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
SCEFL Premier
Phoenix Sports v Corinthian @745pm - elsewhere in the ninth tier, the SCEFL Groundhop gets underway with this game between two former Isthmian League clubs. Neither side have made a fantastic start but Phoenix will be hoping to beat their attendance record. Tickets
ECL Division 1 South
Lymore Gardens v Hutton @745pm - the hosts went three points clear at the top after thrashing Cannons Wood 4-0 on Monday. The visitors are second but have two games in hand so, as 10th-tier football goes, this is box office stuff. Tickets are £7 on the gate
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Saturday 4 October
Premier League
Arsenal v West Ham United @3pm - second from top plays second from bottom in this derby at the Emirates. With one defeat from their first six, the Gunners are two points behind leaders Liverpool and could end the day at the summit if the Reds slip up in the later game. Despite their poor form, the Hammers have won on their last two visits to N7 so they tend to have some luck in this part of the world. Tickets are only available to members
Chelsea v Liverpool @530pm - so what are the chances of Arne Slot's team dropping points? Trips to Stamford Bridge are never easy and Liverpool have had a bad week losing back-to-back matches against Crystal Palace and Galatasaray. The Blues enjoyed a 1-0 win over Benfica in midweek but they haven't won a Premier League game since August. Their record against Liverpool here is pretty awful too, only winning one of their last seven home league games against them. Tickets
Championship
Millwall v West Bromwich Albion @3pm - the Lions got stuffed 4-0 by Coventry City on Tuesday to mean they've now only won one of their last five. Down to 12th, they next welcome the fourth-placed Baggies who were on a sticky run themselves until Tuesday when they won 1-0 at Norwich. Interestingly, the last five games between these two have ended in a draw and it looks quite possible again. Tickets
Watford v Oxford United @3pm - these two have only managed three wins between them all season. Matches between these two over the last 30 years have also been rare - this is only the fourth time they've played each other in the 21st century and the games have been very tight. The Hornets should start as marginal favourites but another draw looks highly likely. Tickets
League Two
Barnet v Accrington Stanley @3pm - with one defeat in six, the Bees are ticking over nicely enough in midtable. The visitors are in the bottom six but do okay on their visits to this part of London, only losing once in the last 15 years. Tickets
Bromley v Tranmere Rovers @3pm - it's a very similar scenario at Hayes Lane where the midtable Ravens play a team from the lower reaches of League Two. Both sides are in pretty poor form so this could be close. Another point of note, the hosts have never won a home game against Rovers. Tickets
National League
Wealdstone v Altrincham @3pm - after a bit of a dip, the Stones have now only lost one in five and come into this on the back of a 2-0 win at Brackley Town. After a couple of top-10 finishes, Alty are in trouble. Sitting just above the relegation zone, they've lost their last five and are bottom of the form table. Tickets
National League South
Hornchurch v Horsham @3pm - the Urchins have been top for several weeks but they're starting to stutter and now Weston-super-Mare are just two points behind with a game in hand. The Hornets are playing at this level for the first time in their history and are holding their own in 13th. Tickets
FA Trophy Third Round Qualifying
The next round of this national knockout competition for clubs in the fifth to eighth tiers with its final at Wembley take place this weekend. At this stage, all seventh-tier clubs enter the draw alongside the surviving ones from tier eight. There are numerous ties all over London, here are my pick:
Hadley v Dartford @3pm - the eighth tier Bricks enjoyed a superb run to the Third Round last year, beating several higher-ranked teams including Carshalton Athletic, Hastings United and AFC Telford United. They're doing well again in the league this season so should fancy their chances against the Darts who aren't in the best form at the level above. Tickets are £10 on the gate
Hayes & Yeading United v Walton & Hersham @3pm - the hosts are up in the top four in their eighth-tier division and going well. However, they face possibly the toughest draw they could've landed as the Swans are top of their seventh-tier division and have won six in a row. Tickets are £12 on the gate
VCD Athletic v Wingate & Finchley @3pm - this tie was supposed to have been played at Summers Lane but it was switched earlier in the week. For those that don't know, Chichester City player Billy Vigar received a fatal head injury after crashing into the concrete wall which surrounds Wingate's pitch two weeks ago and the club have switched all the matches away from the stadium. VCD play a level below Wingate but the north London side are struggling and could be beaten. Tickets are £10 on the gate
SCEFL Groundhop
The main event of the day in the ninth and tenth tiers is the SCEFL Groundhop. After the match on Friday night, the action gets underway at 11am when tenth tier Croydon host Halls AFC. The focus then moves over towards Bromley where Holmesdale take on Punjab United in a ninth-tier game at 3pm before concluding at Foxbury Avenue at 630pm where Chislehurst Glebe entertain Sutton Athletic. Tickets are available on the gate for all three
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Sunday 5 October
Premier League
Brentford v Manchester City @430pm - the weekend in the top flight concludes with this match in west London. The Bees picked up a morale-boosting win over Manchester United last weekend to hoist themselves up into midtable. City are down in seventh, five points adrift of leaders Liverpool - disappointing by their high standards. The hosts held Pep Guardiola's side to a 2-2 draw last season and also beat them here in 2023. Tickets are only available to members
Isthmian League South Central
Southall v Fareham Town @2pm - we've got a bonus bit of action in this eighth-tier division as the 'All groundshare with Hayes & Yeading who now have a cup match on Saturday. Sadly for the hosts they're really struggling and are bottom after seven games. Fareham are in the bottom five too so this is taking on the look of an early six-pointer already. Tickets are £12 on the gate
Women's Super League
There are three games in the women's top flight on Sunday and all of them kick-off at the rather odd time of 1155am. London City Lionesses go in search of their first home win of the season against Liverpool who have yet to register a point (tickets). Tottenham Hotspur are a little surprisingly up in fourth and face the tricky task of beating Brighton who are more than capable of getting something here (tickets). Also on the east side of town, West Ham United face an early season relegation six-pointer against Aston Villa (tickets)
Women's Super League 2
Crystal Palace v Newcastle United @2pm - neither of these sides have made the start they'd have wanted. Freshly relegated from the WSL, the Eagles have picked up only five points from their first four games while the well-financed Magpies have fared even worse and are down in ninth with just one win from four. Tickets
FAWNL Southern Premier
Hashtag United v Oxford United @3pm - these sides are way down on where we've become used to seeing them in recent seasons. The Tags' struggles are easily explainable and well documented - their management team and best players all left. Oxford, on the other hand, are usually in the top five and were even runners-up in 2022 but they're down in the bottom five and struggling for form. Tickets are £5 on the gate
Women's FA Cup Third Round Qualifying
The final round of qualifying ties takes place this weekend. At this stage, all the teams in the fourth tier enter the draw alongside the survivors from tiers five to seven. The winner of each tie receives £4,000, the loser £1,000. There are numerous ties across London, here are my pick:
Actonians v Ascot United @2pm - at Berkeley Fields in Greenford we have this tie between two teams from parallel fourth-tier divisions. The sides last played in pre-season in Berkshire where they fought out a keenly contested 0-0 draw which saw the A's miss a late penalty. Very similar sides, built on strong defence, I wouldn't expect a high-scoring game and it could even go to penalties. Tickets
Fulham v Moneyfields @2pm - two more fourth-tier teams meet at the Cottagers' Motspur Park training ground for what should be a great tie. Fulham are currently top of their division with a 100% record whilst the visitors, who come from Portsmouth, are second and unbeaten in theirs. Tickets
Dartford v QPR @2pm - there could be a potential cupset at Princes Park where one of the unbeaten title contenders in fifth tier take on a team from the division above them. The R's are stronger than they were last season and should still win but the Darts are always dangerous at home. Tickets are £5 on the gate
Bromley v Dorking Wanderers @2pm - the main reason to include this tie is that it's taking place on the 3G pitch next to Hayes Lane so you can combine it with the early London City Lionesses game. It's showing some cupset promise too with the hosts one of the top teams in the sixth tier and the visitors midtable in the division above. It's also free entry
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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