Greetings everyone and welcome to this week's TLFG.
I hope you've managed to see a game or two of the last few days. Sadly my hopes of watching Actonians' FAWNL Cup match against AFC Wimbledon were scuppered by illness to a couple of relatives so I had to stay home on Sunday.
The A's needed a draw to win the group, which also included Chelsea U21s and Maidenhead United, and they got the point they needed with a 1-1 scoreline - the draw for the next round is at 715pm tonight (Monday).
The biggest football activity of the week I undertook was attending a Football Supporters' Association (FSA) event at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.
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| Yours truly in the home dressing room at Arsenal |
Through Non-League Day (NLD) I'd received an invitation to their Fans' For Diversity meet-up which was very well attended by several hundred people.
After a bit of networking we attending talks on best practice when it comes to clubs, at all levels, making themselves inclusive.
This was followed up with a very interesting presentation by one of Kick It Out's people who runs restorative sessions with individuals found guilty of discriminatory behaviour at football matches - offenders included fans but also in one example a referee.
The day finished with a tour of the stadium and a short awards ceremony. I also got my photo with the Women's Champions League trophy which Arsenal recently won.
I'm now working pretty solidly into next week so it could be a while until I next see a game.
THE WEEK AHEAD
This week's highlights include matches in the Champions League, Premier League, EFL, FA Trophy, Women's Super League, Women's FA Cup and FA Youth 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 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
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 29 September
FA Cup Third Round Qualifying Replay
Aveley v Halesowen Town @745pm - without question, the match of the night is this cup game at Parkside. Prior to their draw on Saturday, I doubt these teams had ever played before. Halesowen is located just to the west of Birmingham so there would've been no reason, other than cups, for their paths to cross. Both currently play in seventh-tier divisions and the club from the Midlands have made the better start - it looks like being finely balanced again.Tickets are £14 on the gate
ECL Division 1 South
Lymore Gardens v Cannons Wood @745pm - if you don't have a car or live on the far east side of town, Aveley is quite hard to get to so you might prefer this 10th-tier option instead. Being played at Redbridge FC next to Barkingside Tube station, the hosts will go clear at the top if they win or draw. Tickets are £7 on the gate
FA Youth Cup Second Round Qualifying
Walton & Hersham v Abbey Rangers @745pm - there are numerous ties in this U18 competition this week. Of the two games on Monday, this Surrey derby looks like the best option
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Tuesday 30 September
UEFA Champions League
Chelsea v Benfica @8pm - the Blues began their Champions League campaign with a 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich in Germany. They therefore need a much more positive result here against one of the giants of the Portuguese league. Benfica rather surprisingly lost their first game 3-2 at home to Azerbaijan's Qarabag so they'll have to hugely up their game to get anything here. Tickets
EFL Trophy
Barnet v Brighton & Hove Albion U21 @745pm - this competition is in its group stage at the moment and the Bees lost their opening game to Luton. The Seagulls' youngsters have yet to play but they have won all their games in the National League Cup so they can't be taken lightly. Tickets
Professional Development League
QPR v Swansea City @7pm - if you're a fan of either of these teams or you want to tick Hanwell Town's ground off your list, then this U21 match could be for you. Tickets are £5 on the gate
National League
Boreham Wood v Southend United @745pm - the Wood saw off Woking on Saturday to climb to third in the fifth tier. Here they play another promotion-seeking team. The Shrimpers made the play-offs last season and are in the top seven again. Expect a decent away following and a good atmosphere. Tickets
Sutton United v Yeovil Town @745pm - the U's have made a miserable start to the season and have already parted company with manager Steve Morison. Since Jon Meeney was put in interim charge, they've picked up back-to-back draws against Woking and Boston to stop the run of defeats. Yeovil are 12th but have won three of their last four. Tickets
Isthmian League Premier
Cray Wanderers v Dulwich Hamlet @745pm - two of the top five meet at Flamingo Park on Tuesday in this seventh-tier division. If you've not been before, Cray are London's oldest club so are always worth a watch and the Hamlet have the biggest fanbase in the league so they should bring a few. Tickets
Southern League Premier South
Walton & Hersham v Sholing @745pm - in the capital's other seventh-tier division, second play fourth in an arguably even bigger game. The Swans bowed out of the FA Cup on Saturday and also lost top spot as Gloucester City, without a cup game, took full advantage. Sholing also suffered defeat in the FA Cup on Saturday, so they will be hoping to bounce back too. Tickets
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Wednesday 1 October
UEFA Champions League
Arsenal v Olympiakos @8pm - the Gunners come into this on the back of a win at Newcastle which saw them close the gap on leaders Liverpool to two points. They also won their first game in this competition - 2-0 at Athletic Bilbao. Olympiakos arrive in north London as current leaders of the Greek league but they could only manage a draw against Cypriot side Pafos in their opening Champions League game. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality is available from £345
UEFA Youth League
Arsenal v Olympiakos @1pm - earlier in the day, the two clubs' U19 sides will meet at Boreham Wood's ground. Admission details are a bit sketchy at the moment but it's often free - expect to pay no more than £5
Championship
Millwall v Coventry City @745pm - the top half of the Championship is ridiculously congested at the moment with only three points between Coventry in second and Birmingham in 11th. The Lions are also in this group so a win could see them make a significant leap up the table. City have won on their last two league visits to The Den but suffered defeat in the EFL Cup just over a month ago. Tickets
QPR v Oxford United @8pm - the R's run of three straight wins came to an end with a 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. Still ninth, they will start as favourites against Oxford who have only won one of their seven league games so far this season. Tickets
Essex Senior League
Buckhurst Hill v Romford @745pm - there are no real standout games in non-league on Wednesday but this would probably be my choice if I was heading out. They don't play a million miles apart, they're both towards the wrong end of the table so it should be competitive and the ground is very easy to reach by public transport. Tickets should be in the £7-8 bracket
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Thursday 2 October
FA Youth Cup Second Round Qualifying
All the action of note on Thursday is in this U18 competition. There are five ties at Erith Town, Hampton & Richmond Borough, Hanworth Villa and Welling United but my pick would be the one between Dagenham & Redbridge and Southend United at 745pm for which tickets are available in advance
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Friday 3 October
Premier League 2
Fulham v Liverpool @7pm - when it comes to U21 football, the Cottagers have some of the best youngsters around. They finished second in the 26-team league phase last season and are right up in contention again this time. The Reds, on the other hand, finished 16th last time and are 24th at the time of writing. This is being played at Fulham's training ground in Motspur Park. Tickets, for no more than £5, are usually available on arrival but check with the club before you travel
Essex Senior League
Woodford Town v Ilford @745pm - the hosts are currently top of the ESL with a game in hand on all their nearest rivals. They have that extra game because they had such a great run in the FA Cup. It ended last Saturday when they lost 1-0 to St Albans who play two divisions above them. Ilford are down in 14th so should be beaten. Tickets are usually £7 on the gate
ECL Division 1 South
Lymore Gardens v Hutton @745pm - at the time of writing on Monday, only goal difference is separating these two at the top. By the time kick-off in this comes round, Lymore will probably be three points ahead but will have played two games more. Either way, this match will probably play a big part in who ultimately wins the title. Tickets should be around £7 on the gate
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Previews for 4-5 October to follow
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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