Welcome one and all to the latest edition of TLFG.
The last week has been pretty quiet for me on the football front as I've worked late shifts from Tuesday through to today.
In other words, I've seen no football but hopefully that will change in a couple of days with a lunchtime trip to Loftus Road to watch QPR play Bristol City in an U21 match.
These games often closely resemble a trip to a county cricket match with mainly more senior people with time off in the week able to attend.
I'm lucky enough to have a couple of friends who do shifts or have more flexible schedules so we get to enjoy some good chat during the game, usually along the lines of what's going on at the club or we end up testing each other with some obscure football trivia.
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| One of the biggest games of the week takes place at Stamford Bridge |
This often springs from trying to figure out which club legend is coaching the opposition's team and often descends down a Wikipedia football rabbit hole from there.
All in all, the match itself is quite secondary and provides little more than a backdrop to the conversation - and rightly so as the outcome of the game really doesn't matter that much to anyone at this level.
Despite all that, I love going to these matches and take every opportunity to attend.
Sadly I'll be working next week when QPR's U21s travel to Earlsmead to play Harrow Borough in the London Senior Cup - something which should be far more competitive.
Looking ahead to this weekend, I plan to be at Rectory Park for Actonians' big Women's FA Cup tie against Dartford on Sunday.
The Darts are one of the best teams in the division below and are the sort of side who could pull off an upset - they beat the A's in pre-season and should fancy their chances.
Talking of Actonians, they finally lost their unbeaten league record at Dulwich Hamlet on Sunday, going down 2-0 - I guess it had to happen sometime.
THE WEEK AHEAD
It's the October international break so all of the big men's clubs have the week off.
Don't despair though as we've still got an England match at Wembley, some good options in the EFL, it's one of the most crucial rounds in the FA Cup and Women's FA Cup and there's an eye-catching fixture in the Women's Champions League.
What with all the other non-league and women's games, there are still over 100 matches to choose from in London over the next seven days.
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 what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.
Monday 7 October
U18 Development matches
Unusually, there doesn't appear to be any senior or U21 football in the London area on Monday so I've gone through the fixtures of a few local U18 leagues and discovered some games on the west side of town to keep you entertained. My search was last minute and not exhaustive so apologies if I've missed any. The host clubs are Bedfont Sports, Metropolitan Police, Uxbridge and Walton & Hersham
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Tuesday 8 October
UEFA Women's Champions League
Chelsea v Real Madrid @8pm - the biggest crowd of the night should be found at Stamford Bridge for this blockbuster European game. After winning the Super League again last season, the Blues go straight into the group stage so this is their opening game in the competition. Having made the final in 2021 and the semi-finals for the last two years, Chelsea are one of the continent's elite teams. Despite their illustrious name, Real Madrid are not a huge power in women's football yet. Whilst they often qualify for the Champions League, they rarely get out of the group stages. The two sides have met four times in recent years and Chelsea have won two and drawn two - they will start as favourites. Tickets
EFL Trophy
Leyton Orient v Colchester United @7pm - the O's lost at Lincoln on Saturday to extend their winless run to four matches. We're still in the group stage of this competition at the moment and they lost the opening game against Arsenal U21s too. Colchester play a level below them so, on paper, they should start as favourites here. Tickets are £10
Professional Development League
QPR v Bristol City @1pm - if you want to see two games on Tuesday then get yourself along to Loftus Road for this U21 match at lunchtime. Admission is via donation to the club's charitable trust on arrival - cash or card accepted. As it stands, I'm planning to go
Isthmian League South Central
Ashford Town (Middlesex) v Kingstonian @745pm - there's a game of some importance affecting teams at either end of the table in this eighth-tier division. With one win from seven, the hosts are second from bottom and really struggling. The K's, on the other hand, are third and have games in hand on all around them. With the Tangerines' pitch work imminent, this is being played at Cobham. Tickets available on the gate
CCL Premier South
AFC Whyteleafe v Fleet Town @745pm - the Leafe won the SCEFL Division 1 title last season and are firmly in contention for more honours in this ninth-tier division. Currently second, they trail leaders Redhill by five points. The visitors are seventh but have the games in hand to put them in the top four so this looks well worth a watch. Tickets will be available on the gate
CCL Division 1
Spartans Youth v Belstone @745pm - the hosts have their HQ in the shadow of Brentford's GTech Stadium but the facilities they have aren't good enough to host 10th-tier football. After time groundsharing miles away at Northwood, they're now a lot closer at Bedfont. On Tuesday they welcome Belstone who are new to the level after winning promotion from the Hertfordshire County League. They're doing really well and are currently second so it looks like being a challenging evening for Spartans. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Wednesday 9 October
London Senior Cup Second Round
Glebe v Hanwell Town @745pm - the Geordies travel to Chislehurst as strong favourites as they play two levels above the hosts. The west London club have won this cup twice but it's been over 30 years since the last time. Glebe have never made the final and they'll do well to make it this year. Tickets will be available on the gate
SCEFL Division 1
Forest Hill Park v FC Elmstead @745pm - the title race in this division is ridiculously close with only six points separating the top seven clubs. These two are in that leading group and both have games in hand on the clubs above them so this is a great opportunity to close the gap and make things even tighter. Tickets available on the gate
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Thursday 10 October
UEFA Nations League
England v Greece @745pm - the Three Lions have made a decent start to life under caretaker boss Lee Carsley, winning their first two group games against Ireland and Finland. Greece have also beaten both of those opponents too and arrive as group leaders having scored one goal more than England. This is being played at Wembley and tickets are available
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Friday 11 October
Essex Senior League
Woodford Town v Athletic Newham @745pm - the pick of the games on Friday is this match at Ashtons in north-east London. Having both played nine matches, they have games in hand on most of the clubs around them. Woodford are second and they'll go top if they win here. However, Athletic are chasing a play-off place themselves so should be no pushovers. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Saturday 12 October
Women's Super League
Arsenal v Chelsea @145pm - with it being an international weekend, the biggest crowd of the day will be found at the Emirates where arguably the two biggest clubs in the WSL meet in this lunchtime kick-off. Having only drawn 0-0 with Everton last weekend, the Gunners were in Germany on Wednesday for their big Champions League clash with Bayern Munich and lost that 5-2. Now down to sixth in the WSL, the pressure must surely be building on boss Jonas Eidevall. The Blues, on the other hand, have won all three of their games, most recently a 3-2 triumph over Real Madrid on Tuesday, and will start as marginal favourites. Tickets
League Two
AFC Wimbledon v Carlisle United @3pm - after seeing their pitch and large parts of Plough Lane damaged by flooding, the Dons have been give the all clear to return home for this match. Having had some time off, they've fallen into midtable but they have the games in hand to go top if they win them. Carlisle sit just above the relegation zone and present them with an excellent chance to pick up three points. Tickets
FA Cup Fourth Round Qualifying
This round represents the final hurdle non-league clubs have to get over in order to get into the competition 'proper' where all the League One and League Two sides enter the draw. Apart from the £9,375 which goes to the winners of each tie, there's also the possibility of travelling to a former Premier League club like Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers or Charlton Athletic in the next round - simply put, the stakes are high!
Barnet v Chelmsford City @3pm - the Bees are currently top of the National League which effectively makes them the top club in the whole of non-league. In other words they should be able to beat anyone they draw in this round. Chelmsford play a level below them so arrive as considerable underdogs. However, after a slow start to the season, they've now won six in a row in all competitions so arrive at The Hive in excellent form. The chances of an upset here don't look great but I have a feeling it's going to be closer than the stats suggest. Tickets
Boreham Wood v Carshalton Athletic @3pm - after a bit of a wobble, and with Luke Garrard back in charge, the hosts' results have picked up. Now back in the play-off places in their sixth-tier division, they will start as favourites here. The Robins play a level below and suffered a humbling 3-1 defeat to Hadley in the FA Trophy when they travelled to this part of north London last weekend. The Wood have also enjoyed some great runs in this competition in recent years so this looks like a home win to me. Tickets
Chertsey Town v Sutton United @3pm - for me, this has all the ingredients of a great cup tie. The underdogs are at home and they're playing a bigger club with great FA Cup pedigree. The Curfews are new to the seventh tier after winning promotion last season. They've haven't started that well but have made smooth progress in this competition, safely negotiating tricky ties against Raynes Park Vale, Hanwell Town and Ashford United. Getting to this round has equalled their best ever performance in the FA Cup so they'll make history if they get through. Standing in their way are the U's who play two levels above them. Newly relegated from the EFL, Sutton are in touch with the leading pack in the National League but come into this on the back of a 4-3 loss at Hartlepool United. The south London club have also caused numerous upsets in the past and famously made it all the way to the Fifth Round in 2017 where they lost 2-0 to Arsenal. Tickets
Cray Wanderers v Tonbridge Angels @3pm - with only a division between these two, there's an even better chance of an upset here. Like Chertsey, the FA Cup has been a welcome distraction for Cray who've really struggled in the Isthmian Premier this season. Now playing at their new Flamingo Park ground in Sidcup, London's oldest club will be hoping for a big crowd as they welcome a side who play a level above them and have a relatively short journey from Kent. Tickets
Wealdstone v Gosport Borough @3pm - although the Stones play two divisions above the visitors, they're in woeful form and a spirited performance by Gosport could make their afternoon difficult. Having said that, the Hampshire club aren't in great form themselves and have only ever made it to the First Round once in their history. In theory Wealdstone should win and for beleaguered boss Matt Taylor, they must win or he could be shown the door. Tickets
Isthmian League North
Beckenham Town v Sittingbourne @3pm - the Becks have made a fine start to the season and come into this match as leaders of this eighth-tier division. However, they've played several games more than all of their challengers and only have a four-point lead. One of those sides pay them a visit here. If they are to be considered as genuine title contenders then they really need to win. Tickets are £10 on the gate
CCL Premier South
Cobham v Redhill @3pm - in the ninth tier, head to leafy Surrey if you fancy a top-six clash in this division. The hosts have begun well and currently occupy the last play-off spot. However, with Fleet Town just two points behind and with several games in hand that position looks precarious. On Saturday they welcome Redhill who are top. Unbeaten in 13 league games, they have one of the best records of any club at this level and should be well worth a watch. Tickets will be available on the gate
Kent Senior Trophy First Round
Croydon v VCD Athletic @3pm - the Trams, who play in the 10th tier, are making a concerted effort to really build their profile and draw in the crowds this season. The off-field team are being helped by a good one on the pitch too. Currently level on points with leaders Forest Hill Park, they've made a very promising start. On Saturday they entertain the leaders of the division above them in this county cup. The Vickers have been excellent so far and if they put out a full-strength team, they should win - but will they? Tickets are £7 on the gate
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Sunday 13 October
Women's Super League
Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion @2pm - after heavy defeats to Spurs and Chelsea in their first two games at this level, things looked bleak for the newly promoted Eagles. However, they then went and picked up a very tidy 2-0 win at Leicester City to make their situation look a whole lot brighter. Next up they face a Seagulls side who recruited well over the summer and have played some entertaining stuff in the first few weeks of the season. With Lionesses Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris among the players brought in, they will start this match at Sutton United's ground as favourites. Tickets
Women's Championship
London City Lionesses v Charlton Athletic @2pm - in the second tier we've got this derby between two south-east London clubs who were expected to challenge for the title this season. This division is usually extremely competitive and with only one promotion place available, the margins for error are tiny. Despite hefty investment over the last few months, LCL have already dropped five points in their opening five games and are three points behind the leaders in fourth. Said leaders are Charlton who are the only unbeaten club in the division. This is therefore a huge game for the hosts with a win putting them level and defeat leaving them well adrift. This is being played at Bromley and tickets are available
FAWNL Southern Premier
AFC Wimbledon v MK Dons @2pm - there's another big game in the third tier too. Much has been made of the animosity between these clubs at men's level so it will be interesting to see how that translates to the women's teams as I don't think they've played before. This was set to be played at Plough Lane but because of the recent pitch problems, it's been moved to Raynes Park Vale. With MK having lost most of their squad to Real Bedford over the summer, they've really struggled and will start as considerable underdogs. Tickets are £7 online or on the gate
Women's FA Cup Third Round Qualifying
This is the final round of the women's competition before it becomes 'proper'. At this stage, all the clubs in the fourth tier enter the draw alongside clubs from the fifth to seventh tiers who have made it this far. The winners of each tie receive £4,000, the losers £1,000. There are numerous ties around London but here are my selection:
Actonians v Dartford @2pm - top of the list alphabetically and featuring my team of choice, this was always going to get a mention. On paper, the A's should start as favorites. They're second in their fourth-tier division and playing at home against a fifth-tier club. However, Actonians played one of Dartford's big divisional rivals Fulham at this stage last season and lost on penalties. The Darts also beat the west London club a couple of months ago in a pre-season game. If the hosts come out strongly and build an early lead then they should be fine but any complacency or lack of focus could see them slip up. Tickets are £5 online or cash only on the gate and it's being played at Rectory Park in Northolt
Brentford v SL Benfica @3pm - these two fought hard for the title in their sixth-tier division last season and it was Benfica who came out on top and won promotion. The Bees have made some big signings over the summer in order to try and rectify that failure and should be crowned champions. The visitors haven't set the fifth tier alight but they're holding their own so it will be interesting to see just how much better Brentford now are and whether they can gain revenge. This is being played at Bedfont Sports and I haven't been able to find any ticketing information
Camden & Islington United v Aylesford @2pm - the hosts play in the seventh tier and are therefore one of the lowest-ranked clubs left in the competition. Given they've lost all of their league games this season, the fact that they're on the verge of a place in the First Round is nothing short of miraculous. Kent club Aylesford play a level above them and are second so they'll start as strong favourites. Disappointingly, given how big a game this is for both clubs, I've struggled to find any match info at all. Camden & Islington usually play in Regent's Park in central London but check their social media and that of Aylesford on the day for more
Fulham v Maidenhead United @230pm - talking of Fulham, they'll be hoping to claim another fourth-tier scalp on Sunday. The Cottagers are third in their fifth-tier division but have the games in hand to go level with the leaders. The visitors are a midtable side from the level above so I doubt they were overjoyed to receive this draw. The match is being played at the Cottagers' Motspur Park training ground. Tickets
Richmond & Kew v Reading @2pm - playing near the banks of the Thames in Ham, if you'd gone to the good people of R&K a couple of years ago and told them that they'd be preparing for an FA Cup tie with Reading this weekend, they'd probably think you were barmy! They were a seventh-tier club whilst the Royals were in the WSL. Now only a division separates them thanks to their promotion and the sad financial demise of their opponents. Reading took voluntary relegation to the fifth tier before the start of this season and with a squad full of inexperienced youngsters, they've lost every league game and seem destined for another relegation. This is a huge opportunity to beat a big name but weirdly it probably won't be a huge shock if they do. I don't think they have turnstiles here but be prepared to pay somewhere in the region of £5 just in case
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?
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