The Conference Premier concluded yesterday (why so early I'm not quite sure) and saw Mansfield Town return to the promised land of the Football League. Dartford, the only club we cover, came a very creditable eighth following promotion from the Conference South so well done to them.
Congratulations also to Step 6/Level 10 clubs London Lions, Phoenix Sports and Rayners Lane who all clinched league/divisional titles this week, very well done!
Next weekend sees the end of the season for League One, League Two, the Conference South, Isthmian League and Southern League.
Aside from the Southern League, our local sides still have plenty to play for in all of the above and it's them I've largely concentrated on in this week's TLFG Top 10.
Also, you may have noticed that I've added a poll towards the top right of the page as I look to make this blog a little more interactive so give it a go.
I didn't make it to any games this week but with my monthly long weekend coming up I hope to make it somewhere.
Right that's enough from me, let me know what you've been up to. Also keep the correspondence coming, I enjoy answering your questions and offering advice if I can.
You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook or Twitter.
LATEST TICKET NEWS
Each week at TLFG we attempt to compile a list of what's on general sale to non-members at London's Premier League clubs and for other notable matches (click on the team name for details).
Wednesday 29 May, 8pm - Republic of Ireland, international friendly, Wembley
FA VASE FINAL
Saturday 4 May, 3pm - Spennymoor Town v Tunbridge Wells, Wembley
UEFA WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
Thursday 23 May, 730pm - Wolfsburg v Lyon, Stamford Bridge
ARSENAL
FA VASE FINAL
Saturday 4 May, 3pm - Spennymoor Town v Tunbridge Wells, Wembley
UEFA WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
Thursday 23 May, 730pm - Wolfsburg v Lyon, Stamford Bridge
ARSENAL
Monday 22 April, 7pm - Tottenham Hotspur, U21 Premier League, Underhill (FREE)
FULHAM
Friday 26 April, 7pm - Sunderland, U21 Premier League
Friday 26 April, 7pm - Sunderland, U21 Premier League
Saturday 4 May, 3pm - Reading, Premier League
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Saturday 4 May, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League
Sunday 19 May, 4pm - Sunderland, Premier League
Saturday 4 May, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League
Sunday 19 May, 4pm - Sunderland, Premier League
Saturday 4 May, 3pm - Newcastle United, Premier League
Sunday 19 May, 4pm - Reading, Premier League
SOLD OUT MATCHES
OTHER TICKETS
Sunday 19 May, 4pm - Reading, Premier League
SOLD OUT MATCHES
The teams listed above also have several games coming up which have sold out. The following have tickets available through the viagogo website (click on the banner below):
Chelsea v Swansea City (27 April, 3pm)
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur (8 May, 745pm)
CHEAP TICKETS
It is also well worth checking the viagogo site for cheap tickets as season-ticket holders often offload tickets for well below face value for the not so popular matches - for example you can get a ticket to watch QPR v Newcastle United on Sunday 12 May for £30 (face value £45). Some of Chelsea's games are available at less than half price.
OTHER TICKETS
Another great source of tickets for football, stadium tours and other sports and events in London are Ticketmaster. They always sell tickets at face value plus a booking fee.
Outside the Premier League, Millwall have reduced prices for their upcoming Championship game against Blackburn Rovers (23 April). It's now just £15 for adults and £10 for U16s. Tickets for their derby against Crystal Palace on Tuesday 30 April at 745pm are also on general sale at normal prices but the match is all ticket so must be bought in advance.
Watching some of the capital's top youth sides in action often provides excellent value for money.
This week sees the north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Underhill Stadium (Barnet's home until Saturday). It takes place on Monday 22 April at 7pm and ENTRY IS FREE.
You can also spend Friday night beside the Thames at Craven Cottage enjoying Fulham's U21 side entertain Sunderland. The action starts at 7pm and costs £3 for adults, £1 everyone else.
Alternatively if you're nearer the east side of town on Friday then you might find West Ham United v Liverpool a more attractive option. It also kicks off at 7pm and you can get into Upton Park for similarly low prices.
UPDATE (25/4/13): Elsewhere in north London, Wingate & Finchley are offering FREE ENTRY to local residents for their crucial final match of the season against Cray Wanderers. So if you live in the N12 part of London and are around on Saturday at 3pm, get yourself down there with proof of residency.
If you're aware of any deals taking place at clubs near you please let me know so I can help to promote them.
Over the next week there are well over 100 matches taking place in the London area so there's plenty to choose from. We've got London derbies, title deciders and relegation 'six-pointers'.
Details on all of them can be found in 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 left side of the map page to make sure you get all the information.
Watching some of the capital's top youth sides in action often provides excellent value for money.
This week sees the north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Underhill Stadium (Barnet's home until Saturday). It takes place on Monday 22 April at 7pm and ENTRY IS FREE.
You can also spend Friday night beside the Thames at Craven Cottage enjoying Fulham's U21 side entertain Sunderland. The action starts at 7pm and costs £3 for adults, £1 everyone else.
Alternatively if you're nearer the east side of town on Friday then you might find West Ham United v Liverpool a more attractive option. It also kicks off at 7pm and you can get into Upton Park for similarly low prices.
UPDATE (25/4/13): Elsewhere in north London, Wingate & Finchley are offering FREE ENTRY to local residents for their crucial final match of the season against Cray Wanderers. So if you live in the N12 part of London and are around on Saturday at 3pm, get yourself down there with proof of residency.
If you're aware of any deals taking place at clubs near you please let me know so I can help to promote them.
Over the next week there are well over 100 matches taking place in the London area so there's plenty to choose from. We've got London derbies, title deciders and relegation 'six-pointers'.
Details on all of them can be found in 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 left side of the map page to make sure you get all the information.
MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Turquoise pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Red pin - Sunday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Red pin - Sunday fixtures
Sometimes games get postponed so, as always, check with clubs before you travel. If games do get called off, they can sometimes be rearranged for later the same week or the week after so extra matches may get added. Please let me know if any of the details are wrong or missing.
Next up is this week's TLFG match recommendations where I list a few games which I think could be worth a watch. Add your own in the comments section below.
TLFG TOP 10
1. Arsenal v Manchester United - always one of the biggest games of the season as two of the biggest clubs in the country do battle. Go back 10 years and these were THE two clubs in the country but the Gunners have slipped back somewhat since then and are trophyless since 2005. Despite this they are still in the Premier League's top three and are in better form than United. The visitors should start as fairly healthy favourites though, as Arsenal have only beaten them once in their last 11 meetings. (Premier League, 28 April, 4pm. Ticket info)
2. Chelsea v Swansea City - it's credit to Swans boss Michael Laudrup that this match makes the top 10. A superb debut season as a manager in this competition has seen the Dane take Swansea to the brink of a top eight finish and of course that League Cup win. On their way there they beat Chelsea over two legs in the semi-final and also drew with them at the Liberty Stadium in the league. All in all this is a difficult fixture for the Blues and it is one they really have to win to keep up with the pace for a top four finish. The pressure will be wholly on Rafa Benitez's side and it could take its toll. (Premier League, 28 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
3. Brentford v Doncaster Rovers - the League One season comes to an end on Saturday and in this game it doesn't get much bigger. Only two teams go up automatically with these two currently third and second respectively, two points apart. In essence it's winner takes all at Griffin Park with a place in the Championship the prize at stake. Doncaster are used to playing at that level but Brentford haven't been there for 20 years so it will be huge for the west London club if they make it up. (League One, 27 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
4. AFC Wimbledon v Fleetwood Town - it's also the final day in League Two and sadly with one game to go all three London clubs find themselves in the bottom four. AFC Wimbledon and Barnet have been down there all season but now Dagenham & Redbridge have been dragged into the dogfight too. To clarify, the bottom two go down and seven teams are currently in the mire. Of the London clubs, AFC Wimbledon are in the most danger and will start the day second from bottom. They are five games without a win but are up against a side who are in equally bad form and have nothing to play for - they have a chance. (League Two, 27 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
5. Dagenham & Redbridge v York City - with Barnet facing a very tricky trip to promotion chasing Northampton, the Daggers host York who could go down themselves. Given that the Bees and Dons are below them, they could lose this and still stay up but really only a win will be enough to make sure. Last season the east London club struggled for most of the season and then pulled away to finish quite comfortably. This year the opposite seems to have happened with only two wins in 10 leaving them in a very precarious position right at the death. (League Two, 27 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
6. Sutton United v Salisbury City - the Conference Premier season ended yesterday with London club Dartford recording a very respectable top-eight finish following promotion. On Saturday Welling could only draw at Boreham Wood meaning they couldn't quite seal the Conference South title to join their neighbours and rivals. They will, however, finally get up if Sutton can take at least a point off second-placed Salisbury in this game on Monday night. The hosts are also still in contention for a play-off place themselves so should be going all out to win. Loads at stake! (Conference South, 22 April, 745pm. Ticket info)
7. Welling United v Eastleigh - if Sutton do the business then this game will turn into a victory party for Welling. If not then they'll still need a point to wrap things up (their goal difference over Salisbury is significantly greater though). Whatever happens, Eastleigh won't make it easy for them. One of the pre-season favourites, they started badly but have forced their way into the play-off places right at the end and still need wins to make sure they stay there. (Conference South, 27 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
8. Wealdstone v Lowestoft Town - the regular Isthmian League season comes to a close on Saturday too but some clubs have to cram three games into the final week. One of those teams are Lowestoft who are currently second in the table. The Stones are nestled just a point behind them in third but have played a game more. The hosts' title hopes have already gone and they can effectively end Lowestoft's challenge too if they win here. This would give Stones fans a great deal of pleasure as they lost, somewhat controversially, to the Suffolk club in the play-offs last season. It looks quite likely that they could meet again. (Isthmian League Premier Division, 23 April, 745pm. Ticket info)
9. Thurrock v Metropolitan Police - Picking a game from the final day of the season was quite tough as there are so many midweek games that could significantly change things, particularly at the bottom end of the table. From what I can see, this is the only game in London that could affect both ends with Thurrock currently only one point above the relegation places and Met Police only being kept out of the play-off places by goal difference. Potentially both these sides could have nothing to play for by Saturday. If so try either Wealdstone v Canvey Island or Wingate & Finchley v Cray Wanderers instead. (Isthmian League Premier Division, 27 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
10. Dulwich Hamlet v Crawley Down Gatwick - once again Dulwich fans will suffer a nervy end to the season as their side push for promotion. Having missed out in the play-offs for the last two years they find themselves in pole position, just three points ahead of the mighty Maidstone United, going into the final week. Both have two games to play and both have fixtures on Tuesday night which means the title will be Hamlet's if they get a better result than Maidstone who travel to Chipstead. If they match each other or Maidstone get the better result, then it will go to the final day when Dulwich host Burgess Hill Town. (Isthmian League Division 1 South, 27 April, 3pm. Club info)
If you have any questions or want advice about watching football in London, you can contact TLFG using the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or email.
2. Chelsea v Swansea City - it's credit to Swans boss Michael Laudrup that this match makes the top 10. A superb debut season as a manager in this competition has seen the Dane take Swansea to the brink of a top eight finish and of course that League Cup win. On their way there they beat Chelsea over two legs in the semi-final and also drew with them at the Liberty Stadium in the league. All in all this is a difficult fixture for the Blues and it is one they really have to win to keep up with the pace for a top four finish. The pressure will be wholly on Rafa Benitez's side and it could take its toll. (Premier League, 28 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
3. Brentford v Doncaster Rovers - the League One season comes to an end on Saturday and in this game it doesn't get much bigger. Only two teams go up automatically with these two currently third and second respectively, two points apart. In essence it's winner takes all at Griffin Park with a place in the Championship the prize at stake. Doncaster are used to playing at that level but Brentford haven't been there for 20 years so it will be huge for the west London club if they make it up. (League One, 27 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
4. AFC Wimbledon v Fleetwood Town - it's also the final day in League Two and sadly with one game to go all three London clubs find themselves in the bottom four. AFC Wimbledon and Barnet have been down there all season but now Dagenham & Redbridge have been dragged into the dogfight too. To clarify, the bottom two go down and seven teams are currently in the mire. Of the London clubs, AFC Wimbledon are in the most danger and will start the day second from bottom. They are five games without a win but are up against a side who are in equally bad form and have nothing to play for - they have a chance. (League Two, 27 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
5. Dagenham & Redbridge v York City - with Barnet facing a very tricky trip to promotion chasing Northampton, the Daggers host York who could go down themselves. Given that the Bees and Dons are below them, they could lose this and still stay up but really only a win will be enough to make sure. Last season the east London club struggled for most of the season and then pulled away to finish quite comfortably. This year the opposite seems to have happened with only two wins in 10 leaving them in a very precarious position right at the death. (League Two, 27 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
6. Sutton United v Salisbury City - the Conference Premier season ended yesterday with London club Dartford recording a very respectable top-eight finish following promotion. On Saturday Welling could only draw at Boreham Wood meaning they couldn't quite seal the Conference South title to join their neighbours and rivals. They will, however, finally get up if Sutton can take at least a point off second-placed Salisbury in this game on Monday night. The hosts are also still in contention for a play-off place themselves so should be going all out to win. Loads at stake! (Conference South, 22 April, 745pm. Ticket info)
7. Welling United v Eastleigh - if Sutton do the business then this game will turn into a victory party for Welling. If not then they'll still need a point to wrap things up (their goal difference over Salisbury is significantly greater though). Whatever happens, Eastleigh won't make it easy for them. One of the pre-season favourites, they started badly but have forced their way into the play-off places right at the end and still need wins to make sure they stay there. (Conference South, 27 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
8. Wealdstone v Lowestoft Town - the regular Isthmian League season comes to a close on Saturday too but some clubs have to cram three games into the final week. One of those teams are Lowestoft who are currently second in the table. The Stones are nestled just a point behind them in third but have played a game more. The hosts' title hopes have already gone and they can effectively end Lowestoft's challenge too if they win here. This would give Stones fans a great deal of pleasure as they lost, somewhat controversially, to the Suffolk club in the play-offs last season. It looks quite likely that they could meet again. (Isthmian League Premier Division, 23 April, 745pm. Ticket info)
9. Thurrock v Metropolitan Police - Picking a game from the final day of the season was quite tough as there are so many midweek games that could significantly change things, particularly at the bottom end of the table. From what I can see, this is the only game in London that could affect both ends with Thurrock currently only one point above the relegation places and Met Police only being kept out of the play-off places by goal difference. Potentially both these sides could have nothing to play for by Saturday. If so try either Wealdstone v Canvey Island or Wingate & Finchley v Cray Wanderers instead. (Isthmian League Premier Division, 27 April, 3pm. Ticket info)
10. Dulwich Hamlet v Crawley Down Gatwick - once again Dulwich fans will suffer a nervy end to the season as their side push for promotion. Having missed out in the play-offs for the last two years they find themselves in pole position, just three points ahead of the mighty Maidstone United, going into the final week. Both have two games to play and both have fixtures on Tuesday night which means the title will be Hamlet's if they get a better result than Maidstone who travel to Chipstead. If they match each other or Maidstone get the better result, then it will go to the final day when Dulwich host Burgess Hill Town. (Isthmian League Division 1 South, 27 April, 3pm. Club info)
If you have any questions or want advice about watching football in London, you can contact TLFG using the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or email.
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