Greetings one and all and welcome to this week's TLFG.
After all the rehearsals, pre-season for all men's teams in the top 10 tiers is now over.
The EFL, National League and all our other local non-league competitions are in full swing and this weekend, the Premier League starts too.
There are only two games in the capital at this level with Tottenham beginning the Thomas Frank era with a home game against Burnley on Saturday whilst there's a derby between Chelsea and Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Thanks to work, I've had a quiet week. I did my job interview on Thursday - it went well enough but there's only one spot and I'm up against numerous candidates including someone who's doing the job well already. My chances look negligible!
I've found my recent career to be rather unfulfilling and have used things like this blog, Non-League Day (NLD) and my voluntary roles at Actonians to keep me going.
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| The next round of the FA Cup takes place this weekend |
The week ahead looks quite a bit more interesting.
At short notice, my wife received an invitation to take the kids to see a friend in Belgium for a few days so I'm home alone until Sunday.
Aside from work, my main goal this week is to launch a new Actonians podcast.
I've got all the kit and will head to their in-house training match on Tuesday to interview a few club personalities and hopefully some players and coaching staff ahead of their season opener at Norwich City on Sunday.
As regular readers may remember, I attempted a TLFG podcast a couple of years ago and it was easy to produce but sadly the app I used got bought by Spotify and made far less useful.
The next couple of days will be spent experimenting with free editing software and we'll see where it goes.
Talking of Actonians' match at Norwich, I'll be travelling to it on the team bus for the first time following an invitation from the coaching team.
The last time I did this sort of thing was as a teenager in the 1990s when I used to go to Harrow Borough away games with the team.
One of the benefits of supporting a smaller club is access and that's definitely the case at Actonians where every supporter also contributes in a volunteering capacity of some kind too.
In my short time with the club, I've done meet and greet, programme production, photos and videos and now hopefully a podcast too.
Norwich women's team were pretty mediocre until about two years ago when they started to receive a lot more investment.
They were runners-up last season and have way more resources and supporters than the A's but we did beat them 2-1 at The Nest in what was my highlight of the campaign.
Our squad is noticeably different now and a trio of key players are unavailable this weekend so I'll be delighted with a draw.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The opening round of games in the Premier League dominates proceedings this week but decent crowds should also be expected at fixtures throughout the EFL.
At non-league level there's a full selection of games in the National League, plus the next round of the FA Cup to enjoy too.
In women's football, it's also the opening day in tiers three to six.
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 11 August
Isthmian League Premier Division
Carshalton Athletic v Lewes @745pm - the Robins finished two places below the play-offs last season and will fancy their chances of challenging again. They got off to a fine start on Saturday, winning 2-0 at Cray Valley PM who managed a top-four finish in 2024/25. Next up they face the Rooks from Sussex. They spent seven years moving between the top two divisions of non-league in the early part of this century but have been in the seventh and eighth tiers since 2011. They are a well supported club for the level but had their worst season for sometime last year, finishing 13th. Their campaign began with a disappointing 2-0 reverse at home to Hashtag United. Tickets
Isthmian League North
Redbridge v Grays Athletic @745pm - the Motormen got stuffed 5-1 at Maldon & Tiptree on opening day, which must have been thoroughly disheartening for all involved. Grays ended last season in ninth and beat newly promoted Takeley 3-0 in their first match on Saturday. Tickets are £10 on the gate
ECL Division 1 South
Barkingside v Stansted @745pm - the 'Side have got off to a very promising start. Unbeaten in three, they're fifth coming into this one. With four points from four games, the Airportmen haven't made quite such an impressive start. Tickets for their last game were £5 on the gate but check the club's social media on the day as they often run admission promotions
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Tuesday 12 August
EFL Cup First Round
Charlton Athletic v Stevenage @745pm - with its highly unusual Preliminary Round out of the way, the EFL Cup gets fully underway this week. The Addicks began life back in the Championship with a last gasp 1-0 win over Watford on Saturday. In the division below, Stevenage also won 1-0 against Rotherham to get their season off to a positive start. According to Wikipedia, the Hertfordshire club's all time record defeat came against Charlton as recently as 2018 when they lost 8-0 so they'll be hoping for a lot better performance than that. Tickets
Watford v Norwich City @745pm - no Premier League sides enter the draw this early so the best you can see are Championship clubs and two of them meet here. With the Hornets losing to Charlton, the Canaries came unstuck at home to Millwall as they both endured miserable afternoons. This competition has generated a lot of happy memories for Norwich fans as they've won it twice but the last time was back in 1985 so there won't be many under 50 who'll remember it. Tickets
Leyton Orient v Wycombe Wanderers @745pm - both these sides made the League One play-offs last season but both fell short. Two games into their league campaigns, neither are pulling up any trees yet. The O's did get their first win on Saturday though so, with home advantage, you'd expect them to progress here. Tickets
Bromley v Ipswich Town @745pm - arguably the tie of the night is this David v Goliath contest at Hayes Lane. The Ravens only made it into League Two for the first time last season to play in this cup for the first time too. They lost in the First Round to AFC Wimbledon and they'll do incredibly well to win against the Tractor Boys who've just come down from the Premier League. Tickets
National League Cup
Sutton United v Fulham U21 @7pm - this much maligned cup competition returns for a second season. Featuring fifth-tier clubs and development sides from Premier League and Championship clubs, interest from fans has been minimal. There are three group stage matches in London on Tuesday, with this derby being the pick of the games in my opinion. Tickets
Professional Development League
QPR v Coventry City @2pm - if you want to see two games in a day then we've got an U21 match at lunchtime. The R's were supposed to be playing this at Loftus Road but it's been shifted to the club's training ground in Heston, near Heathrow. Fans can attend but you have to pre-register online in advance
Isthmian League Premier
Dartford v Billericay Town @745pm - there are lots of games in the seventh tier on Tuesday and I've gone for this one as it features the sides who finished third and second last season. Alongside eventual champions Horsham, three clubs went into the final day of the 2024/25 campaign with a chance of winning the league such was the competitiveness of the division. Sadly for the Darts and Billericay, it was Dover who prevailed in the play-offs. The hosts began with a shocking 4-0 loss at Dulwich Hamlet whilst the visitors beat Wingate & Finchley 2-1. Both sides are well supported so there should be a good turnout. Tickets
Isthmian League South Central
Hendon v Bedfont Sports @745pm - with many games in the eighth tier too, it's been really hard to single out here. In the end I've gone for this one at Silver Jubilee Park. Last season two divisions separated these clubs but following the Greens' first relegation in decades and Bedfont's promotion, they're now in the same one. Hendon's bad form continued with a sorry 3-0 loss at Hartley Wintney on Saturday while the visitors enjoyed a thrilling 3-2 win over Kingstonian. Tickets are £12 on the gate
SSML Premier
Haringey Borough v Sawbridgeworth Town @745pm - in the ninth tier, two of the early pacesetters meet at Coles Park. Haringey are back at this level for the first time in 10 years following their relegation from the Isthmian League. However, their landing has been good. Unbeaten in three they come into this in third but the visitors have won all three and are top. Tickets are £10 on the gate
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Wednesday 13 August
Professional Development League
Brentford v Hull City @1pm - the Bees won the PDL last season and begin the defence of their title against the Tigers at Wheatsheaf Park in Staines at lunchtime, meaning you can see two games in a day.
Tickets are usually available in advance through the club's website but I can't see anything on there yet, check with the club by calling 0333 005 8521 for the latest
Southern League Division 1 Central
London Lions v Rayners Lane @745pm - the hosts are London's highest ranked club for Jewish players. Last season saw them promoted to the eighth tier for the first time in the club's history. After losing in the FA Cup last week and their opening league game at Flackwell Heath, this will be their first home game at this level. Rayners Lane played in the parallel Isthmian League South Central last season and retained the Middlesex Senior Cup. A lot has changed off the field for the visitors and they have a new manager in post so it will be really interesting to see how they fare this year. It's hard to get information about games at Rowley Lane but expect to pay anywhere between £8-12 to get in
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Friday 15 August
Premier League 2
Arsenal v Fulham @7pm - after a quiet Thursday, there's a good selection of games on Friday. First up is this U21 fixture at Boreham Wood's ground. This is the first game of the season for both these sides who both made the quarter-finals of the PL2 in 2024/25. The format of this competition is a little unusual. It begins with a 26-team league phase where each team only plays 20 games. The top 16 then make the play-offs. Fulham finished second in the league phase last season and beat Arsenal 6-3 in the process. Entry to these games is usually free but check with the club on the day - it certainly shouldn't exceed £5
Isthmian League Premier
Aveley v Burgess Hill Town @745pm - the Millers have made a reasonable start to life in the seventh tier following relegation from the NLS, taking four points from their first two. The visitors, on the other hand, have won both games since promotion - one of only three teams to do so. Tickets are a rather steep £14 on the gate
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Epsom & Ewell v South Park (Reigate) @745pm - the next round of the nation's favourite cup competition begins on Friday night. The Salts play a level below South Park so should start as underdogs but they have won all of their games so far and could cause an upset. The club play at Cobham's ground and tickets are £10 on the gate
ECL Division 1 South
Lymore Gardens v NW London @745pm - there's a good selection of 10th tier games on Friday but I recommend taking a look at the hosts here. Fresh out of the 11th tier Essex Alliance League, they've won all four of their opening fixtures, scoring a whopping 15 goals in the process. NWL are down in midtable and will have to be at their best to get anything. This is being played at Redbridge FC and tickets are £6 on the gate
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Saturday 16 August
Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley @3pm - the Premier League returns this weekend which means everyone in all the major men's leagues is now up and running - the season has truly begun. There's only one top-flight game in London and it's a first domestic game for new Spurs boss Thomas Frank. Following their disappointing penalty loss to PSG in the UEFA Super Cup, they'll want to raise spirits with a commanding performance here. The Clarets are back in the top flight following their promotion and despite spending over £100m on new players, I'm sure they'll be content with a point. Premium seats are available from £149
Championship
Millwall v Middlesbrough @3pm - with two wins from two, the Lions have made a very satisfactory start to the season, both were away too. The same can't be said for Boro who got thumped 4-0 at home by Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Cup in midweek. I'm not an expert but I presume they played their kids. The Bermondsey club have only lost one of their last five at The Den against this club and I think they'll extend that run. Tickets
Watford v QPR @3pm - the biggest game of the day for which there are still a few regular tickets available is this derby. These two play 15 miles apart on the western half of TLFG's catchment area. Two very similar sized clubs who've both finished as top division runners-up in the past, these fixtures always generate a lot of interest. The R's have historically had the better of things and have only lost two of the last 10 games against their rivals and actually sealed the Championship title on this ground in 2011. The away allocation has sold out but there is some space in the home stands. Tickets
League One
Leyton Orient v Stockport County @3pm - after losing in the play-off final and seeing their star striker depart, the O's will firstly need to regroup. After defeat on the opening day, the recovered to beat Wigan but then got knocked out of the EFL Cup by Wycombe. This match isn't going to be any easier. County also made the play-offs last season and have won all three of their games so far. Tickets
League Two
Barnet v Walsall @3pm - after being crowned National League champions last season, the Bees' transition to life in the fourth tier hasn't begun smoothly. With three defeats from three games in all competitions, they're already bottom. With only one win from three, the Saddlers haven't had a great start either but they did make the play-offs last season and are more than capable of winning here. Tickets
Bromley v Fleetwood Town @3pm - the Ravens created one of the stories of the week by knocking Championship club Ipswich Town out of the EFL Cup on penalties. An unbeaten start to the league, mean they also come into this match in the play-off places. However, their Lancashire opponents are level on points with top club Crewe and won on their last trip to London two weeks ago. Tickets
National League
Wealdstone v FC Halifax Town @3pm - my game of the day in the fifth tier is this one at Grosvenor Vale. The Stones avoided relegation on the final day and appointed former player Sam Cox as manager over the summer. They started with a solid 2-0 win over Truro City and then beat Wolves in the National League Cup. Yorkshire club Halifax made the play-offs last season and have won the FA Trophy twice in recent years. However, they lost 3-0 at Braintree on the opening day. The ground is small and compact and there's usually always a decent atmosphere. Tickets
National League South
Enfield Town v Maidenhead United @3pm - in the sixth tier, the Towners were another side to leave it late to avoid the drop but they succeeded. Today they face a club who weren't so successful and lost their place in the fifth tier after eight seasons. The Magpies are a club based just to the west of London and for fans of TV show Family Guy, they have a chairman called Peter Griffin. I have met him and he's a lovely man. Tickets
Southern League Premier South
Chertsey Town v Farnham Town @3pm - the big game of the day in tier seven is this Surrey derby at Alwyns Lane. The battle to avoid relegation from this division was incredibly tight last season and the Curfews stayed up by just one point. Farnham, on the other hand, absolutely steamrollered their way to the title a level below. Over the last few years, a successful young businessman has ploughed a lot of money into this club and they'll be going for their third consecutive promotion this season. A big crowd is expected. Tickets
FA Cup Preliminary Round
For many fans of non-league football, the ties in this competition will provide the main highlights of the day. The draw is still regionalised at this stage so clubs in our area will be broadly restricted to opponents in the south-east. The winners of each tie receive £1,444 and the losers £481. How these amounts are decided, I'm not quite sure! There are ties all over London but here are my pick:
Edgware & Kingsbury v Whitstable Town @3pm - the hosts are the closest club to Wembley Stadium who are hosting a tie in this round - you can see the arch from Silver Jubilee Park. They play in the ninth tier, struggled last season and are struggling again. Their task here is very tough. Whitstable know all about Wembley - they went there in May and won the FA Vase. Tickets are £8 on the gate
SOUL Tower Hamlets v Hanworth Villa @3pm - STH won promotion to the ninth tier last season, meaning this is the first time they've entered the FA Cup since adding the SOUL prefix to their name. Unbeaten in their three league fixtures, they come into this match in good form. Hanworth play a level above them and have made the play-offs in two of the last three seasons. On paper they are strong favourites but in the FA Cup you just never know. Tickets are £9 on the gate
Tooting & Mitcham United v AFC Croydon Athletic @3pm - lastly I'm going for this south London derby at Imperial Fields. The ninth tier Terrors have a rich FA Cup history with an appearance in the Fourth Round in 1976 and numerous other appearances in the competition 'proper'. These days they find themselves in the ninth tier and they're the definite underdogs against the Rams who play a level above them and are unbeaten coming into this. Tickets are £8 on the gate
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Sunday 17 August
Premier League
Chelsea v Crystal Palace @2pm - these two had cracking 'off-seasons' if you can call it that. The Blues won the inaugural Club World Cup in the USA and Crystal Palace beat Liverpool to win the FA Community Shield for the first time. Enzo Maresca's side seem to be on a steady upward trend and are now back in the Champions League after a couple of years away. With over £200m spent on new signings, they'll be expecting further progress and a trophy of some sort. The Eagles are enjoying the most successful time in their history, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield in the space of a few months. Despite all this, the summer has been unsettled. Losing their place in the Europa League on a technicality stung and transfer rumours are swirling around some of their biggest stars. Given they beat Liverpool last week, they've got a chance here but getting anything will still be very tough. Hospitality packages are available from £395
FAWNL Southern Premier
AFC Wimbledon v Real Bedford @2pm - the women's third and fourth tiers get underway today and this match in the former tops the bill. The Dons are a solid midtable side at this level so it will be really interesting to see how this game pans out. Backed by crypto millionaires, Real Bedford's men's and women's teams have both been making inexorable progress up the divisions over the last couple of seasons. The jump from the top of the fourth tier to competing for the title in this division is big so this fixture should give us some idea of what they're capable of. This match is being played at Tooting & Mitcham United and tickets are available
FAWNL Division 1 South East
Fulham v Cambridge United @2pm - in the division below, the Cottagers are said to be among the favourites for the title. Having just been promoted to this level, there are reports of a big budget increase and a huge amount of ambition to go straight to Tier 3 in one go. Cambridge are a funny side. Capable of competing with anyone on their day, they always seem to finish in the bottom half. The men's team got relegated last season which rarely augurs well for the women's set-up but with a new manager in place and several eye-catching signings, they could be quite a handful. This is being played at Fulham's Motspur Park training facility. Tickets
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!
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