Sunday 27 October 2013

TLFG: 28 October - 3 November 2013

Hello there dear readers and welcome to this week's TLFG.

As I write this the FA Cup First Round draw has just been completed and I have to say that, with a couple of exceptions, it was a bit underwhelming.

Several of our local non-league sides drew other non-league sides or face long journeys to Football League clubs they have no particular rivalry with. However, there are a couple that do stand out with Boreham Wood hosting League One side Carlisle United and Staines Town travelling the short distance to Brentford if they can beat Poole Town in Tuesday's replay. Of the all-Football League ties, 1988 winners AFC Wimbledon against 1987 winners Coventry City stands out for me.

Apart from that, I enjoyed a rare trip to football this week. With nothing planned for the afternoon and the club letting everyone in for free I decided to take a stroll down to Loftus Road to watch QPR reserves (or Elite Development Squad as they prefer to be known) take on their counterparts from near neighbours Brentford in a lunchtime contest.

Despite relatively little publicity and the 1pm start, a good few hundred had also decided to spend their afternoon checking out the upcoming talent including a small group of Borussia Dortmund fans using the match as an hors d'oeuvre to their Champions League game at Arsenal later that evening.

The Rangers XI featured three first team squad members - the almost permanently injured Andy Johnson, recent signing from Blackpool Matt Phillips and Uruguayan striker Javier Chevanton picked up on a short-term deal after being released by Italian side Lecce in the summer.

I was particularly interested to see how the latter fared as his acquisition came out of the blue and I have to admit knowing very little about him. I was impressed - his attitude was good, his passing and link up play with Johnson was decent and his finishing was sharp as evidenced by the two goals he scored in what became a 4-0 win.

QPR deserved their victory but the Bees could've had a couple themselves if some wasteful finishing hadn't let them down. They looked certain to score from one goalmouth scramble and finally forced it over the line after two or three blocks only to see it disallowed for offside.

The second half was also livened up considerably by a large group of primary school children who appeared in the stands during the interval. They were chanting for QPR but I don't think they knew who was who and got incredibly excited when Brentford went on the attack. Ultimately though, they had a good time as did most of us.

It makes me wonder why more isn't made of reserve or EDS football at all our local clubs as the football is reasonable and the cost of tickets is minimal. I only found out about the game a couple of hours before kick-off and when I research ticket info for this blog, many sides don't release details until very late in the day.

If you can't afford to see your favourite Premier League team in action or want to experience one of the capital's best stadiums without having to fork out £40+ then this is an excellent way to do it.

All the capital's Premier League clubs do have such games at their main stadiums throughout the season so keep your eye on this blog or their websites for more info.

Before I go, there's set to be some terrible weather lashing London over the next 24 hours so if you were planning on seeing a game at the beginning of the week it might get postponed so check before you travel.

Lastly, the FA celebrated its 150th anniversary on Saturday. As part of the celebrations England are hosting Germany in a friendly at Wembley on 19 November. Tickets for this go on general sale on Tuesday and I think you'll have to act pretty quickly to get one.

Enjoy your week!

GET INVOLVED

As always, please 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. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

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 15 November, 8pm - Chile, international friendly, Wembley 
Tuesday 19 November, 8pm - Germany, international friendly, Wembley (on sale 29 Oct)

Monday 18 November, 745pm - International friendly, Craven Cottage

Nothing currently available

Nothing currently available

Tickets are only available to season-ticket holders, members and their guests

Saturday 23 November, 3pm - Swansea City, Premier League
Wednesday 4 December, 8pm - Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League
Sunday 8 December, 130pm - Aston Villa, Premier League
Saturday 21 December, 3pm - Manchester City, Premier League

Wednesday 30 October, 745pm - Hull City, League Cup
Thursday 7 November, 805pm - Sheriff Tiraspol, Europa League
Sunday 1 December, 12pm - Manchester United, Premier League 

Saturday 2 November, 3pm - Aston Villa, Premier League
Saturday 23 November, 530pm - Chelsea, Premier League
Saturday 30 November, 3pm - Fulham, Premier League (on sale 29 October)
Thursday 26 December, 3pm - Arsenal, Premier League
Saturday 22 March, 3pm - Manchester United, Premier League
Saturday 5 April, 3pm - Liverpool, Premier League
Saturday 3 May, 3pm - Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League


TICKET DEALS
Over the next couple of weeks Tottenham Hotspur are pricing all adult tickets at £20 for the visits of fellow Premier League side Hull City in the League Cup and FC Sheriff in the Europa League. Family tickets are also available.

On Saturday West Ham United are operating a 'Kids for a Quid' scheme for their Premier League game against Aston Villa.

In mid-November there's a mini feast of international football to be enjoyed in London. Chile and Germany are both coming to play England in friendlies at Wembley while sandwiched in between there's a very interesting looking game between Euro 2012 finalists Italy and reigning African champions Nigeria at Fulham's Craven Cottage. Tickets for the latter start at just £20 which seems like good value to me.

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

There are over 75 matches in the London area this week so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

With very bad weather predicted at the start of the week, make sure you 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.

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 (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Turquoise pin - Wednesday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Red pin - Sunday fixtures



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

ARSENAL v LIVERPOOL
It's another massive week for the Gunners who first entertain London rivals Chelsea in the League Cup on Tuesday before hosting fellow early season pacesetters Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday. With the League Cup usually the lowest priority for both Arsenal and Chelsea, this league match should be the bigger occasion. At the time of writing these two fill the top two spots with both only having lost once this season but neither have had a particularly challenging fixture list. The next 10 games look a lot tougher for both with this being the first big test. Stat - Arsenal are winless in three against the Reds at the Emirates. (Premier League, Saturday 2 November, 530pm. Ticket info)

FULHAM v MANCHESTER UNITED
After their crucial win over fellow strugglers Crystal Palace on Monday, Fulham got back to losing ways at in-form Southampton on Saturday. This week looks like being even tougher as they welcome reigning Premier League champions Manchester United to Craven Cottage. Having seen eight games against the Red Devils go by without a win (not that unusual), this time Fulham have got a much better chance as United appear to be at their most vulnerable for sometime. Since David Moyes took over from Sir Alex Ferguson they've looked decidedly shaky and are duly eight points off the title pace already. However, this is all relative and they should have more than enough to see off the Cottagers - we'll see. (Premier League, Saturday 2 November, 3pm. Ticket info)

WATFORD v LEICESTER CITY
There are some big games in the Championship over the next seven days but I think this is just about the pick of them. Watford got off to a great start, suffered a bit of a dip, started to recover but then lost a couple again. Consequently they're still well placed for a tilt at the play-offs being just two points off sixth. Leicester on the other hand are on a great run with four wins in five lifting them up to second on Saturday. These two last met in the play-offs back in May where the Hornets came from a goal down after the first leg to beat City 3-2 on aggregate.  (Championship, Saturday 2 November, 1215pm. Ticket info)

BARNET v KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS
After successfully avoiding an FA Cup banana skin on Saturday, Barnet get back to league duty with the tricky visit of Kidderminster. The Worcestershire club finished runners-up in the Conference last year but came unstuck in the play-offs and missed out on the chance to return to the Football League for the first time since 2005. Perhaps spurred on by that disappointment, they find themselves among the promotion contenders again and currently sit in second. The Bees seem to have got through their rough patch and are now unbeaten in five in the league meaning a win here could lift them into the top five. Owing to the yo-yoing nature of these teams between the divisions, this is the first time they've played since 2001 when Kiddy won 2-1. (Conference Premier, Saturday 2 November, 3pm. Ticket info)

DARTFORD v EBBSFLEET UNITED
In case you missed it, Saturday was FA Cup 4th qualifying round day. These two local rivals were paired together and produced a 1-1 draw in front of a bumper crowd of 2,895 which is about four times Ebbsfleet's normal attendance. A mouthwatering replay is now all set up for Tuesday night at Dartford's fine Princes Park stadium. The hosts should start as favourites as they play a division above Ebbsfleet but with another big crowd expected it could well go either way. (FA Cup, Tuesday 29 October, 745pm, Ticket info)

SUTTON UNITED v HEMEL HEMPSTEAD TOWN
There's also FA Cup replay action to the south side of town where Conference South title contenders Sutton host Southern League leaders Hemel. These two played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the original tie on Saturday. As above, the hosts play one level above their visitors so should be classed as favourites but perhaps more so than Dartford because they are in generally good form too. However, so are the Tudors who have only lost once in the league all season. It looks like being another cracker. (FA Cup, Tuesday 29 October, 745pm. Ticket info)

WEALDSTONE v MAIDSTONE UNITED
The cup football doesn't end on Tuesday though ladies and gentlemen, oh no. On Saturday we've also got the next round of the FA Trophy with the pick of the ties in the London area almost certainly this one. The two 'Stones' are among the promotion contenders in the Isthmian League with the home team currently sixth and the visitors top. When they played in Kent on the opening day of the season they drew 1-1 in front of a crowd of over 2,000 which, by all accounts, sadly produced a little bit of argy bargy so there might be a bit of an edge to this one. (FA Trophy, Saturday 2 November, 3pm. Ticket info)

REDBRIDGE v THURROCK
On the east side of London we have these two sides who are having rather a good time of things in the Isthmian League Division 1 North. Both had seasons to forget last time with the Motormen finishing in the bottom three and Thurrock suffering relegation from the Premier Division after fielding an ineligible player. The opening months of this campaign have been far more positive with Redbridge well placed in fourth after 15 games just a point and a place behind Thurrock. The form guide, however, would suggest it could be Redbridge who take the honours as their four game unbeaten run is far better than the two defeats in four that their opponents have recorded. (Isthmian League Division 1 North, Saturday 2 November, 3pm. Ticket info)

WALTON CASUALS v WALTON & HERSHAM
It's derby time in the Isthmian League Cup on Tuesday. As above, these two were poor last season with Casuals finishing bottom of the Isthmian League Division 1 South and W&H only a few places above them. This year is almost the exact opposite with Casuals top of the tree and W&H just a point off the play-off places. Who will win this time? Last time they played in August, Tuesday's hosts won 2-0. (Isthmian League Cup, Tuesday 29 October, 745pm. Club info)

HANWORTH VILLA v EPSOM & EWELL
Last up this week we have a clash between two of the top three in the Combined Counties League. Epsom were setting the pace for some while but they've been usurped by South Park after winning only two of their last five. Hanworth, with only one defeat in 10, have been making up ground and with two games in hand could soon pass E&E if they win here.  (FA Cup, Saturday 26 October, 3pm. Ticket 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.

Sunday 20 October 2013

TLFG: 21-27 October 2013

Hello there good people and welcome to this week's TLFG.

It's a big week in London with some important games in the Champions League and Premier League whilst some of our smaller sides are involved in the FA Cup as it reaches a critical round.

In the non-league game, one of the most exciting times of the year is the FA Cup 4th qualifying round. This is the final hurdle that must be negotiated before the professional clubs from League One and Two enter the competition. At this stage it's mainly teams from tiers 5-7 of the national game that are left in but a few minnows make it too.

The London area is represented by eight fine clubs who will all hopefully make it to the Promised Land and a potential moneyspinner of a draw against former Premier League sides like Bradford City, Coventry City, Sheffield United, Swindon Town or Wolverhampton Wanderers.

There are also a number of cracking ticket deals at some of our clubs this week but more on that below.

GET INVOLVED

As always, please 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. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

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 15 November, 8pm - Chile, international friendly, Wembley (on sale 22 Oct)
Tuesday 19 November, 8pm - Germany, international friendly, Wembley (on sale 29 Oct)

Saturday 26 October, 705pm - Wales, Women's World Cup qualifier, The Den

Monday 18 November, 745pm - International friendly, Craven Cottage

Nothing currently available

Nothing currently available

Tickets are only available to season-ticket holders, members and their guests

Saturday 23 November, 3pm - Swansea City, Premier League

Wednesday 30 October, 745pm - Hull City, League Cup
Thursday 7 November, 805pm - Sheriff Tiraspol, Europa League
Sunday 1 December, 12pm - Manchester United, Premier League (on sale 24 Oct)

Saturday 2 November, 3pm - Aston Villa, Premier League
Saturday 23 November, 530pm - Chelsea, Premier League
Thursday 26 December, 3pm - Arsenal, Premier League
Saturday 22 March, 3pm - Manchester United, Premier League
Saturday 5 April, 3pm - Liverpool, Premier League
Saturday 3 May, 3pm - Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League


TICKET DEALS
There's some cracking bargains to be had this week, mainly in the Football League.

On Saturday League One side Brentford are running another one of their 'Pay What You Can' promotions for the visit of Shrewsbury Town. Tickets are on sale now, with a minimum price of £1.

If you're really keen you might then be able to hotfoot it over to the other side of London in time for the Women's World Cup qualifier between England and Wales at Millwall's ground with adult tickets only £5. The game kicks-off at 705pm so there should just be time to make it.

Elsewhere that afternoon, Barnet have halved the price of tickets for their FA Cup 4th qualifying round tie against Concord Rangers which means tickets start at £8.

The following day, Championship side Charlton Athletic are charging a flat rate of £6 for their match against current FA Cup holders Wigan Athletic, £1 of which is going to charity. 

Next week Tottenham Hotspur are pricing all adult tickets at £20 for the visit of fellow Premier League side Hull City for their League Cup meeting. Family tickets are also available.

In around a month's time there's a mini feast of international football to be enjoyed in London. Chile and Germany are both coming to play England in friendlies at Wembley while sandwiched in between there's a very interesting looking game between Euro 2012 finalists Italy and reigning African champions Nigeria at Fulham's Craven Cottage. Tickets for the latter start at just £20 which seems like good value to me.

There are also some youth games this week which might take your fancy, the pick of them being Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund in the Uefa Youth League on Wednesday at Boreham Wood with FREE ENTRY for all.

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

There are over 70 matches in the London area this week so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

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.

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 (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Turquoise pin - Wednesday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Red pin - Sunday fixtures




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

ARSENAL v BORUSSIA DORTMUND
The Gunners are riding the crest of a wave at the moment and played some magnificent stuff as they beat Norwich 4-1 on Saturday to remain top of the Premier League. Some, though, are still asking how good they really are as, apart from Spurs, a kind fixture list has yet to see them play any of the other so-called 'big' clubs. In Dortmund they undoubtedly face a big club, one of Europe's giants. They got to the Champions League final last season and are currently second in the Bundesliga just a point behind Bayern Munich. They are fallible, however, losing a whopping two matches so far this campaign against Napoli and Borussia Monchengladbach. I still think Arsenal could win this. (Champions League, Tuesday 22 October, 745pm. Ticket info)

CHELSEA v MANCHESTER CITY
On the domestic front we've got this cracker between second and fourth in the Premier League on Sunday. Both sides looked good on Saturday as they saw off Cardiff City and West Ham United respectively. It's also a match-up which pits one of the meanest defences (5 goals conceded) against the best attack (20 goals scored) in the top flight so it should be intriguing. One of the stats I find most interesting ahead of this game is that Chelsea are winless in five against City in all competitions. With Jose back in charge they may well put that right. (Premier League, Sunday 27 October, 4pm. Ticket info)

CRYSTAL PALACE v FULHAM
It's a big week for Ian Holloway's Eagles as they play two London derbies back-to-back. Although Saturday's game against Arsenal is the more glamorous, this match on Monday is arguable more important. The Cottagers, often a solid midtable side, have got off to a poor start with only goal difference keeping them out of the relegation places. Palace have fared even worse so far having lost all but one of their games to be second from bottom. Even at this early stage of the campaign, this can very much be classed as a relegation 'six-pointer' so should be tense. (Premier League, Monday 21 October, 8pm. Ticket info)

CHARLTON ATHLETIC v WIGAN ATHLETIC
If you missed it in the ticket section above, one of the deals of the week is to be had at The Valley. For just £6 (£1 of which is going to charity) you can watch this match between two former Premier League teams. OK, so it's been over six years since the Addicks were last there but Wigan have only just come down and are the reigning FA Cup holders after their famous win over Manchester City back in May. With this match moved to Sunday afternoon I'd like to think a few fans of other clubs with time on their hands might be tempted - I know I am. (Championship, Sunday 27 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

BRENTFORD v SHREWSBURY TOWN
Another great deal is on offer at Griffin Park the day before for this League One contest. The Bees narrowly missed out on promotion last year and are very much in the hunt for a play-off place this season. The Shrews are pootling along nicely in midtable but aren't doing anything stunning - so why should you go? Well it's 'Pay What You Can' so you can get in for a minimum donation of £1. Yes that's just £1 to watch professional football in London. If you're tempted, book in advance just in case as these offers usually draw close to capacity crowds.  (League One, Saturday 26 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE v ROCHDALE
It was hard to choose which League Two game to go for this week as AFC Wimbledon's match against Oxford United looks good too. I've gone for this one though as the Daggers also have a deal in place. It's not quite as eye-catching as either of the two above but they are operating a good old 'Kids for a Quid' scheme which might be of interest to you. Aside from this, Rochdale are also the joint leaders in the division so should be worth a watch. (League Two, Saturday 26 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

BARNET v CONCORD RANGERS
As mentioned above, it's FA Cup 4th qualifying round time again. For most clubs taking part it's an exciting time. However, for Barnet, fresh out of the Football League, it will be a bit of a comedown. The hosts should start this as overwhelming favourites as they play a division above Concord and are generally a much bigger club. The Beach Boys, though, can deal with these kinds of odds and have upset bigger clubs before in other competitions. Also, if you didn't notice it above, Barnet have halved ticket prices for this game. (FA Cup, Saturday 26 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

BOREHAM WOOD v HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS
An even bigger gulf of two divisions separates these two but Conference South side Boreham Wood are struggling while Heybridge are among the frontrunners in the Isthmian League Division 1 North. If the tie was taking place at Swifts' Scraley Road Stadium then you'd really have to fancy them. Even though that's not the case I still think they'll cause The Wood a few problems especially given they eliminated an impressive Bromley side in the last round. (FA Cup, Saturday 26 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

STAINES TOWN v POOLE TOWN
Once again one of our local sides should start a tie as favourites. Staines, unlike Boreham Wood, are doing fairly well in the Conference South sitting nicely in eighth just a point adrift of the play-off places. Although they lost on Saturday, they only went down 1-0 to leaders Eastleigh. Poole play in the Southern League Premier Division one level below but are also well placed for a tilt at promotion so could well be on Staines' fixture card next season. Although the Dorset club have come through three ties to get this far, they've had a kind draw and could find the Swans to be a little too good for them. (FA Cup, Saturday 26 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

AFC HORNCHURCH v HEREFORD UNITED
On the east side of town we have this potential FA Cup cracker. The Urchins play two levels below their more famous opponents but there is reason to think they could upset the applecart and dump the Bulls out. So far this season Hornchurch have only lost one league game to sit joint top of the Isthmian League. They've also really turned it on in the cup with 13 goals in the four games they've played. Hereford, on the other hand, are dangling just above the relegation places in the Conference Premier and are winless in five. Real cupset potential. (FA Cup, Saturday 26 October, 3pm. Ticket 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.

Sunday 13 October 2013

TLFG: 14-20 October 2013

Hi there. Had a good weekend? Been to a game? Thanks for paying TLFG a visit, it's great to have you here.

I'm actually writing this on Thursday night as I prepare for a weekend away with relatives in the country. Hopefully I'll get to see a game while I'm there but I'll have to persuade someone to do the driving and join me so there are no guarantees!

As a result of me being away, the match map might not be as accurate as it could be as there might be one or two FA Cup replays required after Saturday's games but I'll add them when I get back.

The 'Top Ten' has had to make way this week because of time constraints so you'll have to fend for yourself when deciding what to watch. Hopefully normal service will be resumed next week.

GET INVOLVED

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. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

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).

Tuesday 15 October, 8pm - Poland, World Cup qualifier, Wembley

ARSENAL
Nothing currently available

CHELSEA
Nothing currently available

CRYSTAL PALACE
Tickets are only available to season-ticket holders, members and their guests

FULHAM
Friday 18 October, 7pm - Newcastle United, U21 Premier League
Saturday 23 November, 3pm - Swansea City, Premier League

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Wednesday 30 October, 745pm - Hull City, League Cup
Thursday 7 November, 805pm - Sheriff Tiraspol, Europa League
Sunday 10 November, 12pm - Newcastle United, Premier League

WEST HAM UNITED
Saturday 19 October, 530pm - Manchester City, Premier League
Saturday 2 November, 3pm - Aston Villa, Premier League
Saturday 23 November, 530pm - Chelsea, Premier League
Thursday 26 December, 3pm - Arsenal, Premier League
Saturday 22 March, 3pm - Manchester United, Premier League
Saturday 5 April, 3pm - Liverpool, Premier League
Saturday 3 May, 3pm - Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League


TICKET DEALS
The best value this week is to be found in the U21 Premier League where Fulham host Newcastle United at Craven Cottage. I haven't seen the precise ticket details yet but it won't be more than a fiver to get in.

A couple of days before, Fulham's ground will also play host to an international friendly between Australia and Canada with tickets ranging from £15-25.

At the end of October we have two great deals in the Football League. Championship side Charlton Athletic are charging a flat rate of only £6 for their match against current FA Cup holders Wigan Athletic, £1 of which is going to charity. Also, League One side Brentford are running another one of their 'Pay What You Can' promotions for the visit of Shrewsbury Town. Tickets are on sale now, with a minimum price of £1.

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

There are over 70 matches in the London area this week including a World Cup qualifier, a few ties in the FA Trophy, FA Vase and a several in county cups too.

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
Magenta pin - Friday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures


View London match map 14-20 October 2013 in a larger map

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.

Sunday 6 October 2013

TLFG: 7-13 October 2013

Hello there and welcome to TLFG.

We're already into October and so far it's proving to be a good season for London clubs with the country's top three divisions being topped/joint topped by clubs from the capital.

Not only that but they are clubs who many wouldn't have been that surprised to see struggle this time round.

Arsenal have been trophyless since 2005, QPR were relegated from the Premier League in total disarray and Leyton Orient are just Leyton Orient - a solid League One side.

Who knows how long this will continue but it will be at least two more weeks for the Gunners and R's who both have a week off because of the international break.

Said break means Premier League, Championship and all other football fans including your goodself have an excellent chance to watch some non-league football which features heavily in this week's Top 10 below.

The highlight for many will be the next round of ties in the FA Cup of which there are six in the London area.

As a side note, the 9 October marks the second anniversary of the launch of this blog. Thanks once again to all who have read, contributed and commented - I really appreciate your time and effort. Cheers.

GET INVOLVED

Anyway, 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. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

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 11 October, 8pm - Montenegro, World Cup qualifier, Wembley
Tuesday 15 October, 8pm - Poland, World Cup qualifier, Wembley

ARSENAL
Monday 7 October, 7pm - Wolverhampton Wanderers, U21 Premier League

CHELSEA
Wednesday 6 November, 745pm - Schalke 04, Champions League (on sale 10 Oct)

CRYSTAL PALACE
Monday 7 October, 7pm - Brighton & Hove Albion, U21 Development League

FULHAM
Saturday 23 November, 3pm - Swansea City, Premier League

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Sunday 10 November, 12pm - Newcastle United, Premier League

WEST HAM UNITED
Saturday 19 October, 530pm - Manchester City, Premier League
Saturday 2 November, 3pm - Aston Villa, Premier League (on sale 24 Sep)
Saturday 23 November, 530pm - Chelsea, Premier League
Thursday 26 December, 3pm - Arsenal, Premier League
Saturday 22 March, 3pm - Manchester United, Premier League
Saturday 5 April, 3pm - Liverpool, Premier League
Saturday 3 May, 3pm - Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League


TICKET DEALS
The best value this week is to be found in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy which, for the uninitiated, is a knockout competition for League One and Two teams which has its final at Wembley in the spring.

With eight wins and two draws, the hottest team in League One at the moment are Leyton Orient and they host former Premier League side Coventry City in the opening round on Tuesday. Most tickets for this are only £10 adults and £5 concessions.

In League Two there are also deals in place for AFC Wimbledon's game against Accrington Stanley on Saturday - tickets for one of the terraces can be had for £10 (adults) while all U18's get in for FREE. Make sure you book in advance to make sure you get one.

A division below in the Conference Premier, Barnet's televised game against Wrexham on Sunday sees all tickets being sold for HALF PRICE which means the cheapest adult tickets are £8.

With the seniors having the week off, Arsenal's U21's take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium on Monday 7 October at 7pm with tickets only £4 for adults and £2 for everyone else. Given that the cheapest of cheapest tickets for a first-team game at the Gunners' home is £26, this is quite a saving.

At the same time over in south-east London, Crystal Palace have an U21's game against Brighton at Selhurst Park. These can be had for £5 and £1 respectively but you'll have to buy today to get these prices - they rise to £8 tomorrow.

Next week, Fulham's Craven Cottage ground will play host to an international friendly between Australia and Canada with tickets ranging from £15-25.

At the end of October, League One side Brentford are running another one of their 'Pay What You Can' promotions for the visit of Shrewsbury Town. Tickets are on sale now, with a minimum price of £1.

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

There are 75 matches in the London area this week including a few ties in the FA Cup and a few in county cups too.

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
Magenta pin - Friday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Red pin - Sunday fixtures


View London match map 7-13 October 2013 in a larger map


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

ENGLAND v MONTENEGRO
It's World Cup qualifier time again this week and it appears there are still tickets available for this crucial game for the Three Lions. England have yet to beat Montenegro in any of their previous three meetings, all have been draws. Group H is desperately tight, meaning defeat could plunge Roy Hodgson's side down to third with only one game to go. With Montenegro and Ukraine both having much 'easier' fixtures than England's against Poland, hopes of automatic qualification will be as good as over. (World Cup qualifier, Friday 11 October, 8pm. Ticket info)

LEYTON ORIENT v MK DONS
With the Premier League and Championship teams getting a week off, League One sides become the big boys for a few days. As mentioned above, the O's are the team to beat having won eight and drawn two so far. Their only defeat came against Premier League Hull City in the League Cup and that was only by 1-0. MK Dons aren't doing too badly either and are well placed in seventh to mount their annual push for a play-off place. Notably, the Buckinghamshire club have a very good record at Brisbane Road with only one defeat there in their short history. Will they be the first to beat the O's this season?  (League One, Saturday 12 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

AFC WIMBLEDON v ACCRINGTON STANLEY
There's nothing particularly eye-catching in League Two this week but I thought I'd give this match another mention as there a cheap tickets available. The Dons were expected to struggle again this season but got off to a decent start and found themselves among the leaders. However, three defeats in four have seen them slip back to 11th. Accrington were also predicted to find things tough and have duly lived up to their billing being winless in 10 and bottom of the table. Amazingly, these two have only faced each other on four previous occasions with the Lancashire outfit winning all of them. Good omen for James Beattie's men? (League Two, Saturday 12 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

BARNET v WREXHAM
At first glance this looks like one of the games of the weekend in the Conference and in theory it should be. Two former Football League clubs, they are among the biggest names in the division. Surprisingly, neither are doing as well as they should be. The Bees made a decent enough start but have now won only one of their last seven. Despite this they're still just three points off a play-off place in this tightly contested division. The Dragons, on the other hand, are having a bit of a stinker and are being kept out of the relegation zone solely by their goal difference. It's over five years since their last meeting and it ended in a 3-2 win for Barnet - more of the same please. Tickets are also half price - bargain!  (Conference Premier, Sunday 13 October, 2pm. Ticket info)

AFC HORNCHURCH v WEALDSTONE
This weekend is FA Cup time again and it's starting to get serious. It's the third qualifying round which means teams are only two wins away from a lucrative First Round proper meeting with the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers. In the London area, this must be the pick of the ties as it pits two of the best sides in the Isthmian Premier against each other. The Urchins suffered relegation from the Conference South last year but have responded superbly and are currently top while regular promotion contenders Wealdstone are fifth. The sides last met about a month a go and drew 1-1 so it looks like being close again. (FA Cup, Saturday 12 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

HAMPTON & RICHMOND BOROUGH v ARLESEY TOWN
Over at the Beveree we have an all Level 7/Step 3 contest as Isthmian League host Southern League. Although Arlesey have had a better season so far, Hampton have gone on a decent little three game unbeaten run which should give them confidence. However, three straight wins and eight goals combined with their recent FA Cup pedigree (they got to the first round last year) should still see the Blues start as favourites. (FA Cup, Saturday 12 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

CHIPSTEAD v BISHOP'S STORTFORD
Isthmian League Division 1 South side Chipstead will start as rank outsiders against Bishop's Stortford who play two levels above them. Stortford are also one of the best sides in the Conference South who drubbed Gosport Borough 4-0 on Saturday and hammered Hendon 5-0 on their own pitch in the last round of the FA Cup last weekend.  The Chips have been far less impressive of late having lost four of their last five with their last win coming in the previous round against Chertsey who are having a really bad season. It will be one of the shocks of the round if they do get through but that's what the FA Cup is all about. (FA Cup, Saturday 12 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

EGHAM TOWN v DUNSTABLE TOWN
The Sarnies saw off highly fancied Guernsey to win the Combined Counties League title last season and duly moved up to the Southern League. After a disappointing start to life at this higher level, Egham have started to string a few results together and now find themselves in the top five of the Division 1 Central. On Saturday they meet last season's Spartan South Midlands League champions who have also settled well in this new competition. They have two points more and sit second in the table. Will they both be there at the end of the season? See what you think. (Southern League Division 1 Central, Saturday 12 October, 3pm. Club info)

ENFIELD 1893 v FC ROMANIA
It's second versus third in the Essex Senior League this weekend. The hosts have won seven of their opening eight league games are only being kept off the top by Great Wakering Rovers who have played a game more. FC Romania was set up as recently as 2006 by immigrants from the country and rose to this level after doing well in the Middlesex County League. I saw them play in a very entertaining game the season before last, fielding several very technically gifted players. It won't surprise me to see them rise further still in the near future. Enfield are the form team though and should shade this one. (Essex Senior League, Saturday 12 October, 3pm. Club info)

PHOENIX SPORTS v ERITH TOWN
Phoenix rose, pardon the pun, out of the Kent Invicta League last season and became early leaders of the Southern Counties East League. Defeats against fellow title contenders Tunbridge Wells and Whyteleafe have seen them slip but they are still firmly in third just two points behind leaders Erith Town who visit on Saturday. The Dockers also lost to Tunbridge Wells recently, their only defeat. Too close to call. (Southern Counties East League, Saturday 12 October, 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 FacebookTwitter or email.