Tuesday 29 August 2017

TLFG: 29 August - 3 September 2017

Greetings one and all and welcome back to a TLFG that's firing on all cylinders again.

My apologies for not getting the time to write a full blog last week as I was just too busy. I was particularly disappointed as there were so many great games to tell you about and I doubt the match maps were enough to highlight what a great selection there were. I hope you had a good time anyway.

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On Bank Holiday Monday it was possible to take in three games - I know some of you made it to two but did anyone get the hat-trick?

The week ahead sees the first international break of the season which means there are no Premier League or Championship games. Unusually all our local League One and Two sides are playing away too and England haven't got their World Cup qualifier until next week.


The most high profile match of the week will be this charity game at QPR

Which means, that aside from an unappealing midweek EFL Trophy game, the biggest football event of the week in London will be the 'Game 4 Grenfell' at Loftus Road.

Most readers will remember the terrible events of the Grenfell Tower fire back in June and how it affected many people in west London including myself as it stands exactly a mile from where I live. My wife has become involved with things since then and gave a speech in the aftermath in the shadow of what's left of the building.

QPR are the local club and swung into action immediately co-ordinating collections and all other kinds of welfare activities in the days and weeks since the tragedy.

On Saturday, two teams of ex-pros and celebrities managed by Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer will do their bit to raise funds for the survivors and hopefully provide some good entertainment for the crowd too.

There's also set to be some other non-football entertainment with former Girls Aloud star 'Cheryl' making her big comeback after maternity leave - gasp!

Personally I'm not usually a fan of celebrity or even legends matches but given this is on my doorstep and for a cause I strongly support, I'll probably get down there.

If I don't then it will be all about the FA Cup as the competition reaches the first qualifying round stage on Saturday. It starts to get quite serious at this point with clubs from the seventh tier like my beloved Harrow Borough entering the fray. They made it all the way to the First Round proper and a glorious thrashing at the hands of League One side Northampton Town last year - somehow I doubt that will be repeated as they've landed a stinker of a trip to Enfield Town who will be incredibly tough to beat.

There's now less than six weeks to go until this year's Non-League Day


It's also worth noting that our local sides have all got off to a flyer in the National League, currently filling five of the top eight spots. The top three are all at home on Saturday so that might be something to investigate too.

Whatever you do, don't think for one moment that because the Premier League is having a few days off that there 'is no football on' which I hear all too often. Go out and explore the lower leagues, you might find a club on your doorstep you never knew existed and they're actually much better than you could possibly have imagined.

All of which leads me to my final point which is that Non-League Day is now just over a month away. One of the reasons I have been so busy of late is my preparations for it.

With meetings at organisations like Kick It Out, Prostate Cancer UK and the Premier League - it's been a hectic few weeks.

This year's event is on Saturday 7 October during the next international break so if you can't check out a non-league game this weekend, please try and get to one then.

Anyway, that's it from me - have a great week and keep me updated on which matches you get to.


THE WEEK AHEAD
There are over 60 matches in the London area over the next seven days as the Premier League and EFL take a break.

The main action takes place in the National League and there are also a number of FA Cup ties, plus some matches in the ninth and 10th tiers.

As always, 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 on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (orange pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.


The Non-League Club Directory is back for 2017-2018

Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top.

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - magenta pin



WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin




TLFG DAILY DIGEST
In the following section I list, by day, what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Tuesday 29 August

EFL Trophy
Barnet v AFC Wimbledon @8pm - the only match in London this week between two sides from 'the 92' is this one in the much maligned EFL Trophy. This competition used to be purely for clubs in League One and League Two but from last season it was decided to include a few U23 sides from the Premier League and Championship too. The move was rejected by fans of most clubs with absolutely abysmal attendances as a result. Some clubs, especially AFC Wimbledon, have been particularly clear about their distaste for the changes and actively discourage fans not to attend games, particularly ones against academy sides. Although this is a far more genuine tie and a derby, don't expect much of a crowd. Tickets are £10 if you do decide to go

Professional Development League
If you want to see a more traditional way of developing young players then there are three games across the city during the course of the day. Not only this but the home clubs are all using their main stadiums rather than training grounds. Crystal Palace (1pm), Millwall (2pm) and Watford (7pm) are all throwing their doors open so you could quite easily see a couple of matches on Tuesday. Please make sure you double check the venue and kick-off time before you travel as these can change at quite short notice for games at this level

Combined Counties League Premier Division
Hanworth Villa v Colliers Wood United @730pm - two of the top six meet at Rectory Meadow on Tuesday. Bar one season, Hanworth seem to have been permanently stationed in the CCL's top five ever since I started this blog. A solid side who enjoy the odd good cup run, they finished third under former Fulham and QPR player Rufus Brevett last term. The visitors haven't been as impressive in recent years but have started well this time and should be capable of at least a draw

Essex Senior League
West Essex v Basildon United @745pm - the hosts only made their debut at this level last season and have begun this campaign with three wins and a draw to sit fourth in the table. Basildon have won all four of their games and arrive knowing a win could bring them level on points with leaders Takeley
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Wednesday 30 August

Essex Senior League

Sporting Bengal United v Sawbridgeworth Town @745pm - there's not a huge amount on Wednesday but conceivably, at the time of writing, the hosts could make it into the top five with a win here

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Saturday 2 September

Game 4 Grenfell @3pm
The most high profile game of the week will take place at QPR's Loftus Road Stadium where two teams of ex-pros and celebrities will do their bit to entertain the crowd and raise money for the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire which which took place back in June less than a mile from the ground. Tickets are £15 for adults and £5 concessions

National League
Dagenham & Redbridge v Gateshead @3pm - the Daggers have got off to a good start and lie second after seven games. The Tynesiders have begun well too and are just two points behind in sixth
Leyton Orient v Guiseley @3pm - the O's have responded pretty well to relegation from the EFL and are locked on level points with east London rivals Dagenham in third. Guiseley miraculously escaped relegation last season and are struggling again
Sutton United v Maidenhead United @3pm - all of London's National League sides have made a great start and currently fill five of the top eight spots. However, it's Sutton who currently lead the way after going unbeaten in their first seven matches. Maidenhead have just come up from the NLS and in Dave Tarpey they have one of the hottest striking talents in non-league football spearheading their attack (Update: Dave Tarpey signed for Barnet on transfer deadline day)

National League South
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Dartford @3pm - after reaching the play-offs last season, both sides will probably be a little disappointed with how they've begun this time around. Although the Darts are in the top six again, they're already six points behind the leaders who they would've expected to challenge. It's worse for the hosts though who have only won twice so far and a bad set of results on Saturday could see them drop into the relegation zone or be left just above it

FA Cup First Qualifying Round - at this stage the surviving clubs from the eighth, ninth and 10th tiers are joined in the draw by all the clubs from the seventh tier. The winners of each tie receive £3,000 in prize money.

Enfield Town v Harrow Borough @3pm - the cup draw has thrown up some great derbies and other interesting ties with this one of great personal interest to me. After being reprieved from relegation over the summer, Harrow have come flying out of the blocks and were top of the Bostik League with maximum points after four games. Sadly that run came to a spectacular end on Monday when they lost at local rivals Hendon 6-0. The Towners are a bigger club than Harrow and are usually among the play-off contenders and although they are four points behind in the league, they're starting to warm up with two wins on the trot and should start as favorites
Hendon v Wingate & Finchley @3pm - elsewhere in north London we have this derby. Not only do these sides come from neighbouring areas but they're also currently fifth and sixth in the Bostik League. As we've already heard, Hendon thrashed Harrow on Monday while Wingate went to Staines and won 5-0 - impressive form from both
Haringey Borough v Hitchin Town @3pm - if you're looking for a potential cupset then Coles Park on White Hart Lane could be the place to be. Haringey came close to promotion last season and are up in the top four of the Bostik North again. Hitchin play a level above in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier and made the play-offs as well but they haven't started brilliantly and could be vulnerable
Clapton v Needham Market @3pm - if the Clapton Ultras end their boycott of matches at the Old Spotted Dog then this could be a great game to go to. Having seen off Norwich United in the last round, the East End club face a Needham Market side who've been far from their best in the Bostik Premier and could be there for the taking
Banstead Athletic v Glebe @3pm - two of our lowest ranked teams that are left in the competition do battle at Merland Rise. Both enjoyed promotions last season but they've found the step up in their respective leagues pretty tough going so this cup match should be a good distraction and will guarantee a ninth-tier team in the next round

Combined Counties League Premier Division
Balham v Bedfont Sports @3pm - after only joining the CCL last season, Balham got promoted at the first attempt and have made a steady start at the higer level. The visitors are unbeaten in five and could go top with a win

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Wembley v Oxhey Jets @3pm - these two have both made solid starts and come into the game in the top seven. A win for Oxhey could send them to the top

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Sunday 3 September

FA Cup First Qualifying Round
Romford v AFC Hornchurch @3pm - round off your week with a trip to Thurrock for this Essex derby in the FA Cup.With the Urchins living up to their billing as favorites to win the Bostik North, local rivals Romford are averaging a point a game and are down in 17th. The visitors should start as clear favourites but this is the FA Cup and it could be anyone's - a potential cracker


GET INVOLVED
If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground in the London area for this blog then get in touch. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

NEED HELP?
Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries. I do not charge for this advice like some other sites so don't hold back!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via FacebookTwitter or even by good old email.

Sunday 20 August 2017

TLFG: 21-28 August 2017

This week, with the Bank Holiday at the end, is one of the biggest in the football calendar and is literally bursting with matches.

Sadly I'm completely out of time and I've only been able to put the match maps together.

On the Bank Holiday itself, there are derbies galore and it's possible to see three games in the day thanks to 1130am kick-offs in the Combined Counties League, loads of others at 3pm and a 745pm match at Barkingside.


Railway improvement work could have a serious impact on your journey to football this month

I will try and flesh things out a bit more over the next day or two but in the meantime have a good look through the maps and I'm sorry I couldn't do more. Today alone I've had to squeeze in this, a seven-mile run, it's my wedding anniversary and I'm off to work shortly until getting on for 1am.


THE WEEK AHEAD
There are well over 100 matches in the London area over the next seven days with all our major football leagues in action.

There are also some FA Cup ties, some of which are yet to be confirmed so check back as the week progresses.

As always, 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 on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (orange pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.


The Non-League Club Directory is back for 2017-2018

Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top.

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Monday fixtures - yellow pin
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - magenta pin
Friday fixtures - black pin



WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin
Bank Holiday Monday fixtures - grey pin





GET INVOLVED
If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground in the London area for this blog then get in touch. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

NEED HELP?
Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries. I do not charge for this advice like some other sites so don't hold back!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via FacebookTwitter or even by good old email.

Sunday 13 August 2017

TLFG: 14-20 August 2017

Well I think that's it - everyone is finally underway.

The Premier League, EFL, National League, the FA Cup and all the other leagues TLFG covers have all seen their first games played.

The opening weekend of the Premier League saw some truly sensational games with Arsenal pipping Leicester 4-3, Watford coming from behind to controversially draw 3-3 with Liverpool and, most notably, champions Chelsea losing 3-2 at home to Burnley.

In last week's piece I said the Clarets could make it tough for Chelsea but I didn't realise just how tough!

Elsewhere, Spurs started well with a win at Newcastle while there were disappointingly comfortable defeats for Crystal Palace and West Ham.

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I'm pleased to report that the two sides I follow had good weeks.

QPR followed up their impressive win over Reading with a 1-0 EFL Cup victory over Northampton and a 1-1 draw against a highly rated Sheffield Wednesday side at Hillsborough.

Whilst Harrow Borough, who were reprieved from relegation by problems at Worcester City, began their Bostik League campaign with a 2-1 win over Harlow Town.

Sadly I missed out on experiencing these fine performances as I had booked tickets months ago to spend the day at the London Stadium watching the World Athletics Championships instead.

Despite football being my passion, I haven't played it for years and actually spend the rest of my spare time running.

Whether it's a Saturday morning parkrun, a track session at my local club, running a half marathon or just pounding the streets to keep off the calories - it keeps me busy.


Railway improvement work could have a serious impact on your journey to football this month

I'm actually a registered amateur athlete with England Athletics so going to the World Championships was something I was always likely to do.

Having been operational for five years, it was still only my first visit to the stadium and I was interested to see what it was like and why West Ham's fans hated it so much.

It was effectively sold out on Saturday morning and the atmosphere was pretty decent as the British women charged round the track in 4x100m relay. The sightlines from where I was sat in the upper tier were also good so I was a bit surprised that it was so unpopular. However, football is very different to athletics and the track does get in the way and for fans used to the closeness of Upton Park it must be very hard to get used to. I'll just have to make another visit to see for myself.

Thousands turn out for the World Athletics Championships at the London Stadium

In other news, Spurs put their second home game of the season against Burnley on general sale earlier this week.

I put a post about it on TLFG's Facebook page and it received huge interest.

Given the vastness of Wembley, I would think every game will go to general sale this season. Even the Chelsea game on Sunday has some availability provided you registered with the club before 1 July.

With most of my Saturdays taken up with work and many tickets available for only £20, I could well find myself at Wembley for the odd Sunday game over the next few months.


THE WEEK AHEAD
There are over 100 matches in the London area over the next seven days with all our major football leagues in action.

There are also some FA Cup ties, some of which are yet to be confirmed so check back as the week progresses.

As always, 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 on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (orange pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.


Coming out on Wednesday, the Non-League Club Directory is back for 2017-2018

Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top.

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Monday fixtures - yellow pin
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - magenta pin
Friday fixtures - black pin



WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin




TLFG DAILY DIGEST
In the following section I list, by day, what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 14 August*

National League South
Wealdstone v Havant & Waterlooville @745pm - the Stones narrowly missed out on a play-off place last season and on Monday they welcome the newly promoted Hawks who won the Ryman League title back in April

Bostik League North Division
Haringey Borough v Barking @745pm - the hosts did really well to make the play-offs last season and got the new season off to a great start on Saturday with a win at Norwich United. Barking came into this campaign as Essex Senior League champions but came unstuck at home to Waltham Abbey in their first game

Bostik League South Division
Carshalton Athletic v Hastings United @745pm - the Robins were just pipped to a play-off place by Hastings last season so there's a little bit of unfinished business here

Essex Senior League
Barkingside v West Essex @745pm - it might be early days in the ESL but this is a top-six clash and a win for either will see them go at least joint top

Southern Counties East League Division 1
Sporting Club Thamesmead v FC Elmstead @745pm - like the game above, this is also a top-six clash that will put the winner top

*There are also a number of U23 games in the Professional Development League but, at the time of writing, all are taking place at club training grounds so it is unclear whether the public will be admitted

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Tuesday 15 August

Championship
Brentford v Bristol City @745pm - the Bees have got off to a shaky start with defeats in their first two league games. However, they are unbeaten in six against the Robins so that run could end
Millwall v Ipswich Town @745pm - the Lions picked up their first point of the season against Bolton on Saturday. The Tractor Boys are next up and although suffering some very poor results in pre-season have won their first two and are looking good

National League
Bromley v Leyton Orient @745pm - we've got a derby to look forward to at Hayes Lane of Tuesday as the Lilywhites welcome the recently relegated O's. After losing at Sutton on the opening day, Leyton Orient have won their next two while unbeaten Bromley are only a point behind
Dagenham & Redbridge v Ebbsfleet United @745pm - there's also a big game with a derby feel to it north of the river where two of the favourites for promotion go head-to-head at Victoria Road

Bostik League Premier Division
Hendon v Enfield Town @745pm - there's a north London derby at Silver Jubilee Park on Tuesday. Neither team made a great start on Saturday so they'll both be going after their first win

Bostik League South Division
Corinthian Casuals v Greenwich Borough @745pm - both these sides made the play-offs last season where CC's beat big-spending Greenwich 4-3 in south-east London in the semis. Boro will no doubt want to get some early revenge

FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replays
Erith Town v Rochester United @745pm - after drawing 1-1 at Rochester with 10 men, the initial replay was postponed so now they have to try again with the winners travelling to Whyteleafe in the next round
Waltham Forest v FC Romania @745pm - inclement weather also delayed this replay. The visitors are among the favourites to win the Essex Senior League this season and have already won all three games played, scoring 13 in the process

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Wednesday 16 August

Bostik League North Division
Grays Athletic v AFC Hornchurch @745pm - Grays play their first competitive game at Parkside, the new ground they share with Aveley. Title contenders and Essex neighbours Hornchurch provide the opposition

Essex Senior League
Hackney Wick v Sporting Bengal United @745pm - it's a case of Hackney versus Tower Hamlets in Newham on Wednesday with this East End derby at Clapton's ground

Combined Counties League Division 1
FC Deportivo Galicia v Kensington Borough @745pm - two recent graduates of the Middlesex County League are now both in the CCL1 and groundsharing at the two Bedfont clubs which means they play right next to each other next to Heathrow airport, sadly nowhere near where either of them come from

Spartan South Midlands League Division 1
Southall v Hatfield Town @745pm - having finally been signed off by all the relevant authorities, Southall begin life at the brand new SkyEx Stadium which they share with Hayes & Yeading United. UPDATE (15/08/17): Match moved to Hillingdon Borough

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Friday 18 August

Premier League 2
Chelsea v Derby County @705pm - the Blues' U23 side play the first home game of their PL2 campaign at Stamford Bridge. At just £5 for adults, matches like this provide a great opportunity to see a game at one of the city's top stadiums at a fraction of the normal cost. However, tickets must be bought by 4pm on the day of the game - you will not be able to pay on the gate

FA Cup Preliminary Round
AC London v Egham Town @745pm - the hosts have created a lot of headlines over the last couple of weeks. Set up following the London riots of 2011 by a teenager, AC London are not only now a well established semi-pro club but they are also in the FA Cup for the first time. After a fixture clash with Whyteleafe, who they groundshare with, they had to forfeit home advantage in the opening round but still beat Crawley Down Gatwick. Next up they take on the Sarnies who play two levels above them and made the Evo-Stik League Division 1 Central play-offs last season - it will be quite some achievement if they win again

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Saturday 19 August

Championship
Fulham v Sheffield Wednesday @3pm - strangely there's no Premier League football in London on Saturday so this represents your next best option. Both these sides made the play-offs last season but came unstuck at the semi-final stage and will want to do well again
Queens Park Rangers v Hull City @3pm - QPR came perilously close to relegation to League One last season but managed to stay up and have started this season much better than expected. Hull fought hard but lost their place in the Premier League back in May and are expected to do well

League One
Charlton Athletic v Northampton Town @3pm - the only other EFL game in the capital on Saturday is this one at The Valley. The Addicks will start as favourites especially when you consider the Cobblers have only managed two wins over them since 1964!

National League
Boreham Wood v Aldershot Town @3pm - the Wood have started well enough but not as well as the Shots who have won their opening three and are already two points clear at the top. That could change following midweek results but if they do win again, then they could be well worth a watch
Bromley v Hartlepool United @3pm - it's a huge week for Bromley who host recently relegated former EFL stalwarts Leyton Orient and Hartlepool in back-to-back games. Whereas the O's have started well, the club from County Durham are winless and down in 20th place

National League South
Wealdstone v Chelmsford City @3pm - the Stones start the week against the Ryman League champions and end it against one of the favourites for the NLS title. Chelmsford are living up to their billing so far with a 100% record from their first three games

Bostik League Premier Division
Dulwich Hamlet v Billericay Town @3pm - the standout game of the week in the Bostik League sees the two pre-season favourites meet at Champion Hill. If you've somehow missed it, Dulwich have become the biggest club in the league in terms of support (averaging 1,317 last season) as good marketing and community engagement has seen them grown rapidly in recent years. However, in recent months Billericay have been taken over by a rich benefactor who is rumoured to be spending over £30,000 a week on wages for the likes of former Premier League players Paul Konchesky, Jamie O'Hara and Jermaine Pennant. Despite the two clubs' strong squads, neither managed a win on the opening day with Billericay somehow contriving to lose at home to Kingstonian who are without a ground of their own after leaving Kingsmeadow in April

FA Cup Preliminary Round - at this stage of the competition, clubs from the eighth tier join the draw alongside the sides from the ninth and tenth tier who survived the opening round. Winners of each tie receive £1,925 prize money. Listed below are a few of the many ties taking place in London this weekend
AFC Hornchurch v Brentwood Town @3pm - the Urchins welcome Brentwood for an Essex derby between two Bostik League North sides
Chertsey Town v Horsham @3pm -  the Curfews welcome Bostik League Horsham to Alwyns Lane as they look to cause an upset
Clapton v Norwich United @3pm - there's a similar ninth versus eighth tier game at the Old Spotted Dog where a great atmosphere could usually be guaranteed. However, the club's ultras began another boycott on Saturday and without them, the ground is usually close to empty. Check their Twitter feed during the week to see whether or not they'll be back
Colliers Wood United v Shoreham @3pm - the Wood welcome the Southern Combination champions to the Wibbandune for what should be a testing tie
Croydon v Faversham Town @3pm - the Trams face a tough game against Bostik League Faversham who top the South Division at the time of writing

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Sunday 20 August

Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea @4pm - Spurs begin life at Wembley Stadium with this humdinger of a derby against the Blues. These two finished second and first in the Premier League last season but it was Spurs who made a much better start this weekend, winning 2-0 at Newcastle while Chelsea lost 3-2 at home to Burnley. Tickets are still on 'restricted general sale' for this match - which means you can get a ticket if you had registered with Tottenham before the 1 July

FA Cup Preliminary Round
Cray Wanderers v Sevenoaks Town @3pm - thanks to several local sides groundsharing, there are three further FA Cup ties on Sunday. Bostik League side Cray, who play at Bromley's ground, welcome SCEFL side Sevenoaks and should therefore start as favourites
Erith & Belvedere v Cray Valley PM @3pm - there's a south-east London derby at Park View Road where the recently relegated hosts will look to claim the scalp of their higher ranked neighbours
Southall v Hadley @3pm - west Londoners Southall play only their second game at the newly opened SkyEx Community Stadium and face Hadley from the division above (UPDATE: 18/08/17 - Match moved to Saturday 19 August, 3pm at Hillingdon Borough)


GET INVOLVED
If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground in the London area for this blog then get in touch. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

NEED HELP?
Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries. I do not charge for this advice like some other sites so don't hold back!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via FacebookTwitter or even by good old email.

Sunday 6 August 2017

TLFG: 7-13 August 2017

It's nearly here. The final countdown has begun - by the end of the week, the football season will be fully underway at every level which TLFG covers.

The weekend just gone saw the EFL and FA Cup get going. This week sees the Premier League, Premier League 2, and sides in the seventh and eighth tiers finally join the party.

Once again I've missed out on seeing live football but this week it was a conscious choice - it was either go to a game or write this blog. Such is my devotion to you, dear readers, that I opted for the latter.

It was a tough decision as QPR gave one of their best performances for a while against a highly rated Reading side. Two Conor Washington goals got the crowd roaring within earshot of my flat and saw off Jaap Stam's side with relative ease as a high energy pressing game won the day for the hosts. 

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I also passed up the chance to join German TLFG reader Christoph for the Tottenham game against Juventus at Wembley which kicked off at 530pm - but then so did most people as only 26,251 turned up for a game which, although attractive, was significantly overpriced when it first went on sale.


Railway improvement work could have a serious impact on your journey to football this month

In fact, the last two Non-League Finals Days drew significantly higher crowds to Wembley which is a little bit of a worry - I'm sure it will be a different story when Chelsea head there for Spurs' first home game later this month. Although, it should be noted that the Blues have only been given 3,000 tickets!

In other news, the capital is currently playing host to the World Athletics Championships over at the London Stadium. I've not been to see a West Ham game there yet but I do have tickets for the athletics on Saturday so will have to see what it's like.

Also this week, I'd like to draw your attention to the huge engineering project which has begun at Waterloo station over the weekend. From now until 28 August, roughly half of the UK's busiest station will be closed meaning a huge reduction in trains and the temporary closure of some suburban stations.

This will definitely affect people going to watch AFC Wimbledon as Norbiton station will be closed throughout the works. Brentford and fans travelling to Fulham via Putney might notice a difference too. 

At non-league level many sides will be affected with Corinthian Casuals and Chessington & Hook United seeing the branch line they both play on closed.

If you're heading out of London - Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton are the league clubs most likely to be affected whilst trips to Aldershot Town, Eastleigh and Woking could be difficult too.

Things are likely to be worse for midweek games as more people are likely to be travelling so please make sure you plan ahead and use an alternative transport option where possible.


THE WEEK AHEAD
There are over 80 matches in and around the London area over the next seven days with all our major football leagues in action.

There are also some EFL Cup games and FA Cup replays, some of which are yet to be confirmed so check back as the week progresses.

As always, 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 on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (orange pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.


Now in it's 131st year, the Nationwide Football Annual is back for 2017-2018

Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top.

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Monday fixtures - yellow pin
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - magenta pin
Friday fixtures - black pin



WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin




TLFG DAILY DIGEST
In the following section I list, by day, what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 7 August

FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay
Tower Hamlets v FC Broxbourne Borough @745pm - get your week underway with some cup football in Mile End. These two fought out a 1-1 draw in the original tie on Saturday

Pre-season friendly
Barking v Clapton @745pm - two east London neighbours play a match in honour of teenage Barking player Joshua Bwalya who was murdered last Tuesday by a masked gang

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Tuesday 8 August

EFL Cup First Round
AFC Wimbledon v Brentford @745pm - probably the match of the round from a London perspective is this derby at Kingsmeadow. If you do fancy going, please be aware that because of engineering work Norbiton station, which serves the ground, is closed and trains to Kingston will take longer than usual and could be heavily overcrowded so leave in good time
Millwall v Stevenage @745pm - with Stevenage coming from just outside London, the Lions effectively have a derby to look forward to as well
Queens Park Rangers v Northampton Town @745pm - QPR's record in the early rounds of this competition over recent years has been pretty poor and the Cobblers could well win if the hosts make a lot of changes

National League
Boreham Wood v Dagenham & Redbridge @745pm - the Wood picked up a very useful point at AFC Fylde on the opening day of the season and next welcome title contenders and local rivals Dagenham. The Daggers started their campaign with a 2-1 win over Barrow
Leyton Orient v Solihull Moors @745pm - the O's began life among the non-league ranks with a disappointing 2-0 reverse at Sutton on Saturday. The bright spot from my point of view was the enormous 3,000+ crowd which turned out to watch it. The east London club will hope to get back on track against Solihull whose first game was postponed following safety concerns over their stadium

National League South
Welling United v Chelmsford City @745pm - the pick of the games in this division, the Wings welcome the bookies' title favourites Chelmsford to Park View Road. Welling travelled all the way down to Truro on Saturday only to lose 3-2 while City flexed their muscles with a 2-0 win over Gloucester
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Oxford City @745pm - in the night's other game, Hampton and Richmond go after their first win of the season as they look to at least make the play-offs again. This could also be affected by the railway works with trains to Hampton likely to be busy

FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replays
CB Hounslow United v Rusthall @745pm - the hosts play the first FA Cup match at their new stadium near Heathrow - be part of it!
Wadham Lodge v Framlingham Town @745pm - the hosts failed to beat FA Cup debutants Framlingham on Saturday despite having an extra man for the final 30 minutes

Southern Counties East League Division 1
Meridian VP v Bridon Ropes @745pm - way down in the 10th tier we've got a groundshare derby to enjoy. These two play a stone's throw from The Valley down in south-east London

Pre-season friendlies
AFC Hornchurch v West Ham United XI @730pm - with the Bostik League yet to get started, the Urchins have arranged a warm-up against a Hammers' development side
Thurrock v Colchester United U23 @745pm - the other notable friendly of the night takes place a short drive to the south where newly promoted Thurrock complete their preparations before returning to seventh-tier football

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Wednesday 9 August

FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replays
Erith Town v Rochester United @745pm - after fighting out a 1-1 draw on Saturday, Erith welcome SCEFL rivals Rochester to Oakwood
Waltham Forest v FC Romania @745pm - a last-minute goal saw Forest earn a replay against their Essex Senior League rivals on Saturday


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Friday 11 August

Premier League
Arsenal v Leicester City @745pm - the new Premier League season kicks-off on Friday night with this match at the Emirates between the FA Cup holders and the 2015/16 Premier League winners. The Gunners have been inconsistent in pre-season but ended it on Sunday by beating Chelsea on penalties to claim the FA Community Shield for the 15th time. The Foxes never came close to retaining their title last season and have only won two of their seven friendlies this summer but they'll probably be fired up for this one

Premier League 2
Fulham v Middlesbrough @2pm - with tickets for the Arsenal match above almost impossible to get without membership or a lot of money, you could enjoy a PL2 double instead. If you don't know, this competition features the best U23 sides in the country in a league format. On Friday, you can start the day at Fulham's Motspur Park training ground for this one and then make your way, train disruption permitting, over to east London for...
West Ham United v Everton @7pm - the Hammers' youngsters entertain their counterparts from Goodison Park at Dagenham & Redbridge's ground in what looks like a fine game on paper
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Saturday 12 August

Premier League
Chelsea v Burnley @3pm - the Blues begin the defence of their title with what should be a comfortable enough home win. However, the Clarets have proved to be a bit of a thorn in Chelsea's side in recent years, drawing two of the four games the sides have played since 2015
Watford v Liverpool @1230pm - earlier in the day, the Hornets face a tough opener against Jurgen Klopp's Reds. New boss Marco Silva takes charge of his first competitive game at Vicarage Road but with only two wins in 10 against the Anfield club, he knows it will be an achievement to get anything
Crystal Palace v Huddersfield Town @3pm - in the day's other top-flight game, the Eagles face a visit from Premier League new boys Huddersfield. The Terriers haven't played at the top level since the '70s so will want to make the most of the experience

Championship
Brentford v Nottingham Forest @3pm - the Bees narrowly lost at promoted Sheffield United on Saturday and will hope to pick up their first points against Forest who saw off Millwall in another closely contested game on Friday
Millwall v Bolton Wanderers @3pm - the Lions' first home game back in the Championship is against a side who they came up with. The Trotters enjoyed a ding-dong battle with Leeds on Sunday but ultimately lost 3-2

League One
AFC Wimbledon v Shrewsbury Town @3pm - neither side are expected to pull up many trees this season but both will hope to comfortably avoid the drop. The Dons picked up an impressive point at Scunthorpe while the Shrews saw off Northampton on a decent opening day for both

League Two
Barnet v Luton Town @3pm - effectively a derby, this game has become even more interesting after looking at Saturday's results. The Bees did really well to come back from 2-0 down to draw at big spending Forest Green while the Hatters showed why they're being tipped to win the division by thrashing Yeovil 8-2!

National League
Leyton Orient v Maidstone United @3pm - two of the best supported clubs in this division meet at Brisbane Road on Saturday for what is also pretty much a derby. The last time they played was way back in 1990 when the Stones were enjoying their brief stint in the Football League. They met in the League Cup over two legs and the O's won 6-3 on aggregate

Bostik League Premier Division
Dulwich Hamlet v Staines Town @3pm - nothing really stands out in the National League South so the focus next moves to the seventh tier where the Hamlet start the season in the newly named Bostik League as title favourites. After several years of falling short in the play-offs, the pressure is really on boss Gavin Rose to deliver. However, huge investment at Billericay which has brought the likes of Paul Konchesky, Jamie O'Hara and Jermaine Pennant to the Essex club should ensure they don't have it all their own way

Bostik League North Division
AFC Hornchurch v Soham Town Rangers @3pm - in the division below Dulwich, the Urchins are set to spearhead the Greater London area challenge for the North Division title. Soham aren't fancied to do much so really must be beaten
Aveley v Bowers & Pitsea @3pm - its's a huge day for the Millers who play the first competitive game at their impressive new Parkside stadium. Fellow Essex club B&P make the short trip from Basildon to help them mark the occasion

Bostik League South Division
Greenwich Borough v Whyteleafe @3pm - in the parallel South Division, Boro are tipped to be champions. Having spent a tidy sum on players since new owners took over, they will be expecting promotion after falling just short last season

Evo-Stik League Division 1 East
Hayes & Yeading United v Aylesbury @3pm - after suffering another very disappointing relegation, former fifth-tier side H&YU will be starting life at level eight for the first time I can remember. Hopefully they'll be able to play this game at their new stadium but it keeps failing safety inspections so this game could well get moved to somewhere else

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Hadley v Harpenden Town @3pm - I've picked this one as if Saturday's results are anything to go by, this could produce a cricket score. Hadley won 9-1 at Langford in the FA Cup while Harpenden got stuffed 5-1 at Southall who play in the division below! It could be a long afternoon for the visitors - it'll probably finish goalless now

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GET INVOLVED
If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground in the London area for this blog then get in touch. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

NEED HELP?
Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries. I do not charge for this advice like some other sites so don't hold back!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via FacebookTwitter or even by good old email.