TLFG: 12-18 November 2018

Welcome to TLFG.

For any who might be new to this blog or haven't read it for a while, my wife had a baby a couple of weeks ago and the amount of content in TLFG has been scaled back. However, it is gradually increasing as domestic life settles down.

This week it's just the match maps again but they contain all fixtures down to the 10th tier as normal. The daily digest is the most time consuming part to research and put together and as a result it will be missing again this time.

We're on another international break over the next few days so there won't be any Premier League or Championship action in the capital. There is an EFL Trophy game at Charlton in midweek but that's it as far as the lower divisions of the EFL are concerned.

Aside from the usual huge selection of great non-league games there are also U23 matches and several women's games but it's the three big international fixtures that will be taking centre stage.

England have two matches at Wembley against the USA (Thursday) and Croatia (Sunday) - tickets are available for both but it's the friendly between Brazil and Uruguay at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on Friday which really grabs my attention. If you want to go to this then tickets are still on sale for this one too.

A number of local non-league clubs distinguished themselves with some fine performances in the FA Cup this weekend but sadly all of them bowed out bar Barnet who earned a replay.

In the same competition, Hampton & Richmond Borough begin the week by entertaining Oldham Athletic at the Beveree on Monday but the televised clash is sold out - I twice tried unsuccessfully to get a ticket whilst friends of mine landed some. Drat!

I'm hoping to make my return to live football watching on Tuesday when the mighty Harrow Borough travel to Tooting & Mitcham United in the London Senior Cup. I have some friends among the Terrors faithful so I've been eyeing this one since the draw was made.

I'd also like to give a belated message of congratulations to all involved with National League South club Dulwich Hamlet.

After falling out with the owners of their ground they were forced to relocate to groundshare with Tooting & Mitcham towards the end of last season. Thankfully a deal has now been reached to allow them to return to Champion Hill with the first game back likely to be the already huge clash against former League One side Torquay United on 1 December. I can see this becoming an all-ticket sell out so check the club's website regularly for more details if you want to go. 

Thanks to all those who have sent their best wishes and many thanks to those who have donated to TLFG's coffee drinking fund since I last wrote - much appreciated.

Apologies again for the short version this week but I hope it proves to be better than nothing.

As always, have a great week and enjoy your football watching.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include action in three international fixtures, the EFL Trophy, most of our local non-league competitions and the Women's Super League.

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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

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 Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here