Greetings one and all and welcome to this week's TLFG.
I actually had a whole weekend off and was able to pack it with sport - a rarity for me!
On Saturday morning I did my first parkrun in ages, taking part in the 14th anniversary edition of the event at Gunnersbury Park alongside some of Actonians' 3rd XI players.
Although I'm way off the fitness I used to have, I was very pleased with my time of 25.49 so onwards and upwards.
My brother was supposed to be visiting from Bristol in the afternoon but his car broke down and I took up the invitation to watch my first ever women's rugby match instead.
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| Defender Jennie Brereton was Actonians' star player against Watford |
A friend of mine is a rugby coach and ref and has been asking me along to Ealing Trailfinders for a long time and with the women's team playing Exeter Chiefs, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
I actually held my wedding reception there over 20 years ago and hadn't been back since.
To say the place had changed would be an understatement!
We had a marquee on what is now the first-team pitch which has stands at either end and a TV commentary/broadcast tower on one side.
For £10 I got to watch two teams packed with international stars from the recent Women's World Cup and I got ridiculously close to the action.
The food and drink options were great and there were loads of activities for kids.
Sadly Trailfinders lost 24-12 but it was still a great way to spend an afternoon.
Sunday saw normal service resume as I headed out to Greenford to watch Actonians take on Watford in the Women's FA Cup.
The A's started as significant underdogs and when they fell behind after only three minutes, the predicted defeat looked a certainty.
Although they competed well throughout and forced a number of chances in the second half, the Hornets were clinical, took their chances and won 5-0.
Next up, the team face back-to-back derbies against London Bees and QPR on Sunday.
As it stands, I can't attend either but I'm hopeful for a shift change on Thursday which could help me out.
It's half term for my kids, so I haven't got time to do a 'Daily Digest' just yet but you've got the match maps.
That's it for now, so have a great week.
UPDATE - my Saturday preview is now available below
THE WEEK AHEAD
This week's highlights include matches in the Premier League, EFL and it's also the First Round proper of the FA Cup.
In the women's game, the WSL returns after an international break and there's a full programme of games in the lower divisions with games in midweek and on Sunday.
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 WEEKEND DIGEST
In the following section, I list what are in my opinion the most notable games of the weekend and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.
Saturday 1 November
Premier League
Crystal Palace v Brentford @3pm - fresh from their EFL Cup win at Liverpool on Wednesday, the Eagles will look to end their three game winless run in the league. However, they're going to have to do it against a Bees side who are in good form. The west London club arrive at Selhurst Park on the back of three straight wins in all competitions so it could be quite a scrap. Tickets are only available to members whilst hospitality starts at £450+
Fulham v Wolverhampton Wanderers @3pm - talking of form, these two are in desperately short supply of the stuff at the moment. The Cottagers have lost four on the bounce to sit just above the relegation zone whilst Wolves are rock bottom. On paper, it's definitely not the sexiest fixture in town and consequently there are tickets available
Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea @530pm - the biggest match of the weekend kicks off at teatime as these two fierce London rivals meet for what is always a hotly anticipated contest. It's not often that Spurs find themselves several places above the Blues in the table but that's the way things stand at the moment. A win for the hosts could see them go second. Tickets are only available to members but you can get hospitality for £399
Championship
Charlton Athletic v Swansea City @3pm - with only three defeats from their first 12, the newly promoted Addicks are in the top six and making a fine start to life back in the division. Here they play midtable opposition from Wales who are making their first trip to The Valley since 2019. On that occasion they won 2-1 and will no doubt hope for something similar to happen this time. Tickets
QPR v Ipswich Town @3pm - the R's were storming up the table but two defeats from their last three have tempered expectations. Next up they face an Ipswich side just down from the Premier League and struggling to find their feet. Two points below QPR in midtable, they don't have a great record at Loftus Road. Aside from a win on their last visit in 2023, they lost every game prior to that going back to 2010. Tickets
Watford v Middlesbrough @3pm - the Hornets have been models of inconsistency this season so it's no surprise to find them in 14th. Saturday's opponents are second in the table so should be very tough to beat but they have only won two of their last six so there's a chance. Tickets
FA Cup First Round
One of the major moments of the English football calendar is here. This is the point in the competition where League One and League Two sides enter the draw alongside all the remaining non-league teams who made it through the qualifying rounds. The prize money starts getting really serious too with the winners of each tie receiving £47,750 and the losers £15,800. The draw is also no longer regionalised so clubs can end up going anywhere. The following ties are being played in London:
AFC Wimbledon v Gateshead @3pm - to highlight the openness of the draw we have this tie which sees non-league Gateshead have to travel all the way down from the north-east to the south London suburbs. The Dons are in the top six in League One so should start as strong favourites. Tickets
Boreham Wood v Crawley Town @3pm - there's a very real chance of an upset at Meadow Park where the non-league Wood, who have a decent FA Cup pedigree, welcome one of League Two's strugglers. Tickets
Bromley v Bristol Rovers @3pm - there's an all League Two contest at Hayes Lane where the Ravens should start as marginal favourites. Five points above the Gas in midtable, the hosts will be looking to replicate last season's run to the Third Round which was the best in their history. Tickets
Sutton United v AFC Telford United @3pm - the U's have one of the most famous FA Cup histories of any non-league club with numerous scalps of much higher-ranked teams claimed over the years. This time they're the ones in danger of suffering a humiliation. Currently bottom of the fifth tier and in real trouble, they welcome a side from the division below. Tickets
Wealdstone v Southend United @3pm - although both these non-league sides would've probably been disappointed to draw each other (they're in the same division), they know the chances of getting to the next round and banking the prize money are pretty high. When they last played in September, the Stones won a thrilling game 3-2 in front of their biggest crowd of the season. An even bigger crowd should be expected here (the away allocation has sold out) so I'd advise buying tickets in advance as the ground is small
Women's Super League
Chelsea v London City Lionesses @12pm - if you want an early game then head to Stamford Bridge to see the reigning champions take on the new upstarts who head over from south-east London. After some time off for the international break, it will be interesting to see how these teams perform. If you're a groundhopper, this can easily be combined with a number of games including the ones at Fulham and QPR. Tickets
Isthmian League Premier
Dartford v Welling United @3pm - I'm a bit short on time this week so when it comes to non-league I'm just going to pick out some games which really leap out at me. This seventh-tier match is a big derby between two local rivals. Both sides are used to playing at a higher level but have hit a bad patch over the last few years and are both now in the seventh tier. The Darts are fifth and pushing to get back up but the Wings are struggling and on course for a second consecutive relegation. Dartford won their other derby at Cray Wanderers last week in front of over 1,000 fans so I'd expect to see another bumper crowd here. Tickets
Southern League Division 1 Central
Hadley v Enfield @3pm - in the eighth tier we've got a north London derby at Brickfield Lane. The hosts have been in play-off contention but they've slipped outside the top five and need to win here to stay in touch. Enfield used to be one of the biggest names in non-league football but around 20 years ago it all went wrong and the club became defunct. Two clubs now exist - Enfield Town who play in the sixth tier and remain in the town and Enfield who don't have their own ground and play home games outside London. They're down in the relegation zone and will do well to get anything here. Tickets are £10 on the gate
Essex Senior League
Barking v Romford @3pm - in east London we've got a groundshare derby at Mayesbrook Park. The Blues, who are the landlords, are having the better season. Currently third, they could go top with a win. Romford won the FA Vase in 2024 but haven't been able to push on from that great day and are in the bottom five. Tickets are £10 on the gate
SSML Division 1
Everett Rovers v Ampthill Town @3pm - the hosts' amazing unbeaten run is still ongoing. Remember, this club are playing in the 10th tier for the first time after promotion. After 15 games they've yet to lose and are nine points clear at the top. Here they face the team in fourth who have a couple of games in hand so the record could be strongly tested. Tickets should be around £7 on the gate
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Sunday 2 November
Premier League
West Ham United v Newcastle United @2pm - it's fair to say that both these sides have made disappointing starts to the season. Already on to the second manager of the campaign, the Hammers are second bottom with only one win from nine games. New boss Nuno Espirito Santo is still looking for his first victory since leaving Nottingham Forest. As for the Magpies, after qualifying for the Champions League last season, they've become the archetypal midtable club with three wins, three draws and three defeats and are in the bottom half. An away win looks the more likely as Newcastle seem to enjoy their trips to London Stadium - they won there last season and are unbeaten on their last six visits. Tickets
Women's Super League
Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool @2pm - just a mile and a half to the north at the same time, we have the pick of the day's women's action. Brisbane Road plays host to Spurs as they look to get back into the top three. Their chances look good as the Reds are second bottom and have lost every game. Online ticket sales have ended but you can purchase on arrival for £10
FAWNL Southern Premier
AFC Wimbledon v AFC Bournemouth @2pm - the Dons return to Imperial Fields for a very challenging fixture. This season has been a struggle and last weekend saw them bow out of the FA Cup at home to Chatham Town who play a level below them. However, they responded brilliantly to win 3-0 at Lewes in the league on Wednesday to keep themselves out of the bottom two. Here they face the leaders who retook top spot from Watford in midweek with a 2-1 win over Oxford United. The Cherries are unbeaten this season and the hosts will do really well to get anything here. Tickets
FAWNL Division 1 South East
Actonians v QPR @2pm - game of the day in the fourth tier is this west London derby at North Greenford United's ground. After three straight defeats in all competitions, the A's picked up an impressive 2-1 away win at London Bees on Thursday to cut the gap on the top six to four points. The R's also did well, becoming the first team to take a point of leaders Fulham with a 1-1 draw on Wednesday. Not only do these teams come from neighbouring areas of London but QPR have Actonians' most successful management duo in the dugout and one of their former players. On paper, the visitors should be marginal favourites but strange things happen in these matches. 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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