Welcome one and all to this week's TLFG.
I'm pleased to say it's a bit fuller than last week with match maps and previews up until Friday.
Once again, I've failed to get to a match despite having a whole weekend off.
Chores, family commitments and badly behaved children have seen me miss out this time - I even had media accreditation for Fulham v Actonians on Sunday afternoon which I had to pass up but it looked like a pretty dismal afternoon for the A's so I'm kind of glad I didn't go to their 3-0 defeat.
The end of last week saw the first of some big meetings ahead of Non-League Day (NLD) which takes place on 22 March.
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| The top two in the Essex Senior League meet on Wednesday |
We caught up with our charity partners at Prostate Cancer UK and had a chat with some of the team at the FA for the first time in several years which was very encouraging.
Monday sees a chat with corporate partners South Western Railway and there are also meetings scheduled with the Premier League and hopefully NHS Blood and Transplant at some point.
I'm on late shifts this week so I won't be seeing any live football this week either but I hope you will instead.
THE WEEK AHEAD
This week's highlights include games in the Champions League, Premier League, EFL, National League, Women's Super League, Women's League Cup 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 20 January
Premier League
Chelsea v Wolverhampton Wanderers @8pm - the week begins with a game which will have an impact on both ends of the table. The Blues were being talked about as title contenders at the start of last month but they haven't won a league game since beating Brentford on 15 December. Now winless in five, they've dropped to sixth but will break back into the top four with a win here. Wolves enjoyed a new manager bounce following the appointment of Vitor Pereira but it only lasted three games. They arrive at Stamford Bridge having lost their last two and only above the relegation zone on goal difference. They actually managed to win 4-2 here last season but got walloped 6-2 at Molineux in the reverse fixture in August. General tickets have sold out but hospitality packages are available from £250
Premier League 2
Crystal Palace v Wolverhampton Wanderers @7pm - if you're a Wolves fan in exile who can't get to Chelsea for whatever reason and you don't want to watch it on TV, then you've got the option of watching the U21s instead. Both these sides are pottering around in midtable so I'd expect an evenly matched game. It's being played at Sutton United and adult tickets are £5
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Tuesday 21 January
Championship
Millwall v Cardiff City @745pm - the Lions appointed new boss Alex Neil at the end of December and he's still searching for his first league win after losing at home to Hull on Saturday. Now only four points above the relegation zone, they really need a victory. Although below them in the table, the Bluebirds will head to London with renewed confidence. After their dreadful start to the season, they're now unbeaten in five and comfortably beat arch rivals Swansea on Saturday. Tickets
Watford v Preston North End @745pm - the Hornets picked up their first league win in five matches at Derby on Saturday to move level on points with sixth-placed West Brom. Still firmly in touch with the leading pack despite their recent dodgy run, they'll hope to keep the pressure on by beating PNE. The Lancashire club are in the bottom half and haven't won at Vicarage Road since 2005. Tickets
EFL Trophy
Leyton Orient v Stevenage @7pm - the O's superb winning run in League One came to a disappointing end at London Road on Saturday where they could only draw 0-0 with struggling Peterborough United. Their attention now turns to the visit of Stevenage who are in the same division but in poor form. The winners will host Birmingham City in the quarter-finals. Tickets are £10
National League Cup
Dagenham & Redbridge v West Ham United U21 @745pm - there are three matches in this competition in London on Tuesday but this derby is definitely the pick of them. Third and second respectively in this eight-team group, the non-league Daggers will be keen to get one over their top-flight neighbours. I was lucky enough to receive an invite to this from the Premier League but I'm working late so won't be able to go. Tickets are £10
National League South
Boreham Wood v Hampton & Richmond Borough @745pm - with leaders Torquay only drawing with St Albans on Saturday, the Wood managed to capitalise by winning 1-0 at Welling United. Now only two points behind, they'll go top if they win here and Torquay fail to win against Slough. Another one of our local sides, H&RB are having a decent spell at the moment, with their weekend win over Tonbridge lifting them into the top 10. Tickets
Isthmian League Premier
Hashtag United v Bognor Regis Town @745pm - the Tags picked up an impressive 2-1 win over Dover Athletic on Saturday which saw the Kent club knocked off top spot. With four wins from their last five, the hosts are hitting some serious form and will move into the top six if they avoid defeat here. Bognor are bottom and have conceded 11 over their last three games. It will take some doing for them to get anything here. Tickets are £12 on the gate
Southern League Division 1 Central
Hadley v Thame United @745pm - the Bricks have had a great season. Not only are they in contention for promotion, they also set a club record by making it to the Third Round of the FA Trophy before narrowly losing to Oxford City. Currently occupying the final play-off place, they'll be looking to see off the challenge of Thame who sit just below them in the table. Tickets are £10 on the gate
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Wednesday 22 January
UEFA Champions League
Arsenal v Dinamo Zagreb @8pm - although sitting third coming into this, the Gunners' position among the top eight teams who go through automatically is precarious. The table is ridiculously tight with only three points separating the teams between third and nineteenth. The Croatian visitors sit one point and one place above the elimination zone so they should be beaten but they should also be determined to try and get something. Tickets are only available to members
Essex Senior League
Woodford Town v Stanway Rovers @745pm - the pick of the night's non-league action is to be found in north-east London. A short stroll from Woodford station will bring you to Ashton's where the top two in this ninth tier division will do battle for supremacy. The hosts are currently two points behind but have a game in hand - it's a huge game! Tickets are £7 on the gate
Women's League Cup Quarter-Finals
Chelsea v Durham @645pm - the Blues have dominated women's football in this country in recent years but if they have an Achilles heel it's this competition. Although they've made the last five finals, they've lost the last three. A place in the semi-finals looks almost certain as they've been paired with the only non-Super League side left in the draw and they've got them at Kingsmeadow too. The visitors, as an independent women's club, are a bit of an inspiration as they challenge for the Championship title but they'll have to do something approaching miraculous to win here. Tickets
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United @745pm - whoever wins the tie above will host the winners of this in the semis. Spurs are six points and four places ahead of the Hammers and come into this on a decent run of form. Neither side have made the final before and given that they're likely to face Chelsea in the next round, I can't see that changing. This is being played at Leyton Orient and tickets are available
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Thursday 23 January
Suburban League Shield
Abbey Rangers v Eversley & California @745pm - all I can find for you on Thursday is this U23 game in Surrey. The hosts play a level above E&C so should start as favourites
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Friday 24 January
Premier League 2 and Premier League International Cup
Three U21 games top the bill on Friday night in London with Arsenal hosting Nottingham Forest at Boreham Wood, Chelsea entertaining Southampton at Kingsmeadow and Fulham welcoming Danish club Nordsjaelland to Motspur Park. All games kick off at 7pm and shouldn't cost more than £5 - Arsenal is normally free
ECL Division 1 South
Cannons Wood v Dunmow Town @745pm - the best non-league option is this 10th-tier game at Aveley's ground on the far east side of town. Of the clubs playing in TLFG's catchment area, they're the top one in this division. Fifth, at the time of writing, they need to keep winning as the three sides below them all have their eyes on their play-off spot and have games in hand. Dunmow are ninth. Tickets are £7 on the gate
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Saturday 25 January
Championship
QPR v Sheffield Wednesday @3pm - unusually for a regular Saturday, there are no Premier League games in London so this second-tier game at Loftus Road tops the bill. The R's are in fantastic form with only leaders Leeds having better results over the last 10 games. The Owls are on level points with the hosts but all is not well at Hillsborough with a recent fans' forum reportedly lasting almost seven hours. Manager Danny Rohl is one of the highest-rated bosses in the division but with only one win in six, it's not going well. Tickets
League One
Charlton Athletic v Shrewsbury Town @3pm - both of London's third-tier clubs are also cooking with gas at the moment. The Addicks are second in the form table and only four points adrift of the play-offs. The Shrews are down in the relegation zone but have improved a lot following the appointment of Gareth Ainsworth as manager. The south-east Londoners are unbeaten in six against Shrewsbury and won the reverse fixture 1-0 in September. A home win looks the most likely outcome but a draw isn't beyond the realms of possibility. Tickets
Leyton Orient v Reading @3pm - it's going even better for the O's who are unbeaten in nine games and top of the form table. They're a point ahead of Charlton and three behind the visitors. A win for either will see them move into the play-off spots if Stockport slip up against Crawley Town. Games between the two have been fairly rare this century but it's Orient who are unbeaten in five - their last defeat to the Royals came way back in 1999. Tickets
National League
Dagenham & Redbridge v Southend United @3pm - my game of the day in the fifth tier takes place at Victoria Road. After a midweek win over West Ham's U21s, the Daggers will look to get the better of another local rival here. Southend play a few miles to the east so, although outside London, this is a derby in my books. Although both sides will probably finish in midtable, the last game between them produced an entertaining 2-2 draw so hopefully we'll get more of the same. Tickets
National League South
Boreham Wood v Chippenham Town @3pm - another local side in superb form, the Wood went top on Tuesday as they beat Hampton & Richmond whilst Torquay dropped points at Slough. The visiting Bluebirds are pottering along in midtable. It was close last time they played with the Hertfordshire club edging to a 1-0 win in October. Tickets
Isthmian League Premier
Dartford v Billericay Town @3pm - the title race in this seventh-tier division is really hotting up with only four points separating the top five. The Darts are fourth and Billericay are top so this has the potential to be a real humdinger. Things weren't even close earlier in the season as the Essex club romped to a 4-0 win so the hosts will no doubt want to make up for that. Tickets
Isthmian League South Central
Hanworth Villa v Farnham Town @3pm - the visitors have been top of this division for some time but they haven't got things sewn up just yet. Six points clear of second placed Kingstonian, they can still be caught if they draw the odd game. It's been four matches since that last happened. Hanworth are a top-six side themselves and beat Ascot, the last team to take a point off Farnham, in their last outing. It will be really interesting to see how this turns out. Tickets are £11 on the gate
SCEFL Premier Division
VCD Athletic v Faversham Town @3pm - the Vickers topped this league for most of the season but lost top spot a few weeks ago. Kent club Faversham replaced them and fellow Londoners Fisher have also got involved in the title race. VCD are now eight points behind the Lilywhites but have a game in hand. Only one team goes up automatically from this division, so if they want to get top spot back then they can't afford to lose this game. Tickets will be available on the gate - I'm not certain of prices but it shouldn't be more than £10
SCEFL Division 1
Forest Hill Park v Canterbury City @3pm - we've got a top-two clash at the Ladywell Arena where the hosts will look to draw level with the leaders in this 10th-tier division. Overall, it's looking pretty rosy for FHP as they've got four games in hand on Canterbury so you feel it's only a matter of time before they do reach the summit. Again I'm unsure of prices but it will be under £10
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Sunday 26 January
Premier League
Crystal Palace v Brentford @2pm - with 11 points from their last five games, the Eagles are one of the most improved sides in the division. They're now as close to the top five as they are the relegation zone so any fears of going down would seem to be over. The Bees are a point ahead but with only one win in seven, they're not in the greatest shape. Since Brentford joined the Premier League in 2021, five of the seven games between these two have ended in draws and it could well be close again. Tickets are only available to members
Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City @2pm - Spurs are in some trouble with their recent displays plunging them into the bottom six. On Sunday they welcome the Foxes who are in even worse form. Ruud van Nistelrooy's side are 19th so if Tottenham lose here then the alarm bells will really start ringing. When they played in August it ended 1-1. Tickets are only available to members. Hospitality packages are available from £249
Fulham v Manchester United @7pm - the week ends with this unusually timed fixture at Craven Cottage. Up in 10th, the hosts are having a fine season so much so that they're way above United who are seven points behind them. With only one win in 20 against the Red Devils their record against them is really poor but you feel they'll rarely get a better opportunity to improve that. The last few tickets are available from £70
Isthmian League South Central
Ashford Town (Middlesex) v Horndean @3pm - there's a bonus non-league game thanks to Ashford's groundshare at Cobham. Given their off-field problems which have seen a large drop in income, the Tangerines are doing really well to remain competitive as they fight relegation. They thrashed fellow strugglers Guernsey 5-0 in their last match to really raise spirits. The visitors, from Hampshire, are in poor form and could well be beaten. Tickets are £10 on the gate
Women's Super League
Chelsea v Arsenal @1230pm - the match of the week in the women's game sees the top two meet at Stamford Bridge. There are posters all over London advertising this fixture as the Blues try to emulate the Gunners in generating a sell-out crowd for one of their games. The hosts are favourites coming into the match - they're the reigning champions and are seven points clear at the top. The Gunners dropped most of their points in the early part of the season when Jonas Eidevall was still in charge but his time is now up. Replaced by Renee Slegers, one of his own coaching team, she's turned things round in a big way so it will be really interesting to see how she fares against this highly talented Chelsea side. Lose and the title race will be effectively over. Tickets
Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur @2pm - the hosts are new to the WSL but struggling. Bottom after 11 games, it's been tough. However, all is not lost. Only a point adrift of safety, they've been receiving good reviews from many who cite the main reason for defeat as a lack of top-level fitness. Spurs are a midtable team who have probably disappointed many this season. After a good campaign last year which saw them make the FA Cup Final for the first time, they've failed to push on. On Wednesday they took the lead but bowed out of the League Cup at home to West Ham. Robert Vilahamn's side should have enough to win here but they're also just the sort of side which could come a cropper. This is being played at Sutton United. Tickets
West Ham United v Everton @3pm - as mentioned above, the Hammers come into this on the back of a slightly unexpected win at Spurs which put them in the League Cup semi-finals. Rehanne Skinner's side struggled last year and are in the bottom three again but there's been a bit more about them in recent weeks. The Toffees sit just above them but they've been busy in the transfer market during this month and have brought in a number of players as they look to shore up their place in the top flight. This is being played at Dagenham & Redbridge. Tickets
Women's Championship
Charlton Athletic v Sheffield United @2pm - a bad run at the end of 2024 saw the Addicks slip from top to midtable. Still only five points behind leaders Birmingham they do have a chance but they can't afford many more slip ups. The Blades are having a season to forget and start this just one place off the bottom. This is being played at The Valley. Tickets
FAWNL Cup Semi-Final
Hashtag United v Nottingham Forest @3pm - there's a mouthwatering game to look forward to at Aveley's ground where the Tags are 90 minutes away from making it to the final for the second year running. Last season they beat Newcastle United at Luton Town's ground to win the cup for the first time. Standing in their way are Forest who currently top the northern division of the third tier. Hashtag are top of the southern division so it should be a great contest. Tickets will be available on the gate for £5
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?
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