Greetings everyone and welcome to this week's TLFG.
How was your international break? Did you make good use of it and check out a lower league or women's game?
I was all set to go to the Emirates on Saturday to watch Arsenal open their Women's Super League (WSL) campaign against London City Lionesses but my daughter was unwell and we had to cancel our trip which was very disappointing.
After nearly three weeks off, I returned to work today and I'm writing this on my break.
This meant I didn't get to go to Actonians' big FAWNL Cup match against Chelsea U21s.
Having seen the reigning WSL champions open their season with a crucial 2-1 win over Manchester City on Friday, we were expecting their youngsters to push us hard.
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| West Ham v Tottenham tickets are on general sale |
A bumper crowd, by our standards, at Berkeley Fields watched the A's put in an incredibly disciplined performance as they saw out a very impressive 2-1 win to top their group going into the last game against AFC Wimbledon in three weeks time.
It was a huge moment for the club and I look forward to speaking to Molly O'Reilly, who scored the opener and came up with the assist for the winner, on this week's podcast.
In other news, I took part in a very exciting meeting about expanding Non-League Day into another major European footballing nation - nothing's agreed yet but watch this space.
My next game is likely to be Actonians' home league match against MK Dons on Sunday where they'll hopefully pick up another three points.
Lastly this week, many thanks to Martin B from Sherborne in Dorset who very kindly donated to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund - it's hugely appreciated.
THE WEEK AHEAD
With the first international break of the season over, London's biggest clubs in the Premier League and Championship return to action - on Saturday alone there are five top-flight games in the capital!
Aside from that, there's a great selection of EFL games and loads of great non-league ones too - including the next round of the FA Cup which is always exciting.
In the women's game, there are a couple of WSL games and many matches in the divisions below.
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 and development matches. 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
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 8 September
Premier League Cup
Bromley v Sunderland @7pm - the week begins with a match in the group stage of this U21 competition. Despite the name, most of the participants come from clubs in the EFL with Sunderland one of the handful that don't. The Ravens are the lowest-ranked academy taking part this year so they face a potentially tough evening at Hayes Lane. Tickets
ECL Division 1 South
Barkingside v FC Baresi @745pm - after a reasonable start, the 'Side are now winless in five in the league. When you include cup games too, their record looks even worse. On Monday they play a side who they beat 2-1 on the opening day of the season (why they're playing them again already I don't know) so that should give them some confidence. Tickets are available on the gate for somewhere in the region of £5-7
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Tuesday 9 September
Professional Development League
If you want to see two games on Tuesday, it should be pretty easy to achieve. There are three lunchtime kick-offs in this U21 league with Brentford, Charlton Athletic and Millwall all playing at home - the latter are hosting theirs at The Den too. Check with the clubs for full admission details
Premier League Cup
Leyton Orient v Watford @7pm - the O's didn't have an U21 side until this summer so have never played in this competition before and are the only completely new entrants this year. The Hornets don't have any particular pedigree in this, came bottom of their group last season and got eliminated early. This is being played at Brisbane Road but I can't find any ticket details yet - it will probably be pay on the day, check the club's website and social media for more info
National League Cup
Boreham Wood v West Bromwich Albion U21 @7pm - this competition pits fifth tier National League sides against academy teams from the Premier League and Championship and, like the EFL Trophy, isn't very popular. The Wood beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in their opening group game last month while West Brom lost 3-1 at Forest Green Rovers. Tickets
Southern League Premier South
Hanwell Town v Chertsey Town @745pm - there are some good seventh-tier options on Tuesday but this one just about edges it for me. These two famously met in the Isthmian League play-offs just over three years ago. Hanwell won to gain promotion to this division and the Curfews followed them up two years later. The Geordies have the better team but Chertsey get bigger crowds and I'd expect a healthy attendance here for a midweek fixture. Tickets
Isthmian League South East
AFC Croydon Athletic v Broadbridge Heath @745pm - the game of the day in the eighth tier is to be found at Cobham's ground where the Rams are relocating for the night. I'm not sure why this is happening but just don't head to the Mayfield Stadium as you'll be disappointed. These two are currently third and fifth so will hopefully put on a good spectacle. Tickets should be available on the gate for around £10 - I can't find any prices on their website or social channels
Isthmian League Cup
Hayes & Yeading United v Southall @745pm - I rarely feature games in this competition, particularly in the early stages, but the draw has thrown up a big groundshare derby in west London. The 'All have led a nomadic existence for many years but are now tenants at a ground which is probably closer to Southall than Hayes. The sides play in the same division and are both towards the wrong end so it should be close. Tickets are usually £12 on the gate
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Wednesday 10 September
CCL Premier North
Hilltop v Burnham @745pm - the hosts, who are playing at Silver Jubilee Park this season, have made an inconsistent start to the season but still find themselves in the top eight after eight games. On Wednesday they entertain the division's top club who have played two games less but have won all of them. Two points clear of the teams in second and third who have both played more games, the Blues look like strong title contenders already. Tickets will be available on the gate for £8
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Friday 12 September
Women's Super League
West Ham United v Arsenal @730pm - after a quiet Thursday, this women's game at Dagenham & Redbridge's ground tops the bill. The Gunners began their season with a 4-1 win over newly promoted London City Lionesses to underline their title credentials. The Hammers suffered the setback of a 1-0 loss to Spurs after conceding a late penalty. Tickets
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Saturday 13 September
Premier League
Arsenal v Nottingham Forest @1230pm - today sees a whopping nine Premier League and EFL games taking place in London meaning you can be watching football almost constantly from 1230pm to 10pm when the final one wraps up. I don't know how the police have allowed it, especially when you consider there are two big protest marches happening in central London too. Anyway, back to the football. Following Nuno Espirito Santo's departure from Forest, this will be new boss Ange Postecoglou's first game in charge. He never won a north London derby as Spurs boss and Forest haven't won at Arsenal since 1989. The hosts will start as strong favourites. Tickets are only available to members and hospitality packages are off sale too
Crystal Palace v Sunderland @3pm - despite losing Eberechi Eze to Arsenal and having unsettling transfer rumours swirling around some of their other top stars, the Eagles have become one of only three teams to remain unbeaten after three games. Up in eighth, Palace fans must be pretty pleased with how it's going. Newly promoted Sunderland have made an even better start, winning two of their three games to find themselves in the top six. These sides haven't played since 2017 and the Mackems have won on their last three visits. Tickets are only available to members and hospitality packages are off sale too
Fulham v Leeds United @3pm - winless in three and in the relegation zone, the Cottagers haven't made the best start. Here they face a newly promoted Leeds side who sit in midtable with four points. It's been a couple of years since they last played and Fulham are unbeaten in four against the Yorkshire club. This is one top-flight game you can get tickets for but they're in the Riverside Stand so are unlikely to be cheap
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur @530pm - next up we've got this big derby at the London Stadium. The Hammers made a very worrying start, losing limply to Sunderland and Chelsea but then pulled off a fine win over Forest. Still in the bottom five, they'll need a special performance to get something from this game. Spurs have begun brightly under new boss Thomas Frank but a 1-0 loss at home to Bournemouth last time out may have served as a bit of a reality check. The last three games between these two at this venue have ended 1-1 and it wouldn't be unthinkable to see that happen again. Luckily for you, tickets are available for this too
Brentford v Chelsea @8pm - the last match of the day is this west London derby at the GTech. The Bees have seen several big stars depart over the summer, making them among the favourites for relegation. With one win from three, they haven't begun well but I think they're in better shape than many people thought. The Blues, on the other hand, won the Club World Cup during the close season and have picked up where they left off. Currently unbeaten in second, they should win. However, since joining the Premier League in 2021, Brentford have become a bogey team for Chelsea only losing two of the eight league games against them. Tickets are only available to members and hospitality packages are unavailable
Championship
Charlton Athletic v Millwall @1230pm - the big games keep coming in the second tier too with this south-east London derby generating a lot of interest. With the Addicks only just returning to this division, this will be the first time they've played for five years and it's the Lions who have historically dominated these games. Unbeaten in 12 matches against their local rivals, they haven't lost to them since 1996. Millwall have made the better start to this campaign too so they should get at least a draw here. For security reasons, tickets are only available to people with a previous Charlton purchasing history
Watford v Blackburn Rovers @3pm - with everything else that's going on within the M25 today, this game looks a bit humdrum. Both sides have made unremarkable starts with the Hornets in 15th and Rovers down in 20th. Looking at the history between these two, they have one of the most even records there is with Watford winning 15 of the games between them and Blackburn 16. The last draw was five games ago in 2023 so that's what I'm going for on this occasion. Tickets
League One
AFC Wimbledon v Rotherham United @3pm - with no big-name signings following their promotion from League Two, some thought this season could be a bit of a struggle for the Dons but with three wins from six games it's going okay. The Millers sit two points and two places below them so you'd expect the hosts to get something out of this game. Tickets
Leyton Orient v Bolton Wanderers @3pm - these two finished in the top eight last season and the hosts made it all the way to the play-off final before losing. Not quite up to speed so far this term, these two are in midtable and still looking to find their rhythm. The visitors did the double over the O's last season and I think they're the more likely winners here. Tickets
National League
Boreham Wood v Altrincham @3pm - the Wood are leading the charge for TLFG clubs in this division. Following promotion from the NLS, the Hertfordshire club have only lost one of their first seven games, meaning they're fifth with a game in hand on most of those above them. Alty finished ninth last year and head to Meadow Park in that position again. The visitors have a pretty decent record here and have only lost on one of their five visits. Tickets
Sutton United v Tamworth @3pm - with one win from eight, the U's have made a worrying start. In the bottom three already, it's not looking good. Tamworth made lots of headlines last season for taking Tottenham to extra-time in the FA Cup and they've made a solid start to this campaign. They head to Gander Green Lane in 11th and shouldn't go home empty handed. Tickets
Wealdstone v Gateshead @3pm - the Stones drew opprobrium from some quarters last week for the circumstances in which their match at Scunthorpe was abandoned. Losing 2-1 with 78 minutes played, an injury to one of their players took an age to be treated and saw the game abandoned. Some fans thought the Stones' management team made too much of the situation, forcing the referee's hand. To the club's credit, Wealdstone's board effectively conceded the match and Scunthorpe were awarded the win on Wednesday. Next up they face a side, who despite being 12th, have the leakiest defence in the division. With 21 goals conceded in eight games, we should see the net bulge a few times here. Tickets
FA Cup Second Round Qualifying
For many neutrals, the highlight of the day's non-league schedule will be matches in the next round of the FA Cup. At this stage, all the teams in the sixth tier enter the draw alongside all those from the seventh to ninth tiers who have got this far. The winners of each tie receive £3,375 and the losers £1,125
Chertsey Town v Cray Valley PM @3pm - one of the ties of the day is this match between two seventh-tier teams who famously met each other in the 2019 FA Vase Final at Wembley when both clubs were in the ninth tier. Chertsey won 3-1 that day but both have gone on to enjoy an excellent few years since then. Both are now playing two levels higher and both have done really well in the FA Cup with the Curfews making the Fourth Round Qualifying twice and CVPM the First Round proper twice. Both have made very similar starts to their league campaigns and with Chertsey generating decent crowds, this could be a good one. Tickets
Hampton & Richmond Borough v AFC Croydon Athletic @3pm - the hosts are in the sixth tier so this will be their first game in the competition this year. Playing at home to a club two levels below them should see them start as strong favourites. They've made the First Round twice since 2018 and weirdly played Oldham Athletic on both occasions. The Rams, famously backed by Stormzy and Wilfried Zaha, have begun their Isthmian South East campaign well with only goal difference keeping them off top spot. Since re-forming in 2012, this is the best run they've had in the cup but all the stats are telling me they won't go any further - a win here would be a big upset. Tickets
Hanwell Town v Bedfont Sports @3pm - with both sides located on the west side of town, this has a bit of a derby feel to it and you'd like to think Bedfont will bring a few fans. The Geordies play a level above the visitors so should progress but the visitors are in the top four in their division and in decent form. Given how much Hanwell have progressed in recent years, their record in this competition is poor - never having gone beyond the Third Round Qualifying. If they make it through this test, which they should, I just have this feeling that they'll have the run of their lives this season. Tickets
SOUL Tower Hamlets v Flackwell Heath @3pm - one of the only remaining ninth-tier teams left, STH have pulled off some minor miracles to get this far. Beating clubs from a level above them in the previous two rounds, this home tie against another team from the eighth tier shouldn't faze them. It will undoubtedly be tough though as the Heathens are in the top four in their division and created a notable upset by beating seventh tier Lewes in the last round. Tickets
Welling United v Slough Town @3pm - in the final tie of the day, the Wings will look to put their gloomy league form behind them and cause an upset at Park View Road. Both sides were in the NLS last season but Welling got relegated. That poor form has continued in the Isthmian League but they recorded a very decent 2-1 win at Uxbridge in the previous round of this two weeks ago. The Rebels are pottering along in midtable in the division above - complacency will probably be their biggest enemy so they'll need to stay focused to get through. Tickets are £15 on the gate
Isthmian League South Central
Hanworth Villa v Hayes & Yeading United @3pm - in the eighth tier, the event of the day will be the official opening of Hanworth's new 3G pitch. Former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy will be the guest of honour so it should be quite an occasion. To top it all, Hayes & Yeading play a couple of miles to the north so it's a derby too. Tickets
CCL Premier South
Abbey Rangers v Corinthian Casuals @3pm - in the ninth tier, two of the top six meet at Addlestone Moor. The hosts were top and could easily return there as they're only a point behind leaders Badshot Lea with two games in hand. Casuals are only a point behind so there's plenty to play for here. Tickets are £8 on the gate
ECL Division 1 South
Clapton CFC v Newbury Forest @3pm - in the 10th tier it's fourth against third at the Old Spotted Dog, which if you didn't know is London's oldest ground. CCFC get some of the biggest crowds at this level anywhere in the country so there should be a good atmosphere for this derby. Tickets are £5 on the gate
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Sunday 14 September
SCEFL Premier
Erith & Belvedere v Fisher @3pm - with Welling at home in the FA Cup, the Deres have seen their game moved to Sunday. They've had a great start to the season and are fourth at the time of writing. The Fish made the play-offs last season but have yet to recapture that form and are down in 10th. Tickets are £8 on the gate
Women's Super League
London City Lionesses v Manchester United @12pm - a little earlier elsewhere in south London, this top flight women's game has sold out. This will be newly promoted LCL's first home match at this level following their promotion. To go from a few hundred last season, to selling out Bromley's ground is quite something but there will be a number of big names on show in both sides. If you have a ticket for this, you could do a double with the match above
Women's Super League 2
Crystal Palace v Southampton @2pm - the Eagles are back in this division after a tough campaign in the WSL. It began last weekend with a 1-0 loss at local rivals Charlton so they'll hope to get their first points on the board here. The Saints flew out of the blocks, thrashing newly promoted Ipswich 4-0 so it could be a tough afternoon. This is being played at Sutton United. Tickets
FAWNL Southern Premier
Hashtag United v Lewes @3pm - with their highly successful management team and a number of their top players having departed, last season's title contenders Hashtag look to be in trouble. They've lost all three of their league games are in the bottom two. The Rooks, on the other hand, are looking good and should be among the frontrunners this time. This is being played at Aveley. Tickets are £5 on the gate
FAWNL Division 1 South East
London Bees v Chatham Town @2pm - in the fourth tier, you've got a chance to take a look at the Bees (Barnet's women's team) who are top of this division with three wins from three, scoring a whopping 16 goals in the process. These stats can be tempered a little by the fact that they've been recorded against the bottom three teams so it will be interesting to see how they fare against much sterner opposition. The Chats finished third last season and should be a good yardstick of just how good the hosts are. This match is being played at the Bees Stadium which is next to The Hive. Tickets can be purchased on arrival - no price has been advertised but it should be in the £5-7 bracket
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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