Welcome one and all to this week's TLFG.
Again I'm pushed for time so at this stage it's just match maps and Monday's previews.
The last week has been pretty eventful.
I managed to get to my first QPR game of the season against Southampton on Wednesday night.
Although the R's lost 2-1, it was a very entertaining second half and I was sat behind the right goal for most of the action.
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| On Wednesday I went to QPR v Southampton |
It was also my birthday that day and I thought that result would see me end things on a low but I then received an email from the Football Supporters Association to say Non-League Day had been shortlisted for the non-league award at their glittering do in London next month - what an honour.
The week ahead will hopefully see me get a game at some point but I'm working at the weekend.
Have a great one!
THE WEEK AHEAD
We've got another international break this week but don't despair, there's still plenty on. Aside from England's game against Serbia, we also have the bonus of Brazil playing Senegal at the Emirates. Other highlights include matches in the EFL, National League and FA Trophy.
In the women's game, we've got the North London Derby in the WSL and also some midweek games in the Women's League 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 10 November
Isthmian League Premier
Aveley v Welling United @745pm - the week begins with a game of equal importance at either end of the table. The Millers got relegated from the NLS last season but are making a decent go of trying to get back up with a win here taking them up to third. The Wings came down with them but sadly things have not improved and they're second bottom. Tickets are £14 on the gate MATCH OFF - Aveley are now at home to ninth tier Benfleet in an Essex Senior Cup tie instead - tickets are £10 on the gate
CCL Premier South
Sutton Common Rovers v Knaphill @745pm - SCR also suffered relegation last season, dropping down to the eighth tier for this campaign. They're in lower midtable and in need of another win but they won't find it easy here as the visitors could go third with victory. Tickets should be in the £8-10 category
CCL Division 1
RB Kensington v Staines & Lammas (Middlesex) @745pm - in the 10th tier there's a big relegation six-pointer with the two clubs sitting either side of the dividing line in 20th and 21st meeting at Northwood's ground. RBK are two points ahead with a game in hand. To my knowledge, the hosts are the only team in TLFG's catchment area with no online presence at all but I'd guess you'd be paying no more than £8 to get in
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Tuesday 11 November
Professional Development League
If you want to see two games on Tuesday then there are a couple of games at lunchtime in this U21 competition. Millwall host AFC Bournemouth at The Den at 1pm (tickets) while QPR entertain Bristol City at their training ground at 130pm - you can get in for free but you have to fill in a registration form first. All the details can be found on this page
EFL Trophy
Bromley v AFC Wimbledon @745pm - the most high-profile game of the night is this London derby at Hayes Lane. We're still in the group stage at the moment and the top two from each four-team group progress. Stevenage have already claimed top spot, so the winner of this will go through. Weirdly, if this ends in a draw, Wimbledon who have one more point at present, could still go out. When a match is tied, it goes straight to penalties with the winner receiving two points and the loser just one. If Bromley win on penalties then they'll go through on goal difference. Tickets
National League South
Enfield Town v Salisbury @745pm - there's another early season relegation six-pointer at Donkey Lane on Tuesday. Like RBK and Staines & Lammas above, these sides sit either side of the dividing line in the battle to beat the drop. The visitors are just above it and there's a three-point gap between them. Tickets
Isthmian League Premier
Dulwich Hamlet v Wingate & Finchley @745pm - the best supported team in the division take on almost its least supported one at Champion Hill in a real Goliath v David contest. Both teams are in unusual form at the moment. The Hamlet have drawn their last six league matches to keep their place in the top five whilst Wingate have lost only one of their last nine matches, in all competitions, despite playing all of them away. After the terrible incident which led to the death of a Chichester player earlier in the season, the ground has been closed while alterations are made. Tickets
Isthmian League South East
AFC Croydon Athletic v Merstham @745pm - in the eighth tier, these two top-six clubs meet at the Mayfield Stadium. If you're new to London and/or the non-league scene, the Rams are backed by Stromzy and Wilfiried Zaha and are pushing for a second promotion on their watch. The visitors play a short train ride away just to the south of the M25 so there's a bit of a derby feel to this too. Admission should be around £10
London Senior Cup Second Round
Tooting & Mitcham United v Balham @745pm - I don't often highlight county cup games in the early rounds but this is a groundshare derby between two ninth-tier clubs which should be well worth a watch. With the Terrors pushing for promotion and the visitors battling the drop, T&MU should start as favourites. Tickets are £8 on the gate
Middlesex Premier Cup Quarter-Final
Civil Service v Spartans Youth @730pm - Tuesday affords us a rare chance to watch one of London's top amateur clubs, who I don't normally cover, take part in this county cup. Without going into too much detail, amateur football exists in an almost parallel universe to the pro and semi-pro clubs who usually feature here. I don't include these clubs as they play primarily at sports grounds with little in the way of spectator facilities but the standard can be just as good. Civil Service were founded in 1863, were founder members of the FA and are one of the oldest clubs in the world. In recent seasons they've started entering competitions like this against semi-pros and they've done pretty well. With their own ground not having the facilities to host matches like this, this is being played at Colliers Wood United. As for Spartans Youth, they're playing only their fourth season in senior football and have never finished higher than 15th in the CCL Division 1. They're in the bottom five at the moment and could well come unstuck here. I haven't seen anything about admission prices but it shouldn't exceed £8
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Wednesday 12 November
Women's League Cup
West Ham United v Southampton @7pm - the biggest crowd of the night will probably be found at Dagenham & Redbridge's ground for this women's match. The Hammers have had a pretty torrid start to their WSL season, having yet to win a game. However, they've won all their group games so far in this competition. The Saints play a level below and should be beaten. Tickets
Premier League International Cup
Crystal Palace v Juventus @7pm - there should also be a pretty healthy crowd at Sutton United too as the Eagles' youngsters welcome their counterparts from Juve for a match in this growing men's U21 competition. I think it's the first year the Italian giants have entered a side and they haven't had it all their own way, beating Leicester City but losing to West Bromwich Albion. Palace have great pedigree in this competition, winning it two seasons ago and getting to the final the year before. Tickets are £5
Isthmian League South Central
Southall v Hanworth Villa @745pm - the top level non-league game of the night is this match in the eighth tier. Although the 'All are in the bottom five, they've been greatly improved in recent weeks and are alongside promotion chasing Hanworth in the current form table. I think it's fair to say this has a west London derby vibe to it too. Tickets are £12 on the gate
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Thursday 13 November
World Cup qualifier
England v Serbia @745pm - the biggest match of the week takes place at Wembley on Thursday evening. With a 100% record after six games, Thomas Tuchel's side have already won the group and qualified for next year's World Cup. Serbia, however, have it all do if they want to take the one play-off spot on offer. Currently third, one point behind arch-rivals Albania, they could get knocked out if they lose here so the stakes are about as high as they can get for the visitors. Tickets
CCL Women's Cup Second Round
CB Hounslow & Abbots v Actonians @745pm - the only other game I'm aware of is this match in west London and I plan to be there (health permitting - feeling a bit ropey at the moment). On paper, this is a huge mismatch. The hosts play in the women's eighth tier alongside the A's 3rd XI so if the visitors play a strong team, they could score double figures. Personally I think there'll be quite a bit of rotation but we'll see. I don't know if there'll be a charge but it won't be much MATCH OFF
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Friday 14 November
U18 Professional Development League
QPR v Watford @11am - if you've got a car or can afford a taxi, I'd say there's a good chance of a treble on Friday thanks to this early kick-off near Heathrow. I rarely include U18 games in this blog as they're often behind closed doors or require a number of hoops to be jumped through. This is being played at the R's training ground and provided you pre-register you should be fine - details can be found on the following page
U21 Professional Development League
Brentford v AFC Bournemouth @2pm - game two takes place just over six miles to the south-west in Staines so an hour should be enough if you have access to a car or taxi. A point apart in the top five of this division of 20 teams, these two should put on a competitive display. Tickets
ECL Division 1 South
Cannons Wood v Clapton CFC @745pm - there are several options in the evening but this is the most high level one. The hosts, who groundshare at Aveley, are in their fourth season in this division after promotion. They've always finished in the top 10 so it's a bit of a surprise to find them just above the relegation zone and having played a load more games than most of the sides below them. It's not likely to get any easier here as CCFC are in the top five and could go third with a win. Tickets should be no more than £7-8
Sadly illness has got the better of me this week so there won't be any weekend previews - apologies
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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