Greetings one and all and welcome to the first TLFG of December - it seems no time since the season openers in August!
How has your week been?
In football terms, I've had a pretty eventful one.
On Monday, my Non-League Day adventures took me to the prestigious art college Central St Martins which is now based in Kings Cross in a very cool restored granary building - you'd expect nothing less.
I was invited by student Maxine R who's making a film on the changing football culture in this country and wanted my views from a non-league perspective.
Her story is really interesting, having moved from Singapore, she's got really into the non-league scene in north London and regularly watches games at clubs like Enfield Town, Haringey Borough and Walthamstow - I looked forward to the finished piece.
 |
| Non-League Day is up for an award on Monday |
On Tuesday, myself and members of the Non-League Day team had our first planning meeting of the campaign with our friends at the Premier League.
They came up with some very positive suggestions as we look to make our 15th event the biggest yet.
Talking of Non-League Day, we're up for a gong at the FSA Awards in London tonight (Monday).
Hosted by Victoria Derbyshire, a lot of big names are up for recognition in lots of categories so there could be some really interesting people in attendance.
I'll let you know next week how we get on.
When it came to actually watching a game, I headed to Champion Hill on Sunday to see Actonians grind out a 1-0 win over Dulwich Hamlet.
Now unbeaten in five, the A's are into the top six for the first time this season.
Weirdly, they've only managed one point at home in the league this season with all five wins coming on the road.
Hopefully that first home win will come on Sunday when Cambridge United pay us a visit.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The Premier League tops the bill this week but it's closely followed by some ties in the Second Round of the FA Cup.
Aside from a selection of games in the EFL, we also have the next round of the FA Vase and plenty of games in all the other non-league divisions TLFG covers.
In the women's game, the highlight would appear to be the Women's Super League game between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates at midday on Saturday, giving you the chance of seeing two games that day.
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 1 December
Isthmian League Cup Fourth Round
Aveley v Redbridge @745pm - the Millers held Essex rivals Brentwood Town to a 3-3 draw on Friday to end the weekend fifth in the seventh tier Isthmian Premier. The Motormen play a level below the hosts but are in the top six in their division and having a good season. On paper, Aveley should win but will they field a full-strength side? Admission is £10 on the gate
ECL Division 1 South
Lymore Gardens v AS London @745pm - the home team are playing in the tenth tier for the first time following their promotion last season. They were top earlier in the campaign but are now sixth. However, they have the games in hand to potentially put them top again. AS London challenged for promotion in 2024/25 but they've yet to recapture that form and are in the bottom five. I haven't seen any admission prices but it's usually around £7 at this level
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday 2 December
Premier League
Fulham v Manchester City @730pm - the Cottagers made it three wins from four as they triumphed 2-1 at Spurs on Saturday night. Although still only 15th, they've opened a six-point gap between themselves and the bottom three. City arrive at Craven Cottage on the back of a shaky 3-2 win over struggling Leeds United but it was enough to elevate them to second. To say the Mancunian club are a bogey side for Fulham would be an understatement - City are unbeaten in 24 matches against them and have won all of the last 18! Tickets
EFL Trophy Second Round
Leyton Orient v Plymouth Argyle @7pm - after cruising through their group with a 100% record, the O's were seeded for the draw in this first knockout round. Devon club Plymouth managed wins over Cheltenham Town and Tottenham Hostpur U21s on their way to this stage. Tickets
U21 & Development Matches
Several pro clubs have U21 sides in action in various competitions on Tuesday. Charlton Athletic play Preston North End at Dartford's ground in the Premier League Cup at 7pm. Boreham Wood welcome a young side from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the National League Cup, also at 7pm. Lastly, QPR U21s travel to Cray Valley PM in the London Senior Cup at 745pm. Tickets vary in price so check with each club for details
National League South
Hampton & Richmond Borough v AFC Totton @745pm - these two are the most out of form teams in the division. This has seen the Beavers plummet into the bottom three while Totton's collapse has seen them fall to 10th and out of title contention. Who will get their act together first? Head to the Beveree to find out. Tickets
Southern League Premier South
Hanwell Town v Farnham Town @745pm - with only one win from five, the Geordies find themselves only two points above the relegation zone but they have games in hand on pretty much everyone in what is a very congested lower half of the table. A lot was expected of newly promoted Farnham at the beginning of the campaign. With a large budget, many thought they would be title challengers or even stroll through the division. Although they have two games in hand and are very much in play-off contention, they're currently 15 points behind leaders Walton & Hersham so can't afford too many more defeats. Tickets
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday 3 December
Premier League
Arsenal v Brentford @730pm - the Gunners only managed a 1-1 draw against the 10 men of Chelsea on Sunday to see their lead at the top cut to five points by Manchester City. Next up they face a Brentford side who are in a decent bit of form with four wins from six. The Bees have drawn two of their last three at the Emirates and with Igor Thiago second in the Premier League scoring charts, they've got a chance of causing Arsenal some more problems. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality is available from £327
Premier League International Cup
Wednesday sees the next batch of games in this U21 competition which sees Premier League clubs host teams from around Europe. Topping the bill is the game at Kingsmeadow between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain (tickets are £4). In the other game, West Ham United welcome Athletic Bilbao to Dagenham & Redbridge (tickets shouldn't exceed £5). Both games kick-off at 7pm
Premier League Cup
Luton Town v Exeter City @7pm - randomly, the Hatters are playing this U21 game at Enfield Town's ground in north London. The Bedfordshire club are bottom of their group after losing every game and defeat here will see them eliminated. Tickets should be available on the gate for around £5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday 5 December
FA Youth Cup Third Round
The pick of the action on Friday would seem to be the two ties taking place in the country's most prestigious U18 competition. All the big clubs' youngsters join the draw at this stage. In the earlier tie at 6pm, Crystal Palace host Bradford City at Selhurst Park (tickets). Arguably the tie of the night starts at 7pm at The Den where Millwall take on Everton (tickets)
Essex Senior League
Woodford Town v Great Wakering Rovers @745pm - the best non-league option is this game at Ashtons in north-east London. At the time of writing, the hosts are four points behind the leaders in third but have played a game more. Coming up against them are 2024 FA Vase finalists GWR who are eighth and capable of giving them some problems. Admission is £7
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday 6 December
Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Brentford @3pm - earlier in the season, Spurs were in the top four and most people seemed to be impressed with what new boss Thomas Frank was doing. Now without a win in the Premier League since October, they're down to 11th and on level points with the Bees, Frank's former club. It's a huge day for the Danish manager as he goes up against his former charges. While working at the GTech, his sides upset many of the top clubs but they always struggled against Tottenham, only beating them once in eight attempts. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality is available from £299
Women's Super League
Arsenal v Liverpool @12pm - elsewhere in north London, a good few thousand should be found at the Emirates for this WSL clash. After winning the Champions League last season, many would have expected the Gunners to challenge for the league title this season but it doesn't look likely. As we near the half-way point, they're fourth and eight points behind leaders Manchester City which in a division with only 22 games is an almost insurmountable lead. The Reds are winless and bottom. They have drawn the last two games though, as signs of improvement have emerged. Tickets
Championship
Charlton Athletic v Portsmouth @1230pm - back in the men's game, it's a big day in the second tier where we have three interesting games to choose from. First up we have this early game between the Addicks and Pompey. Nathan Jones' side were challenging for a play-off place recently but consistency is everything in this division and four consecutive defeats have seen them slip all the way down to 17th in quick time. The good news is that the table is incredibly tight so a win could easily propel them three or four places back up. With four wins from 18, the visitors are stuck in the bottom three and in real need of three points. Their recent record against Charlton is poor so they might have to wait another week for that elusive victory. Tickets
Watford v Norwich City @1230pm - there's another lunchtime game in Hertfordshire where the Hornets will look to bounce back from their 2-1 loss to Birmingham City. On paper, their chances of a victory look good as the Canaries have been pretty woeful this season. Second from bottom with only 13 points from 18 games, they have not impressed but they did manage to beat QPR last week to record their first home win. Tickets
QPR v West Bromwich Albion @3pm - lastly, over in west London, two midtable clubs who are locked together on 25 points meet at Loftus Road for what should be a well-contested match. The Baggies have become a bit of a bogey team for the R's in recent seasons and are currently six games unbeaten against them. Tickets
FA Cup Second Round
Sutton United v Shrewsbury Town @515pm - the U's have had a poor season but somehow they're one of the few non-league teams to have made it this far. It shouldn't really come as a surprise though as they are one of the most successful non-league teams in FA Cup history. They've been to at least the Third Round on six occasions and went all the way to Fifth Round in 2017. Here they play League Two strugglers Shrewsbury who could be there for the taking. The winners will go into the draw alongside all the Premier League clubs in the next round so the stakes are high. Tickets
National League South
Enfield Town v Hampton & Richmond Borough @745pm - in the sixth tier we've got a big relegation six-pointer at Donkey Lane. The Towners have accrued an impressive seven points from their last three games to haul themselves out of the bottom four so should approach this match with some confidence. Hampton were rock bottom of the form table after losing 6-0 to fellow strugglers Eastbourne Borough last weekend. On Sunday, manager Alan Julian departed and Alan Massey took over in time for Tuesday's game against AFC Totton. They won 2-0 and are now one place and one point above Enfield - it should be close. Tickets
Southern League Premier South
Uxbridge v Walton & Hersham @3pm - game of the day in the seventh tier for me sees the Reds welcome the league leaders. The hosts are playing at this level for the first time in their long history after promotion last season and are doing really well. Currently eighth, a play-off push is well within their capabilities. The Swans, on the other hand, missed out in the play-offs last season and seem keen to go up as champions this time. Eight points clear after 19 games, it's looking good. Tickets are a very reasonable £8 which is way lower than most clubs at this level
Isthmian League North
Redbridge v Felixstowe & Walton United @3pm - there are several tasty looking games in the eighth tier on Saturday but this my pick as if you add the league places together, this comes out with the lowest number. The Motormen are sixth whilst the visitors are top. However, Felixstowe suffered a spectacular 7-2 home defeat to Waltham Abbey in their last match so this could be a great time for Redbridge to play them. Admission is £10 on the gate
FA Vase Third Round
The national knockout competition for clubs in the ninth and tenth tiers with its final at Wembley is down to its last 64 teams. At this stage, the draw is still regionalised and we have two ties in London:
Cockfosters v SOUL Tower Hamlets @3pm - the pick of the ties for me sees title contenders from the SSML and ESL meet at Chalk Lane in north London. For the hosts, this is the furthest they've been in the competition whilst STH made it all the way to the Fifth Round in 2012 when they were known as Bethnal Green United. Ticket prices seem to be top secret but it shouldn't be more than £10
Fisher v Fleet Town @3pm - in Rotherhithe, the Fish are another club on a record-breaking run in this competition with their win over fellow ninth-tier club Balham getting them this far. Although 12th in the SCEFL Premier, they have games in hand so should be able to get into the play-off race like Hampshire club Fleet who are doing well in the CCL Premier South. Again we should have another pretty even contest here. Tickets are £8 on the gate
CCL Premier South
Cobham v Tooting & Mitcham United @3pm - away from the knockout football above, the MOTD in the ninth tier is definitely this one. A top-two clash, it represents one of the Terrors' last main chances of catching the Hammers who are 10 points clear and looking really strong. Tickets are £8 on the gate
SSML Division 1
Everett Rovers v Long Buckby AFC @3pm - in the tenth tier we're back on Everett Rovers watch and whether or not their unbeaten record will remain intact. Promoted to this level for the first time, they've taken to this division like ducks to water. With 16 wins and one draw, they're 10 points clear of a team they've already beaten so they look untouchable. Visitors Long Bucky are in midtable and have already been defeated once this season. Tickets should be no more than £8
Southern Amateur League
Honourable Artillery Company v Wandsworth Borough @1pm - for the groundhoppers among you, there's another chance to watch a game at Armoury House in the City of London. A short walk from Old Street and Moorgate stations, this is one of the most unique football experiences in the capital. To attend, you need to message the club via one of its social media accounts and they'll put you on a guest list
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday 7 December
Premier League
Fulham v Crystal Palace @430pm - with the sun almost completely descended behind the Riverside Stand, it's time for derby day on the banks of the Thames. Similar sized clubs, it's the visitors who are enjoying a breakthrough period of success right now. Winning last season's FA Cup, this season's Community Shield and in the top five in the Premier League after 14 games, it's going pretty well. Although the Cottagers' promising run of results came to an end against Manchester City on Tuesday, they put in aa hell of a performance in a highly entertaining 5-4 defeat. In theory, the Eagles should win, something which is further backed up by the fact they haven't lost here in over 20 years. Tickets
FA Cup Second Round
Boreham Wood v Newport County @230pm - in the other tie of the weekend, National League title contenders Boreham Wood go after another EFL scalp. Like Sutton, The Wood have had some great times in this competition, also making the Fifth Round in 2022. In Newport, they have an even better chance than Sutton of making progress as the Welsh club are bottom of League Two and presumably low on confidence - there's real cupset potential here. Tickets
Women's Super League
London City Lionesses v Brighton & Hove Albion @12pm - if you want to do a double on Sunday then it should be possible if you watch one of the women's midday kick-offs before heading west for the Fulham game. Here, the teams in sixth and seventh face off at Bromley's ground. After a shaky start, LCL have found their feet and could climb all the way up to third if they win and a sensational set of results go their way over the weekend. Tickets
Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa @12pm - Spurs have made a better start than many would've expected and head into the weekend in fifth, just a point adrift of the Champions League places. Villa are down in eighth but with only one defeat in six, should be tough to beat. This is being played at Leyton Orient. Tickets
Chelsea v Everton @230pm - the Blues made a blistering start and looked like they were going to stroll to another WSL title. However, in recent games they've started to stumble and have drawn three matches. Despite beating Manchester City in their opening game, they've now been overtaken by them and are three points behind in second. The Toffees looked great in their opening game as they beat Liverpool in the Merseyside derby but to put that in context, that was their last win and the Reds have yet to win. Everton will need to park the bus to get anything from this trip to Kingsmeadow. Tickets
Women's Super League 2
Crystal Palace v Birmingham City @2pm - the Eagles' brief stint in the WSL last season seems like a lifetime ago as their transition to life back in the second tier has not gone well. With only two wins from nine, they won't be making a return to the top flight any time soon. The Blues finished as runners-up last season and are second again coming into this so should start as favourites. This is being played at Sutton United. Tickets
FAWNL Southern Premier
Watford v Lewes @2pm - after another late change of venue, the table-topping Hornets are playing this at Uxbridge. The Rooks are down in eighth and should be beaten and they need to be as nearest challengers AFC Bournemouth are playing bottom club Billericay and look certain to pick up three points. Tickets
Hashtag United v Plymouth Argyle @3pm - just as the Tags looked like they might be moving into a secure midtable spot, they lost to struggling AFC Wimbledon and now they find themselves back in the dogfight to stay up. After becoming almost permanent members of the bottom four in recent years, the Pilgrims are having a cracking campaign and could second with a win. Tickets are £5 on the gate
FAWNL Division 1 South East
Actonians v Cambridge United @2pm - the A's extended their unbeaten run to five games with a win at Dulwich on Sunday to lift them above Cambridge and into the top half for the first time this season. Neck-and-neck in the table, games between these two rarely end in a draw and usually produce quite a few goals - 19 have come in the last three installments of this fixture. This is being played at North Greenford United. Tickets
London Bees v QPR @2pm - the biggest game of the day in the fourth tier is this derby between the teams in third and fourth. The R's are unbeaten in five in the league and come into this in better form. Bees suffered a 5-0 humbling at leaders Fulham last week and boss Dan McKimm will be looking for a strong response. It'll probably end goalless. This is being played at The Hive complex in north London. 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!
Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here
No comments:
Post a Comment