Greetings one and all and welcome to the latest edition of TLFG.
In less than two weeks, the season will have well and truly begun for all the men's leagues routinely covered in this blog but this week is still a bit of mishmash of friendlies and competitive games.
I headed a little out of London on its west side on Sunday to watch Actonians play Ascot United in a friendly.
The Isthmian League club have a lovely modern little ground with great facilities and tea bar right on the edge of the famous racecourse for which the Berkshire town is most famous for.
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| Arsenal entertain Athletic Club on Saturday |
With one or two trialists and new signings on show for both clubs, a lot of experimentation was implemented by bosses of both fourth-tier clubs.
Unsurprisingly, a tight contest finished 0-0 with the two goalkeepers being the main winners as both pulled off fine saves over the 90 minutes.
The A's had the best chance to secure victory but after winning a late penalty, new signing Claudia Cholakian saw her low effort turned away.
Without doubt, the best thing about the afternoon was a first proper effort by the small group of Actonians fans to actually try and go to an away game together.
It made things, particularly the journey, much more fun and hopefully we'll be able to get more people to join us as the season goes along.
A new groundshare is about to begin with North Greenford United and some of their fans have already expressed an interest.
QPR begin their 2025/26 campaign on Saturday against Preston and Athletic Bilbao are also in town too, playing Arsenal in a friendly.
Sadly I'm working from Tuesday to Monday so it looks like being a fallow week for me - I also have a big job interview on Thursday. I've been turned down for it twice before, so here's hoping it's third time lucky.
Have a great week everyone.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The FA Community Shield dominates proceedings this week but big crowds should also be expected at a number of high-profile friendlies featuring Premier League sides.
In the EFL, the Championship gets underway and the National League, Isthmian League and Southern League start too.
There are a few FA Cup replays, plenty of other non-league matches and women's friendlies 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
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 4 August
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replays
Phoenix Sports v Leatherhead @745pm - following their relegation from the Isthmian League, Phoenix did well to travel to a club still playing at that level and earn a replay. They will, however, be disappointed with throwing away a two-goal lead. Back on home soil, they should fancy their chances of pulling off an early season cupset. One other point to note, Leatherhead have former Arsenal player Ian Selley as manager. Tickets
Sutton Common Rovers v Guildford City @745pm - in the other tie of the night, two clubs from the ninth tier CCL Premier South do battle at Carshalton Athletic's ground. The two Surrey clubs fought out a 1-1 draw on Saturday and it should be close again. Tickets will be available on the gate
SCEFL Division 1
SC Thamesmead v Bridon Ropes @745pm - in the other game of the night, these two clubs play the first game of their seasons in this 10th-tier division. The hosts finished in the bottom six last season and will hope for much better this time. The Ropes ended up nine points adrift of the play-offs and would appear to be marginal favourites here
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Tuesday 5 August
Friendly
Enfield Town v Tottenham Hotspur U21 @745pm - after beating a young Arsenal side 2-0 on Saturday, the Towners conclude their pre-season preparations with a game against Spurs whose training ground is just over a mile north of the QEII Stadium. The real action begins on Saturday when Enfield make the long trip to Devon to play former EFL side Torquay United who are one of the strongest sides in the NLS. Tickets
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replays
Ashford Town (Middlesex) v Eastbourne Town @745pm - the ninth tier Tangerines headed to the Sussex coast on Saturday and came back with creditable 2-2 draw against a side from the level above them. This will be the seventh time in their history that they've played in the Extra Preliminary Round and they've won all of the previous six so they'll hope to extend that run with home advantage
Bedfont Sports v Guernsey @745pm - in this match-up it's the hosts who play at the higher level but getting a 1-1 draw in the Channel Islands over the weekend was still a decent enough result. The visitors haven't played in the FA Cup since 2016 and they'll do well to win here
Frenford v Witham Town @745pm - Ilford club Frenford have made a disappointing start to their Essex Senior League campaign so a draw at a team who play at a higher level on Saturday was encouraging. This is only the third time they've entered the FA Cup and they've yet to win a tie
Harefield United v Peacehaven & Telscombe @745pm - the Hare caused one of the upsets of the early rounds last year by beating Lewes. They found themselves in Sussex again on Saturday and came back with a 2-2 draw after becoming another one of our local sides to surrender a two-goal lead. P&T came close to making the play-offs in their ninth-tier division last season so another close game could well ensue
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Wednesday 6 August
Friendly
Arsenal v Villarreal @6pm - as pre-season approaches its end, the Premier League sides start to get involved and the most high-profile friendlies take place. The Gunners face two La Liga opponents this week, playing the first of them on Wednesday. The Yellow Submarine came fifth last season and qualified for the Champions League for the first time since 2016-17 when they failed to get beyond the play-off round. On Saturday, the Spanish club drew 1-1 with Leeds at Elland Road. Getting into Premier League matches at the Emirates Stadium as a non-member is tough and expensive but there does appear to still be availability for this. Tickets
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replays
Southall v Little Common @745pm - Saturday's draw in Sussex means the 'All get to play the first competitive match at their new home a little earlier than expected. Now groundsharing with Hayes & Yeading United after a spell at Burnham, they're pretty much back in the area they're named after which hasn't happened for a while. Little Common play a level below so they should be beaten
Holmesdale v Tunbridge Wells @745pm - the hosts play just down the road from League Two club Bromley who must cast a considerable shadow over them. The current club came into existence in the 1950s and their record in this competition is poor - they've lost in this round on the previous six occasions. The visitors play in the same ninth-tier division and are probably most famous in recent years for making the FA Vase Final at Wembley in 2013
Sporting Bengal United v Erith Town @745pm - SBU suffered relegation from the Isthmian League last year after only one season and find themselves in the Essex Senior League for this campaign. A draw against the Dockers, who remain at that level, was promising but they'll do well to get past them here. This is being played at Mile End Stadium
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Friday 8 August
Friendlies
Brentford v Borussia Monchengladbach @730pm - the Bees end their pre-season schedule with this eye-catching friendly against German opposition. The Foals finished 10th in the Bundesliga last season so should be at more or less the same level as Brentford. Shorn of hugely successful manager Thomas Frank and a number of their best players, the west London club have a critical season ahead of them. Many have already declared they won't survive. Tickets
Chelsea v Bayer Leverkusen @7pm - a little earlier on the same side of town, the Blues prepare to play their first game since winning the Club World Cup in July. Bayer sensationally won the Bundesliga in 2023/24 and they finished second last year. However, with boss Xabi Alonso having left for Real Madrid, they are now managed by Erik ten Hag who will be wanting to strengthen his reputation after a challenging spell at Manchester United. Tickets
Isthmian League Premier Division
Aveley v Brentwood Town @745pm - the Isthmian League season gets underway with this Essex derby. The Millers are just down from the National League South after a two-season stint and the Blues are back at this level for the first time in nine years after promotion. Parkside is one of the most modern non-league grounds in the south-east and it should play host to a sizeable crowd
SCEFL Premier Division
Chislehurst Glebe v Phoenix Sports @745pm - there's also a derby in this ninth-tier division. Both playing in south-east London, hopefully there'll be a reasonable attendance for this too. Phoenix are back in this league after relegation and are still to win any of their opening games, although that could change if they win their cup tie earlier in the week
ECL Division 1 South
Barkingside v Cannons Wood @745pm - there are three good options in this division on Friday but I've gone for this as both sides play in east London and both are in the top six. The hosts narrowly avoided finishing in the relegation zone last season so it's great to see them get off to a positive start
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Saturday 9 August
Friendlies
Arsenal v Athletic Bilbao @5pm - the Gunners complete their La Liga double by hosting Basque giants Athletic Club. Last season they finished fourth and made it to the semi-finals of the Europa League. They also managed to tie star player Nico Williams to a 10-year-contract in recent weeks so things are looking positive for Ernesto Valverde's side. Tickets
Fulham v Eintracht Frankfurt @5pm - the Cottagers welcome the side who finished third in Germany last season so they could be in for a challenging afternoon. The Craven Cottage club have only played two other games this summer, against Nottingham Forest and Saudi club Al-Ittihad, but won them both. Tickets
West Ham United v Lille @3pm - earlier in the afternoon, the Hammers take on the side who came fifth in France. The east London club played some pretty turgid stuff last season but stayed up comfortably as the bottom three were so far off the pace and Man Utd and Spurs were uncharacteristically awful. Tickets are usually available to non-members for all of West Ham's games but for some reason this has sold out - the low prices (£10) may have been a factor
Championship
Charlton Athletic v Watford @1230pm - the second tier gets underway this weekend and with both of these clubs located within the M25, we have a derby of sorts. The Addicks are back at this level for the first time in five years after winning the League One play-offs and they'll be hoping to make a positive start. The Hornets started really strongly last season but faded badly and only won one of their last nine games to end up in midtable. It cost boss Tom Cleverley his job and he's been replaced by Uruguayan Paulo Pezzolano. Demand for tickets is high and you must have a previous purchasing history to get one
Queens Park Rangers v Preston North End @3pm - two of the longest-named clubs in the EFL meet at Loftus Road in their season opener. The R's had a rollercoaster of a season under Marti Cifuentes but his tenure came to an end when he was put on gardening leave shortly before the end of the campaign, with a full dismissal following over the summer (he's now in charge at Leicester City). PNE finished in the bottom five and lost at home to QPR in the final weeks of the season. In fact, Rangers have won four in a row against the Lancashire club so the omens look good for them. Tickets
League One
AFC Wimbledon v Lincoln City @3pm - the Dons began life back in the third tier by losing 1-0 at Luton on Friday. By all accounts, the defence looked solid enough but there wasn't much going on at the other end. The Imps started their campaign with a tidy 2-0 win over Reading but they're seen as only 10/1 by the bookies to be promoted. Tickets
Leyton Orient v Wigan Athletic @3pm - following the disappointment of losing to Charlton in the play-off final last season, they also saw top scorer Charlie Kelman (who was on loan from QPR) move to the Addicks. Their campaign began with a resounding 3-0 loss to Huddersfield and Wigan started with a win too, meaning this could be another tough one. Tickets
League Two
Bromley v Barnet @3pm - the only two London clubs in the division meet early on. The Ravens played their first ever season in the EFL last year and managed a comfortable midtable finish. Next up they face the Bees who are back in the fourth tier after winning the National League. The north London club suffered a 2-0 loss to Fleetwood in their opening game whilst Bromley managed a 0-0 draw at Shrewsbury. Tickets
National League
Boreham Wood v Rochdale @3pm - the Wood find themselves back in the fifth tier after making an immediate return from the NLS via the play-offs. The Hertfordshire outfit remain one of the smallest clubs at this level so staying up must surely be their first priority. They've landed a tough opening game with one of the bigger sides in the division travelling down from Greater Manchester. They've only played twice before, in the 2023/24 season, and both games ended in a draw. Tickets
Wealdstone v Truro City @3pm - the Stones managed to dramatically avoid relegation on the final day last season but boss Neil Gibson, who was based in Wales, decided to call it a day. Former player Sam Cox, who was interim manager for a short spell the previous season, has replaced him. Pre-season has seen a mixed bag of results, with the 2-0 win over MK Dons probably being the pick of the results. Truro won promotion last season to become the first Cornish club in history to play in the fifth tier. They face some mammoth journeys in the National League but they should bring a large away following for this big game in the club's history. Tickets
National League South
Dagenham & Redbridge v Ebbsfleet United @3pm - this would appear to be the pick of the games in the sixth tier. Both sides were relegated from the National League last season and they don't play a million miles apart either, meaning we should get a good crowd too. Tickets
Isthmian League Premier Division
Dulwich Hamlet v Dartford @3pm - the biggest crowd of the day in the seventh tier will almost certainly be found at Champion Hill. Both sides suffered their own disappointments last season with the Hamlet finishing just above the relegation zone and the Darts losing in the play-offs. Both sides have large fanbases and both played in the NLS until recently so both should be aspiring to win promotion this season. Tickets often sell out so you are strongly advised to buy in advance
Southern League Premier South
Uxbridge v Dorchester Town @3pm - it's an historic day at Honeycroft where the Reds will play in the seventh tier for the first time in their long history. Founded in 1871, the Middlesex club moved up to this division after winning the Isthmian League South Central play-offs last season. They begin with a very tough fixture against the Magpies who made the play-offs in 2024/25 and are expected to do well again. Tickets
Isthmian League South Central
Egham Town v Harrow Borough @745pm - with it being the first day of the league season in the eighth tier it's quite hard to pick a game objectively so I'm going to be totally subjective and pick this one. It features my favourite non-league side Harrow and their trip to Egham. The Sarnies won promotion to this division under the management of former Boro boss Jordan Berry. His time at Earlsmead was not a happy one and he was in the hotseat when they suffered their first relegation for decades in 2023/24. Many of the players involved in that team are also with Egham today so it could get quite spicy. Harrow are under new management and Wayne Carter's reign began with a thumping 4-0 win at Stansfeld in the FA Cup on Sunday
Essex Senior League
Woodford Town v Sporting Bengal United @3pm - the hosts have shot out of the blocks with two wins in the league and another in the FA Cup. After finishing in the top three for the last three seasons and always coming unstuck in the play-offs, they'll be really hoping it's their year. Two seasons ago, SBU were the team to defeat them in the post-season but their time in the Isthmian League was short and they came straight back down. You could say, Woodford have a score to settle and they look to be in the form to do it
CCL Division 1
Brook House v Berks County @3pm - based in Hayes in west London, the Brook have looked really sharp this summer. Impressive in pre-season, they've won the opening three games of the new campaign to go second on goal difference. The visitors are back in this division after a disappointing one-year stint in the CCL Premier North. Currently eighth, they've made a reasonable start
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Sunday 10 August
FA Community Shield
Crystal Palace v Liverpool @3pm - the annual pre-season curtain-raiser between the winners of the FA Cup and Premier League at Wembley is here again. With the FA Cup being the Eagles' first ever major trophy win, they haven't played in this before and will definitely be underdogs against a Reds side who've won it 16 times. Tickets are only available to members
Men's Friendly
Chelsea v AC Milan @3pm - if you can't get a ticket for the match above then there are a few left for this one at Stamford Bridge. On paper, this might actually appear to be a more attractive proposition to the neutral. Milan aren't quite the side they used to be and only finished eighth in Serie A last season but they always draw a crowd. How strong a side they field is questionable as they're playing Leeds in Dublin the day before. Tickets
Women's friendly
AFC Wimbledon v QPR @2pm - the majority of games on Sunday are women's pre-season matches with this one being the pick of what's on offer. The Dons play in the third tier and they host QPR from the division below. This is being played at Tooting & Mitcham United
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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