Sunday 29 July 2018

TLFG: 30 July - 5 August 2018

Greetings one and all and welcome to TLFG as pre-season starts to wind down and the real stuff begins.

For the majority of our local clubs, the real competitive action gets underway this weekend with the EFL, National League and all our local ninth and tenth tier leagues starting.

The Premier League and all those in the seventh and eighth tiers stick to friendlies for another week and kick-off on the 11 August.

So what did you get up to this week?

Subscribe to The London Football Guide

From what I've seen around online, quite a few of you made it down to Loftus Road to watch QPR take on German side Union Berlin.

Their supporters put on quite a display, filling out the entire upper tier behind one of the goals which would mean them bringing between 1,500-1,800 fans.

I didn't make it to the game but managed to capture the bulk of their fans' arrival in Shepherd's Bush as the police marched their large red column (ooh errr) down Uxbridge Road prior to the game - something you can see in my tweet below.


Sadly the fans' impressive performance was not mirrored by their team who seem to have been seen off with relative ease by Steve McClaren's side who ran out 3-0 winners.

The week ahead affords you plenty more opportunities to watch some decent European sides although you might have to travel outside London to see some of them. The biggest names include the likes of Marseille, Real Betis, Sampdoria and Valencia but there are others too.

The biggest game of the week takes place at Wembley where Chelsea and Manchester City contest this year's FA Community Shield.

Although seen as a glorified friendly in most people's eyes, it's a nice bit of silverware to win and both sides usually field their strongest teams.

The good news is that, at the time of writing, tickets are on sale to non-members from both clubs so choose which team you want to support (or hate least) and head to their website to buy one. Tickets in the Chelsea end are only £25 so they're pretty reasonable too.

One other match I'd like to highlight is the one taking place at Harefield United.

Most of you will probably have never heard of them but on Saturday they're celebrating their 150th anniversary which makes them one of the oldest clubs in the world.

They want as many people as possible to celebrate with them and have made it free entry to all for their game against Winslow so if you're over in the Ruislip/Northwood area then get yourself to Preston Park.

My personal football highlight of the week was seeing my five-year-old daughter take part in her first football match just yards from Loftus Road as part of a 'She Can Play' session on Wednesday.

If you've got a young daughter between the ages of 5-11, I strongly recommend one of these drop in sessions that cost only £3 a go and take place all over the country.

Have a great week and please keep me updated on what you've been up to and let me know if you have any questions.
.

THE WEEK AHEAD
There are over 100 matches in and around the London area over the next seven days as the pre-season period starts to wind down and real stuff gets going. The highlights include a few decent friendlies featuring some Premier League sides and the opening weekend of the EFL.

As always, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or the venue or kick-off time has changed - this is highly possible for some of the lower non-league clubs. 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.
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
Thursday fixtures - purple 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 30 July

Friendlies
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Barnet @730pm - both these sides ended last season on a low note - Hampton lost in the NLS play-offs and Barnet lost their place in the EFL to return to the non-league ranks from which they originated. Now only one division apart, this is set to be a full first-team game for both
Welling United v Millwall XI @730pm - after stuffing a young QPR XI 4-1 on Saturday, the Wings conclude their pre-season preparations against a squad from near neighbours Millwall

----------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday 31 July

Friendlies
Boreham Wood v Crystal Palace XI @730pm - the hosts bring their series of friendlies to an end with another game against a pro club. After holding AFC Wimbledon to a 0-0 draw on Saturday, they'll fancy their chances of getting a good result here
Wealdstone v Cardiff City U23 @730pm - the Stones have saved the most eye-catching of their friendlies till last as a Bluebirds development team heads to Ruislip
AFC Hornchurch v Arsenal U23 @745pm - the Urchins won promotion last season back up to the seventh tier and have done well to land a home game against the Gunners
Enfield Town v Oxford United XI @745pm - last week Spurs sent a side to Donkey Lane, this week it's the U's turn
Clapton v Upton Park @745pm - the oldest ground in London plays host to two of the most historic clubs in the city as the two look to raise funds for young cancer sufferer Isla Caton - give her your support

-------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday 1 August

Friendly

Grays Athletic v Ipswich Town XI @745pm - the fine facilities at Aveley's Parkside ground host Grays and a team from the Tractor Boys

A bit further afield
Fulham v Sampdoria @745pm - the best action on Wednesday is to be found outside London with the Cottagers staging this attractive friendly against 'La Samp' at Aldershot Town's ground on the south-western fringes of town - direct trains from Waterloo and Clapham Junction drop you off very close to the stadium so it's very easy to get to
Leicester City v Valencia @745pm - it might be some way north of London but Leicester is only a 71 minute train ride from St Pancras. The Foxes warm up for their Premier League campaign against the side who finished fourth in Spain last year. If going by train, you'll probably have to stay overnight or run back to the station to catch the last train just before 10pm
Southampton v Celta Vigo @745pm - a far less risky option on the train front is a trip to St Mary's. The journey time is about the same but trains run back to London far later

-------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday 2 August

Friendly
FC Elmstead v Farnborough OBG @7pm - this is the only game in town and it's only for hardcore hoppers and addicts in desperate need of a football fix. If 10th/11th tier football on a park pitch is your thing then fill your boots! 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday 3 August

Friendlies
Brentford B v Southampton U23 @1pm - the Bees' second string entertain a development side from the Saints at lunchtime. There is also a game between Watford and West Ham's U23 sides at the same time but I'm not sure if the public will be admitted, something which is never usually an issue at Brentford's training ground

Roy Vintner Charity Shield
Cray Valley PM v Phoenix Sports Reserves @745pm - I was under the impression that this annual curtain raiser ahead of the SCEFL season was supposed to feature the league champions and league cup winners. Last season they were Sevenoaks and Whitstable respectively so how Cray Valley and PSR are in the final I've no idea. If someone could enlighten me I'd be very grateful

A bit further afield
AFC Bournemouth v Real Betis @7pm - once again the day's best action is to be found outside the capital. If you've got the time, I'd really recommend a trip down to the Dorset seaside resort town of Bournemouth to catch this match and their friendly against Marseille the day after - tickets for both are still available. If you have only got time for this one then the early kick-off time means there are trains back to London after if that's you preferred mode of transport
Brighton & Hove Albion v FC Nantes @745pm - if you don't want to go that far, then there's some more seaside fun to be had less than an hour from London. The Seagulls' Amex Stadium is well worth a visit and adult tickets, if bought in advance, are £15
Reading v Derby County @8pm - ALERT ALERT the first competitive match of the season in the EFL takes place at the Madejski Stadium on Friday night as the Championship kicks off with this televised game. Frank Lampard will make his management debut in charge of the Rams

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 4 August

Friendlies
Crystal Palace v Toulouse @4pm - unbeaten in four and scoring 15 times in the process, the Eagles have had a pretty decent pre-season thus far. They conclude their preparations against a side who just about clung on to their French top-flight status after winning a play-off so you'd like to think they'd see them off too
Fulham v Celta Vigo @3pm - unlike Palace, Fulham's pre-season results have been disappointing with only one win over League Two Crawley, they've failed to win their other three and haven't scored in any of them. Celta managed a midtable finish in Spain last year so aren't a huge draw, I therefore find it quite surprising that adult tickets on the day will be £25 (£21 in advance)
Watford v Sampdoria @3pm - in terms of overseas opposition I would say this famous club from Genoa are the best on offer in the capital on Saturday - it's definitely the game out of the three I would go to. It's also 'The Graham Taylor Matchday' where the Hornets will pay tribute to their 'greatest ever manager' who sadly died last year - a statue of the great man is set to be unveiled. Adult tickets are a far more reasonable £12

A bit further afield
AFC Bournemouth v Marseille @3pm - as mentioned above, the Cherries will be hosting French giants Marseille less than 18 hours after playing Real Betis. If the weather's good, get yourself down to the south coast for this one
Southampton v Borussia Monchengladbach @3pm - a little closer to home, and on the same train line, you could get to see the Saints take on one of the longest and hence most recognisable names in European football. The Foals finished a creditable ninth in the Bundesliga last year so should provide a stern test

Championship
Brentford v Rotherham United @3pm - if none of the fluff above floats your boat and you want some meaningful action then look no further as the EFL season gets underway in London at Griffin Park. The Bees are one of the smallest clubs in the division but have more than held their own since coming up from League One in 2014. They made the play-offs in their first season and came close last time too. On paper you'd expect them to beat The Millers but they arrive in London having just been promoted and should be full of optimism. As a side note, this is set to be Brentford's last full season at Griffin Park so don't delay if you've never been - I don't know a football fan who doesn't love it
Millwall v Middlesbrough @3pm - the only other game in the EFL in London this weekend takes place at The Den where the Lions will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of their move to the ground after many years at Cold Blow Lane. This is definitely a bigger match than the one above as it features two sides who chased a play-off spot last season and at least one of them should do so again

National League
Boreham Wood v Dagenham & Redbridge @3pm - the National League season also begins on Saturday and we've got a London derby to enjoy at Meadow Park. The Wood were the smallest club in the division last season in terms of attendance and yet still made it to the play-off final at Wembley. Despite playing 89 minutes against a Tranmere side with 10 men, they still contrived to lose 2-1 and blow perhaps the best chance they will ever have of getting into the EFL. The Daggers have spent many seasons in the third and fourth tiers and at first glance you would favour them to win but financial problems have rocked them over the last few months and this could be close

National League South
Welling United v Dulwich Hamlet @3pm - one of the best atmospheres of the day, particularly at non-league level, should be found at Park View Road where Welling host Dulwich in this derby. After years of choking in the play-offs, the Hamlet finally made up after a dramatic final win against Hendon in front of around 3,500 fans at Imperial Fields. Still without a ground of their own, supporters of Gavin Rose's side will no doubt turn out in their hundreds for this highly significant game. By recent standards, the Wings had a decent season last time out and weren't far off the play-offs. Pre-season has gone pretty well and they'll fancy themselves to give the upstarts from SE22 a baptism of fire at the higher level 

Essex Senior League
Walthamstow v Hoddesdon Town @3pm - with all the seventh and eighth tier clubs engaged in friendlies until next weekend when their seasons begin, the focus now falls on the ninth tier where one of the most notable games is the newly renamed Walthamstow FC (formerly Waltham Forest) playing their first ever competitive game. They're up against Hoddesdon who now find themselves in the ESL having been moved over from the Spartan South Midlands League as part of the FA's major summer restructuring of non-league football

Eastern Senior League Division 1 South
Frenford v Newbury Forest @3pm - one product of the restructure is the creation of this entirely new division at 10th tier level. There's only one game in it in London this weekend and it's between these two local rivals over in Ilford

Spartan South Midlands League Division 1
Harefield United v Winslow United @3pm - it's a huge day at Preston Park where the hosts celebrate their 150th anniversary which makes them one of the oldest clubs in the world. They want you to join them in marking the day and have made it free entry to all

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday 5 August

FA Community Shield
Chelsea v Manchester City @3pm - the FA Cup winners take on the Premier League champions in the annual curtain raiser to the new season. Wembley plays host as always and the good news is, that at the time of writing, tickets are still available to non-members from both participating clubs and at very decent prices so get on to their websites as soon as possible if you want to go

Friendly
Arsenal Women v Juventus Women @2pm - if women's football is more your thing then this friendly at Boreham Wood looks like a great alternative

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 22 July 2018

TLFG: 23-29 July 2018

We're into the final full week of July already which means there's now less than two weeks until the season gets underway for all our local EFL and National League clubs.

Consequently things are getting really busy in and around the capital with clubs at these levels hosting their biggest showpiece friendlies to try and get their fans re-engaged after the summer break - not that there's really been one.

Aside from Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham who are all overseas, most of our local pro clubs are all in action in and around the capital this week.

Where have your football travels taken you over the last few days?

Subscribe to The London Football Guide


QPR welcome cult German club Union Berlin to Loftus Road on Saturday
After the thrills of Kingsmeadow last Saturday, I haven't been able to get to a game since but hope to head somewhere on Tuesday.

Apart from the emergence of some Premier League sides this week, there will also be several visitors from Europe and the number will increase even more the week after as some pretty big names arrive on these shores.

For me this week has been all about getting this blog together, going through the Southern League fixtures to see who Harrow Borough will be playing and when (Weymouth at home on the opening day - tough one) and loading all the Steps 1-3 fixtures onto the Non-League Day match map ahead of this year's event on 13 October.

Aside from that, I don't have a huge amount to add at this stage so will leave it at that as work beckons once again.

Have a great week and please keep me updated on what you've been up to and let me know if you have any questions
.

THE WEEK AHEAD
There are over 100 matches in and around the London area over the next seven days as the pre-season period starts to really get going. The highlights include a few decent friendlies featuring some Premier League sides and several from the EFL.

As always, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or the venue or kick-off time has changed - this is highly possible for some of the lower non-league clubs. 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.
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
Thursday fixtures - purple 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 23 July

Friendly
Enfield Town v Tottenham Hotspur U23 @730pm - after successfully hosting a number of games during the CONIFA World Football Cup in late May and early June, live match action returns to the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium with this attractive friendly against the Towners' Premier League neighbours. Although only an U23 side, this should still be well worth a watch - tickets are £10 adults and £1 U16s

----------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday 24 July

Friendly
Charlton Athletic v Brighton & Hove Albion @745pm - unbeaten in five pre-season away games, the Addicks play their first match back at The Valley and have landed a plum fixture against Premier League opposition. The Seagulls lost 2-1 at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday and will hope for a better outcome against another side from League One
Corinthian Casuals v Bristol Rovers @745pm - for the second season running Casuals welcome a squad from Rovers. Listed on the League One's side as a first-team game, they should bring a pretty strong side

A bit further afield
Oxford United v Leeds United @745pm - about an hour's journey north-west of the capital you'll come to the historic university town of Oxford. On Tuesday, the U's welcome Leeds for another eye-catching pre-season game
-------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday 25 July

Friendly

Dagenham & Redbridge v Cambridge United @730pm - the Daggers have enjoyed a decent pre-season so far with a win over a West Ham XI and a draw against Colchester being the highlights. They have a chance to impress against another League Two opponent here

A bit further afield
Luton Town v Norwich City @745pm - a lot of overseas readers of this blog seem to share an ambition to visit Kenilworth Road. It's old school, it's unusual and is a gritty place to watch football, nestled among terraced houses. On Wednesday you too can fulfil that ambition by going to see the Hatters entertain the Canaries in a game that wouldn't have looked out of place on 'Match of The Day' back in the '80s

-------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday 26 July

Friendly
Wingate & Finchley v St Albans City @745pm - the hosts welcome National League South opposition from just beyond the M25 border to the north. Wingate play in the seventh tier, punching well above their weight and will hope to be competitive again this time around
Beckenham Town v Milllwall XI @7pm - the highlight of the Becks' pre-season is this friendly against a development squad one of their local EFL sides
Barking v West Essex @745pm - not a huge match in the grand scheme of things but a groundshare derby nonetheless
Greenwich Borough v Cray Valley PM @745pm - ditto this game which is also between groundsharers
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday 27 July

Friendly
Erith Town v Greenwich Borough @745pm - the Dockers seem to be making a habit of cornering the market in Friday night friendlies and why not? It gives them a great chance to showcase the facilities at the Erith Stadium following their return to the town

A bit further afield
MK Dons v Ipswich Town @745pm - possibly the most controversial team in English football have had a tough couple of years and now find themselves down in League Two playing at a lower level than AFC Wimbledon for the first time since their creation. They inhabit the very well appointed Stadium MK which was actually part of England's World Cup bid the last time we went for it. Most of it's 30,500 capacity will remain unused this season. On Friday they welcome the Tractor Boys who, as ever, will be pushing to get back into the Premier League
Maidenhead United v Wycombe Wanderers @745pm - York Road, located just to the west of London, is well worth a visit as it is recognised by Fifa as being the 'oldest senior football ground continuously used by the same club' - Maidenhead have been there since 1871. Apart from that, the club are friendly, well run and forward thinking and have done really well to make it into the fifth tier and hold their own. This match against League One Wycombe is pretty much a derby too so give it a go

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 28 July

Friendly
Brentford v Watford @3pm - this is marginally the game of the day as it's a derby and features a Premier League team. The Bees came close to a play-off place last season and will want to at least match that again this time. With their new stadium under construction, this is set to be the last full season Brentford will spend at Griffin Park so get your visit in soon if you haven't yet been
Queens Park Rangers v Union Berlin @230pm - over in Shepherd's Bush, QPR welcome European opposition in the form of German second tier club Union. Having played each other in Berlin last summer and traded a couple of players recently, there seems to be a growing link between these two similar sized outfits. A cult club in their homeland, they are likely to bring some lively and possibly sizeable support - tickets are £10 adults
Millwall v VFL Bochum @1pm - there's a very similar fixture taking place in Bermondsey where Championship side Millwall also welcome a side from the German second tier for Jimmy Abdou's testimonial
Charlton Athletic v Norwich City @3pm - at The Valley we've got a League One versus Championship clash - it's not likely to produce the sights or sounds of the game above but should be worth a watch if you're in the area
Boreham Wood v AFC Wimbledon @3pm - the Wood always seem to line-up an entertaining pre-season programme and their final Saturday warm-up match gives them the chance to play an opponent from League One
Leyton Orient v Southend United @3pm - it's the same at Brisbane Road for the O's where they also welcome some third-tier opposition who make the short journey from the Essex seaside

A bit further afield
Derby County v Wolverhampton Wanderers @3pm - although Derby is some way north of London, it takes less than 90 minutes to get to by train from St Pancras and the stadium is close to the station. With new boss Frank Lampard spending quite a bit of time in Russia as a World Cup pundit, I thought the Rams' preparations might be suffering but not a bit of it as they comfortably beat a strong Southampton side 3-0 on Saturday. Next at Pride Park are Premier League new boys Wolves in a battle for Midlands bragging rights
Ipswich Town v West Ham United @3pm - another very easy one to visit by train, Portman Road hosts what could effectively be described as a derby with the biggest side in Suffolk taking on pretty much the flagship club of Essex where legions of its fans live. The trains up from Liverpool Street will no doubt be busy so if you are planning on travelling this way, it might be worth buying in advance
Reading v Crystal Palace @3pm - the Royals also welcome Premier League visitors. Although Reading is less than 30 minutes from Paddington by train, the Madejski Stadium is way out on the outskirts of town near the M4 and is easier to drive to. Saying that, a shuttle bus usually runs from the station
Portsmouth v FC Utrecht @1pm - fancy a trip to the seaside? Then you could combine it with a trip to Fratton Park where Pompey have landed a game against top Dutch side Utrecht. Jean-Paul de Jong's side finished fifth in the Eredivisie last season and narrowly missed out on a place in the Europa League so they should prove to be a stern test for Kenny Jackett's charges
Crawley Town v KSV Roseleare @3pm - there are some more European visitors in Sussex but this time from Belgium. Playing in the country's second tier, they are managed by Jordi Condom who hails from Palamos in Catalonia. He played for and managed the local club for many years so must be a bit of a legend in those parts

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday 29 July

Friendly
West Essex v Clapton CFC @1pm - there's an east London derby to be enjoyed at the London Marathon Community Stadium right next to West Ham's ground. This will be one of the first ever games featuring the new side formed by Clapton's supporters following their fallout with the people running the famous old club in Forest Gate. Entry is £5 adults and free for U16s
Football Scuola v Erith & Belvedere @3pm - this match features an academy side and the Deres. We believe this is taking place at Sporting Club Thamesmead but double check everything before you travel in case we've got it wrong or things change

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 15 July 2018

TLFG: 16-22 July 2018

As I write this the World Cup final has just kicked off.

So it wasn't to be for England and despite all the positives to come out of the tournament, I'm still a bit disappointed that our brave boys seemed to well and truly let Croatia off the hook.

At half-time, Gareth Southgate's side were in control and on another night could and should have been home and dry by the interval.

What happened at half-time? The same side never reappeared and ultimately Zlatko Dalic's side were worthy winners. 

Subscribe to The London Football Guide

Because we were second best overall, it made the defeat way easier to take than the semi-final losses of 1990 and 1996 and even the quarter-final of 1986 when injustices (a grave one in the latter) and thorough bad luck seemed to rob us. 

It's clear England are nowhere near the finished article but things are looking good. It's important that we don't rest on our laurels and the forthcoming Nations League matches against Spain and Croatia now look really quite meaningful again - tickets are on sale now by the way.

With the World Cup coming to an end, the focus will shift firmly to pre-season.

More Premier League teams will enter the fray this week as the quality of matches on offer gradually creeps up.

For those who went to Boreham Wood on Saturday to watch Unai Emery's debut as Arsenal boss, you wouldn't have been left disappointed with the Spaniard fielding pretty much the strongest side possible.

QPR, in pink, go close during their 1-0 win at AFC Wimbledon
Stars including Cech, Bellerin, Aubameyang, Lacazette, Mustafi, Chambers, Ramsey and Mkhitaryan were all on show as the Gunners routed their non-league hosts 8-0.

By contrast I headed down to Kingston for the London derby between AFC Wimbledon and QPR.

The two EFL clubs put on a far more low-key spectacle and although there were chances it wasn't a classic.

In fact, one of the high points was when the sprinklers accidentally came on very early in the game, forcing a brief suspension of play!

Nonetheless, as an R's fan it was worth going - boss Steve McClaren fielded a full squad over the 90 minutes and Luke Freeman scored the only goal to win it with virtually the last kick of the game, somewhat undeservedly. 

There are over 100 games this week so where will you be going? 

Sadly I move on to late shifts this week so my next opportunity isn't likely to come until the middle of next week.


THE WEEK AHEAD
There are over 100 matches in and around the London area over the next seven days as the pre-season period starts to really get going. The highlights include a few decent friendlies featuring a couple of Premier League sides and several from the EFL.

As always, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or the venue or kick-off time has changed - this is highly possible for some of the lower non-league clubs. 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.
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
Thursday fixtures - purple 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 16 July

Friendly
Aveley v Billericay Town @745pm - get your week underway with a trip to the far east (in London terms anyway) for this all-Essex fixture at the well appointed Parkside. Big spending Billericay haven't made any outrageous signings following their promotion to the National League South but have still recruited a few with some EFL experience - Simon Walton formerly of QPR stands out for me

----------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday 17 July

Friendly
Dartford v Gillingham @730pm - after suffering a heavy defeat to Millwall in their opening game of pre-season, the Darts have blasted 10 goals past two non-league opponents over the last few days. The Gills, from League One, should provide a much tougher test in this Kent derby
Dagenham & Redbridge v Colchester United @730pm - when the Daggers were in what is now the EFL alongside Colchester they met on three occasions and never lost. Now down in the National League, the hosts will want to continue that run against League Two opposition
Bromley v Crystal Palace XI @745pm - having enjoyed a comfortable 2-0 win over tenants Cray Wanderers on Saturday, the Ravens next welcome a development side from their local Premier League club
Fisher v Millwall XI @745pm - the showpiece of ninth tier Fisher's pre-season is this game against a young side from their Championship neighbours

A bit further afield
Wycombe Wanderers v Brentford @745pm - after narrowly losing to West Ham on Saturday, the Chairboys next face the Bees, who have recorded back-to-back wins over Boreham Wood and Karlsruher, in another challenging fixture
Aldershot Town v Oxford United @745pm - these sides used to meet regularly in the EFL but it's been over five years since they last locked horns. On that occasion Aldershot edged to a thrilling 3-2 win in League Two so hopefully we'll get some more of the same
-------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday 18 July

Friendly

Dulwich Hamlet v Charlton Athletic @745pm - after a special and very successful trip to Hamburg for their 125th anniversary this weekend, Dulwich return to London to play the Addicks in their first pre-season game at Imperial Fields. It's listed as a first-team game for the League One side so this should be well worth a watch

A bit further afield
Woking v Chelsea U23 @745pm - a short train ride from Waterloo or Clapham Junction will bring you to the Surrey commuter town of Woking. The Cards suffered relegation from the National League last season but will be looking to bounceback with a new management team which includes Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler who is also a very experienced coach at this level

-------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday 19 July

Friendly
VCD Athletic v Bishop's Stortford @745pm - there are a handful of games taking place on Thursday with this one between two Bostik League sides being the best on offer
Raynes Park Vale v Worcester Park @710pm - there's also a very local derby between these two south-west London clubs
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday 20 July

Friendly
Erith Town v Aveley @745pm - after a year or two on the road, the hosts are playing back in Erith and next welcome some Bostik League opposition

A bit further afield
Braintree Town v Cambridge United @745pm - if the match above doesn't grab you then a train north from Liverpool Street into deepest Essex will give you the chance to enjoy this match between teams from the National League and League Two

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 21 July

Friendly
AFC Wimbledon v Brighton & Hove Albion @3pm - after entertaining Championship sides Reading and QPR earlier in July, the Dons conclude their pre-season home games with the visit of Premier League opposition. Games between the Seagulls and London clubs effectively rank as derbies so a decent attendance should be expected for this one
Barnet v Ipswich Town @3pm - the Bees have already faced two Championship clubs, West Brom and QPR, in pre-season and both games ended in 3-0 defeats. For good measure they also lost to Fulham's U23s so things haven't exactly got off to a flyer. A trip to non-league Maldon & Tiptree precedes this game so hopefully they'll come into it on the back of a more positive result
Dartford v Colchester United @3pm - the Darts end the week with a friendly against another EFL opponent. On paper they shouldn't be as tough as Millwall or Gillingham but you never know
Sutton United v Chelsea U23 @3pm - the U's often manage to line-up a pre-season game with a side from Chelsea and this season is no different
Welling United v Watford U23 @3pm - after narrowly losing their annual game against Charlton on Saturday, the Wings will next welcome a development side from Premier League Watford
Corinthian Casuals v Crystal Palace U23 @3pm - CCs, despite suffering play-off final defeat last season, got promoted to the Bostik Premier and will look forward greatly to this visit from a young Eagles XI

A bit further afield
Derby County v Southampton @3pm - although Derby is some way north of London, it takes less than 90 minutes to get to by train from St Pancras and the stadium is close to the station. This is worth seeing as it marks the first home match for Frank Lampard as he makes his first foray into football management. Things began well for the Chelsea and England legend on Saturday as his new side won 4-1 at Notts County. This match against Premier League Southampton should see a significant step up in class
Oxford United v Crystal Palace @3pm - there should also be some Premier League talent on show at the Kassam Stadium where the Eagles head to for their first game after returning from a short tour of Scandinavia
Cambridge United v Millwall @3pm - there will also be some London interest in this fixture at the Abbey Stadium where the Championship Lions pay a visit
Woking v Salford City @3pm - head down to Kingfield if you'd like to take a look at one of the rising powers on non-league football. Backed by the a string of Manchester United legends (the Nevilles, Giggs, Scholes and Butt), Salford have soared through the divisions in recent seasons and are about to begin life in the National League

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday 22 July

A bit further afield
Southend United v Leeds United @2pm - if the weather holds then you might want to end your week at the seaside with this interesting looking game between two EFL sides. I couldn't find anything about it being all-ticket but you might want to buy one in advance to make sure you can get in


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 8 July 2018

TLFG: 9-15 July 2018

Week two of pre-season proper has arrived and things have picked up considerably with a whopping 60 more games than last week.

The past seven days saw England's fantastic progress in the World Cup wreak havoc back home with all of Saturday's friendlies re-timed, rescheduled or cancelled completely.

Wednesday night's semi-final against Croatia has also put paid to a number of games but far fewer were on. Whether this Saturday's extensive range of fixtures will also have to be changed if the Three Lions find themselves in the Third Place Play-Off (the world's most unpopular game) remains to be seen but I'd like to think it's unlikely.

So did you make it to your first game of the new season? I know some of you did - thanks to Paul B for your picture from Dartford v Millwall.

Subscribe to The London Football Guide

What are your plans for the week ahead?

I briefly flirted with the idea, like many others, of heading out to Russia as I just so happen to be off from Friday to Monday. However, I couldn't find anything available for Moscow and although £750 for three nights in St Petersburg isn't outrageous I don't think it's really that sensible. Are any of you going or sorely tempted?

If I do get to a game it's likely to be the London derby between AFC Wimbledon and QPR on Saturday but we'll have to wait and see.

New Arsenal boss Unai Emery will take charge of his new team for the first time on Saturday

The other big event in London that day will see Unai Emery take charge of Arsenal for the first time as he takes a development side to Meadow Park to play National League Boreham Wood.

There's probably a load more I could write at this stage but I'm back on early shifts for the first time in many weeks and need to be up at 345am so I think I'll leave at this.

Here's to a great week and who knows, by the time I publish next week's piece England could be WORLD CHAMPIONS!

Hold onto your hats and good luck everybody!!!

THE WEEK AHEAD
There are 90 matches in and around the London area over the next seven days as the pre-season period starts to really get going. The highlights include a few decent friendlies featuring a couple of Premier League sides and several from the EFL.

As always, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or the venue or kick-off time has changed - this is highly possible for some of the lower non-league clubs. 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.
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
Thursday fixtures - purple 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 9 July

Friendly
Haringey Borough v Dulwich Hamlet @745pm - get your week underway with a trip down White Hart Lane to see two sides who enjoyed promotion last season. Haringey won the Bostik North play-offs while Dulwich did the same in the Bostik Premier - in other words the Hamlet play one division above their hosts
Aveley v Dartford @745pm - although two divisions separate these clubs, this is very much a local derby with the sides located either side of the QEII Bridge in Essex and Kent respectively

----------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday 10 July

Friendly
Bromley v Gillingham @745pm - the top game in the London area on Tuesday is this Kent derby at Hayes Lane. The Gills play in League One and usually spend most of pre-season touring their home county. The Ravens made it to the FA Trophy final last season and came close to a place in the play-offs so will no doubt want to push on

A bit further afield
Braintree Town v Colchester United @745pm - an hour's train ride from Liverpool Street will deposit you in the Essex town of Braintree. They won the National League South play-offs last season to move up to the fifth tier. On Tuesday they welcome county rivals Colchester from League Two
St Albans City v Stevenage @745pm - after getting thumped by Northampton on Saturday, St Albans welcome another side from League Two. On this occasion their opponents also hail from Hertfordshire so, like the game above, this is a county derby
Woking v AFC Wimbledon @745pm - talking of county derbies, there's an all Surrey affair at Kingfield where the Cards take on the Dons from League One
-------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday 11 July

Friendly

Carshalton Athletic v Charlton Athletic XI @4pm - there were several friendlies scheduled for Wednesday night but England's progress in the World Cup has seen all but one of them cancelled or moved to another date. Rather than lose the chance to host a side from the League One Addicks, Carshalton have managed to move the game to 4pm so you can watch this and then watch the big match in the Robins' clubhouse

-------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday 12 July

Friendly
Aveley v Southend United XI @745pm - after starting the week with a cross-Thames derby, Aveley finish it with an Essex derby. The Shrimpers sent a side to Great Wakering Rovers on Saturday and could only manage a draw so the Millers should fancy their chances
Hendon v Edgware Town @730pm - there's nothing particularly glamorous about this game but the two sides groundshare so there are bragging rights to play for

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday 13 July

Friendly
Staines Town v Queens Park Rangers @745pm - the Swans, having been recently moved to the Southern League, entertain Championship opposition on Friday night. At the moment, this is listed as a first-team game on the QPR website but given they also have a match on Saturday there could well be some squad rotation, including the use of a few youngsters
Dagenham & Redbridge v West Ham United XI @730pm - the Daggers have found themselves struggling for cash in recent months and it was great to see the Hammers send an almost full-strength team down to Victoria Road in March for a fundraiser. The two east London clubs will do battle again on Friday although the Premier League side are likely to field a much weaker line-up

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 14 July

Friendly
AFC Wimbledon v Queens Park Rangers @3pm - the game of the week should be this London derby between the Dons of League One and QPR of the Championship. Neal Ardley's side managed a 0-0 draw against Reading on Saturday whilst Rangers could only manage a 3-3 draw against Charlton. Although it probably won't sell out, Kingsmeadow is relatively small and the club's beer festival is taking place so I suggest buying a ticket in advance to make absolutely sure you get in
Boreham Wood v Arsenal XI @3pm - although most of the Gunners' stars are still at the World Cup or recovering from it, the north London giants have confirmed that new boss Unai Emery will take charge of a game for the first time. Tickets are on sale online from the National League club so book now to be part of this historic moment
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Oxford United @4pm - the Beavers welcome League One Oxford for a late afternoon kick-off. It's starting at this time because the U's are playing local rivals Oxford City in another game at 1230pm (the details are also on the map) so I hope there's no traffic on the motorway on the way down!
Welling United v Charlton Athletic @1230pm - having seen this match re-arranged a couple of times already, the Wings finally get to welcome fellow south-east Londoners Charlton for their annual pre-season game
Northwood v Chelsea XI @3pm - eighth tier Bostik League club Northwood have landed a big game against a development side from the Blues. The match is being held in memory of club stalwart Pete Barry who passed away in 2016

A bit further afield
Fulham v Reading @130pm - now back in the Premier League, the Cottagers began their preparations with a 4-2 win over Crawley Town in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Saturday. Next up they entertain Championship side Reading at Aldershot Town's ground. Adult tickets will be available on the gate and are £10
Wycombe Wanderers v West Ham United @3pm - you should also be able to catch a glimpse of a few Premier League faces at Adams Park where the newly promoted Chairboys play host to Manuel Pellegrini's Hammers in what is listed as a first-team game on the London club's website
Swindon Town v West Bromwich Albion @3pm - less than an hour's train ride from Paddington, a trip to Wiltshire shouldn't be ruled out. League Two Swindon have lined up an a decent looking friendly with the Baggies who dropped out of the Premier League last season
Stevenage v Portsmouth @3pm - just to the north of the capital, League Two Stevenage entertain 2008 FA Cup winners Pompey who now reside in League One
Braintree Town v Ipswich Town @3pm - the Iron continue their attractive pre-season schedule with a match against Championship opposition. Hailing from just across the county border in Suffolk, the Tractor Boys are getting ready for their first season under new manager Paul Hurst
Chelmsford City v Cambridge United @3pm - the Clarets were one of several teams to have fought hard but come up short in an incredibly tight National League South promotion race last season. On Saturday they take on Cambridge who have promoted assistant manager Joe Dunne into the hot seat for the start of the new campaign
Oxford City v Oxford United @1230pm - as mentioned above, it's the Oxford derby on Saturday. Although both hailing from the same city, there's never been much of a rivalry as the two have always been a long way apart in the pyramid. As it stands, three divisions separate the two but the match usually draws a decent crowd so should be worth a watch, especially if you're thinking about combining it with a more general visit to this place of great history and learning


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 1 July 2018

TLFG: 2-8 July 2018

Greetings one and all and welcome back to TLFG for the 2018/19 season.

After a summer break of just three weeks, thanks in large part to a very entertaining CONIFA World Football Cup, we're back open for business.

The first week of July is often a slow one but we've still got a very good selection of games to choose from on Saturday 7 July with a number of EFL clubs in action.

So how has the recess been for you? Which of you lucky so-and-sos has been out to Russia for the World Cup? Have any of you got tickets for the final?

Do you have any other grand plans for pre-season? Will you be following one of our local Premier League sides overseas or taking the opportunity to do a bit of random groundhopping?

Subscribe to The London Football Guide

Despite having always wanted to go to Russia, I didn't make it but I did get to enjoy four games at the CONIFA event I mentioned above as I know a lot of you did too.

Ahead of the final, goals were flying in at an average of over four a game so it was a massive anti-climax when the final between Northern Cyprus and Karpatalya was decided by a penalty shoot-out in the Ukrainian side's favour after a 0-0 draw.



Our friends at "TMISOTBG" made it to the CONIFA World Football Cup Final

The weather was also unpleasant with drizzle then full on rain and wind making life tough for supporters at a packed Donkey Lane.

So busy was the ground that getting a decent view of the game was actually pretty tough - you either had to turn up really early to get a decent spot (i.e. attend the third place play-off before it) or went outside the official confines of the ground up onto the grass bank along the north side of the stadium as many hundreds of spectators did.

Next up for CONIFA is the European Football Cup in 2019 and we're still waiting with baited breath to find out where it will be.

THE NEW SEASON

As usual, each season brings with it quite a bit of change and there's even more than normal as a result of the significant restructuring of the game at non-league level.

Whole new divisions have been created between the seventh and 10th tiers with some clubs, like my own Harrow Borough, moving laterally into a parallel league or lots of new teams appearing in the newly formed Eastern Senior League which will now bridge the gap between the Essex Senior League (ninth tier) and Essex Olympian League (11th tier). It's all quite confusing and that's before we even mention the incredibly convoluted play-off system that's being introduced to go with it - apparently it will be possible in some cases to win your play-off final but still not get promoted!

The good thing about new teams and new divisions is the opportunity to visit some new grounds. I imagine Hackney Wick's move to the London Marathon Community Stadium in the shadow of West Ham's London Stadium will prove a popular destination. (Update - I have received word that this move has been delayed, thanks to the various readers who updated me).

If the Premier League is your thing then this is a great time to visit London as the city now plays host to SEVEN top flight clubs with Fulham rejoining the elite this season.

In years gone by it's always been pretty easy to get a ticket to see the Cottagers so many visitors to the capital find themselves watching a game there.

Last season your best chance of watching Premier League action usually came in the form of a trip to Wembley to watch Tottenham and they will be playing their first match of the new campaign, against Fulham, at the national stadium. However, from the 15 September they're set to be back in N17 at their newly rebuilt ground on the site of their former home. I was up there a few weeks ago and it's coming along well.

Given the novelty of a new ground and with tens of thousands of season tickets already sold, I should imagine that getting tickets to visit the new stadium will be quite challenging without good connections or a sizeable budget.

The next few days will see my preparations for Non-League Day move up a level.On Wednesday the National League will publish its fixtures for the top three divisions of non-league football which it controls. I will then have an initial planning meeting with Kick It Out in the afternoon and one or two other discussions with partners later in the afternoon.

Lastly from me - on the eve of this blog being published I was humbled to receive some really nice words and a very generous donation to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund from Michael J from Surrey - many thanks sir, I really appreciate it.


THE WEEK AHEAD
There are only 30 or so matches in the London area over the next seven days as the season gets off to a soft launch. The highlights include a few decent friendlies featuring EFL sides including a number form the Championship.

As always, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or the venue or kick-off time has changed - this is highly possible for some of the lower non-league clubs. 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.
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
Wednesday fixtures - magenta pin
Thursday fixtures - purple 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.

Wednesday 4 July

Friendly
Hadley v Redbridge @730pm - our new season of coverage gets underway in very unassuming fashion with this friendly between two ninth-tier teams at the Barnet Lane 3G facility just down the road from the site of Barnet's old ground at Underhill. The public are welcome but spectator facilities are pretty much non-existent

----------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday 5 July

Friendly
Aveley v FC Clacton @745pm - the pick of the two games on Thursday is to be found at the Millers' state of the art Parkside facilities where these two Essex rivals go head-to-head

-------------------------------------------------------------

Friday 6 July

Friendly

Boreham Wood v Brentford @730pm - the first friendly of real note is scheduled for Friday night. The Wood stunned many by making it to the National League play-off final at Wembley last season but squandered a superb chance to join the EFL when they lost to a Tranmere Rovers side reduced to 10 men after just a few seconds. Whether a club of their size will ever get such a chance again remains to be seen and it will be interesting to see how they respond to that disappointment. Brentford pushed hard for a place in the Championship play-offs but fell just short and will be hoping to be competitive again

A bit further afield
Hitchin Town v Luton Town @7pm - if you keep heading north from Boreham Wood into deepest Hertfordshire, you'll end up at Top Field. Hitchin play in the Southern League (seventh tier) and welcome the Hatters from nearby Bedfordshire. This will be Luton's first game since they won promotion back up to League One

-------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 7 July

Friendly
AFC Wimbledon v Reading @12pm - the biggest match of the week takes place at Kingsmeadow where two EFL sides do battle. Both sides fought long, tough battles against relegation from League One and the Championship respectively last season and both just survived, beating the drop by three points. Survival will probably be enough for the Dons again this season whilst Reading, under Paul Clement, will hope for far better

Barnet v West Bromwich Albion @1230pm - the Bees, inspired by manager Martin Allen, looked like pulling off a great escape but results went against them on the final day and they returned to the ranks of non-league football. Their pre-season gets underway with this attractive fixture against the Baggies who suffered the disappointment of falling out of the Premier League back in May

Sutton United v Coventry City @1pm - older readers will know that this match represents a re-enactment of the famous FA Cup tie of 1989 when non-league Sutton beat top flight Coventry in one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history. It's a rather different story these days - until May the Sky Blues were only a division above the U's but victory in the play-offs means Mark Robins' side will start this campaign in League One so should start this as firm favourites

Dartford v Millwall @12pm - the Darts topped the National League South for large parts of last season so it must have been really tough to eventually lose out in the play-offs. They'll look to banish a few of those ghosts with a strong performance against local EFL club Millwall who were desperately unlucky not to make the Championship play-offs after a superb run of results from the turn of the year

Hayes & Yeading United v Queens Park Rangers U23 @1230pm - the hosts were another local side to suffer play-off woe last season and remain in the eighth tier as a result. It is therefore of great credit to those at the club that they have managed to land this game against an XI from a Championship club. Although not a full first team game, former England boss Steve McClaren will no doubt put in appearance as he runs the rule over some of his new charges following his appointment as QPR boss in recent weeks

A bit further afield
St Albans City v Northampton Town @1230pm - just beyond London's northern frontier lies the pleasant market town of St Albans. Steeped in Roman history, the area is worth a visit and the local football club aren't bad either. Lead by former Arsenal player Ian Allinson, the Saints fans will want to see their side push for at least a play-off place. Northampton plummeted into League Two after a 2017/18 to forget and should want to make a strong start to their pre-season

Great Wakering Rovers v Southend United @1230pm - after gaining promotion back to the Bostik League, Great Wakering have landed a visit from near neighbours Southend who recorded a solid 10th place finish in League One last season

Other games of interest
If you fancy a feast of football head down to Chalky Lane where Chessington & Hook United have lined up a doubleheader of games against Staines Lammas and Wembley from 1pm. Southall are playing a friendly at the Middlesex FA's new HQ at Rectory Park in Northolt. Waltham Forest have now become Walthamstow and begin life with a game against Dulwich Hamlet. There are also games for new TLFG clubs British Airways, Frenford and Tooting Bec


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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.