Sunday, 25 August 2013

TLFG: 26 August - 1 September 2013

Hello there and thanks for taking the time to visit TLFG.

I'm really quite excited about this week's edition as the football watching opportunities in this great city over the next seven days are abundant and quite mouthwatering!

Tomorrow, Bank Holiday Monday, is jam packed with non-league action with most games also being derbies.

Thanks to the good people at Combined Counties League headquarters, who have scheduled all their games for 1130am, there are numerous groundhop 'doubles' to be done, mainly with Isthmian League sides.

The 'A3 derby' between Raynes Park Vale and Colliers Wood United in the morning followed by Kingstonian v Hampton & Richmond in the Isthmian Premier at 3pm looks very tempting.

How about Bedfont Sports v Hanworth Villa and then Wealdstone v Enfield Town?

A probably illegally fast car could even get you from Egham Town v Chertsey Town at 1pm (Southern League Div 1 Central) to Staines Town v Boreham Wood (Conference South) at 3pm but probably safer to drive at regulation speed and miss the first few minutes.

These are just three options - check the match map below for other combinations.

Former non-league player Charlie Austin, now at QPR, shows his support for Non-League Day

There are also Champions League and Europa League matches to look forward to plus the next rounds of the League Cup and, more excitingly from my point of view, the FA Cup. In the Premier League it's also Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur which is arguably the biggest London derby so it's a real week to savour.

In other news, Non-League Day preparations have continued for me again this week.

We've had a few more 'names' join the campaign this week most notably from a London point of view, QPR striker Charlie Austin. Until as recently as 2009 he was playing Wessex League football for Poole Town and has enjoyed a meteoric rise ever since.

We've also been lucky enough to get some competitions and giveaways arranged. The most high profile of which involves Sports Interactive who make the famous 'Football Manager' game, details can be found on our website.

We have continued to receive fan photos so if you're going to a game, heading off on holiday or just relaxing at home we'd love to receive a picture of you in either one of our t-shirts who holding up one of these.

There's still plenty to do but ultimately it's all about gaining publicity so make sure you tell your friends or if you've got your own website or blog and would like to support us by displaying one of our banners then I'd really appreciate it.

It's less than two weeks away!

News is also reaching us of deals that clubs will be offering on 7 September to attract new people along. I hope to publish a Non-League Day London special next week with all the details.

Anyway, that's enough about my week. Remember to let me know what you've been up to and if you're interested in reviewing a ground within the London area for this blog then get in touch. Also keep the general 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, Twitter or even by good old email.


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).

Friday 6 September, 8pm - Moldova, World Cup qualifier, Wembley
Friday 11 September, 8pm - Montenegro, World Cup qualifier, Wembley
Tuesday 15 October, TBC - Poland, World Cup qualifier, Wembley

ARSENAL
Nothing currently available

CHELSEA
Sunday 6 October, 11am - Manchester City, U21 Premier League (must buy in advance)

CRYSTAL PALACE
Tuesday 10 September, 745pm - Oman, friendly

FULHAM
Saturday 14 September, 3pm - West Bromwich Albion, Premier League
Saturday 5 October, 3pm - Stoke City, Premier League
Saturday 23 November, 3pm - Swansea City, Premier League

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Thursday 29 August, 805pm - Dinamo Tbilisi, Europa League
Saturday 14 September, 3pm - Norwich City, Premier League
Saturday 28 September, 1245pm - Chelsea, Premier League
Saturday 5 October, 3pm - West Ham United, Premier League (on sale 29 Aug)


WEST HAM UNITED
Tuesday 27 August, 745pm - Cheltenham Town, League Cup
Saturday 31 August, 3pm - Stoke City, Premier League
Saturday 21 September, 3pm - Everton, Premier League


TICKET DEALS
This week the best prices are to be found at clubs who are playing in cup competitions.

Probably the most notable offer is to be found at West Ham who are charging only £10 for adults, if bought in advance, as they entertain Cheltenham Town in the League Cup.

QPR host Swindon Town with tickets starting at £15. It's also Watford v Bournemouth (£10) and Leyton Orient v Hull City (£15).

Up at White Hart Lane on Thursday, Tottenham Hotspur entertain Georgian side Dinamo Tbilisi in the Europa League. Tickets for this are £25 and £30 depending on whether you want to sit behind a goal or along the side of the pitch. If you didn't know, Spurs won the first leg 5-0 so there's little to play for.

A rather quirky fixture has been announced by Crystal Palace. The Eagles are hosting the Oman national team in a friendly on Tuesday 10 September at Selhurst Park. Tickets for this are £10 in advance or £12 on the day. If you really want to go to a game at this stadium this season it could be your only chance as tickets for most home games are restricted to guests of season-ticket holders and members only.

If you know of any other deals I may have missed or your club is running a promotion let me know.

There are over 100 matches in the London area this week so there's no excuse not to see a game, unless you've got a really good one.

As always, check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.

Details on all of this week's games can be found in the following match map. If you've never used it 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.

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.

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


View London match map 26 August - 1 September 2013 in a larger map


At this point I would normally give a list of recommendations as to what to watch in the week ahead but virtually every game is a corker, on paper at least, so I'll leave you to scour the map and make up your own mind.

If you have any questions or want advice about watching football in London, you can contact TLFG using the comments section below or via FacebookTwitter or email.

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