Welcome to the latest edition of TLFG, it's great to have you along.
How has your week been?
I actually made it to two games for the first time in a while - Friday's U21 match between QPR and Watford at Loftus Road which finished 1-1 and Actonians' 2-1 loss to Chatham Town at Berkeley Fields on Sunday.
I'm pleased to report that I made it to past the 100 mark when I went to donate blood platelets and plasma on Tuesday - hats off to regular TLFG reader Liam who actually works in my local clinic and stuck the ceremonial needle in my arm!
I'm off for a run with him shortly as we continue our A-Z of London football club adventures. It's been three months since we went to Millwall and today (Monday) we're hoping to get to North Greenford United for our N.
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| Tickets for this spicy derby are on general sale |
I think that's about it from me for now, I'll hopefully update the blog with a detailed look at the weekend's games by Friday.
Lastly, it was the 14th anniversary of this blog last week so many thanks again to everyone who has very kindly donated to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund over the years and kept it going - it's hugely appreciated.
THE WEEK AHEAD
This week sees the return of the Premier League and Championship following the international break.
Aside from matches in League Two and the National League, it's also the next round of the FA Vase and several county cup competitions.
In the women's game, we have the next batch of games in the Champions League, WSL Cup and FAWNL 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
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 13 October
Isthmian League Premier
Carshalton Athletic v Burgess Hill Town @745pm - these two seventh-tier clubs last met just three weeks ago in the reverse fixture down in Sussex. On that occasion the Robins won 4-2. Currently 11th, just a point ahead of BHT, you'd like to think we'll have an equally competitive game here. Tickets
Isthmian League North
Redbridge v Takeley @745pm - the Motormen recorded a tidy 3-1 win at Tilbury on Saturday to move into the top four in this eighth-tier division. Next up they face Takeley, who are playing at this level for the first time in their history following their promotion from the Essex Senior League. Based near Stansted Airport, they've found the step up a challenge and are in the bottom three. Tickets are £10 on the gate
CCL Division 1
RB Kensington v Bedfont @745pm - RBK have moved their home games to Northwood this year and it hasn't gone well, failing to win any of the seven games played there so far this season. Next up they face a side who are fourth and very much in the promotion race - it looks like being another tough evening. The hosts no longer have an online presence so I don't know how much they charge but it shouldn't be more than £7
FA Youth Cup Third Round Qualifying
Walton & Hersham v Chatham Town @745pm - the next round of the country's most prestigious U18 competition gets underway this week. The Swans beat local rivals Abbey Rangers 3-2 in the last round whilst the Chats scraped past Whitstable Town on penalties. Again I'm not sure about admission but it won't be much, it could even be free
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Tuesday 14 October
FA Cup Fourth Round Qualifying Round Replay
Sutton United v Farnham Town @745pm - the fifth tier U's needed a 98th-minute equaliser to salvage a 3-3 draw and narrowly avoid a cupset to a side from two levels below them. To be fair, Surrey club Farnham are not a normal seventh-tier team and have spent a lot of money as they've moved rapidly up the divisions in recent seasons. Despite playing higher up the pyramid, Sutton are struggling this season and they'll have to up their game to avoid defeat here. Tickets
Professional Development League
Brentford v QPR @7pm - these clubs' U21 sides met in last season's Premier League Cup Final which was played at Loftus Road and saw the R's win 3-1. It was quite an occasion which saw 8,000 tickets issued - way more than the few hundred which usually get sold for these sort of games. On Tuesday, the two meet in a league game and it seems as if the clubs are trying to build this rivalry. The match is being played at the GTech and an away allocation of nearly 2,000 tickets has been given to QPR although how many they've sold is unclear. Tickets are £5 for adults so it's now just a case of picking which end you want to go in - Brentford or QPR
Middlesex Senior Cup Second Round
Barnet v Southall @745pm - the Bees have entered a side into this competition again. How strong it is remains to be seen but this is apparently being played at The Hive. The 'All play in the eighth tier so the chance to play at a League Two ground is a great opportunity for them. Neither side have posted any ticket details yet but it will probably be around £10
Southern League Premier South
Walton & Hersham v Havant & Waterlooville @745pm - the Swans beat Wimborne 1-0 on Saturday to stay two points clear at the top of this seventh-tier division. Here they welcome a side who've spent most of the last decade in the divisions of the National League. They came down last year and finished sixth, to just miss the play-offs. They've made a slower start this time and are down in lower midtable but have two games in hand which if won would put them right back in promotion contention. Tickets
Isthmian League South Central
Egham Town v Raynes Park Vale @745pm - in the eighth tier I like the look of this game at the Runnymede Stadium. Right out on the far western border of TLFG's catchment area, the Sarnies have made a good start to life back at this level after promotion from the Combined Counties League. Up to seventh, following a 2-1 win at Fareham Town on Saturday, things are going well. On Tuesday they welcome RPV who held on to second with a 3-0 win over AFC Portchester this weekend. Tickets are £10 on the gate
ECL Division 1 South
Clapton CFC v Rayleigh Town @745pm - nothing really grabs me in the ninth tier but in the tenth, this one does. Being played at the Old Spotted Dog, London's oldest ground, the hosts always draw fantastic crowds for the level they play at (a whopping 1,057 on Saturday) and should get 200-300 for this midweek match. Sitting sixth, just outside the play-off places, they face a Rayleigh side who are seventh so there's plenty to play for. Tickets are £5 on the gate
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Wednesday 15 October
UEFA Women's Champions League
Chelsea v Paris FC @8pm - the Blues have looked less than their best over the last couple of weeks but a narrow 1-0 win over Spurs on Sunday kept them top of the WSL. Their first match in the Champions League saw them draw 1-1 in the Netherlands with FC Twente whilst Paris only managed a 2-2 draw with Belgian side OH Leuven. On paper, this should be a home win but whether it will be a convincing one remains to be seen. This is being played at Stamford Bridge and tickets are available
Middlesex Senior Cup Second Round
QPR U21 v Hendon @745pm - the R's academy will be putting a side out two nights running as they've committed to competing in this competition too. Being played at Hanwell Town, I've heard talk that this might be more of an U18 side which takes on the Greens. As a matter of note, Hendon are the most successful club in this competition's long history with 15 titles. The last came in 2018 when they beat Staines Town on penalties. Tickets are £5 on the gate
Southern League Division 1 Central
London Lions v Aylesbury United @745pm - aside from Hadley, most TLFG clubs in this eighth-tier division are really struggling this season. The Lions, who are the capital's top club for Jewish players, sit just above the relegation zone on goal difference. The visiting Ducks are two points above them so getting something here is crucial. Admission details have been difficult to find but expect something in the region of £10
London Senior Cup Second Round
SOUL Tower Hamlets v Leyton Orient @745pm - there's a bit of a buzz developing around STH. They had a great run in the FA Cup and now they've also moved to the top of the Essex Senior League following their promotion to ninth tier last season. Here they go back into cup mode as they welcome a squad from on of their local EFL sides. Although the O's could put out a full-strength team, this is much more likely to be a development side. This match is being played at Mile End Stadium, a short walk from the Tube. Tickets
CCL Division 1
PFC Victoria London v Chalfont St Peter @745pm - another side to have made a great start are PFCVL. This club, with its roots in the capital's Polish community, have been on a steady upward trajectory over the last decade and are one point clear at the top of this 10th-tier division. I remember first hearing about them in 2017 when their coach Emil Kot got in touch with me wanting help promoting their Non-League Day game against North Acton whilst still at 12th-tier team. I went along and they had 350 people turn up. Since then, they've enjoyed two promotions and are now among the frontrunners for a move up again. Chalfont St Peter seem to be going in the opposite direction, having suffered relegations in 2022 and 2024 and they're in trouble again. This is being played at Ashford Town near Heathrow. Tickets shouldn't be more than £8 but I'm not certain as the club never reply to any of my messages
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Friday 17 October
Isthmian League North
Redbridge v Mildenhall Town @745pm - if they win earlier in the week, the Motormen could be third by the time this kicks off. Suffolk club Mildenhall are trying to stay in the play-off race and have a midweek game too - if they win it, they could be a top-eight side themselves. Tickets are £10 on the gate
Essex Senior League
Woodford Town v Athletic Newham @745pm - the hosts made a blistering start to the season. Going far in the FA Cup and top of this league, their form has suddenly left them. Winless in three and with only two wins in their last six, they've slipped to fifth after only managing a 2-2 draw at bottom club Frenford. Next up they play the second bottom club who've only recorded one league win all season. Tickets are £7 on the gate
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Previews for 18-19 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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