TLFG: 3-9 November 2025

Welcome one and all to this week's guide and apologies for being a day late.

I think it's fair to say my Actonians commitments might be taking up more time than I anticipated!

Work on this blog used to account for about eight hours of my week but it's become a bit more comprehensive since I made that estimation so it could easily be 10 hours by now.

On top of that, I'm now producing a match programme and a podcast for the club.

After a run of home games, it's now five weeks until the next one so hopefully things will calm down a bit.

This season's NLD is just over four months away

However, Non-League Day preparations are now starting to pick up with meetings scheduled with various partners including the Premier League and Prostate Cancer UK.

I know Athletic Bilbao are planning to take part again and there are very promising signs that we could get some co-operation from Italy for the first time this year - hopefully we'll know more by the end of the month.

Anyway, it's match maps only from me for now but I will try and add at least a weekend preview as I've got a couple of days off.

It's actually my birthday on Wednesday and I'm marking it by popping round the corner to watch QPR v Southampton in a Championship game. 

Have a great week everyone.

THE WEEK AHEAD 

This week's highlights include matches in the Premier League, EFL and it's also the Second Round proper of the FA Vase. 

In the women's game, the WSL returns with the highlight being the big derby between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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

    

WEEKEND PREVIEW

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United @1230pm - earlier in the week, I was offered a ticket to this so it was disappointing to check my schedule and find I'm working. Anyway, I digress. In my head, Spurs have made a pretty good start to the season and United not so much but they're actually level on points, just below the top five - a considerable improvement on last season. United always used to dominate games between these two but Spurs are currently unbeaten in seven in all competitions against them. Tickets are only available to members

West Ham United v Burnley @3pm - in east London there's a big relegation six-pointer between the Hammers and Clarets. The recently promoted visitors are three points and one place above the bottom three and with two wins from three, they're in reasonable form. Nuno Espirito Santo got his first win as West Ham boss on Sunday as they came from behind to beat Newcastle 3-1 and they'll expect to get something here too. Tickets

Chelsea v Wolverhampton Wanderers @8pm - the day ends with this game at Stamford Bridge where the Blues start as strong favourites against bottom club Wolves. With three wins from four, Chelsea are level on points with Spurs and Man Utd so if they win here and results go their way, they could end the day in second. Hospitality packages are available from £250

Championship

Millwall v Preston North End @1230pm - we're three months into the season and these two are a point apart in the top five. The Lions haven't played in the top flight since 1990 and you have to go all the way back to 1961 for PNE. If either of them were to make it to the Premier League this year, it would be some achievement. Tickets

League Two

Barnet v MK Dons @3pm - the table in this division is ridiculously tight with only five points between the leaders Walsall and Cambridge United in 13th. The Bees and Dons are both in the middle of this group so the result of this could see a significant change in position. Tickets

Women's Super League

Arsenal v Chelsea @12pm - arguably the biggest game in the WSL calendar takes place at the Emirates at lunch time. These two often push each other hard for the title but the Gunners have made a disappointing start following their Champions League win and they're already five points behind leaders Chelsea in fifth. Given the incredible importance of every point in this division, defeat for Arsenal will almost certainly kill their title ambitions for another year. Tickets

National League

Wealdstone v Braintree Town @3pm - topping the non-league bill is this game at Grosvenor Vale in Ruislip. The Stones beat divisional rivals Southend in the FA Cup last weekend and should be confident of another win here against struggling Braintree. Tickets

Isthmian League Premier

Dartford v Wingate & Finchley @3pm - the Darts are the highest ranked TLFG side in this division. Coming into this game in fourth, a win here could push them into the top three. Wingate are one of the smallest clubs in the seventh tier but caused a significant upset by winning 5-0 at leaders Brentwood Town last Saturday so shouldn't be too daunted by this trip. Tickets

Isthmian League North

Walthamstow v Felixstowe & Walton United @3pm - in the eighth tier, get yourself to Wadham Lodge so you can have a look at the leaders. Felixstowe finished as runners-up last year but lost in the play-offs. Currently four points clear at the top, they need to keep winning as their nearest challengers have games in hand. As for the 'Stow, they ended up 10th last year but are down in 16th coming into this. They are usually well supported, and even though crowds are down, they are a good club to experience. Tickets are £10 on the gate

FA Vase Second Round

This national knockout competition for clubs in the ninth and tenth tiers, reaches a crucial point this weekend. With the qualifying rounds now well behind us, the last group of exempted teams enter the draw. To be part of this exempted group, you had to have made at least the Fourth Round last season so reigning champions Whitstable Town begin their defence here. Clubs from the south-east have started doing really well in this in recent seasons but most of them have been drawn away. Here are the two ties we do have on Saturday:

Fisher v Balham @3pm - first up is this all ninth-tier clash in Rotherhithe. Midtable in the SCEFL Premier, the Fish have a good chance to progress as they face a team towards the wrong end of the CCL Premier South. This run to the Second Round equals their best ever performance in the competition so they'll be making club history if they win here. As for the visitors, this is the best they've ever done. Tickets are £8 on the gate

Haringey Borough v Eynesbury Rovers @3pm - after 11 years playing at a higher level, the hosts return to the FA Vase. Back in the ninth tier and doing well in the SSML Premier, they should start as favourites against Cambridgeshire club Eynesbury. They're also in the ninth tier UCL Premier South but only 12th. Both sides have gone well beyond this round in the past so they have a bit of pedigree in the competition. Tickets are £10 on the gate and the club is cordially inviting anyone from the Spurs v Man Utd game to come along afterwards as Coles Park is on White Hart Lane

SCEFL Division 1

Tooting Bec v AFC Greenwich Borough @3pm - my game of the day in the 10th tier sees two of the top five in this division meet at Chipstead's ground in the far south of TLFG's catchment area. The visitors are playing senior football for the first time this season and could go top with a win. Tickets should be no more than £8 on the gate

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Sunday 9 November

Premier League

Brentford v Newcastle United @2pm - with three wins from five, the Bees are in pretty good shape and are doing better than many predicted. They actually come into this one point and place above the Magpies who are, arguably, underperforming. Newcastle arrive in London on the back of a 2-0 Champions League win over Athletic Bilbao which they desperately needed after losing to West Ham last weekend. Tickets are only available to members

Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion @2pm - the Seagulls have become Palace's biggest rivals and consequently this match is very hard to get tickets for. A point apart in midtable, this should be one of the closest matches between the sides for a while. The south London club did the double over Brighton last season and haven't lost to them at Selhurst Park since 2019.

SCEFL Division 1

Halls AFC v Lydd Town @3pm - there's also a random bit of non-league action in the 10th tier where two teams on level points in the bottom six meet at Dartford's Princes Park. If results go against them on Saturday, they could both start this in the relegation zone. Tickets are £8 on the gate

Women's Super League

London City Lionesses v Tottenham Hotspur @1155am - if you hadn't already noticed, the vast majority of WSL games are starting on or around midday this season. It seems a strange thing to do but it does allow groundhoppers a better chance of doing a double on Sundays. This match sees LCL, the country's highest ranked independent women's club, go after their fourth win of the season to try and cement their place in the top six. Spurs are possibly having the best start to a campaign they've ever had. They could break back into the top three if they win this match which is being played at Bromley's ground. Tickets

West Ham United v Leicester City @12pm - in Dagenham, the Hammers will be going after their first point of the season against fellow strugglers Leicester. Already five points adrift of safety and bottom of the table, the east London club cannot afford to lose. Tickets

Women's Super League 2

Charlton Athletic v Southampton @2pm - the Addicks are top and took a big step towards a place in the WSL by beating title rivals Birmingham City 1-0 in the Midlands last weekend. Now four points clear, it's looking pretty good for Karen Hills' team. Here they face a Saints side who slipped to fifth on Sunday after losing 3-2 at home to newly promoted Nottingham Forest. This is being played at The Valley and tickets are available online

Crystal Palace v Sheffield United @2pm - with only one win from seven, it's fair to say that the Eagles' return from the WSL isn't going too well. Only three points above bottom club Ipswich, they need to pick up some points soon. The Blades have taken seven points from their last three which has seen them surge up the table after a terrible start. This is being played at Sutton United and tickets are available in advance

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!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter or even by good old email.

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