitely a club on the up

Middlesex Senior Cup Quarter-Final

Brentford B v Hanwell Town @745pm - it's always great to see pro clubs fielding sides in the county cups and the Bees have been leading the charge, certainly among local Premier League clubs, for several years. Although drawn at home, they tend to switch all their ties to the opposition's ground so this is being played at the Powerday Stadium. The links between these two local clubs are significant not least the fact that Brentford B's manager Sam Saunders is also a player for Hanwell so there's quite a conflict of interest there!

Surrey Senior Cup Second Round

Tooting & Mitcham United v Balham @745pm - it's derby day at Imperial Fields where teams from two areas right next to each other on the Northern Line go in search of county cup glory. The hosts play a level above Balham so will start as favourites

SCEFL Premier

Glebe v Sheppey United @745pm - third place Glebe host the side just above them in a huge game at Foxbury Avenue. With leaders Chatham starting to pull away, Sheppey badly need a win to keep in touch whilst the hosts can pretty much forget about any title ambitions if they lose

CCL Premier South

Molesey v Jersey Bulls @745pm - Walton & Hersham are 10 points clear at the top and cruising. However, second-place Jersey have four games in hand the first of which is against the Moles who currently prop up the league

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Wednesday 19 January

Premier League

Brentford v Manchester United @745pm - postponed from shortly before Christmas, these two will have another go on Wednesday. The Bees come into this on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool which left them in 14th. Prior to that, they lost 4-1 at Southampton which was probably their worst performance of the season. United are rarely easy to play against but are way off their best and blew a 2-0 lead to draw at Aston Villa on Saturday. Tickets are only available to members 

Isthmian League Premier Division

Cray Wanderers v Leatherhead @745pm - there's a big relegation 'six-pointer' at Hayes Lane on Wednesday where two of the bottom three will scrap for three vital points in the battle to avoid the drop. It's looking a bit grim for both sides at the moment but Cray are still in touching distance of safety and have some games in hand

FA Women's Super League Cup Quarter-Finals

Arsenal v Manchester United @715pm - it's a big night in women's football with three of the four quarter-finals being played on our patch. WSL leaders Arsenal host Manchester United in the match of the night at Meadow Park. Tickets are available from £8 

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool @730pm - if Spurs beat West Ham on Sunday then they will come into this game in third place and should start as strong favourites against the Reds who are currently top of the Championship. Tickets for this match at The Hive are £8

West Ham United v Chelsea @730pm - the other tie gives us a London derby to enjoy. The Blues have won this competition for the last two years and should see off the midtable Hammers at Dagenham & Redbridge's ground. Tickets are available from £5

FA Women's National League Division 1 South East

QPR v Actonians @745pm - given my own interest in both clubs, I couldn't let this derby go by without a mention. Hailing from the neighbouring areas of Shepherd's Bush and Acton, there's a decent rivalry starting to build between these two. QPR won a thrilling Capital Cup Final on penalties in May and Actonians won the reverse league fixture at Rectory Park at the start of this season. The visitors inflicted a first defeat of the season on league leaders Hashtag United last weekend so will probably start as marginal favourites here. The match is being played at Hanwell Town. Tickets are £3

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Thursday 20 January

EFL Cup Semi-Final Second Leg

Arsenal v Liverpool @745pm - the Gunners confounded many people by managing a 0-0 draw in the first leg at Anfield despite playing over an hour with 10 men. Now back on home soil, they've got every chance of making it to Wembley for their first EFL Cup Final since 2018. The most successful side in FA Cup history, Arsenal have only won this competition twice with the last time being way back in 1993. Tickets are only available to members

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Friday 21 January

Premier League

Watford v Norwich City @8pm - the Canaries' win over Everton on Saturday lifted them off the bottom and left them just one point behind Watford who sit just above the relegation zone. Before this weekend, Norwich were in shocking form but things are so tight at the bottom that this one win made a huge difference. Therefore this game is massive for both clubs. For the neutral, this should provide an entertaining start to the weekend and there are a few tickets still available

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Saturday 22 January

Premier League

Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers @3pm - the Bees' tough run of games continues with the visit of an in-form Wolves side. The Black Country club kept themselves in eighth on Saturday with a solid 3-1 win over Southampton. Earlier in the campaign, Brentford won 2-0 at Molineux so will fancy their chances here. Strikingly, the head-to-head between these sides over history is exactly equal with 12 wins apiece and three draws. Tickets are only available to members

League One

Charlton Athletic v Fleetwood Town @3pm - after a great start under Johnnie Jackson, the Addicks climbed right up into the top half of the table. However, the honeymoon seems to be over and they're now winless in four league games. They picked up a point at Cheltenham on Saturday and face a very winnable game here against a side just above the relegation zone so they really should take three points, for a morale boost if nothing else. Tickets are available

League Two

Leyton Orient v Port Vale @3pm - the O's were up among the frontrunners but have lost their way a bit of late. Three defeats from five have seen them slip to 12th, seven points adrift of the play-off places. It's a similar story for the visitors who have also lost three of their last five to drop out of the top seven. In other words, it should be close. Tickets are available

Sutton United v Northampton Town @3pm - if midweek results go Sutton's way then this could be a clash of third versus fourth. Whatever happens, these two are among the contenders for promotion so it should be well worth a watch. Tickets are available

National League

Dagenham & Redbridge v Stockport County @520pm - the non-league match of the day takes place at the Chigwell Construction Stadium where the Daggers host Stockport. At the time of writing, both sides are in the top eight and it's been picked for live broadcast by BT Sport. The Hatters are one of the biggest clubs in the division and were playing at Championship level just over 20 years ago so will almost certainly sell out their allocation. Tickets are available and you're probably wise to buy in advance

National League South

Dartford v Hampton & Richmond Borough @3pm - despite some iffy form of late, the Darts are still the highest-ranked TLFG team in this division (subject to midweek results). They were top for many weeks but are now down in fifth after only one win from five games. Hampton were in play-off contention and although down in 15th, they're still only five points off the pace such is the tightness of the table

Isthmian League Premier

Kingstonian v Enfield Town @3pm - in the seventh tier, I really like the look of this one as two of the top five meet in Tolworth. The reverse fixture in October saw a 2-0 win for the Towners so the K's will be hoping for some revenge here

Isthmian League North

Aveley v Brentwood Town @3pm - the Millers stayed top of the division with a 1-0 win at Heybridge Swifts on Saturday. However, with only one point separating the top three, the title race is tight. Brentwood, in fifth, are also very much in contention as they have games in hand on all of those above them so this all-Essex affair should be a well worth a couple of hours of your time

CCL Premier Division North

Abbey Rangers v Egham Town @3pm - with Abbey playing in the Chertsey/Addlestone area, this match is very much a derby. Only two points currently separate the sides in third and fifth and with both having games in hand on the leading pair, they need to go all out for victory here

London Senior Trophy Quarter-Final

Tooting Bec v Bridon Ropes @3pm - the pick of the action featuring 10th-tier clubs is probably this cup match at Imperial Fields. Both sides are currently in the top five of the SCEFL Division 1 so should provide a competitive contest

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Sunday 23 January

Premier League

Arsenal v Burnley @2pm - after a fairly quiet day on Saturday, London is heaving with top-flight action on Sunday. The Gunners have struggled against the Clarets in recent seasons, winning only one of their last four games. This season could see that trend end as Sean Dyche's side are really struggling. Arsenal won 1-0 at Turf Moor in September and will expect to at least match that result here. Tickets are only available to members

Crystal Palace v Liverpool @2pm - at the same time on the other side of town, the Eagles welcome the Reds to Selhurst Park. If Palace get anything out of this, it will be a minor miracle as they've lost nine in a row against Liverpool since 2017, scoring five and conceding 27 goals in the process! Patrick Vieira's side are quite tough to beat but they don't win enough so you feel a draw will be the best they can hope for here. Tickets are only available to members

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur @430pm - with two legs of EFL Cup semi-final action only just behind them, these two meet again for a league game. Although they've only won one of their last five, the Blues look pretty certain to claim a top-four place whilst Spurs still have a bit to do. A home win looks almost nailed on when you also consider Tottenham have only won once at Stamford Bridge since 1990. Tickets are only available to members

FA Women's Super League

West Ham United v Everton @3pm - the pick of the women's action is to be found at Dagenham & Redbridge's ground. After a bright start, the Hammers have slid down to eighth but they have some games in hand which could take them back into the top half. With only one defeat from their last five, at the time of writing, they're not doing too badly and I think they should win here. Tickets are available

FA Women's Championship

Crystal Palace v Liverpool @2pm - with the men's teams playing each other at the same time, the scheduling of this big second-tier game between third and first, seems very unfortunate. On the plus side, getting a ticket for this will be a lot cheaper and easier than the closed shop of the match at Selhurst Park. Please note, that tickets for this game at Bromley's ground are cheaper if bought in advance

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 or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

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

TLFG: 10-16 January 2022

Apologies for another late publication this week - omicron has seen things get very stretched at work so I've been doing overtime and going in on my days off so time has been short.

My only live match action was my daughter's latest game for Actonians U9s in the Capital Girls League - the rematch against Hillingdon Abbots.

The last encounter ended in a 3-1 win and this time things improved to 4-0.

Sadly, the people on the sidelines were a challenge again with the coach and some of the parents needing to take a look at themselves - no other club in the league has anyone even vaguely like that.

Ideally I would have gone to watch the women's first team in their National League match against leaders Hashtag United on Sunday afternoon but circumstances prevented me.

I wish I had as Actonians pulled off a 1-0 win to inflict Hashtag's first defeat of the season - some achievement.

Away from that, I found myself a relatively hot topic of social media on Sunday as I correctly predicted QPR would be drawn away to Peterborough in the FA Cup.

I simulated the draw shortly before and it came out that way - all the other ties were totally wrong.

As for a prediction for the result, the same system said 2-2 with Posh winning 3-2 on penalties - watch this space...

I've got the week off now so I hope to try and get to at least two games.

As always, enjoy whatever you go to see and make sure you check all the details before you travel as a lot of games are being called off or moved at short notice.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the Premier League, EFL, EFL Cup, FA Trophy, FA Vase, most of our local non-league competitions and Women's Super League too. 

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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, by day, 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 10 January

Professional Development League

Millwall v Charlton Athletic @1pm - the Lions' U23 side get the chance to play local rivals Charlton at The Den on Monday lunchtime. Adult tickets are £5

Isthmian League Premier Division

Carshalton Athletic v Kingstonian @745pm - the best non-league option of the day is this seventh-tier match in south London. The K's will go second if they win

CCL Premier South

Walton & Hersham v Sheerwater @745pm - the Swans will extend their lead at the top of this division to eight points if they win here

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Tuesday 11 January

EFL Trophy Third Round

Arsenal v Chelsea @7pm - the biggest match of the night is this U21 game at the Emirates Stadium. Since the top clubs' youth sides were parachuted into this competition, I don't think we've ever seen two of the biggest get this far and play each other. How many fans turn out for this remains to be seen but only a limited amount of the ground will be open. If you've never been to the Emirates, tickets are only £4 but must be bought in advance

National League

Boreham Wood v Wealdstone @745pm - if you want something less controversial and much more meaningful then head to Meadow Park to watch The Wood - one of the non-league sides making headlines in the FA Cup. After seeing off AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, they get straight back to league action with this derby against the Stones. The Hertfordshire club have games in hand on the leaders and will move back into the top three if they win against a side looking to avoid the drop

Southern League Premier Division South

Metropolitan Police v Farnborough @745pm - there's a game of huge significance on the south-west side of town as the top two in this division do battle. The visitors are currently five points clear with a game in hand so a win here would be massive for them

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Wednesday 12 January

EFL Cup Semi-Final First Leg

Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea @745pm - after an insipid performance in the first leg, which they lost 2-0, Spurs will be hoping for more here. Both sides successfully came through FA Cup ties against lower-league opposition over the weekend and should ready and raring for this one. Tickets are only available to members

Premier League

West Ham United v Norwich City @745pm - if you can't get in at the THS then there are a few tickets left for this top-flight game at London Stadium. After a dreadful run of results, the Canaries sit bottom of the table and should struggle again against a Hammers side who are having one of their best seasons in a while

Isthmian League Premier Division

Cray Wanderers v Bognor Regis Town @745pm - the hosts are London's oldest club and they're currently engaged in a battle to get out of the bottom three. They have games in hand on the clubs around them so beating midtable Bognor could see them escape the relegation zone

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Thursday 13 January

FA Youth Cup Fourth Round

Watford v Chelsea @7pm - the Hornets' youngsters will play their counterparts from Chelsea at Vicarage Road in the country's most prestigious U18 competition. Adult tickets are £5

Reading v Manchester United @7pm - if you're prepared to travel a little beyond London's western boundary then you might fancy this other tie at the club's main stadium. Tickets are £3 but must be bought in advance

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Friday 14 January

Premier League 2

Arsenal v West Ham United @7pm - a big week of youth football continues at Boreham Wood's ground where the Gunners' U23 side welcome PL2 leaders West Ham. These games are often free to get into but check on the day to make sure

Isthmian North

Barking v Maldon & Tiptree @745pm - in a bit of a change to the schedule, the Blues have decided they want to play at home on Friday so have moved tenants Sporting Hackney to Saturday instead. The east London club are struggling this season so could really do with a win

MCFL Premier Division

Sporting Hackney v Clapton CFC @745pm - although way down in the 11th tier, I'd like to think a healthy crowd of at least 200 will turn up for this local derby. Neither club have their own ground so this is being played at Barking's stadium MATCH OFF - Now on Saturday at 130pm

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Saturday 15 January

FA Youth Cup Fourth Round

Crystal Palace v Wolverhampton Wanderers @2pm - with no Premier League teams playing in London on Saturday, the closest you'll get to seeing one of them will be this U18 cup tie at Selhurst Park. Tickets are £5

Championship

Fulham v Bristol City @3pm - if the match above isn't for you then there's a full selection of second-tier games to choose from. A few weeks ago it looked as if the Cottagers were going to become the division's breakaway club but they've run out of steam and are winless in five league games. However, on Saturday they beat Bristol City at Ashton Gate in the FA Cup so you'd have to fancy their chances here. Tickets are available 

Millwall v Nottingham Forest @3pm - only a point apart in the table and looking to push into the play-off places, both sides have plenty to play for. Forest grabbed all the headlines on Sunday by beating Arsenal in the FA Cup and current form would suggest they'd be marginal favourites here. Tickets are available

QPR v West Bromwich Albion @3pm - arguably the game of the day sees two of the top five do battle at Loftus Road. The R's are fifth, a point and a place behind the Baggies but with a game in hand. The hosts have won three on the bounce, including their dramatic win over Rotherham on penalties in the FA Cup, but have lost three of their last four home league games against the West Midlands club - it's going to be tight. Tickets are available

League One

AFC Wimbledon v Morecambe @3pm - both sides bowed out of the FA Cup over the weekend but in very different circumstances. The Dons suffered the embarrassment of defeat to non-league opposition while the Shrimps led Spurs for a large portion of their tie at the THS before falling away near the end. With their minds now firmly back on the league, neither can really afford to lose this hugely important relegation 'six-pointer'. Tickets are available

FA Trophy Fourth Round

The FA Trophy is a knockout competition for clubs in the fifth to eighth tiers. We're now down to the last 32 and Wembley is starting to appear on the horizon

Boreham Wood v Maidstone United @3pm - the Wood may well have made it to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup but they're into the last 32 of the FA Trophy too. Given how well they're doing in the league, they're having a season to remember. The Stones play a level below but are challenging for the title and should bring a sizeable number of travelling supporters

Dagenham & Redbridge v Southend United @3pm - one of the ties of the round is this Essex derby between two former EFL clubs. The pair drew a big crowd for the league match at the end of October which the hosts won 3-0

Dartford v Weymouth @3pm - there's a chance of a cupset at Princes Park where one of the best sides in the National League South host one of the strugglers from the division above

FA Vase Fourth Round

The FA Vase is a knockout competition for clubs in the ninth and tenth tiers. Its final is also at Wembley and we're down to the last 32 too

Atheltic Newham v Littlehampton Town @3pm - the hosts are a very new club and only made their debut in the Vase last season. Therefore, getting to this stage of the competition is quite an achievement. In Littlehampton, they face one of the toughest teams they could have drawn as they're going for the Southern Combination title

Raynes Park Vale v Stansfeld @2pm - with clubs travelling considerable distances in some of the other ties, these two London clubs have done well to get drawn against each other. Hailing from parallel leagues on different sides of the capital, they won't get to play too often. RPV play a level above the visitors so should be favourites on paper

Southall v Clevedon Town @3pm - 1986 Vase finalists Southall are in the top three of the CCL North and enjoying a fine season. In contrast to Western League club Clevedon who aren't pulling up any trees and should be beaten

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Sunday 16 January

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal @430pm - the week ends with its biggest match. The North London Derby is one of the highlights of the English football calendar. Historically, the Gunners have dominated this relationship but things have become much closer in recent seasons. The fortunes of the two clubs in the five months since the season began have fluctuated wildly - Arsenal began badly while Spurs started well. Then Arsenal won the first derby of the season with ease and Tottenham became the crisis club. Antonio Conte's arrival has improved things greatly for the club from N17 but they were unconvincing in their most recent cup matches against Chelsea and Morecambe, but Arsenal lost to Nottingham Forest. At this stage, things are now about even. One other fact to note - Arsenal haven't won a league game at Spurs since 2014. Tickets are not available

West Ham United v Leeds United @2pm - for the second Sunday in a row, West Ham play host to Leeds. Over the weekend just gone, the Hammers beat Leeds 2-0 in the FA Cup in what was a pretty entertaining game. The Yorkshire club weren't at full strength so will hopefully put in a better showing here as they look to climb further away from the relegation zone. Tickets are available

FA Women's Super League

Arsenal v Reading @230pm - with Chelsea suffering a surprise defeat to Reading before Christmas, the league looked like it was going to be Arsenal's to lose. However, on Sunday the Gunners experienced an even bigger upset as they lost to bottom club Birmingham City. The Royals are the division's form team so it's not likely to get any easier here. Tickets are available

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United @645pm - in the late game we've got this derby to enjoy at The Hive. Spurs could  potentially go second if they win here which would be some achievement. Tickets are available

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 or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

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

TLFG: 3-9 January 2022

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to the first TLFG of 2022.

How were the festivities for you? Did you get to many games?

Just prior to Christmas, I was invited by a couple of friends to appear on their QPR podcast where we were joined by R's manager Mark Warburton.

He's very generous with his time and seems to come on three or four times a season - very approachable, he's always keen to field fans' questions and give his point of view.

I asked a couple of questions about U23 and youth players who might be coming through and was told by a friend to ask him what was on his Christmas list, so I obliged and he simply wanted 'a day off'.

Tickets are on sale now

On the eve of the R's match against title challengers Bournemouth on 27 December, a friend of mine went down with Covid and very generously donated his tickets to me.

I took my daughter and another young relative who lives near the stadium but had never been to a game.

There was a big crowd, lots of atmosphere, plenty of action and despite the Cherries winning 1-0, I think he enjoyed it.

Depending on whether I'm needed to do some Omicron-busting overtime, I hope to go to QPR's U23 match against Middlesbrough on Wednesday but I get the feeling I could be required if I don't go down with the virus myself before then.

For me, this week is all about the FA Cup Third Round with a few decent ties taking place in London.

Of the six on offer, there's only one all-Premier League contest and two others featuring non-league sides.

The beauty of seeing games at this stage at the big clubs is that tickets are cheap and in most cases, readily available.

For example, you'll get a ticket with ease for Tottenham v Morecambe, get to visit the magnificent THS and pay a fraction of the normal price.

You'll also have little trouble getting some for West Ham v Leeds but a little surprisingly, Chelsea v Chesterfield is sold out - fair play to Blues fans.

Right, it's rapidly approaching 3am and I need to get to bed!

Have a great week everyone - happy football watching.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the FA Cup, EFL Cup, National League, most of our local non-league competitions and Women's Super League too. 

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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, by day, 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 3 January

Isthmian League Premier Division

Carshalton Athletic v Worthing @3pm - the seventh tier Isthmian Premier tops the bill on Monday with the midtable Robins welcoming the increasingly impressive looking league leaders. Worthing are now nine points clear, although that gap could be cut by some of the chasing pack who have games in hand

Cray Wanderers v Enfield Town @3pm - fifth placed Enfield are currently London's main challengers in this division and wins in their two games in hand will put them second. Cray, London's oldest club, are having a disappointing season and are currently in the bottom three

Kingstonian v Lewes @3pm - the K's were top for a while and, although seventh, are still in touch with the leaders thanks to their three games in hand. Former fifth-tier club Lewes are having one of their best seasons of recent years and are third meaning this could be a bit of a cracker

Wingate & Finchley v East Thurrock United @3pm - at the less glamorous end of the table, two of the bottom five will fight it out for three valuable points as they look to make some progress in the right direction

Isthmian League North

Aveley v Romford @3pm - in third, the Millers are currently the main title challengers from TLFG's catchment area. Coming into this match, the Essex side are just three points behind leaders Stowmarket Town but have played more games and therefore simply must beat bottom club Romford to stay in the hunt

Isthmian League South Central

Chertsey Town v Sutton Common Rovers @3pm - boss Kevin McClaren appeared to be leading the Curfews towards a promotion challenge until an unfortunate incident during a game saw him relieved of his duties. Rather than fall apart, the Surrey club have continued to prosper and are now second under former Arsenal player Ian Selley. SCR are in the bottom five and should be beaten

Isthmian League South East

VCD Athletic v Hastings United @3pm - the Vickers recorded an impressive 3-0 win at title-chasing Cray Valley PM on Saturday to move back into the top eight. The result helped top club Hastings extend their lead to four points as they beat Lancing 1-0 in front of over 2,000 fans - not bad for an eighth-tier match!

CCL Premier South

Walton & Hersham v Redhill @3pm - the standout fixture in the ninth tier is the top-two clash in this division. The Swans are currently two points clear with a game in hand on Redhill but third place Jersey and Beckenham back in fifth have the games in hand to make this title race one of the most exciting around

SCEFL Division 1

Stansfeld v Sutton Athletic @3pm - over in Chiselhurst, the top two in this 10th-tier division meet for another mouthwatering contest. The hosts, who groundshare with Glebe, were top for a while and have only slipped to second through a lack of action - they haven't played since the 12 December. Sutton last played on Monday and took top spot after beating FC Elmstead 3-2 in their landlords v tenants groundshare derby

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Tuesday 4 January

EFL Trophy Third Round

Charlton Athletic v MK Dons @7pm - having seen a couple of games fall to Covid, the Addicks returned to league action on Saturday with a 1-0 loss at home to promotion contenders Wycombe. On Tuesday they get back into cup mode against another one of League One's better sides. The bookies have both clubs among the favourites to win this competition so it should be one of the best ties of the round. Most adult tickets for this game are just £5

Sutton United v Colchester United @745pm - the U's are new to this level, taking part in this competition for the first time and taking it pretty seriously. Currently third in League Two, they should see off Colchester who are battling to avoid the drop. Tickets are available

CCL Division 1

Rayners Lane v Hilltop @745pm - a mention should also go to this 10th-tier match between two Middlesex clubs. Hilltop, who are new to this level, have been one of the breakout success stories of the season so far. A side with their roots in the Somali community, they're currently top but only a point ahead of London Lions and third-placed Rayners Lane. With 138 goals from 39 games between them this season, two of the division's highest scorers should hopefully provide an entertaining contest

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Wednesday 5 January

EFL Cup Semi-Final First Leg

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur @745pm - the latter stages of this cup always seem to creep up on me unawares, presumably because they happen so early in the season. The organisers are guaranteed a big box-office final as four of the biggest teams in the country have made the semi-finals. With perennial winners Manchester City having long gone, we'll also get a new champion too. The first semi-final is this exciting looking derby between two of the capital's top clubs. With Chelsea, relatively speaking, in a bit of a funk at the moment, I fancy a rejuvenated Spurs to prevail over two legs as Antonio Conte looks to get the better of his former employers. Tickets are still available to members, season-ticket holders and their friends so work your contacts if you want to go

Premier League Cup

QPR v Middlesbrough @1pm - if you're at a loose end on Wednesday lunchtime, then get yourself over to Wealdstone's ground in Ruislip for this re-arranged U23 match. We're still at the group stage of this competition with these sides the top two in Group B. Tickets are usually £5 on the gate. 

CCL Division 1

London Lions v Enfield Borough @745pm - depending how things go on Tuesday at Tithe Farm, the hosts might have the chance to go top if they win this 10th tier north London derby 

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Thursday 6 January

EFL Cup Semi-Final First Leg

Arsenal v Liverpool @745pm - a few weeks ago, you'd probably think there could be only one winner here but with the Gunners improving greatly and almost taking a point off Manchester City on Saturday, it's much closer now. Liverpool are the most successful club in the history of the competition with eight wins and four runners-up spots. However, they haven't made the final since 2016 and their last win was 10 years ago. With this season's league title effectively claimed by City already, less fashionable cups like this suddenly become far more interesting so it really is anyone's. Tickets are only available to members and season-ticket holders MATCH OFF

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Friday 7 January

FA Women's Super League

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur @7pm - the WSL returns from its short winter break with this intriguing game at Kingsmeadow. As a result of a Covid outbreak, the Blues haven't played a league game since their surprise loss at Reading on 11 December which left them four points behind leaders Arsenal. Tottenham have made huge strides this season and are only a point behind in third. This match should give some indication of how much Spurs have closed the gap on the top two - whether they are genuine contenders or simply the best of the rest. Adult tickets are £9 MATCH OFF

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Saturday 8 January

FA Cup Third Round

If you're new to the game in England, Third Round weekend is one of the highlights of the season as all the surviving smaller clubs are given the opportunity to play the some of the giants of the land who enter the draw at this stage

Chelsea v Chesterfield @530pm - if any tie sums up what the FA Cup is all about, it's this one as the non-league Spireites travel to Stamford Bridge to play the reigning European champions. The Blues should win comfortably but they've been humbled in this competition before, losing 4-2 at home to League One side Bradford City in 2015. Chesterfield are currently top of the National League with only one defeat this season so they arrive in good form but surely they can't win here, can they? Unlike many games at this stage, tickets have sold out 

Millwall v Crystal Palace @1245pm - one of the ties of the round, this derby at The Den should be well worth a watch. With the clubs bobbing around the divisions in recent years, the two haven't played since 2013 which should add a bit to the occasion. Games between the two are often tight with six of the last 10 ending in a draw. Playing a division below Palace, the Lions will start as underdogs but in a cup scenario like this anything is possible. At the time of writing, some tickets were available to non-members but they could've gone by now

QPR v Rotherham United @3pm - probably the least interesting tie on paper but when you look a bit closer, the opportunity for a cupset is very good indeed. The R's are fifth in the Championship and playing some good football but their record in the FA Cup this century is pretty woeful with only one appearance in Fifth Round in 2019. The Millers play a level below them but are top of League One with only four defeats this season. Several lower league clubs have won at Loftus Road in recent years so there's no reason Rotherham can't either. Adult tickets are £15

Boreham Wood v AFC Wimbledon @3pm - the Wood have had a fine season, briefly topping the National League and they're still very much in contention. Next up they welcome the Dons to Meadow Park for a really interesting looking tie against the 1988 FA Cup winners. The Hertfordshire club have never made it beyond this round but their form and home advantage against a very average League One side could see them make history. Tickets are available for £15

National League

Bromley v Solihull Moors @3pm - away from the glamour and thrills of the FA Cup, the title race is also pretty exciting in the fifth tier where just five points separate the top seven clubs. All the teams have played a different amount of games so it could be even tighter when it all levels out. Bromley are currently seventh and playing a team just a couple of points behind. With only seven points from their last five games, the south London club could do with a win to keep up with the searing pace

National League South

Dartford v Dulwich Hamlet @3pm - a sizeable attendance should be expected at Princes Park as two of the top six go after the win that will revive their ailing fortunes. Dartford were top for a long time but their slump in form has finally caught up with them and they've sunk to fifth after going winless in three. The Hamlet were thriving, in front of sell-out crowds, and got into the play-off places but now only one win from five sees them just behind the Darts in sixth - it's too close to call

Isthmian League Premier Division

Enfield Town v Lewes @3pm - the standout game in the seventh tier pits two of the top five in the Isthmian Premier against each other. Both have a match before this so if results go their way, it could be third versus second. Lewes won the reverse fixture 4-1 so the Towners will be looking for revenge

Isthmian League North

Grays Athletic v Dereham Town @3pm - in the eighth tier, head east to Aveley's fine Parkside ground which Grays share with their Essex neighbours. At the time of writing these two are both in the top five and looking to make up ground on the top three before they get too far in front

Essex Senior League

Walthamstow v Cockfosters @3pm - there aren't any really big games in the ninth tier on Saturday so I'd recommend you go and check out the 'Stow in E17. With 60 points from 24 games, they're already 12 points clear and arguably the best side in London at this level. Head along to Wadham Lodge with the rest of the Rabble and make up your own mind

CCL Division 1

London Lions v Hilltop @3pm - it's the one we've all been waiting for in the 10th tier where the current top two in this division duel for the lead. Rayners Lane could mess this up if they beat Hilltop in midweek but whatever happens, it should be a good contest. We mentioned above how the visitors have roots in the Somali community, well the hosts are one of the capital's Jewish clubs - it should be a fascinating afternoon

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Sunday 9 January

FA Cup Third Round

West Ham United v Leeds United @2pm - the only all-Premier League tie of the round in London this weekend takes place at London Stadium. The Hammers enjoyed a fine away win at Crystal Palace on Saturday to stay in the top five. Leeds also picked up a priceless win over fellow strugglers Burnley to move eight points clear of the relegation zone. On paper, therefore, this should suggest a home win but much will come down to who wants it more and plays the strongest team. Both have bigger priorities in the league so could drop a few first-teamers. West Ham won at Elland Road earlier in the season and are unbeaten in five against the Yorkshire club. Tickets are available for between £10-30

Tottenham Hotspur v Morecambe @2pm - another tie for cup romantics sees a club from a small Lancashire seaside town head to the big smoke for what could be the match of some of these players' careers. The Shrimps won promotion to League One last season but are finding it tough going in the third tier. They found themselves in the relegation zone on Sunday morning but by teatime had pulled off one of the comebacks of the season in the huge 'six-pointer' against Doncaster, coming back from 3-0 down at half-time to win 4-3. With that huge boost to morale, they head to the hugely impressive THS to try and pull off another shock. Tickets are available at a much-reduced rate

Charlton Athletic v Norwich City @2pm - if you're looking for a more realistic chance of a cupset then it might come at The Valley where a very poor Norwich side could come unstuck against the Addicks. Although two divisions separate the sides, the Canaries are shipping loads of goals at the moment and prop up the Premier League. However, they're only three points adrift of safety so you'd think a cup run could prove to be a distraction and they might rest players. Tickets are available

FA Women's Super League

West Ham United v Manchester United @645pm - there's also a large selection of women's games on Sunday with this WSL game topping the bill. The Hammers started the season brightly but have faded a little recently and are back in seventh. The visitors are currently fourth and could break into the top three if they win and Spurs fail to take three points at Chelsea on Friday. The match is being played at Dagenham & Redbridge and the late kick-off means you can easily combine it with the men's game earlier in the afternoon. Tickets are available MATCH OFF

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