Greetings one and all and welcome to TLFG's coverage of week four of pre-season.
I say pre-season but for some non-league sides, the real action gets underway at the end of the week.
A couple of matches in the Eastern Counties League kick things off on Friday night before teams in the Essex Senior League, Southern Counties East League and Spartan South Midlands League join them on Saturday.
Sadly I didn't get to any matches this week but I did renew my Actonians season-ticket for the princely sum of £40 - I even got a mug thrown in for being one of the first. If you're quick, you might get one too!
It was also finally announced this week that the A's most successful manager Danny Harrigan had become manager of arch rivals QPR - not a huge surprise as he's a massive R's fan and was already an academy coach at the club.
Good luck to him but leave our players alone please!
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| Arsenal will play the German champions on 7 August - tickets |
For the last few years I've done a number of A-Z running challenges to keep things interesting.
Initially I went round the world via the embassies of London and for the last year or so I've been doing Tube stations.
I began with Acton Town and worked my way through until I got stuck on U with the very few options a long way from Shepherds Bush.
On Thursday, with the help of TLFG reader Liam, I finally got the energy to have a go at running to Uxbridge.
It was hot and hard work as we ran from one end of Uxbridge Road to the other, clocking up 20km in the process.
Today I picked off the far easier Victoria and now I just have to get a W to complete the challenge as there are no X, Y or Z.
Once that's out of the way, I plan to start on London football clubs so watch this space as I might be coming to yours soon.
I've had some nice messages from several readers in Germany this week so I hope you get to see some great matches in the next few days.
If you've got any comments or queries, ask away - contact details are at the bottom of the page.
Have a great week.
THE WEEK AHEAD
This week things really get going with a number of pro sides playing friendlies but also quite a few non-league teams actually starting their seasons.
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 22 July
Friendlies
Carshalton Athletic v Merstham @745pm - the pick of the action on Monday night would appear to be this game in south London. The hosts finished 11th in the seventh tier Isthmian Premier last season so should start as favourites against a midtable side from the division below. Tickets are £5 in advance or £6 on the gate - women and girls go free
West Essex v Redbridge @745pm - in north-east London there's a bit of derby at Wadham Lodge. The two sides finished 13th in their respective divisions last season. The visitors play a level above West Essex in the eighth tier so you'd expect them to shade things
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Tuesday 23 July
Friendlies
Wealdstone v Crawley Town @730pm - after losing 2-1 to League Two side Notts County last week, the Stones next face opposition from the third tier. The Sussex club head to Grosvenor Vale with a 100% record in their warm-up games although National League club Wealdstone will be their highest-ranked opponents yet. Tickets are £10
Boreham Wood v Brentford U21 @730pm - after losses to squads from Watford and Arsenal, the Wood picked up a 2-1 win at Billericay Town on Saturday. Their preparations for life in the National League South continue here with a match against a young Bees squad. Tickets are £14
Cray Wanderers v Millwall U21 @745pm - London's oldest club continue to bed in their new stadium with this match against another side from the south-east of the capital. Cray beat a squad from near neighbours Bromley 4-2 on Saturday whilst the young Lions lost 3-2 at Wealdstone. Tickets are £10
Dartford v Gillingham @730pm - the Darts' pre-season often features a visit from the Gills and this year is no exception. Last season, the League Two side left Princes Park with a 5-0 win. Since then the hosts have suffered relegation to the seventh tier so they'll do well to get a better result against their professional opponents. Tickets
Erith Town v Bromley U21 @745pm - the Dockers already have seven pre-season games under their belts as they prepare to welcome a young Ravens side to their home in Thamesmead. With five wins, a draw and a defeat, they're looking pretty good as they prepare for life in the Isthmian League
Walthamstow v Leyton Orient U21 @745pm - the Stow finished one place outside the Isthmian North play-offs last season and will no doubt want to go one better this time. On Saturday they beat West Essex 1-0 to claim the spoils in the Wadham Lodge groundshare derby
A bit further afield
If you're prepared to travel beyond the M25 then a few other matches have caught my eye. Championship side Coventry City, who made it to the FA Cup semi-finals last season, travel down to Hertfordshire to play Stevenage. To the south-west of London, Aldershot Town also welcome second-tier opposition in the form of Bristol City whilst Woking welcome crisis club Reading to Kingfield
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Wednesday 24 July
Friendlies
Sutton Common Rovers v AFC Croydon Athletic @745pm - with the Rams enjoying promotion to the eighth tier at the end of last season, these two local rivals will both be in the Isthmian League although in different regional divisions. The visitors are a club to watch following investment from musician Stormzy and Crystal Palace legend Wilfried Zaha. Will they make it two promotions in a row?
Spartans Youth v Barnet U19 @6pm - if you need an early kick-off then head to Carville Hall Park North which lies in the shadow of Brentford's G-Tech Stadium. The hosts play in the 10th tier Combined Counties League Division 1
Women's friendly
Barking v Clapton CFC @8pm - on the east side of town there's a derby at Mayesbrook Park. The hosts play in the fifth tier and the visitors the sixth. Despite their lowly ranking, CCFC are one of the best supported sides at that level
A bit further afield
The best options on Wednesday, depending on your tastes, would appear to be outside London. National League side Maidenhead United welcome a development squad from West Ham United whilst over in Essex, League Two club MK Dons pay a visit to Chelmsford City
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Thursday 25 July
Friendlies
Rayners Lane v Harefield United @745pm - the hosts spent a small fortune to scrape out of the ninth tier Combined Counties League via the play-offs but they made it and now find themselves in the Isthmian League South Central. Harefield were in the division they've just got out of so should be beaten
Brook House v Hoddesdon Town @745pm - on the same side of town, a couple of 10th-tier teams also do battle. Neither side really troubled the scorers in their respective divisions last season so both will hope for improvement
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Friday 26 July
Friendlies
Cray Wanderers v Crystal Palace U21 @745pm - after playing Millwall on Tuesday, the hosts welcome a squad from another one of the south London big boys to Flamingo Park. Tickets are £10
Colliers Wood United v AFC Wimbledon XI @730pm - the hosts welcome a young squad from their near neighbours. Given six divisions separate the clubs at first-team level, the visitors will only bring an academy side
ECL Division 1 South
Cannons Wood v Basildon Town @745pm - it seems hard to believe but our first competitive matches of the new season are starting on Friday night. The hosts, who play at Aveley, finished seventh in this 10th-tier division last season and missed a play-off spot by just five points. The visitors finished 12th and were nowhere near promotion or relegation, a considerable drop-off from the runners-up spot of the season before
NW London v Barkingside @745pm - after a season groundsharing outside the capital, it's great to have NW London back at Haringey Borough for the new campaign. Last season was disappointing with relegation missed by only five points so improvement is definitely required. The 'Side were little better, finishing above them on goal difference
A bit further afield
To the north-east of London in Essex, National League club Braintree Town welcome League One side Cambridge United to Cressing Road - tickets are £10
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Saturday 27 July
Friendlies
AFC Wimbledon v Charlton Athletic @3pm - after losing 5-2 at home to Brentford on Saturday, the Dons will hope for a more positive afternoon against the Addicks in another derby at Plough Lane. Tickets are £10
Dagenham & Redbridge v Tottenham Hotspur U21 @3pm - after only losing 1-0 to a strong West Ham side on Saturday, the Daggers should fancy their chances of beating a youthful squad from White Hart Lane. Tickets start at £13
Wealdstone v MK Dons @3pm - the visitors become the third EFL side to visit Grosvenor Vale in July and the second from League Two. MK Dons made it to the play-offs last season but lost to Crawley, who played here on Tuesday, and start as one of the favourites for the title this season. Tickets are £10
Aveley v Colchester United U21 @3pm - last season was the Millers' first in the National League South and they impressively made it to the play-offs before losing to FA Cup giantkillers Maidstone United. Tickets are £13
Boreham Wood v Chelsea U21 @3pm - after games against Watford, Arsenal and Brentford, the hosts' final home friendly sees them take on the Blues. With Chelsea's first team on tour in the USA, don't expect to see any of the big names on show. Tickets are £14
Kingstonian v Bromley U21 @3pm - the K's have led a nomadic existence since leaving Kingsmeadow in 2017 and this will be the first game they host following their move to a new groundshare with Raynes Park Vale. Although suffering relegation to the eighth tier at the end of last season, hopes are high that they should be more competitive in 2024/25
Supporters Direct Shield
Enfield Town v Hendon @1pm - there's a fine looking double-header at Donkey Lane between three of the capital's fan-owned clubs. First up, the sixth-tier Towners take on the Greens from the division below in a men's game before ETFC's women's side entertain Clapton CFC at 4pm. Tickets for this feast of football are just £8
Essex Senior League
Romford v Stanway Rovers @3pm - the hosts had a season to savour last year finishing third in the league and winning the FA Vase at Wembley. Sadly that third place finish couldn't be converted into promotion as they lost in the play-offs. Surely among the favourites for the title this time, a solid Stanway side who finished seventh should provide a good test on the opening day. Also, after a spell at Rookery Hill last season, Romford are back groundsharing with Barking
West Essex v Great Wakering Rovers @3pm - another side to keep an eye on are GWR who lost to Romford in the FA Vase final and finished sixth, in part because their big fixture backlog caught up with them in the closing weeks of the season. I seem to remember West Essex were among the frontrunners for a while but they eventually fell away and finished in midtable
SCEFL Premier
Fisher v Punjab United @3pm - there are three games in this division in London on Saturday and it's really hard to pick between them. I've gone for this purely because the Fish are the most centrally located and have a ground with a famous backdrop which is great for photos. The hosts finished in midtable last season some 31 points shy of the play-offs so they'll be hoping for considerably better this time. Tickets are £8 on the gate
SSML Premier
Cockfosters v Kempston Rovers @3pm - if you've never been to the northern end of the Piccadilly Line and always wondered what was there, then now's your chance to find out. The football club play a stone's throw from the station and they welcome a side looking to bounce back from relegation from the Southern League
ECL Division 1 South
AS London v Dunmow Town @3pm - history is set to be made on White Hart Lane on Saturday afternoon when the hosts play the first competitive match under their new name. Formerly known as Park View, the club finished in the bottom three last season and begin with a tough game against a side who made the play-offs. They've had some decent results in pre-season so who knows what this new era heralds
A bit further afield
Outside the M25, Premier League new boys Ipswich Town welcome German club Fortuna Dusseldorf to Portman Road. Crystal Palace make the short journey south into Sussex to play Crawley Town whilst QPR head down the M4 to play old rivals Reading in the battle for hooped supremacy. Colchester United entertain Peterborough United whilst fellow EFL clubs Cambridge United, Gillingham and Northampton Town are all on the road at non-league clubs too - check the match map for details
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Sunday 28 July
Women's friendlies
Actonians v Southampton WFC @2pm - this match tops the bill on Sunday. Being played at Rectory Park in Northolt, it features two fourth-tier clubs. The Sirens are the original women's team from the Hampshire city and are not affiliated to the men's club. They had a tough season last year and narrowly avoided relegation whilst the A's finished sixth in their parallel division. Admission to Actonians friendlies is usually free
London Bees v Haringey Borough @2pm - the hosts recorded an impressive 2-2 draw against third tier AFC Wimbledon on Sunday. In this match they face one of the best teams in the fifth tier. I saw them play Actonians in March and was really impressed.
Brentford v Dulwich Hamlet @3pm - despite having access to probably more resources than the rest of the division put together, the Bees contrived to finish second in their sixth-tier division last season and miss out on promotion. Little is being left to chance this season with considerable sums being payed to players to drop down the divisions to play for them. Dulwich are beginning life in the fourth tier after winning promotion and thrashed AFC Whyteleafe, from Brentford's division, 10-0 on Sunday. With big crowds backing them at Champion Hill, it will be very interesting to see how they get on this year. This match is being played at Bedfont Sports near Heathrow
Somali British Champions League Final
Wembley Rangers v OIR FC @430pm - back in the men's game, this match is taking place at Haringey Borough. After seeing footage of previous finals, these games can generate a decent atmosphere and some amazing goals. Tickets are £5
A bit further afield
Eastleigh v Swindon Town @1pm - last Friday, the Spitfires drew a bumper crowd for the visit of local Premier League side Southampton who promptly routed them 7-1. On Sunday they welcome League Two opposition for another challenging game. Tickets are £10
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!
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