Sunday 28 November 2021

TLFG: 29 November - 5 December 2021

Unbelievably we're almost into December - it seems like yesterday that I was getting scorched on a terrace watching an FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round tie in August.

With snow already falling around the country and causing postponements, winter is defintely here.

I certainly felt its effects on Saturday as I began the day watching Actonians U9s suffer a 6-1 defeat to the mighty Ruislip Rangers at a wind-blasted Rectory Park. 

Although the scoreline was convincing, it was a little flattering with most of the damage done in the second quarter (matches are played in four 10-minute segments) after some squad rotation left them a little vulnerable. 

Despite this setback, the players are developing well and there seems to be a clear starting five which would beat or challenge most sides they play. 

A derby with free entry - what a bargain!

The main success for my daughter on Saturday was her playing the whole match, something I don't think any of her team mates have previously achieved given the squad rotation in place.

Whether this was intentional or an oversight is unknown but it can only have been a good thing in the chilly conditions.

The afternoon was spent at the Powerday Stadium, not far from Rectory Park, watching Hanwell Town take on Enfield Town in the FA Trophy.

Conditions again proved to be tough, with some sleet starting to fall in the second half.

The Geordies play a level below Enfield but more than held their own against one of the Isthmian League's title challengers.

A goal late in each half proved to be enough for the visitors as they delighted their sizeable travelling contingent of fans with a 2-0 win which puts them in the Third Round for the first time since their formation in 2001.

My highlight of the coming week will be leading a group of 32 fans of all ages to Wembley on Sunday to watch the Covid-19 delayed 2020-21 Women's FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea.

Ticket sales passed 40,000 on Friday meaning we're on course for a record attendance but it could be close so if you're around, come and join me in trying to become a record-breaker!

Before I finish, a very special mention must be made about Clapton CFC who created a huge shock in the Second Round of this season's Women's FA Cup on Sunday.

Playing away to third-tier club Hounslow, four levels above them, they drew 0-0 before winning on penalties in front of several hundred travelling supporters.

Not only that but they've become the first ever seventh-tier club to make it to the Third Round - many congratulations to all involved.

Lastly from me, many thanks this week to regular reader Kevin O for donating to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund. I really really appreciate it.

Have a great week everyone.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the Premier League, EFL, FA Cup, National League, most of our local non-league competitions and the Women's FA Cup Final too. 

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 - turquoise 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 29 November

Surrey Senior Cup First Round
Walton & Hersham v Leatherhead @745pm - the week gets underway with some county cup action at the Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub. The hosts play two levels below the Tanners but are currently top of the CCL Premier South with only one league defeat this season. It's a totally different story for Leatherhead who are bottom of the Isthmian Premier and there for the taking
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Tuesday 30 November

EFL Trophy Second Round
Leyton Orient v MK Dons @7pm - with the group stage completed, this competition is now into its knockout phase. The group winners were put in one pot and the runners-up another one before the draw. The O's finished ahead of Charlton, Southampton U21s and Crawley to top their group and set up this clash with MK Dons from the division above. Adult tickets are a very reasonable £5
Sutton United v Stevenage @745pm - having been recently promoted from the National League, this is the U's first time in the competition but they've made a perfect start, winning all group games against Portsmouth, AFC Wimbledon and Crystal Palace U21s. If they continue in that vein, they should also dispatch League Two strugglers Stevenage. Tickets start at £12, perhaps reflecting how seriously they're taking this

London Senior Cup First Round
Haringey Borough v AFC Wimbledon @745pm - at TLFG we applaud all pro clubs who enter sides in county cup competitions and the Dons have been at the forefront of those that have in recent years. This tie instantly brings back memories of the FA Cup First Round tie between the two which was televised live on a Friday night back in 2018. It was a close-run thing which the south London club eventually won 1-0. Haringey aren't quite as good as they were then and have had a slightly disappointing season thus far but a lot will depend on the quality of the side that the Dons decide to field

Southern League Premier South
Hendon v Metropolitan Police @745pm - elsewhere in north London, the Greens welcome a high-flying Met Police squad who will go top if they win this. Hendon could do with the points to move them firmly away from the bottom six but they'll do well to get anything against the most miserly defence in the division. This league is a bit of a strange one - the vast majority of its clubs are in the West Country and other rural counties away from the capital. After an FA restructure a few years ago, five clubs within the M25 got sucked into this league and suddenly found themselves having to travel to places like Cornwall, Devon and Wales rather than Essex, Kent and Sussex. Despite this obvious disadvantage, three of the current top six are from London. However, they're all really struggling to get fans through the gate with not a single one managing to average a crowd of 250 - in part due to the large distances away fans have to travel. This blog is primarily about showcasing what's out there and driving up attendances so give your local Southern League clubs a bit of love if you can - their travel expenses are way more than they really should be for clubs at this level

SSML Premier
Oxhey Jets v New Salamis @730pm - north London club New Salamis are another one of our local sides with title ambitions. Currently third but with five games in hand on leaders Leighton Town, this trip to lower midtable Oxhey should give them a decent opportunity to close the gap to four points

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Wednesday 1 December

Premier League
Watford v Chelsea @730pm - we have a round of Wednesday/Thursday top-flight games to look forward to as a result of Amazon landing some TV rights. Regular Premier League watchers know full well that the Hornets are more than capable of an upset on their day as their 4-1 win over Manchester United showed. However, the table-topping Blues are a significantly different prospect and a draw will be a great result for the hosts. Tickets are sold out
West Ham United v Brighton & Hove Albion @730pm - the Seagulls drew with Leeds on Saturday, a result which sees them end the weekend in ninth. The Hammers made the daunting trip to Manchester City on Sunday and fought hard amid the snow before succumbing to a 2-1 defeat to stay fourth. The table would suggest a win in this one for West Ham but Brighton are one of the division's draw specialists and will be tough to beat. Tickets are on sale to non-members 

Southern League Premier South
Harrow Borough v Farnborough @745pm - after suffering a dip in form after their big FA Cup tie at Portsmouth, the Boro have managed back-to-back away league wins over Merthyr Town and Swindon Supermarine to move back into the top six. At the time of writing, Farnborough are top but have a couple of sides breathing down their necks so a win is needed by both sides as they look to further their promotion ambitions. Harrow won the reverse fixture 3-1 back in September so they know what it takes to beat them

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Thursday 2 December

Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Brentford @730pm - the Amazon action continues with a London derby. This match is only the Bees' fourth game against Spurs in the 21st century and they haven't scored in the previous three. Matches between these two have been few and far between over the course of history and Tottenham have won the vast majority of them. Brentford's last win over the club from N17 came way back in 1948 in what was a second-tier match. On current form, it's hard to see past a home win but the west London club did get their first win for a while on Sunday by beating a beleagured Everton side 1-0. Tickets are only available to members

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Friday 3 December

Championship
Fulham v AFC Bournemouth @745pm - one of the matches of the week takes place at Craven Cottage where the division's top two do battle for supremacy. As is always the case in the Championship, even the most dominant teams hit a wobbly patch but unusually it's happened to both of the top sides at the same time. The Cherries have now won only one of their last five to surrender their lead, whilst the Cottagers have now drawn two in a row. Having had a quick look at the records, this part of SW6 is a very happy hunting ground for the Dorset club - they haven't lost a game here since 1992 and have won the last two, scoring eight in the process. Tickets are available to non-members but only a few were left when I last looked so don't delay

ECL Division 1 South
May & Baker v Wivenhoe Town @745pm - your non-league option of the night takes place on the far eastern side of town at Aveley's fine Parkside ground. It's sixth against fifth as they both try to catch the top four who are on the verge of leaving them behind

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Saturday 4 December

Premier League
West Ham United v Chelsea @1230pm - the weekend's action begins with this early kick-off at the London Stadium. With a load of midweek matches being played before this, it's hard to craft a proper preview. Whatever happens, at the time of writing, these sides are London's top two clubs and since moving to Stratford, West Ham have only lost two of their six games against Chelsea. We should get a match to savour. Tickets are on sale to non-members
Watford v Manchester City @530pm - the Hornets are on a horrific run of games at the moment, playing Arsenal, Manchester United, Leicester City, Chelsea and now City. Watford's record in all competitions against the reigning league champions is equally horrific. Since 2013, it reads P13 L13 F6 A49 - the last three games have been particularly bad with none scored and 18 conceded. Claudio Ranieri will have to work some serious magic to get anything out of this one. Watford's website says tickets are available but I couldn't find any

Championship
Millwall v Birmingham City @3pm - a point apart in midtable, these two have had some close-fought battles on and off the pitch over the years. Birmingham's last-minute play-off win over the Lions in 2002 was followed by a riot which injured 47 police officers and more recently, there were similar scenes near London Bridge ahead of a game in 2017. Tickets are readily available but perhaps bear this in mind if you decide to go

FA Cup Second Round
The 40 remaining League One, League Two and non-league clubs face each other for 20 places in the legendary Third Round where they could be paired with one of the biggest clubs in the country and make a potentially transformative sum of money - the stakes are huge, particularly for the smallest clubs. There are only two ties in London over the weekend

AFC Wimbledon v Cheltenham Town @3pm - the original Wimbledon football club famously beat Liverpool to win the FA Cup in 1988, causing one of the greatest upsets in the competition's history. The new club, formed in 2002 after the creation of MK Dons, made it as far as the Fifth Round in 2019. Fellow League One club Cheltenham have also made it to the Fifth Round, although 20 years have gone by since they achieved that. They did, however, make it to the Fourth Round last season where they gallantly lost 3-1 to Manchester City. The clubs haven't met since 2015, but Wimbledon are unbeaten in three against the Robins. Tickets are available
Leyton Orient v Tranmere Rovers @3pm - the O's made it to the semi-finals back in 1978 but that's as good as it's ever got. The last two years have seen First Round exits, including an embarrassing loss at home to non-league Maldon & Tiptree. Perched just outside the play-off places in League Two, this season has been a positive one so they'll hope to get the win they need to make the Third Round for the first time since 2014. Tranmere are just below them in the table and won at Brisbane Road in the league last season so it could well go the distance. Tickets are available

National League
Bromley v Wealdstone @3pm - it's hard to pick a standout match in the fifth tier on Saturday so I've plumped for this crosstown derby as it's likely to produce the biggest crowd and most atmosphere. It's also of some importance at either end of the table with the Ravens up in sixth, needing to keep their play-off hopes on course, and the Stones down in 16th and looking to make certain of their place in the division next season. The hosts haven't lost a league game to Wealdstone for several years so a home win looks most likely. Tickets are available

National League South
Dulwich Hamlet v Ebbsfleet United @3pm - there are four games in the sixth tier but this clash of two of the top five would appear to be the best on offer. Both are in decent form but experienced contrasting fortunes in the FA Trophy on Saturday with Dulwich winning at Brentwood and Ebssfleet surprisingly losing to Cray Wanderers on penalties - a result I did not see coming. Both clubs have another game in midweek which means this could be third versus first by the time kick-off comes around. Access to 99% of non-league games isn't normally a problem with cash taken on the gate but matches at the Hamlet are regularly approaching capacity (c.3,500) if not completely selling out - you are therefore very strongly advised to buy tickets in advance and turn up early as the sightlines are not great for latecomers

Southern League Premier South
Hayes & Yeading United v Metropolitan Police @3pm - the big game in the seventh tier sees two of the top three meet at the SkyEx Community Stadium. As mentioned above, if midweek results go their way, Met Police could be top by the time they arrive for this. In that scenario, H&YU would be five points behind them but with three games in hand - it's a big one!

Isthmian League North
Grays Athletic v Tilbury @3pm - there are several matches between promotion contenders in the eighth tier but I personally prefer the look of this derby between clubs from neighbouring Essex towns by the Thames. The hosts, who play at Aveley's ground, are very much among the play-off pack whereas Tilbury are down in 12th. Hopefully the fight for local bragging rights should produce an entertaining spectacle

Essex Senior League
Walthamstow v Woodford Town @3pm - there's so much to like about this fixture - it's a north-east London derby, the Stow are top of the league and both sides have growing and lively fansbases. However, perhaps the best thing of all is that it's free entry if you make a donation to the local foodbank. It looks like being a cracking afternoon 

SCEFL Division 1
Stansfeld v Croydon @3pm - the hosts are having a season to remember. Currently one point clear at the top with a game in hand and also through to the Third Round of the FA Vase, things are looking really good for the south-east London club. The Trams started their season strongly too and led until a wobbly spell saw them drop down. Now fifth and with improving results, this could be well worth 90 minutes of your time

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Sunday 5 December

Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City @2pm - it's hard to produce a preview when there is a round of midweek games to be played before this but at the time of writing, Spurs have just seen their match at Burnley snowed off which meant they missed their chance to move back into the top six under new boss Antonio Conte. The Canaries are unbeaten in three and right back in the fight to avoid the drop with new manager Dean Smith now at the helm. Tickets are only on sale to members

Championship
QPR v Stoke City @230pm - the R's long run of televised games continues with this Sunday afternoon kick-off. There have been many complaints from season-ticket holders that Sky's scheduling has made things really difficult and with several matches on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays over a two-month period, you can see why. It's also understandable why the broadcaster is picking them - up in the top six, playing a great brand of football, capable of big wins or defeats and scoring in every game (30 in a row now), it all makes for some good telly. At the time of writing, the Potters are just a point and a place behind QPR so it should be entertaining. Tickets are available

Women's FA Cup Final
Arsenal v Chelsea @2pm - about four miles north of Loftus Road, Wembley hosts the Covid-19 delayed 2020-21 Women's FA Cup Final. The line-up is as good as it gets with the current two best teams in the country looking to claim this big bit of silverware. As with the men's competition, Arsenal are the most successful team in the history of the Women's FA Cup with 14 wins since it launched in 1970. A little surprisingly, Chelsea have only won it twice most recently in 2018 when they beat the Gunners 3-1. On current form, this one really is too close to call. Tickets sales have shot up of late with the FA announcing the 40,000 barrier was passed on Friday. The record crowd of 45,423 was achieved in the aforementioned final between the two in 2018 so it could well be beaten. Adult tickets are £20 and kids £2.50 - come along and maybe you'll become a record-breaker

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 21 November 2021

TLFG: 22-28 November 2021

Greetings one and all and welcome to the latest edition of TLFG.

It's been a busy week with no live football for me and I've barely had time to write this but I think I've produced enough.

The main football 'thing' for me over the last few days has been assembling a group of 32 people to go to last season's Covid-delayed Women's FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday 5 December.

My original goal was to find nine people because you qualify for the massively discounted group rate of £10 adults and £2.50 kids.

After a couple of days struggling to get to that number, word got out and more and more people, some from quite unlikely quarters, contacted me wanting in.

Arsenal play Chelsea at 2pm - get your tickets here

Apparently the FA have shifted 10,000 tickets in the last week alone, taking the running total to over 30,000 with two weeks to go.

The last few finals have made it to the 40-45,000 mark so it would be great to hit that again. In fact, more tickets have been sold for this than England's recent World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland so the atmosphere should be good.

Even if you can't get a group together, it's still only £20 adults which is pretty good for a Wembley final.

In other news, it was great to see QPR return to winning ways against Luton.

Given their proximity to London, games between the two clubs have always effectively been derbies and more often than not there's been a bit of a nasty edge to them.

On Friday, this unpleasant side reared its ugly head in a big way with a number of altercations in the streets around the stadium after the game.

It saw QPR fans kettled on Loftus Road itself to allow away fans to leave the area.

Sadly this didn't go as smoothly as the authorities would've liked with one person, from Luton, ending up in a coma after receiving serious head injuries.

This was even more shocking for my family as the assault took place right outside my father-in-law's restaurant which was then shut for almost 24 hours after being placed behind a police cordon.

I've said in recent weeks how I've stayed away from first-team games this season, in part because of the negative air that seems to surround pro club games - Friday kind of vindicated that feeling.

Anyway, don't be put off - QPR v Luton games are often feisty and I doubt they'll be any of that when the R's play Huddersfield on Wednesday.

With a few days off coming up at the end of the week, I'm banking on seeing something in the flesh.

Unusually, both QPR and Harrow Borough are without a game so after watching Actonians U9s in action in the morning, I hope to head off somewhere else in the afternoon - the leading contender at the moment is the FA Trophy tie between Hanwell Town and Enfield Town but we'll see.

Lastly from me, many thanks this week to Martin B from Dorset and John R from California for donating to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund. I really really appreciate it.

Have a great week everyone.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the Champions League, Premier League, EFL, National League, FA Trophy, most of our local non-league competitions and Women's FA Cup. 

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 - turquoise 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 22 November


Isthmian League Premier
Carshalton Athletic v Horsham @745pm - the Robins saw their match at Hornchurch abandoned on Saturday after a major power failure in the area, it was 1-1 at the time. A win would've built on their superb 5-0 demolition of Folkestone in their previous league game and they'll hope to get something here too as they beat Horsham in the FA Trophy at the end of October. However, the Sussex club's lowly position is a little false as they have a number of games in hand after their great run in the FA Cup. Since losing 2-0 at Carlisle in the First Round, they've won three matches in a row including an impressive 6-0 triumph at Brightlingsea Regent 

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Tuesday 23 November

Professional Development League
QPR v Cardiff City @130pm - Tuesday's action begins at the R's training ground where their in-form U23 side welcome their Cardiff counterparts. These games are usually open to the public and free to get into but check with the club on the day 

Champions League
Chelsea v Juventus - the Blues start a huge week with a big game against the Group H leaders. Juve won the reverse fixture 1-0 in Turin back in September but have struggled domestically since then. With only a 46% win rate in Serie A this season, they're seventh and a whopping 12 points behind leaders Napoli. Chelsea, on the other hand, are top in England and should fancy their chances given the Italian club's lack of form. Only hospitality packages are available at this stage

League One
AFC Wimbledon v Crewe Alexandra @745pm - elsewhere in south-west London, there's another very important match, this time in the third tier. The Dons have now lost three in a row to leave themselves just two points above the relegation zone. Crewe are bottom with just two wins from 18 matches and must be beaten. Tickets are available

League Two
Sutton United v Mansfield Town @745pm - travel a little further south of Plough Lane and you end up at Gander Green Lane where you can watch the U's. Matt Gray's side have been frustratingly inconsistent of late, with a loss often following on from a great win. As a result, they're hovering just outside the play-off places but will almost certainly move back into them with three points here. Mansfield are way down in 17th but they've won three on the bounce and look like a side on the up. Tickets are available

National League
Boreham Wood v Notts County @745pm - with three of our local clubs in the top seven, it looks like being an exciting season in the fifth tier. There are a number of games at this level on Tuesday but none bigger than this clash at Meadow Park between the clubs in second and sixth. The Wood have seen their average attendance climb to 807 so far this season, a jump of 24% but they're still the smallest club in this division - there are several clubs in the eighth tier with bigger crowds. So to be competing at such a level is a huge achievement. Notts County are quite the opposite, a former top-flight side, they broke the National League attendance record with 12,843 coming to watch their match against Solihull Moors last weekend. Tickets are available

Southern League Premier Division South
Hayes & Yeading United v Merthyr Town @745pm - there are several games to choose from in the seventh tier but I've gone for this as the hosts are still unbeaten in the league and looking to catch leaders Farnborough who they beat last week. With five games in hand on the top club, they should eventually reel them in and their struggling Welsh opponents should be beaten here

Middlesex Senior Cup Second Round
Brentford B v Broadfields United @745pm - it's a big night for Broadfields as they become the latest non-league club to lock horns with Brentford's second string. The Bees were drawn at home but will play the match at Northwood's ground
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Wednesday 24 November

Championship
Fulham v Derby County @745pm - it's all about the Championship on Wednesday night where we have three fixtures to look forward to. The Cottagers saw off relegation-threatened Barnsley with relative ease on Saturday to go top. They would've expected to slide back to second on Sunday but challengers Bournemouth suffered one of the shocks of the weekend as they lost 3-2 at bottom club Derby. The Rams' position at the bottom is primarily down to points deductions as a result of financial problems and it seems Wayne Rooney's side just won't give up. Alongside all the current adversity, Derby haven't won a league game here since 1969 so it's going to take something really special for them to succeed this time. Tickets are available
Millwall v AFC Bournemouth @745pm - talking of Bournemouth, they're in town too. With two defeats from three, the Cherries are starting to look a little wobbly. In such form, the Den is the last place you want to go and the Lions are hungry for points to break into the top six themselves. The Dorset club won 4-1 on their last visit to SE16 back in April so will hope to replicate that performance. Tickets are available
QPR v Huddersfield Town @745pm - the R's enjoyed a 2-0 win over Luton on Friday night that I think most neutrals would say was an entertaining game. It made sure they held on to sixth going into this round of fixtures. Former Premier League side Huddersfield are just a point and a place below them so normally I would say it's going to be close but QPR's record of two wins from 10 against the Yorkshire club isn't very encouraging. Tickets are available 

Kent Senior Cup Final
Dartford v Whitstable Town @745pm - the Darts host last season's delayed KSC Final at their well-appointed Princes Park stadium. With the hosts top of the National League South and Whitstable next to bottom of the Isthmian South East, almost four levels separate the sides so it will take a minor miracle for the Oystermen to prevail here. If you do want to go to this, tickets must be bought in advance as none will be available on the day
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Thursday 25 November

Middlesex Premier Cup First Round
Enfield Borough v Harefield United Reserves @745pm - currently seventh in the CCL Division 1, the Panthers should start as favourites against Harefield who play a level below them. The north London club currently groundshare at Wingate & Finchley

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Friday 26 November

Premier League 2
There's a great selection of U23 action on Friday night with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all hosting games at their 'out grounds' - to borrow from cricket parlance. The Gunners' games at Meadow Park are usually free entry whilst Chelsea (at Kingsmeadow) and Spurs (at Stevenage) are usually £5 but check all the details before you travel

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Saturday 27 November

Premier League
Arsenal v Newcastle United @1230pm - new boss Eddie Howe had to miss his first match in charge of Newcastle after testing positive for Covid-19. His side managed a 3-3 draw against Brentford but slipped to bottom of the table as Norwich won again. The Magpies' style of play was a lot more attacking and entertaining than under Steve Bruce but a trip to the Emirates won't be easy. In fact it's rarely easy for the Toon - they've lost on their last 10 visits. Arsenal's recent good form came to a crashing end on Saturday as Liverpool beat them 4-0 at Anfield - they should still have enough to win here though. Tickets are only available to members
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa @3pm - a match between the clubs in 10th and 15th wouldn't normally be that notable but this is different. Palace have been playing some good stuff of late and their 3-3 draw at Burnley on Saturday extended their unbeaten run to seven matches. Saturday saw Villa record an impressive 2-0 win over a decent Brighton outfit, in part down to the efforts of freshly installed manager Steven Gerrard. How he fares against former midfield rival Patrick Vieira, now in the Eagles' hotseat, will be very interesting to see. Tickets are only available to members

League One
AFC Wimbledon v Fleetwood Town @3pm - after their must-win game against bottom club Crewe on Tuesday, the Dons then play another one of their fellow strugglers. If  Mark Robinson's side can come through this week with two wins, things are going to look a lot more positive. Tickets are available

League Two
Sutton United v Barrow @3pm - like Wimbledon, the U's also play another side from the wrong end of the division. Down in 19th, Barrow are also second from bottom in the form table. The main positives for the Cumbrian club are that they draw more than they lose and they've scored more than anyone in the bottom nine. Overall, you have to fancy Sutton for the win. Tickets are available

National League
Wealdstone v Stockport County @3pm - the Stones picked up a useful point from an impressive 0-0 draw at Wrexham on Saturday. That big game is followed by another huge one back at Grosvenor Vale as FA Cup stars Stockport and their legion of fans pay a visit to Ruislip. The Hatters' televised replay win over Bolton in the First Round was an absolute classic but was by no means a stand-alone performance. Although not in the leading group, a win here could send them into the play-off places. The omens are good as they beat Wealdstone home and away last season, scoring nine times in the process! Tickets are available

FA Trophy Second Round
Clubs from the sixth tier National League North and National League South join the draw at this stage alongside seventh and eighth tier sides who have made it this far. To re-cap, this is a knockout competition for clubs in the fifth to eighth tiers with its final at Wembley. The winners of each tie receive £3,750 and the losers get £1,000 - there are only two in London on Saturday

Cray Wanderers v Ebbsfleet United @3pm - London's oldest club have been disappointing this season and are down in the bottom three of the Isthmian Premier at the time of writing. To be fair, they have some games in hand and could climb the table a bit. On Saturday they welcome a side from the level above who are in red-hot form. With six straight wins in the league, Ebbsfleet are up to second in the National League South and have scored more than anyone in the division. Cray couldn't have got a much worse draw
Hanwell Town v Enfield Town @3pm - after causing a minor upset by beating Wingate & Finchley in the previous round, eighth-tier Hanwell have landed another home draw against Isthmian Premier opposition. However, this time it's against one of the title contenders. Neither side have made it this far into the competition before, so the winners will make a little piece of club history

Isthmian League South Central
Bedfont Sports v Basingstoke Town @3pm - up to fourth in the league and having enjoyed a fine run in the FA Cup, the hosts have had a great season. On Saturday they host Basingstoke who sit just above them in the table. The Hampshire club have endured a turbulent few years off the pitch that has seen them forced out of their ground and suffer two relegations. Back in town at a new facility, they seem all set to start climbing the pyramid again

CCL Premier North
Abbey Rangers v Hanworth Villa @3pm - game of the day in the ninth tier is this clash of two of the title hopefuls in the Combined Counties League. Leaders Hanworth are currently 11 points ahead of third-placed Abbey but they have two games in hand so a win here could make things really interesting

SCEFL Division 1
Tooting Bec v Bridon Ropes @3pm - with Stansfeld four points clear at the top, these two sit on level points in third and second respectively. Ropes have played a game less than the hosts and have a much better goal difference so they should start as marginal favourites in this 10th-tier contest

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Sunday 28 November

Premier League
Brentford v Everton @2pm - after four straight defeats, things were starting to look a bit worrying for Bees fans. Thankfully that run ended on Saturday with a draw at Newcastle. Picking up a point against the bottom club isn't a lot to shout about but it's better than nothing. Next they face Everton who are just below them at the foot of the Premier League form table - if they can't beat them then it could be a long winter. Tickets are only sale to members
Chelsea v Manchester United @430pm - the Blues' big week comes to an end with this clash of the Titans at Stamford Bridge - well in most seasons it would be described as something like that but United are really poor this year. So much so that they sacked manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Sunday after their 4-1 humiliation by Watford. Which side turns up for this is anyone's guess and who will be directing things from the bench remains to be seen. Chelsea's main enemy on Sunday is likely to be complacency. Tickets are not available

FA Trophy Second Round
Kingstonian v Farnborough @3pm - if you can't get a ticket for either of the above then head to Tolworth for this tasty looking FA Trophy tie where title contenders from the parallel Isthmian and Southern Leagues do battle

Women's FA Cup Second Round
It's a women's international break which means the Super League and Championship have the week off and the FA Cup takes centre stage. No new clubs enter the draw in this round, which means we have 56 clubs from the third to the seventh tiers remaining. To give you some idea of the gulf in finances between the men's and women's games - sides who win a men's Second Round game receive a cheque for £34,000. A women's team winning this weekend will get only £1,000

Hounslow v Clapton CFC @2pm - one of the most interesting ties of the round sees third-tier strugglers Hounslow welcome the seventh-tier Tons to Rectory Meadow. The hosts have lost every league match this season and haven't scored a single goal. Although playing four levels below, Clapton are likely to bring a few hundred fans and turn it into a home game. The potential for a cupset is huge
Kent Football United v Chesham United @3pm - winless from their nine league matches so far this season, KFU have had a torrid time and prop up the fourth tier FAWNL Division 1 SE. Chesham play in the parallel SW division but are well in the hunt for the title - it looks like an away win
QPR v Billericay Town @1pm - after obliterating Bromley 11-0 in the last round, the R's now face a much tougher opponent from Essex. Currently top of the same fourth-tier division which QPR play in, they should make it a difficult afternoon for the hosts
Ashford Town (Middlesex) v Oxford United @2pm - the Tangerines are flying at the moment. Top of the fifth tier London & SE Regional League, they beat the higher-ranked Actonians in the Capital Women's Cup on Sunday. However, they're going to have to be at their very best to beat Oxford who are among the best teams at two levels above

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 14 November 2021

TLFG: 15-21 November 2021

This week's piece has been written in several sittings across several hours today, something I find frustrating - ideally I'd get up early, between 6-7am, write the whole thing in one go and be done by lunchtime but life usually gets in the way.

Sundays are usually really tough in our house, with my eldest daughter made to do an online Arabic lesson early doors (my father-in-law is Egyptian) which she really doesn't want to do.

My wife and I have several mundane household chores to get out of the way, whilst our youngest daughter runs amok - often disrupting said Arabic lesson.


Tickets for West Ham's home games against Brighton and Chelsea are on sale now

Once that's over, the fun really begins with the kids squabbling up until lunch and then I usually get a bit of peace to write this when they all bundle down the road to the in-laws' for a few hours.

Today that didn't happen.

My wife was under the weather so I had to drop-off and pick-up from the in-laws, cook dinner, put kids to bed etc.

So I've only really got cracking on this around 8pm - I'm up at 345am for work, so this timetable is not ideal!

Although I've trimmed the 'Daily Digest' a little, I think it's still pretty reasonable and should be fit for purpose.

After a lot of interest, one thing I've made a real effort to add this week are a load of U23 and U18 fixtures in various competitions and leagues.

This does provide lots of extra options but I can't stress enough how important it is to doublecheck all the match info before you set off as there were quite a few I couldn't verify the details of and in some cases, quite a bit of contradictory info is circulating out there - so beware!

If you're on the lookout for a 'groundhop double' on Saturday, both Guernsey (@1245pm) and Jersey Bulls (@12pm - UPDATE: this match now starts at 130pm) are in town, although the latter at Banstead offers you better options.

My football week saw me take in the QPR U23 match against Ipswich Town at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

After falling behind, a strong R's squad came back to win 4-2 with Charlie Kelman scoring a hat-trick.

However, the highlight of the last seven days was seeing Actonians U9s beat Hillingdon Abbots 3-1 in the Capital Girls League.

Having lost their star player to another team after the last game, we all feared for how well they would get on.

However, the signing of a new specialist goalkeeper and a very decent outfield player saw this one won with relative ease.

My daughter hit the post and had probably her best ever game as she showed far more assertiveness than I've ever seen - that left me on a high for the rest of the day.

Midweek games are becoming increasingly hard for me to get to so the Actonians training session on Monday night might be as good as it gets for me this week as I'm working at the weekend.

Have a great week everyone.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the Premier League, EFL, FA Vase, 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.
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 - turquoise 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 15 November

FA Youth Cup Second Round
Corinthian Casuals v Cambridge United @745pm - there are a couple of senior non-league games on Monday but for me, this U18 game is probably more significant and could draw a bigger crowd. CC's have done really well to get this far and the visit of a League One team's youngsters should provide a big test. It's £5 to get in

Youth & Development games
Having received quite a bit of interest from readers in matches at this level, I've done my best to include as many as I can find on the match map. However, details have been hard to confirm so please check everything with the club before you travel 

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Tuesday 16 November

Premier League Cup
QPR v Blackburn Rovers @1pm - if you want to see two games on Tuesday, the R's U23 side are back in action at Wealdstone's ground in Ruislip at lunchtime. Tickets are available on the gate and usually cost £5

FA Youth Cup Second Round
Leyton Orient v Newport County @7pm - there's another game in the country's top U18 competition on Tuesday. With tickets at £5, it provides a cheap way of visiting Brisbane Road

Southern League Premier Division South
Hayes & Yeading United v Farnborough @745pm - undoubtedly the match of the night in the seventh tier is taking place in west London. It's third versus first although with Hayes having five games in hand on Farnborough and second-placed Gosport, it's effectively a top-two clash. The hosts suffered a rare reverse against Isthmian League leaders Worthing in the FA Trophy on Saturday, so they'll be hoping to return to winning ways here

CCL Premier Division North
Abbey Rangers v Virginia Water @745pm - the hosts are third but have games in hand on the top two. A win in this local derby will put them on level points with second-placed Southall
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Wednesday 17 November

Uefa Women's Champions League
Arsenal v Koge @8pm - the biggest crowd of the night should be found at Boreham Wood's ground where the Gunners will look to make a large stride towards qualification for the next round. They beat the Danish side 5-1 in the reciprocal fixture last week so should feel confident of another win. Tickets are available from £8

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Thursday 18 November

Uefa Women's Champions League
Chelsea v Servette @8pm - it's a similar story at Kingsmeadow on Thursday where the Blues will hope to move to the verge of qualification with another win over Group A's weakest team. Tickets are available from £9

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Friday 19 November

Championship
QPR v Luton Town @745pm - the international break comes to an end with another televised QPR game at Loftus Road. The second tier is incredibly tight at the moment with only six points between fifth and 16th. The R's will need to win here to stay in the play-off places but the Hatters will be tricky opponents in what is effectively a derby, given their close proximity to London. Games between these two are often highly entertaining with 3-2 a common scoreline over the years. However, the Bedfordshire club haven't won here since 1984 so it's not a happy hunting ground for them. Tickets are available

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Saturday 20 November

Premier League
Watford v Manchester United @3pm - the Hornets will be looking to end their two-game losing streak against the Red Devils, a statement you don't hear very often. Given United's current form, who knows? The last time they met at Vicarage Road in 2019, it was fans of the Hertfordshire club who went home happy after a 2-0 win. Tickets have sold out

Championship
Fulham v Barnsley @3pm - the Cottagers are the form team of the division with six wins in a row. In second, just two points behind leaders Bournemouth, they should comfortably see off the Tykes who are second from bottom and on the hunt for a new manager. Tickets are available

League One
Charlton Athletic v Plymouth Argyle @3pm - the Addicks' season has improved significantly under caretaker boss Johnnie Jackson, with their four-game unbeaten run lifting them out of the relegation zone and above London rivals AFC Wimbledon. On Saturday they host leaders Plymouth who have only lost one of their 17 league games so far this season. Tickets are available

League Two
Leyton Orient v Sutton United @3pm - if it's a London derby you're after then head to Brisbane Road where a very well matched pair of clubs are set to do battle. One place and two points apart just outside the play-off places, this match has lots of potential. Tickets are available

National League
Barnet v Torquay United @3pm - their are four games in the fifth tier and I've gone for this one as the Bees are holding a legends day and making it £10 a ticket. It's usually £22 so it's quite a saving

Isthmian Premier
Enfield Town v Merstham @3pm - there's nothing particularly eye-catching in the seventh tier but I've gone for this as a win for the Towners could put them top depending on midweek results and how current leaders Worthing get on

Isthmian South East
Cray Valley PM v Haywards Heath Town @3pm - it's first versus third in another one of the big match-ups of the day. Unusually for many non-league competitions, the top four clubs have played the same number of games so the table paints an accurate picture of where we're at

FA Vase Second Round
The national knockout competition for clubs in the ninth and 10th tiers, with its final at Wembley, is back for its latest round. There are 64 ties this weekend so we're still some way from the final

Athletic Newham v Pagham @3pm - the club formerly known as Lopes Tavares are new to the ninth tier after promotion from the ECL. They're doing well in the Essex Senior League and find themselves in the top six. In Pagham, they host a team who are also sixth in the parallel SCFL - this could go the distance
Cobham v Egham Town @3pm - we've got another very similar tie here, with eighth and seventh-placed clubs from the parallel Premier Divisions of the CCL meeting at the brilliantly titled Leg O'Mutton Field
Cockfosters v Tring Athletic @3pm - former rivals in the SSML, Cockfosters are now an Essex Senior League club and should fancy their chances as Tring are second from bottom in the Spartan Premier having won only two league games
Glebe v Hanworth Villa @3pm - probably the tie of the round is taking place in Chislehurst where the leaders of the SCEFL take on the top club from the parallel CCL Premier North - it should be a cracker!
Harefield United v Berks County @3pm - the Hare should be expected to progress here as they host a midtable team from the level below
New Salamis v Ipswich Wanderers @3pm - the hosts who play a level above their opponents, should start as favourites but Ipswich are among the frontrunners in the ECL Division 1 South and could cause a few problems
Raynes Park Vale v Blackfield & Langley @2pm - there's another well-matched looking tie at Grand Drive where RPV, fifth in the CCL South, take on a top-eight club from the Wessex League. Note the slightly earlier kick-off 
Southall v Chatham Town @3pm - after the Glebe v Hanworth game, this tie comes a very close second as it's second in the CCL North against third in the SCEFL. Chatham have been getting some great crowds this season and will hopefully travel in decent numbers to west London

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Sunday 21 November

Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United @430pm - a hugely important game for both as Antonio Conte seeks his first league win as Spurs boss and Leeds look for points to push them further away from the relegation zone. Tickets are only available to members

FA Vase Second Round
Stansfeld v Badshot Lea @3pm - the final tie of the round is another good one with the 10th tier SCEFL Division 1 leaders hosting one of the top clubs from the CCL Premier South, a level above. There's some definite cupset potential here

FA Women's Super League
Chelsea v Birmingham City @2pm - after crushing rivals Manchester City 4-0 on Sunday, the Blues closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to just one point. Aside from their opening day blip against the Gunners, Emma Hayes's side are looking ominously good again and will be really interesting to see how the Women's FA Cup Final between the two goes in three weeks time. As for this match, you really have to fear for Birmingham - they've yet to win a game and have only scored two goals
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur @3pm - both sides had to settle for draws this weekend and it cost both of them positions in the table. The Hammers slid below Aston Villa into seventh, whilst Spurs lost their place in the top three to Brighton. Current form would suggest an away win but there shouldn't be much in it

FA Women's Championship
Charlton Athletic v London City Lionesses @2pm - there's a local derby to be enjoyed in the women's second tier. You might not have heard of LCL before but a win here could put them top if leaders Liverpool slip up at Sunderland on Saturday


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.

Monday 8 November 2021

TLFG: 8-14 November 2021

For me, the last week was spent building up to Harrow Borough's huge FA Cup match with Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday.

The day duly arrived but not without trepidation as my wife had picked up what appeared to be norovirus on Friday evening, threatening the cancellation of my trip and all those depending on me for train and match tickets.

Thankfully she mustered enough resolve to allow my departure, and my daughter and I plus my friend Andy left Waterloo on the 1300 train to Portsmouth.

The journey was fast - from my home to Fratton took only a little over two hours and with Greene King giving away free cans of beer on the Waterloo concourse, it was even more enjoyable for my travelling companion.

Harrow Borough (red) gave a great account of themselves against Portsmouth

On arrival at Fratton, we were met by Wayne - a former colleague of mine and local resident.

Despite being a Pompey fan, he joined us in the away end for what turned out to be a much closer contest than I'd expected.

With Wayne getting odds of 26/1 for Harrow just to score, no-one really thought they'd do that well.

After surviving an early scare, Steve Baker's team started to assert themselves and managed a few half chances of their own.

However, around the half-hour mark they did concede from close range but rather than capitulate, they steadied themselves and saw out the half.

The second period was similar - Portsmouth huffed and puffed and had way more of the possession and aside from one shot that hit the post, never really troubled.

It ended 1-0, a result I would have happily taken beforehand.

Avoiding humiliation and being competitive against a side from four levels above is all you can really ask for and we got that in spades.

Most of Harrow's players looked really composed and totally unaffected by playing in front of nearly 7,000 spectators, way more than the normal 150.

Young goalkeeper Josh Strizovic, on loan from Dagenham & Redbridge, was MOTM for most people whilst George Moore was a threat throughout on the left and James Mansfield was, for me, the pick of the defenders although they all did well.

A special mention should go to all at Pompey - they were great hosts.

The stewards were helpful and friendly throughout and many of us have tales of opposition fans showering us with praise after the match on the streets and in pubs around the ground.

It's Women's Football Weekend and Spurs are playing Arsenal

Although the cup run is over, Harrow made around £20,000 in prize money, received £5,000 for having yesterday's match shown live on international channels like ESPN and then got 50% of yesterday's gate receipts so that could be another £20,000 or possibly even more.

For a club averaging meagre attendances of 151 despite playing some great football, this kind of money will make a huge difference.

If you're reading this and live in the Harrow/Northolt area and have never been to watch the Boro, please do - the club would love to see you down there.

The cup football continues relentlessly this week with tough trips to Hampton & Richmond Borough in the Middlesex Senior Cup on Tuesday and Leiston in the FA Trophy on Saturday - here's to another cup run or two!

Looking ahead to this week's action, we've got another international break and the FA have made it Women's Football Weekend to try and attract fans who might be without a men's game to go and watch a Super League, Championship or Women's FA Cup game instead.

The North London derby between Spurs and Arsenal on Saturday tops the bill in London but there are lots of other great options on Sunday - I'll hopefully be going to watch QPR.

Lastly from me, many thanks this week to Brian T from Newquay and Guy C-H from Newcastle for donating to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund. I really appreciate it.

Have a great week everyone.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the National League, FA Trophy, most of our local non-league competitions and the Women's Super League and Women's FA Cup. There's also an England game too.

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 - turquoise 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 8 November

FA Cup First Round
Dagenham & Redbridge v Salford City @745pm - the week begins with the concluding tie in the FA Cup First Round. Being broadcast live on ITV, you can watch as the non-league Daggers look to pull off a minor shock by beating League Two strugglers Salford. Neither side are in great form so it could be close. Tickets are available from £10

Isthmian League Premier
Carshalton Athletic v Folkestone Invicta @745pm - the Robins begin the week by welcome title-chasing Folkestone. The Kent club are unbeaten in the league this season and have games in hand on the top two. If they beat their midtable hosts, they could go second

ECL Division 1 South
Barkingside v Benfleet @745pm - the 'Side also have a tough start to the week, as they face another club with title aspirations. Currently fourth, Benfleet will move on to level points with leaders Buckhurst Hill if they win

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Tuesday 9 November

Professional Development League
QPR v Ipswich Town @1pm - the R's U23 side return to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium for a bit of lunchtime football. These matches are usually open to the public with voluntary donations taken on the gate for the club's community trust

EFL Trophy
Leyton Orient v Charlton Athletic @7pm - there's actually a pretty good line-up in the much-derided EFL Trophy on Tuesday with two derbies to look forward to. First up the O's entertain League One strugglers Charlton. Both sides safely avoided cupsets on Saturday as they beat Ebbsfleet and Havant & Waterlooville respectively. Who knows what kind of sides the clubs will put out but tickets are only £5
Sutton United v AFC Wimbledon @745pm - when these two south London rivals met in the FA Cup in 2017 it was a huge occasion, with tickets like golddust. Sadly interest isn't anywhere near that level for this one but a derby's a derby so it should be worth watching for that reason alone. Adult tickets appear to start at £12 

Southern League Premier Division South
Metropolitan Police v Chesham United @745pm - the Met have accrued several games in hand and are well placed to challenge for a play-off spot at the very least. The Generals are pottering along in midtable and should be beaten

Middlesex Senior Cup Second Round
Hayes & Yeading United v Barnet @745pm - there are lots of good ties in the MSC on Tuesday but this match between a very impressive H&YU side and Barnet, who play two levels above them, looks intriguing. The hosts are unbeaten in the Southern League and lost narrowly to League Two side Sutton United in the FA Cup on Saturday. The Bees were struggling but are improving greatly under caretaker boss Dean Brennan. If the sides both went for it and put out full-strength teams then it could be very entertaining but I get the feeling there could be quite a few changes 

CCL Premier Division North
Egham Town v Hanworth Villa @745pm - the visitors won their big game with St Panteleimon to end Saturday five points clear at the top. Next up they travel to Egham who could be a top-three side themselves if they win their games in hand

CCL Division 1
Rayners Lane v London Lions @745pm - among the leading group heading into the autumn, October was a tough month for Rayners Lane. Three defeats from four must have hit their confidence but a resounding 5-1 win at British Airways in their last game means they are still in the top five. London Lions have had a season to remember. With only one league defeat, Saturday's 2-1 win at Berks County ensured they stayed five points clear at the top

MCFL Premier
Clapton CFC v Stonewall FC @745pm - there's a rare bit of 11th-tier football to be enjoyed at Wadham Lodge in Walthamstow on Tuesday. MCFL leaders Clapton CFC will look to open up a clear lead over title rivals FC Soma with three points here. Stonewall are among the early season strugglers and are only two points off the bottom. If you want a bit of atmosphere, the Tons have an average attendance of 309 which is comparable to clubs playing four levels above them
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Wednesday 10 November

Isthmian League North
Grays Athletic v AFC Sudbury @745pm - another side to be doing well are Grays. Currently third but with the games in hand to go top, they take on FA Cup celebrities AFC Sudbury who played Colchester United live on the BBC on Friday. As a result of that cup run, they have the games in hand to challenge for the title too so this is effectively a top-of-the-table clash

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Thursday 11 November

Premier League Cup
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion @7pm - this U23 match at Boreham Wood's ground tops the bill on Thursday. Despite being the biggest club in this group, the Gunners are only second after drawing their first two games. The Baggies, on the other hand, have maximum points and are top. Arsenal U23 games at this venue are often free entry but check all the details on the day

Remembrance Day Match
Chelsea Women's Academy v UK Armed Forces Women @730pm - with it being the 11th day of the 11th month, there's a women's friendly to mark the occasion at Kingsmeadow. Adult tickets are £5 and can be bought in advance with proceeds going to the Royal British Legion
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Friday 12 November

Fifa World Cup qualifier
England v Albania @745pm - a couple of draws in recent games against Poland and Hungary have made England's qualification for Qatar that little bit harder than it needed to be. In theory they should beat Albania with relative ease but they've been a lot better than many people expected. Gareth Southgate's team need four points from their final two games to be certain of qualification, so if they only get one point here, they should get three from San Marino in their last match. Apparently this match is sold out, which I'm genuinely quite shocked about

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Saturday 13 November

FA Women's Super League
Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal @130pm - the November international break means it's time for Women's Football Weekend. A bit like Non-League Day, women's teams look to take centre stage whilst all the top men's teams take a rest. The match of the weekend in London is this derby at The Hive. The Gunners are the top team in the country right now so it's going to be tough for Spurs. However, the N17 club are much improved on last season and are in the top three. Here's to a competitive afternoon. Adult tickets are only £6.50

EFL Youth Alliance South East
Sutton United v AFC Wimbledon @11am - if you fancy a 'double' of games on Saturday, this U18 boys' match at Gander Green Lane will give you ample time to get to a whole load of other fixtures around London later in the afternoon

National League
Wealdstone v Barnet @3pm - with absolutely no Premier League or EFL action taking place in London on Saturday, the stage is clear for all our local men's non-league clubs to showcase their talents too. Arguably the biggest game of the day is this derby at Grosvenor Vale. Barnet currently play at The Hive, a stadium initially intended to house the Stones following their departure from Lower Mead. Things didn't work out financially and Barnet eventually bought and finished developing the site, playing their first game there in 2013. Since then the Bees have dropped out of the EFL and Wealdstone have moved up to the National League. Not only that but Barnet are now led by the manager, Dean Brennan, who got the Stones to this level. If you're anywhere near Ruislip, this is the game for you 

National League South
Dartford v Oxford City @3pm - the Darts' stumbled to another draw on Saturday as their winless run extended to a fourth match. Luckily for them, main challengers St Albans were busy causing a cupset in the FA Cup so didn't get the chance to knock them off the top. The visitors also didn't play on Saturday but are firmly part of the top five and just four points behind the hosts
Dulwich Hamlet v Bath City @3pm - although not quite as important a match as the one above, the international break should mean close to a sell-out crowd at Champion Hill. In terms of attendance, the Hamlet are the biggest club in this division by some distance averaging 2,400 per game. Some matches have attracted the best part of 3,500 and I expect this to be another. In other words, you're strongly advised to buy tickets in advance and arrive early as latecomers tend to get a poor view of proceedings

FA Trophy First Round
With the qualifying rounds now complete, the remaining 78 clubs from the seventh and eighth tiers do battle for a winners' cheque of £3,000 and a place in the next round

Cray Wanderers v Bedfont Sports @3pm - London's oldest club have been a bit disappointing this season and are down in the lower reaches of the Isthmian Premier. To be fair, they have some games in hand and could climb the table a bit. On Saturday they welcome a side from the level below but a very good one. Up in fourth, with games in hand, Bedfont enjoyed a great FA Cup run and only narrowly lost 1-0 to former EFL club Kidderminster Harriers. In many ways I fancy them to cause another cupset
Hanwell Town v Wingate & Finchley @3pm - there's an almost identical match up here, although this time the lower division club are at home. This should, therefore, give Hanwell an even greater chance of making it through
Hayes & Yeading United v Worthing @3pm - the tie of the round in the whole south of England must be this one. As we've already mentioned, H&YU are pretty much the best club in the Southern League whilst Worthing are currently top of the parallel Isthmian League. If I had no other commitments, I'd be heading here
Walton Casuals v Uxbridge @3pm - there's some more cupset potential here as midtable Southern Premier side Walton are visited by Uxbridge who've been top of the Isthmian South Central, a level below, for most of the season

CCL Premier North
Egham Town v Abbey Rangers @3pm - it was hard to pick a standout game in the ninth tier but this derby should do the trick. If they win their games in hand and other results go their way, Abbey could move up from third and very possibly challenge leaders Hanworth. The Sarnies also have some games in hand, which means a place in the top four is very much within their grasp too

Poppy Match
Oxhey Jets v Coldstream Guards @3pm - the hosts had one of their players killed while on active service in Afghanistan 10 years ago. As a result, they hold a Poppy Match on Remembrance Weekend to raise funds for the Royal British Legion. This year their opponents are the Coldstream Guards. It's £5 to get in

ECL Division 1 South
Buckhurst Hill v Burnham Ramblers @3pm - the hosts are new to this level and have made a staggeringly good start. With only one league defeat, they're one point clear at the top with games in hand on all the teams below them. Burnham are among the chasing pack but current form dictates another home win

MCFL Premier
FC Soma v Clapton CFC @2pm - in the 11th tier we've got a top-of-the-table clash at the Bannister Sports Centre in Harrow Weald. As previously mentioned, the Tons could go three points clear on Tuesday but if they lose, Soma will go top on goal difference without even playing

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Sunday 14 November

FA Women's Super League
West Ham United v Reading @3pm - women's football completely dominates proceedings on Sunday as Women's Football Weekend continues. The only top-flight game in London is this match at Dagenham & Redbridge's ground. The Hammers are now two without a win whilst the Royals have won their last two, meaning they're now close together in midtable. Although not the biggest Super League match of the day by any means, it should be one of the most competitive. Adult tickets start at £11

FA Women's Championship
Crystal Palace v Charlton Athletic @2pm - in the women's second tier, we have a very decent south-east London derby to look forward to at Bromley's ground. Both clubs are neck-and-neck in the top five with only a point between them. Adult tickets are £8 
London City Lionesses v Sheffield United @130pm - never mind Palace and Charlton, the top-ranked club from the capital in this division are LCL who strengthened their grip on third after winning 2-0 at Sunderland on Sunday. The Blades were right up there earlier in the season but four games without a win has seen them slip to sixth. Adult tickets are £8 and the match is being played at Dartford

Women's FA Cup First Round
With the qualifying rounds out of the way, third-tier clubs from the FAWNL Premier Northern & Southern divisions enter the draw alongside the lower-division survivors. To give you some idea of the gulf in finances between the men's and women's games - sides who won a men's First Round game this weekend banked a cheque for £22,629. A women's team winning this weekend will get only £850

London Seaward v Cambridge City @1pm - two rivals from the fourth tier FAWNL Division 1 South East do battle at Wadham Lodge. Only one place and three points apart in midtable, this should be close but I'd put my money on the hosts
QPR v Bromley @115pm - the R's enjoyed a comfortable win at Stevenage in the FAWNL Plate on Sunday and should feel confident of making progress here. Bromley are in fine form but play three levels below their opponents
Fulham v Oxford United @230pm - the Cottagers picked up a fine away win at Dulwich Hamlet in the league on Sunday which should boost their confidence ahead of this really tough game against a side from two levels above them
Millwall Lionesses v AFC Wimbledon @2pm - fifth-tier club Millwall are going along really nicely at the moment with Sunday's success against Dartford extending their winning run to seven matches. The Dons play a level above them and are in decent form themselves, winning six in a row and scoring 31 goals in the process - an away win looks likely
Sutton United v Ashford Town (Middlesex) @2pm - the U's are another one of the minnows to still be going at this point. Down in the sixth tier, they'll be looking to channel some of that FA Cup magic that the men's team are famous for. Ashford are top of the level above them so they'll have their work cut out to beat them


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