Sunday 26 January 2014

TLFG: 27 January - 2 February 2014

Hello there one and all and welcome to TLFG.

Not a lot to mention on my part this week as it's been work, work, work so there's been little time for football. 

However, I have once again been happy to help a few readers who have got in touch with a few queries so keep the questions coming if you have any.

That's about it from me - enjoy your football watching.

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 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 FacebookTwitter 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).

Wednesday 5 March, 8pm - Denmark, international friendly, Wembley

Nothing currently available

CHELSEA
Nothing currently available

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

Saturday 1 February, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League

Thursday 27 February, 805pm - FC Dnipro, Europa League

Saturday 1 February, 1245pm - Swansea City, Premier League
Tuesday 11 February, 745pm - Norwich City, Premier League
Saturday 22 February, 3pm - Southampton, 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
This week's main deal is to be had on Tuesday where there's another 'We Are Wimbledon' night taking place at Kingsmeadow which means it's only £10 to watch the League Two match between AFC Wimbledon and Hartlepool United.

Watching the big clubs' youth and reserve teams often provides pretty good value too. On Thursday Tottenham's U18's entertain Fulham in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup. Sadly the match isn't being played at White Hart Lane - instead you'll have to head to Dagenham & Redbridge's Victoria Road ground over on the far east side of town. I don't have the precise admission details but it should be no more than £5 for adults.

Looking ahead - Hartlepool obviously aren't seen as much of a draw by our local clubs as Dagenham & Redbridge are holding their 'Daggers Against Racism Day' against the Monkey Hangers on Saturday 8 February, cutting seat tickets to just £9.99 and standing to £2.50.

At the end of February, tickets for Tottenham's Europa League tie against FC Dnipro have been reduced to £20 for adults, a significant saving.

Also way into the future, the annual football Varsity match between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge will be taking place at Craven Cottage on Sunday 6 April. It takes place on the same day as the more famous televised boat race which begins shortly after the match on the Thames which passes the ground. For £15 you'll get to see one of the oldest football fixtures in the world (this will be the 130th meeting) and then be able to watch the opening mile of the boat race from the vantage point of Craven Cottage's Riverside Terrace - your £15 also gets you some free food and drink!

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

SOLD OUT MATCHES/CHEAP TICKETS
I often receive emails from readers asking how to get tickets for matches which have sold out. The only official way to do this is to go through a ticket re-sale site like StubHub or viagogo which are fully endorsed by the clubs involved. 

These sites work by letting season-ticket holders re-sell their unwanted tickets on a match-by-match basis and it is the ticket holder who sets the price. For a sold out match they will often be able to command a large premium but conversely you'll often be able to pick up tickets for less popular matches at a significant discount. 

I know some football supporters find these sites totally abhorrent and I understand their reasons but I guess it's better to have an official way of performing transactions like this rather than risk buying a counterfeit or even non-existent ticket from a less trustworthy or even criminal source.

FOOTBALL ON A BUDGET
Apart from the ticket deals mentioned above, if you're on a tight budget and still want to see some football then check out some non-league football.

The vast majority of the clubs TLFG covers play at this level and provide good entertainment week-in-week-out at great prices. The overwhelming amount of sides charge £10 or less to get in, with many no more than a fiver. 

Several also offer half-price admission for season-ticket holders and members of Premier League and Football League clubs all year round.

Non-league football is also a great way to get kids into watching the sport live with many clubs letting them in for free. 

Check your local club's website to see what they have to offer.

THE WEEK AHEAD
There are over 90 matches in the London area over the next week so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

However, with bad weather frequent at the moment, please 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
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Red pin - Sunday fixtures


View London match map 27 January - 2 February 2014 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. There are often many more games that are worthy of a mention but I simply don't have the time or space to squeeze them all in so add your own in the comments section below.

TLFG TOP 10
1. Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City - the biggest match the week takes place at White Hart Lane on Wednesday and sees two of the Premier League's top five go head-to-head. If Arsenal slip up at Southampton on Tuesday then top spot will be City's for the taking. At the same time, if Liverpool drop points against Everton then Spurs could move into the Champions League places with a win here - in other words, there's plenty at stake. Both sides are in cracking form at the moment so it should be decent although it should be noted that when they last played back in November, City won 6-0! (Premier League, Wednesday 29 January, 745pm. Ticket info)

2. Arsenal v Crystal Palace - it's derby time at the Emirates on Sunday. Both sides badly need the points but for very different reasons. You'd have to have been living under a rock not to know that the Gunners are top of the Premier League and hopeful of landing their first title since 2003/04. They had a bit of a wobble before Christmas but have beaten everyone since. However, with only a one point advantage over Man City and two points over Chelsea their lead is precarious. If they do struggle in midweek they could be down to third by the time this one kicks-off. The Eagles, on the other hand, are scrapping to avoid the drop and could be a bit of a handful. If the south London club do win, it will be quite an achievement as they haven't got the better of the Gunners since 1994. (Premier League, Sunday 2 February, 4pm. Ticket info)

3. Chelsea v West Ham United - earlier in the week we have another very similar derby match between title and relegation contenders. As alluded to above, if results go the Blues' way they could go top of the Premier League with a win here. It's highly likely they will take all three points because the Hammers are struggling at the moment and haven't won at Stamford Bridge for 10 years. They were also comfortably beaten by Jose Mourinho's side at Upton Park earlier in the season. (Premier League, Wednesday 29 January, 745pm. Ticket info)

4. Queens Park Rangers v Burnley - the game of the weekend in the Football League pits two of the Championship title contenders against each other at Loftus Road. At the time of writing the clubs are second and third but midweek fixtures could see this change. With only two teams getting promoted automatically and Leicester already eight points clear at the top, the battle for second is likely to become intense especially when you also factor in the close proximity in the table of Derby County and to a lesser extent Nottingham Forest. If Rangers manage back-to-back home wins over Bolton and Burnley then it could give them a considerable cushion over the chasing pack. Having already lost to the Clarets and Leicester earlier in the season, another defeat here would make the hosts look little more than play-off contenders. (Championship, Saturday 1 February, 1215pm. Ticket info)

5. Leyton Orient v Coventry City - from a London point of view it's been an exciting season in League One. At the moment the lead seems to change hands between Leyton Orient and Brentford on an almost weekly basis. Currently the Bees are top by two points but have played a game more than the O's. They're both in action on Tuesday with Brentford hosting struggling Bristol City while Orient take on former Premier League side Coventry. It's been a while since the Sky Blues were at their peak and rocky finances have been a real problem as they have fallen down the leagues and lost access to their own ground. On the pitch though, this has been a quite positive season and if it wasn't for the 10-point deduction for going into administration they'd be eighth and well in with a shout of the play-offs. They are therefore likely to present quite a challenge as evidenced by the fact that the O's have only beaten them once in the three games they have already played against them this season. (League One, Tuesday 28 January, 745pm. Ticket info)

6. Dagenham & Redbridge v Southend United - in League Two we've got an Essex derby to look forward to on Tuesday. The Shrimpers made a few headlines on Saturday as they took on Premier League Hull City in the FA Cup and didn't disgrace themselves in a 2-0 defeat. Phil Brown's side will start as favourites here as they are one of the top seven clubs who already seem to have the play-off spots sewn up. Although the Daggers are tenth they are 10 points adrift of the all-important seventh spot and have only won one of their last eight. However, they have beaten Southend in two previous games this season scoring six goals so they should take heart from this. (League Two, Tuesday 28 January, 745pm. Ticket info)

7. Dartford v Luton Town - it's been quite a week for the Darts. This time last week I was telling you what a dreadful season they'd had and how the week ahead was looking bleak with two tough matches to get through. Well they somehow landed four points and could've had the full six if they hadn't let a 3-2 lead slip against title-chasing Cambridge. Be under no illusions, they are still in a very worrying position some five points from safety but they are showing signs of life. They'll need to be in good form for this game too as Luton are top and will bring a big partisan following. Expect a crowd of at least 2,000 for this one. (Conference Premier, Saturday 1 February, 3pm. Ticket info)

8. Bromley v Eastleigh - in the Conference South we've got a huge game as the top two meet at Hayes Lane for a long-awaited fixture. As it stands Bromley are 11-points clear at the top but Eastleigh have three games in hand. Crucially they lost a fourth one at Weston-Super-Mare in midweek which means if the Hampshire club lose this one too it could be all over as far as the title is concerned. (Conference South, Tuesday 28 January, 745pm. Ticket info)

9. AFC Hornchurch v Dulwich Hamlet - we finish off this week with an Isthmian League double header. Only six points separate the top six clubs in the Premier Division meaning it's an exciting time to be watching football at this level. At the time of writing Dulwich are top and the Urchins are fifth. The last time they played back in August they served up a five-goal thriller which Hornchurch edged 3-2. Hopefully we'll get another cracker here. (Isthmian League Premier Division, Saturday 1 February, 3pm. Ticket info)

10. Kingstonian v Maidstone United - there's likely to be a big crowd at Kingsmeadow too where former leaders Kingstonian welcome Kent giants Maidstone. The Stones' average attendance of over 1,800 for their home games makes them the biggest club in the division by a country mile and consequently they are second and well in with a chance of earning back-to-back promotions like Dulwich who they came up with last year. In contrast to this, the K's success has only been rewarded with average crowds of 340 showing what a gulf there is. Maidstone notched a comfortable 2-0 win in their last league meeting so you'd probably expect them to edge this one too. (Isthmian League Premier Division, Saturday 1 February, 3pm. Ticket info)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS
There are so many big games on this week that I couldn't squeeze them all into the top 10 so here's three more that are well worth a go. The Isthmian League Division 1 North's top two VCD Athletic and Soham Town Rangers do battle on Saturday. In the FA Vase fourth round, after two postponements, Hanwell Town and Ashford United will try and get a little further down the road to Wembley and finally Essex Senior League leaders Tower Hamlets entertain Sporting Bengal United, who they groundshare with, in the Mile End derby.

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 19 January 2014

TLFG: 20-26 January 2014

Hello there one and all and welcome to this week's TLFG. I hope you're in good form.

What have you been up to? This week I've been helping out with some more London football enquiries from some of TLFG's American readers and also managed to get over to Loftus Road for the first time in a while.

QPR had suffered their biggest blip of the season since my last visit at the start of December but after luckily seeing off Huddersfield on Saturday, they've now won three in a row to get back into the automatic promotion places so things are looking fairly rosy, at least on the surface.

Robert Green lines up his wall as Huddersfield threaten with an early free-kick
I say this because there were a lot of gaps in their defence yesterday. If Huddersfield's forwards hadn't been so inept when it really counted, Rangers would easily have been three or four nil down at half-time. It was strange as everything else the Terriers did, they did well. The only other exception would be their defence's ability to deal with Hoops top scorer Charlie Austin whose two match-winning goals were virtually the only chances he received. 

It was also interesting to note that of QPR's expensively assembled starting XI, the only one without Premier League experience was Austin. In fact he has spent more time in non-league than top-league football and yet he is arguably their most important player.

In case you'd missed it, the transfer window is open for the rest of the month and QPR manager Harry Redknapp is probably more famous than any other boss for doing deals at this point of the season. It's well known that he wants another striker to support Austin - Andy Johnson is a fine partner for him but is so injury prone it's a wonder he hasn't retired so can't be relied on. In my view, a mobile centre-back wouldn't go a miss either so lets see what pans out.

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 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 FacebookTwitter 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).

Wednesday 5 March, 8pm - Denmark, international friendly, Wembley

Nothing currently available

CHELSEA
Saturday 22 February, 1245pm - Chelsea, Premier League (on sale 3 Feb)

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

Saturday 1 February, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League

Wednesday 29 January, 745pm - Manchester City, Premier League
Thursday 27 February, 805pm - FC Dnipro, Europa League (on sale 24 Jan)
Sunday 2 March, 430pm - Cardiff City, Premier League 
Tuesday 21 January, 745pm - Manchester City, League Cup semi-final
Saturday 1 February, 1245pm - Swansea City, Premier League
Tuesday 11 February, 745pm - Norwich City, Premier League
Saturday 22 February, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League (on sale 21 Jan)
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
This week League One leaders Brentford have had their match against Gillingham selected for live TV coverage and had the game moved to Friday 24 January. To encourage a decent turnout, you can stand on the terrace for only £10 while all seats are available for £15.

Watching the big clubs' youth and reserve teams often provides pretty good value.

Three Premier League clubs have their youngsters in action on Monday 20 January, in games which are open to the public, and they have staggered kick-offs meaning you could do a double. Crystal Palace are playing Bristol City at Tooting & Mitcham United's ground at 1pm - £5. In the evening, just to the west, Fulham then host West Ham United at their Motspur Park training ground - £3.

There's also a couple of FA Youth Cup ties too. Also on Monday night, Millwall play Sheffield United at The Den with admission only £5 and on Saturday it's Watford v Norwich City at Vicarage Road with tickets only £3. Details for all of the above are on the match map below.

Looking ahead to next week, on Tuesday 28 January there's another 'We Are Wimbledon' night taking place at Kingsmeadow which means it's only £10 to watch the League Two match between AFC Wimbledon and Hartlepool United.

Hartlepool obviously aren't seen as much of a draw by our local clubs as Dagenham & Redbridge are holding their 'Daggers Against Racism Day' against the Monkey Hangers on Saturday 8 February, cutting seat tickets to just £9.99 and standing to £2.50.

At the end of February, tickets for Tottenham's Europa League tie against FC Dnipro have been reduced to £20 for adults, a significant saving.

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

There are over 90 matches in the London area over the next week so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

With bad weather frequent at the moment, please 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
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Magenta pin - Friday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Red pin - Sunday fixtures


View London match map 20-26 January 2014 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. There are often many more games that are worthy of a mention but I simply don't have the time or space to squeeze them all in so add your own in the comments section below.

TLFG TOP 10
1. Chelsea v Stoke City - for the second weekend in a row the biggest match of the week in London takes place at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. After soundly beating Manchester United, Jose Mourinho's team are looking more and more like serious title contenders with every passing game. This match, however, is an FA Cup fourth round tie and one they should win quite comfortably given that the Potters are much nearer the bottom of the Premier League than the top. The Staffordshire club have also lost on their last six visits although they did beat the Blues at the Britannia Stadium last month. (FA Cup, Sunday 26 January, 330pm. Ticket info)

2. West Ham United v Manchester City - under normal circumstances this would have been match of the week as it's a League Cup semi-final second leg. Usually there should be loads to play for and a tense night of thrilling cup football to look forward to but nothing looks more unlikely thanks to City crushing the Hammers 6-0 in the first leg. Given that both have greater Premier League priorities it's hard to know what kind of teams the two managers will field. Even if it's two reserve XI's, the visitors shouldn't have too many problems. (League Cup semi-final second leg, Tuesday 21 January, 745pm. Ticket info)

3. Brentford v Gillingham - with it being an FA Cup week all our Championship sides have either been drawn away or knocked out meaning we next focus on a League One match. The Bees are one of the country's most in-form teams but they lost top spot on Saturday after only managing a draw at Walsall. They will return to the summit if they win this localish derby against Kent club Gillingham on Friday night. The Gills are midtable at the moment and don't appear to be going anywhere so will start as second favourites but they did draw with Brentford back in August. As mentioned above, tickets for this match have been significantly discounted. (League One, Friday 24 January, 745pm. Ticket info)

4. Dartford v Cambridge United - regular readers will know that the Darts are having a terrible time at the moment. Their last league win was exactly three months ago when they scraped a 4-3 victory over Hyde who are the worst team in the Conference Premier by some distance. They raised their game to record a 1-1 draw at big local rivals Welling recently but got back to losing ways on Saturday. It's unlikely to get any better this weekend when title chasing Cambridge come to town. The U's have topped the division already this season and will go top again if they win their games in hand over current leaders Luton. See this match if you want to see potential champions or one of the upsets of the season. (Conference Premier, Saturday 25 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

5. Bromley v Hayes & Yeading United - the Lilywhites have surprised many with their table-topping antics but they're still going strong after a 2-1 weekend win at Bath City. Although their 11-point lead is considerable, second placed Eastleigh have four games in hand so could still usurp them. In other words, the Kent club can't rest on their laurels just yet. Former Conference Premier club Hayes are on a stinker of a run at the moment, losing their last three meaning they're stuck in midtable. Bromley beat them 2-0 on the opening day and a similar result looks likely here. Fact - Hayes are managed by former Liverpool player Phil Babb. (Conference South, Saturday 25 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

6. Wealdstone v Bury Town - we've got a top-eight clash in the Isthmian League on Saturday. The Stones have suffered defeats and postponements in the last couple of weeks which have led to them relinquishing top spot to Kingstonian. The K's will move six points ahead of them if they beat Met Police on Monday so a win here will be very important for Gordon Bartlett's side, at least psychologically. Suffolk side Bury always seem to be involved in the race for a play-off place but until recently it looked a bit beyond them this year. However, they appear to be coming up on the rails and haven't lost a game in any competition since November. A very tricky game for Wealdstone. (Isthmian League Premier Division, Saturday 25 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

7. Thurrock v Heybridge Swifts
 - there's top-six football too in the Isthmian League Division 1 North. Only one point separates these two but Thurrock are in superior form being unbeaten in six. Swifts were right up there with leaders VCD Athletic earlier in the season and did beat them but have wobbled a bit recently as other sides have caught up. The hosts also seem to know how to undo Heybridge having thrashed them 5-0 in October. (Isthmian League Division 1 North, Saturday 25 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

8. Northwood v Uxbridge - our local representatives in Southern League have been a bit of a let down this season with the exception of Northwood who could move into the play-off places with a win in this swiftly re-arranged local derby (it was postponed on Saturday). They are in better form than the Reds but got thumped 5-1 in the reverse fixture back in September so it could be close. (Southern League Division 1 Central, Tuesday 21 January, 745pm. Ticket info)

9. Hanwell Town v Ashford United - Saturday also saw the postponement of the two FA Vase fourth round ties being played in London. They have both been moved to this Saturday instead. This is one of the ties of the round as it pits two of the best sides from parallel leagues against each other for a place in the last 16. Hanwell are currently third in the Spartan South Midlands League but would be 11 points clear at the top if they won their games in hand. Kent club Ashford, on the other hand, are one of the leading lights in the Southern Counties East League so it should be quite a contest. (FA Vase, Saturday 25 January, 3pm. Club info)

10. Hanworth Villa v Eastbourne United - the other tie is at Rectory Meadow, also on the west side of town. This match isn't quite as eye-catching as the one above as it's between a midtable Combined Counties League side and Eastbourne who are currently top of their division but from a level below. Given the visitors' decent season, there could be a cupset on the cards. (FA Vase, Saturday 25 January, 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.

Sunday 12 January 2014

TLFG: 13-19 January 2014

Hi there. Welcome to the latest edition of TLFG, it's great to have you aboard.

I hope the week has treated you well. 

Here at TLFG Towers we love hearing about what you've been up to and this week Devin from the USA got in touch. He's over here with some friends at the moment doing a bit of football themed study abroad which sounds pretty good to me.

Anyway, among other things, they went to check out the U21 Premier League game between Fulham and Arsenal at the Cottagers' Motspur Park training ground.

A bit of U21 Premier League action at Fulham's Motspur Park facility
When they mentioned to me they were going I was a fearful the experience would be a little underwhelming but apparently it was £3 very well spent.

There are a couple of small grandstands, tea and coffee facilities and there's even a chance of some decent football too. Apparently you even get to rub shoulders with the players' families who were more than happy to chat so it sounds like a decent night out, especially for only three of the Queen's pounds.

Devin and his group have several other excursions lined up in the near future so hopefully we'll hear more from them.

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 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 FacebookTwitter 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).

Wednesday 5 March, 8pm - Denmark, international friendly, Wembley

Nothing currently available

CHELSEA
Sunday 26 January, 330pm - Stoke City, FA Cup fourth round (on sale 15 Jan)
Wednesday 29 January, 745pm - West Ham United, Premier League 


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

Tuesday 14 January, 745pm - Norwich City, FA Cup third round replay
Saturday 1 February, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League

Wednesday 29 January, 745pm - Manchester City, Premier League
Sunday 9 February, 130pm - Everton, Premier League 
Saturday 18 January, 3pm - Newcastle United, Premier League
Tuesday 21 January, 745pm - Manchester City, League Cup semi-final
Saturday 1 February, 1245pm - Swansea City, Premier League
Tuesday 11 February, 745pm - Norwich City, Premier League
Saturday 22 February, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League (on sale 21 Jan)
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
This week we've got a few FA Cup ties to look forward to and as is now the norm, ticket prices have been slashed.

The pick of them is the all Premier League clash between Fulham and Norwich City on Tuesday with all adult tickets reduced to a flat rate of £15.

The same night it's also £15 to see Watford host Bristol City while over on the south-east side of town it's only £10 to watch Charlton Athletic v Oxford United.

Looking ahead to next week, League One leaders Brentford have had their match against Gillingham selected for live TV coverage and had the game moved to Friday 24 January. To encourage a decent turnout, you can stand on the terrace for only £10 while all seats are available for £15.

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

There are over 80 matches in the London area over the next week so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

With bad weather frequent at the moment, please 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 13-19 JANUARY 2014
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 13-19 January 2014 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. There are often many more games that are worthy of a mention but I simply don't have the time or space to squeeze them all in so add your own in the comments section below.

TLFG TOP 10
1. Chelsea v Manchester United - the biggest match of the weekend takes place at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Jose Mourinho's team are starting to look ominously good and briefly topped the table on Saturday after their win at Hull. On the other hand, Man Utd have been in absolutely dreadful form, by their standards, losing three games in a row in three different competitions. However, it is all relative and Saturday's league win over Swansea was their fifth in six Premier League matches so they're still a pretty capable bunch. (Premier League, Sunday 19 January, 4pm. Ticket info)

2. Arsenal v Fulham - a north versus west London derby between teams at either end of the table. Arsenal could well be top by kick-off and are overwhelming favourites to win, in fact I don't think Fulham have ever won away against the Gunners so it'll be close to miraculous if they manage it this time. (Premier League, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

3. Queens Park Rangers v Huddersfield Town - London's top team outside the Premier League are QPR. The Shepherd's Bush club are third in the Championship and could move into the top two with a win over the Yorkshire club. The Terriers held Rangers to a 1-1 draw earlier in the season and still have realistic play-off ambitions of their own so could be tricky opponents. (Championship, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

4. Welling United v Woking - with all our local League One and Two clubs playing away, the next featured match is in the Conference Premier. After drawing their big derby against Dartford they host struggling Hyde and Woking in back-to-back games. The Cards aren't a London club but are located on the fringes of the city so this will have a bit of a derby feel to it. The hosts are just above Woking in the table and have won three of their last four against them so should start as favourites here. (Conference Premier, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

5. Sutton United v Weston-Super-Mare - most talk in the Conference South this season has been about Bromley and rightly so as they're 11 points clear at the top. However, Sutton have also been making good progress and are tucked in nicely in third. However, they've lost three of their last five and could drop out of the play-off places if they lose here. The visitors pushed for a play-off spot last season but just fell short and are in a similar position this year, a win here could put them in the top five. (Conference South, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

6. Wealdstone v Billericay Town - the Stones ended the weekend top of the Isthmian League despite losing at midtable Canvey Island. However, they are only there by virtue of superior goal difference over Kingstonian who notched a crucial 2-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet on Sunday to move level on points. Billericay have had an indifferent time since relegation from the Conference South and have been short of games of late because of the bad weather. They are unbeaten in four though, all away from home, and won at AFC Hornchurch who are also in the title-chasing pack. (Isthmian League Premier Division, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

7. VCD Athletic v Redbridge - the hosts raced out of the blocks at the start of the season and built up a sizeable lead which shocked a lot of people. How had the newly promoted club done so well? From the beginning of November the results began to dip and they've now lost four of their last seven matches but they are still top of the tree albeit by only one point. The Motormen are stuck in midtable and have taken a couple of sound beatings recently so should lose here too. (Isthmian League Division 1 North, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

8. Northwood v Uxbridge - our local representatives in the Southern League have been a bit of a let down this season with the exception of Northwood who could move into the play-off places with a win in this local derby. They are in better form than the Reds but got thumped 5-1 in the reverse fixture back in September so it could be close. (Southern League Division 1 Central, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

9. Hanwell Town v Ashford United - this Saturday is also FA Vase fourth round day. One of the ties of the round must surely be this one at Reynolds Field where two of the best sides from parallel leagues meet for a place in the last 16. Hanwell are currently second in the Spartan South Midlands League but would be 11 points clear at the top if they won their games in hand. Kent club Ashford, on the other hand, are one of the leading lights in the Southern Counties East League so it should be quite a contest. (FA Vase, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Club info)

10. Hanworth Villa v Eastbourne United - the only other tie in London is at Rectory Meadow, also on the west side of town. This match isn't quite as eye-catching as the one above as it's between a midtable Combined Counties League side and Eastbourne who are currently top of their division but from a level below (Level 10/Step 6). Given the visitors' decent season, there could be a cupset on the cards. (FA Vase, Saturday 18 January, 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.

Sunday 5 January 2014

TLFG: 6-12 January 2014

Happy New Year one and all and welcome to the first TLFG of 2014.

I hope the festive period treated you well and you got to see or play in a game or two.

For the first time in many years, work commitments saw me spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day at home so I was able to see a game on the latter. 

With several games called off I headed up to north London to watch Wingate & Finchley play Hendon in an Isthmian League derby match.

Regular readers will know I'm a fairly frequent visitor to Summers Lane as my Non-League Day right-hand man Mike Bayly is community development manager at the club so it was as his guest that I attended.

Wingate defend a first-half corner as they pinch an undeserved victory
The match became one of the most one sided I had seen in a long time with Hendon creating chance after chance throughout the game but it was Wingate who stole all three points with a goal from debutant Adam Bolle shortly before half-time. As a great man once said, "It's a funny old game".

Aside from that, rain and other commitments mean that's been it for me over the last two weeks but I did of course watch the much anticipated Arsenal v Tottenham game on TV as many others did. Were you lucky enough to be there? 

By the way, I'd like to give a big hats off to Isthmian League club Thamesmead Town who, aside from Arsenal and Barnet, were one of only three sides to get a game on in the whole of London on Saturday. They produced a thrilling 3-3 draw with Billericay Town and were rewarded with a bumper crowd of 146, well above their average of 85. Well done them.

This week looks like being a great one for watching non-league football in the capital. Two of the biggest matches at that level take place on Friday night (Welling v Dartford) and Sunday afternoon (Kingstonian v Dulwich) pretty much unopposed by anything else, meaning that you can go and watch your favourite club on Saturday and then hop off to either or both of these on the other days. If your Saturday is also open, then you could complete an odyssey of south London football by going to Bromley v Eastbourne Borough which is a game of some significance in the Conference South.

Lastly this week I'd like to give a mention of thanks to two websites who have driven a lot of traffic TLFG's way of late. Firstly the great londonist.com which is one of the best online guides to the city there is and also honglingjin.co.uk which provides information to Chinese students living in London. Many thanks, I really appreciate it.

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 FacebookTwitter 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).

Wednesday 5 March, 8pm - Denmark, international friendly, Wembley

Nothing currently available

Wednesday 29 January, 745pm - West Ham United, Premier League (on sale 6 Jan)


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

Saturday 11 January, 3pm - Sunderland, Premier League
Saturday 1 February, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League

Wednesday 29 January, 745pm - Manchester City, Premier League
Sunday 9 February, 130pm - Everton, Premier League 
Saturday 18 January, 3pm - Newcastle United, Premier League
Tuesday 21 January, 745pm - Manchester City, League Cup semi-final
Saturday 1 February, 1245pm - Swansea City, Premier League
Tuesday 11 February, 745pm - Norwich City, Premier League (on sale 7 Jan)
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
On Saturday 11 January, Championship club Watford have reduced adult tickets to a flat rate of £20 for the visit of Reading which has something of a derby nature to it.

In the U21 Premier League, it's £3 for adults as Fulham host Arsenal at their Motspur Park training ground on Thursday 9 January at 7pm. A day later in the same competition, it's West Ham v West Brom at Rush Green Stadium in Romford. I'm not certain of the price but it's likely to be similar.

Championship strugglers Charlton Athletic are offering entry for only £10 as they take on League Two title contenders Oxford United in their swiftly re-arranged FA Cup third round tie on Tuesday 14 January.

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

There are 80 matches in the London area over the next week, with at least one game a day, so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

With bad weather becoming more frequent, please 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 6-12 JANUARY 2014
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Turquoise pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Magenta pin - Friday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Red pin - Sunday fixtures


View London match map 6-12 January 2014 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. There are often many more games that are worthy of a mention but I simply don't have the time or space to squeeze them all in so add your own in the comments section below.

TLFG TOP 10

1. Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace - we kick-off this week with a London derby. Both clubs are under new management and both have shown early promise. Their objectives are of course very different with Spurs targeting a Champions League place and Palace simply survival. The hosts come into this on the back of a disappointing 2-0 FA Cup defeat at bitter rivals Arsenal but have won three of their last four league games and will definitely start as favourites. The Eagles got a fine FA Cup win at West Brom on Saturday and have taken four points from their last three league games which isn't bad for a club in the bottom three. When they last met on the opening day of the season, Tottenham edged to a 1-0 win. (Premier League, Saturday 11 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

2. Fulham v Sunderland - also in the Premier League we've got a relegation scrap to look forward to. The Cottagers, also under new management, are another club to be showing signs of improvement. With two wins in three they've moved out of the drop zone and could climb the table still further with a win over the division's bottom club. The Mackems looked dead and buried recently but a run of only one defeat in five has kept them in touch with the rest of the pack. Fulham to win but not by much. (Premier League, Saturday 11 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

3. Watford v Reading - dropping down a division I would also class this as a derby. Although 30 miles separate these clubs, Watford are Reading's geographically nearest rivals in this division. Historically they also have a very tight head-to-head record with Watford just one win ahead over the 113 times they've played. Although the Hornets are five points behind the Royals, current form suggests they could well win here as the visitors a winless in five in all competitions. (Championship, Saturday 11 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

4. Brentford v Port Vale - talking of form, the hottest team in London right now are Brentford. When manager Uwe Rosler was headhunted by Wigan Athletic recently, many thought the Bees would suffer but under Mark Warburton they've gone from strength to strength. With 12 wins from their last 13 league games, the other being a draw, they've overhauled Leyton Orient and Wolves to go three points clear at the top. On Saturday they welcome Port Vale who have promotion ambitions of their own. Currently eighth, just two points away from the play-off spots, they should present a reasonable challenge. (League One, Saturday 11 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

5. Dagenham & Redbridge v Fleetwood Town - when it comes towards the end of the season both of these sides could well be in with a shout of a play-off place. They're both currently in the top 10 with Fleetwood filling the last play-off spot some four points ahead of the Daggers. If the hosts are to be considered real contenders then they'll really have to win here. The clubs have only met three times before, the last time in August when Fleetwood won 3-1. (League Two, Saturday 11 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

6. Welling United v Dartford - this game should've been played over New Year but it fell victim to the bad weather. Luckily for anyone free this week, this big south-east London derby has been re-arranged for Friday night. A really good rivalry has developed between these clubs over the years with probably the biggest meeting between them for sometime coming in the Conference South play-offs a couple of seasons ago. Dartford came out on top and got promoted. Last year, Welling upped their game and won the Conference South title to join them in this year's Conference Premier. Dartford had a good debut season but have struggled badly this time, with a draw in an FA Trophy tie against Forest Green being their best result in their last 13 games. Welling, on the other hand, are sat snugly in midtable and enjoyed a 2-1 win at Dartford on Boxing Day. The omens look bad for the Darts but anything can happen in a derby. (Conference Premier, Friday 10 January, 745pm. Ticket info)

7. Bromley v Eastbourne Borough - there's a top six Conference South clash to look forward to on Saturday as the almost invincible Bromley look to extend their already mighty 10-point lead at the top. With a very similar record to Brentford, the Lilywhites have been in imperious form since October when they lost to south London rivals Sutton at Gander Green Lane. Since then only Ebbsfleet United have stopped them winning during an 11-game run which has seen them score 24 and concede just three. Eastbourne are a whopping 20 points behind but, such is Bromley's dominance, that's good enough for sixth with only goal difference keeping them out of the play-off places. The other fact to slightly worry fans of the Hayes Lane club is that Eastbourne have won six of their last seven games against them. (Conference South, Saturday 11 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

8. Kingstonian v Dulwich Hamlet - the big game of the weekend in the Isthmian League takes place at Kingsmeadow on Sunday. As it stands this represents a game between third and second in what is a very tight title race. Depending on how results go elsewhere in midweek and on Saturday, either of these sides could potentially go top with a win. There is also a bit of a south-London derby feel to this one too so there should be a significant crowd hopefully bolstered by a number of you who will have this as their only match option within London on the day. I am genuinely excited about the potential of this match and am really disappointed that work will prevent me being there. It could be a great way to top off a weekend of football watching in the capital. (Isthmian League Premier Division, Sunday 12 January, 3pm. Ticket info)

9. Hanwell Town v Ampthill Town - if memory serves me correctly, this is a re-arranged game from earlier in the season. Both currently find themselves in the Spartan South Midlands League top three with Ampthill seven points clear of third-placed Hanwell but only because they've played six games more. Although this is a Premier Division Cup match, it will hopefully give some indication of who might come out on top come the end of the campaign. POSTPONED

10. Hillingdon Borough v Harefield United - last up this week we've got another Spartan South Midlands League game. Although they are both only in midtable, they play only a couple of miles apart pretty much on the same road so this is very much a derby. They are also close in the league table so as Level 9 matches go, this will hopefully be worth a watch. POSTPONED

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.