Greetings one and all and welcome to this week's TLFG - published more or less on time and with midweek previews!
How has your week been?
I had the pleasure of welcoming long-time reader Christoph B from Germany to London on Friday.
He was over to tick off a couple more members of 'the 92' albeit outside the capital and I met up with him before his departure for Colchester United.
We visited an unusual attraction with no connection to football whatsoever - the Hunterian Museum.
Located within the Royal College of Surgeons near Holborn station, it's a bit gruesome, macabre, sad and educational all at once.
With human and animal specimens in jars, it's really eye-opening but I was definitely ready to leave by the end of it.
Free to get in, it's located across Lincoln's Inn Fields from Sir John Soane's Museum which is also free and even more popular with a fairly lengthy queue. If you're a museum-hopper, then there's a great chance of a double here.
After watching Colchester, Christoph headed to Leicester City on Saturday and said he met two more TLFG readers from Sweden on his way there so hello to you too if you're reading this.
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| 2026 will see the 15th staging of NLD |
Both sides held leads before it ended 4-4 but not before nearly an hour's break awaiting an ambulance for an injured Stones player. The unfortunate in question seemed to break something in her leg or ankle after apparently getting her studs caught in the artificial surface and the screams were unsettling for all.
Buried under a mountain of coats and blankets in the howling wind and driving rain, her wait for assistance wasn't the most pleasant.
The action eventually resumed with 10 minutes to go and although the A's dominated this, hitting the bar, they couldn't find a winner and eventually lost on penalties. Quite an afternoon!
Aside from that and work, it's been all about Non-League Day (NLD) preparations for me this week.
I think since I last wrote, I've received written support for NLD from the government, opposition and Liberal Democrats - the latter said they planned to table an Early Day Motion in Parliament sometime in the next few days so let's see what happens with that.
The destination for the Premier League trophy seems to have been decided but it's not been officially announced so I won't reveal it yet - it's not far from London though and would make a good day trip if you fancy getting out of town.
Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK), our charity partner, will have collections and a presence at scores of clubs on the day and the FSA's Fans For Diversity group will be at several games too.
Talking of PCUK, all the profits from our merchandise sales will go to them. We have a fine selection of t-shirts, hoodies, badges and various other things available in pretty much every size and colour so please have a look.
Partnerships with some more big foreign clubs will hopefully be announced this week too so watch out for more on those. UPDATE - these were announced as Italian clubs Juventus and Palermo.
Hopefully I'll get to a game or two by the end of the week but I was barely allowed out on Sunday so we'll see.
Have a great week everyone!
THE WEEK AHEAD
The EFL Cup Final tops the bill but there are also games in the Champions League, Premier League and plenty of action in the EFL.
We've also got games in the National League and all our other local non-league competitions.
In the women's game, the WSL is the main attraction with Arsenal back at the Emirates and London City Lionesses controversially playing a game at The Den.
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. I no longer write previews for sold out matches or ones where membership is a minimum requirement for tickets so Premier League matches will rarely appear here - they will still be on the match maps though.
Monday 16 March
CCL Premier South
Sutton Common Rovers v Corinthian Casuals @745pm - with the game at Brentford only available to members, this is the highest-level game open to groundhoppers. This ninth-tier match is about as midtable as it gets. Neither side have any real chance of getting promoted and it would take a pretty drastic collapse for either of them to go down - a draw here would make it mathematically impossible for the visitors. This is being played at Carshalton Athletic and admission is £10 on the gate
CCL Division 1
Chessington & Hook United v Bridon Ropes @745pm - a small group of teams around the capital have found themselves shifted to leagues they geographically probably shouldn't be in. C&HU are one of those sides. Despite being in south-west London, they're playing in a division which is largely the preserve of clubs from Kent. Travel must be a burden for them and it probably puts off a lot of potential players too. This is probably a good part of the reason why they find themselves well adrift at the bottom of the table. They have played fewer games than anyone else but still face a huge struggle to avoid the drop into county football. Bridon Ropes, who play home games near Charlton, are keeping their heads above water but still need a few more wins to be certain of staying up. I'm not sure of admission but it shouldn't exceed £8
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Tuesday 17 March
Championship
Watford v Wrexham @745pm - the Hornets' loss to Stoke on Saturday was a real blow to their play-off hopes. Now eight points adrift of sixth with nine games to go, they have a lot of work to do. Significantly for them, the visitors are in sixth and are the team they have to catch. The Welsh side have won four of their last five though and will be tough to beat. Tickets
League One
AFC Wimbledon v Leyton Orient @745pm - it's derby day in the third tier where the only two London clubs in this division meet at Plough Lane. Newly promoted at the start of the season, many predicted the Dons would struggle. However, only goal difference is keeping them out of the top half at this point so I think you could argue they've overachieved. Despite making last season's play-off final, the O's have been the ones to underperform. Relegation was looking like a real threat but three wins from five have given them a fighting chance.Since becoming 'AFC', Wimbledon have never lost at home to Orient and they won the reverse fixture in January too. Tickets
National League Cup Final
Boreham Wood v West Ham United U21 @7pm - arguably the country's most unpopular competition reaches its conclusion on Tuesday. Essentially created as a highly controversial replacement for FA Cup replays, fifth-tier clubs are put into groups against top clubs' academy sides before a knockout phase and this final. Leeds United beat Sutton United in last year's final but they failed to get out of the group stage this time. The Wood are among the frontrunners in the National League whilst the Hammers' youngsters are ninth in Premier League 2. Tickets have been reduced to £10 for adults
Professional Development League
QPR v Sheffield United @130pm - there's a double helping of action in this U21 league on Tuesday. Being played at QPR's training ground near Heathrow, 'North' division leaders Sheffield United are the visitors. How strong a side the hosts put out is open to question as they're playing AFC Wimbledon in the London Senior Cup at Hanwell Town later in the evening. Admission to these games is free but you need to register in advance - see this page for details
Brentford v Coventry City @7pm - haven't been to the GTech yet? With Premier League games almost always restricted to members, getting tickets for games here is hard or expensive. Thankfully, this U21 game is being played there so it'll be easy to get in. The Bees are currently well clear at the top of the 'South' division so should start as favourites. Tickets
National League South
Enfield Town v Dorking Wanderers @745pm - the highest level non-league game takes place at Donkey Lane and it will have a big effect at both ends of the table. The Towners still desperately need points to avoid the drop whilst Dorking need a win to cement their place at the top. Tickets
Middlesex Charity Cup Semi-Finals
With the Middlesex Senior Cup won by Southall last week, we're now down to the final four in the county's other big competition. Running since 1901, interest in this has definitely waned in recent years. When I used to watch Harrow Borough home and away in my youth, clubs like Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur would enter teams and big crowds would turn out. In 1988, the final was even played at Wembley. This year only five teams entered, meaning the semi-final is the first game for three of the teams taking part. The pick of the ties sees current holders Uxbridge host Hanwell Town in an all Southern League clash whilst Northwood take on Broadfields United in the other game. Both start at 745pm
SSML Premier
Haringey Borough v Biggleswade United @745pm - this game will go some way to deciding who wins the title in this ninth-tier division. The hosts are currently two points clear at the top but have played more games than all of their rivals. Biggleswade are five points behind in third with two games in hand - this is a huge match for both. Tickets
CCL Division 1
London Samurai Rovers v Penn & Tylers Green @745pm - game of the day in the 10th tier pits fifth placed LSR against the team in second. Currently occupying the last play-off spot, the hosts have three teams snapping at their heels and need every point they can get to stay in the leading group. P&TG are two points behind leaders Bedfont but have three games in hand and will go top if they win this and Bedfont drop points at Molesey. This is being played at Hanworth Villa and admission shouldn't exceed £8
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Wednesday 18 March
Women's Super League
Chelsea v Brighton & Hove Albion @7pm - with Tottenham tickets not on general sale for their Champions League game, the biggest matches you can get into will be in the WSL. Fresh from winning the League Cup on Sunday, the Blues will try and keep their slim league title hopes alive by beating the Seagulls. Having seen leaders Manchester City drop points at Aston Villa on Sunday, they can close the gap to seven points with a win here. This is being played at Kingsmeadow. Tickets
West Ham United v Manchester United @7pm - without a game on Sunday, the Hammers slipped to 11th, two points above bottom club Leicester. Getting anything against this United side will be tough though. Currently second, they beat West Ham 2-1 when they last played in December and will be confident of getting something here too. This is being played at Dagenham & Redbridge. Tickets
Premier League International Cup Quarter-Final
Crystal Palace v Real Sociedad @7pm - having come top of Group B with wins over Juventus, Borussia Monchengladbach and Nordsjaelland, the Eagles have landed a tie against Spanish opposition. This U21 competition has been running since 2014 with Palace reaching two finals and winning one two years ago. Sociedad bowed out early last year but topped Group C with a 3-2 win at Chelsea in their last match. This is being played at Sutton United. Tickets
Isthmian League South Central
Southall v Westfield @745pm - the best non-league option would appear to be this eighth-tier game at Hayes & Yeading United's ground. The 'All followed up their midweek win in the Middlesex Senior Cup Final with an even more impressive 6-1 trouncing of Hartley Wintney on Saturday. That result lifted them to ninth but with the play-off places still 14 points away, it would seem that finishing above landlords H&YU will probably be the limit of their ambition. Not so Westfield who are second and in possession of enough games to catch leaders Leatherhead. Six points behind with 10 games to go, neither side can afford many slip ups. Tickets are £12 on the gate
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Thursday 19 March
CCL Division 1
Chalfont St Peter v Penn & Tylers Green @745pm - I wouldn't normally list games at CSP but with nothing else on, it would seem churlish not to flag up this match just outside TLFG's catchment area. When I started this blog in 2011, the hosts were an eighth-tier club but two relegations in three seasons between 2022-2024 have landed them in the 10th tier. At the time of writing, they're second bottom and on course for another demotion. As mentioned above, the visitors could be top by the time this kicks-off so another tough night looks likely. Tickets are £9 on the gate UPDATE - there is now also a cup match at Epsom & Ewell - see map for details
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Friday 20 March
Professional Development League
QPR v Peterborough United @130pm - the R's U21s have a busy week lined up with this their third game since Tuesday. Posh are second in the 'North' division so this looks like being another challenging fixture. Once again, this is being played at the training ground so you'll need to register in advance if you want to attend - details here
CCL Premier North
Hilltop v Windsor & Eton @745pm - four defeats on the bounce have killed any faint hopes Hilltop had of making the play-offs. It's not going to get any easier here either as they play the side with the games in hand to go well clear at the top of the division. Although a great side, fixture congestion and fatigue could catch up with Windsor and they've only won three of their last six. Last time these two played way back in July, Windsor won 2-0. Tickets should be around £8-10
ECL Division 1 South
Lymore Gardens v Clapton CFC @745pm - there's a big game in the race for promotion in this 10th-tier division. At the time of writing, LG sit just outside the play-off places in sixth but have games in hand on four of the sides above them. CCFC are second, two points behind leaders Hutton and have played a game more. In terms of attendance, the visitors are the biggest club in the division (nearly 1,000 on Saturday) and really should be playing at a higher level. Tickets are usually £7-8 on the gate
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Saturday 21 March
Premier League
Fulham v Burnley @3pm - with only one defeat in four, the Cottagers will almost certainly move into the top half with a win. Now 12 points clear of the relegation zone with eight games to go, another season in the top flight beckons. Not so for the visitors who are second from bottom and nine points from safety. Although Fulham won at Turf Moor earlier in the season, they've lost their last three against the Lancashire club at Craven Cottage. Tickets
Championship
Charlton Athletic v Norwich City @3pm - Saturday's offering of games in the second tier isn't the sexiest I've ever seen. There are three matches on and most feature teams in the bottom half. First up is the Addicks against the Canaries. Of the six sides in action, it's Norwich who are in the best form. Pretty useless before Christmas, former Rangers boss Philippe Clement took over and they've improved greatly. Now up to 12th, a play-off place looks unlikely but the chances of a drop into League One look even more remote. With only two defeats in 10, Charlton aren't doing too badly but they'll still want a couple more wins to push them well clear of the bottom three. Tickets
QPR v Portsmouth @3pm - arguably the spiciest encounter of the day could be found at Loftus Road. The stadium is compact and likely to be close to capacity as games in London are pretty much all derbies for Pompey. The R's 3-1 win at Leicester last week pretty much secured their place in the Championship and it was a huge relief after four consecutive defeats. Portsmouth are just a point above the relegation zone so badly need to get something out of this. Tickets
Watford v Leicester City @3pm - the Hornets are ninth and pushing for a place in the play-offs. Still five points shy of sixth, they need to start building some momentum. Tuesday's 3-1 win over Wrexham was the perfect start. The Foxes came down from the Premier League at the end of last season and are on course for a second successive relegation - pretty shocking for a club who've won the Premier League and FA Cup in the last 10 years. With one win in 10 it's looking pretty bleak. They are, however, only two points below the relegation line so they can still save themselves. Tickets
League One
AFC Wimbledon v Peterborough United @3pm - the Dons lost their big derby to Leyton Orient in midweek to leave them in the midtable doldrums. Now closer to the relegation zone than the top six, their work to stay in the third tier is not yet done. Over the last 10 years, Posh have usually been there or thereabouts when it comes to the play-offs. That started to change last year when they finished 18th and this season they're hovering around midtable on the same points as Wimbledon. Despite this, they crushed the south London side 5-0 when they last played in November. Tickets
Leyton Orient v Wycombe Wanderers @3pm - the O's aforementioned win at Plough Lane was their third victory in a row, further easing their relegation fears. Up to 16th, they now have a four-point cushion over the bottom four. The Chairboys, on the other hand, are no strangers to the play-offs making them five times in the last 11 seasons. In contention again, they should provide a very stern challenge. Tickets
League Two
Bromley v Colchester United @3pm - the Ravens won 1-0 at struggling Newport County on Tuesday to stay top. They can't shake off the chasing pack though as MK Dons won by a similarly narrow margin against Colchester on Wednesday to stay just two points behind. More important than the title though, is a place in the top three (automatic promotion) and they're currently nine points clear of fourth place Notts County with eight games to go. With one win in five, United aren't heading to Hayes Lane in the best form so Bromley really need to be beating them. Tickets
Women's Super League
Arsenal v West Ham United @12pm - there's also a double bill of London derbies in the WSL at lunchtime giving you the opportunity to see two games on Saturday afternoon. A really slow start to the season, pretty much saw the Gunners' title challenge end by Christmas but in recent months they've become almost unbeatable. With one defeat in 18 in all competitions since November, the runners-up spot is now very much within their sights. The Hammers have had another season of struggle and they're battling again to avoid the wooden spoon with Leicester and Liverpool. I don't hold out much hope for them here. This is being played at the Emirates and tickets are available
London City Lionesses v Chelsea @12pm - usually playing their home games at Bromley, this match has controversially been moved to The Den. This caused uproar among some members of Millwall's fanbase as LCL were originally part of Millwall hence the Lionesses name. In 2019 the board of Millwall Lionesses declared they wanted to split from the club and set up independently and they did, taking the club's then second-tier status with them. Since then, Michele Kang has taken over and invested big money in players and facilities. Now the highest ranked independent women's club in the country, they're expected to go from strength-to-strength in the coming years. Here they take on reigning WSL champions Chelsea in a real test of what they're capable of. Tickets
National League
Boreham Wood v Gateshead @3pm - the hosts are currently the highest ranked non-league side in the TLFG catchment area. Fourth, at the time of writing, finishing third would seem to be the height of their ambition as the top two are so far ahead. Making the long journey down from the north-east, Gateshead are in the bottom four and in need of every point they can get. Tickets
Sutton United v Truro City @3pm - in the other fifth-tier match of the day, the U's will go in search of the win that will give them an excellent chance of avoiding the drop. They should get it too as Truro are winless in nine and marooned at the bottom, with the long trips from Cornwall undoubtedly playing a part in their struggles. Tickets
National League South
Hornchurch v Hemel Hempstead Town @3pm - there are three games to choose from in the sixth tier but this top-six clash would appear to be the pick of them. Dorking's midweek win at Enfield stretched their lead at the top to eight points. The Urchins are second with a game in hand but it's getting to the stage where they really need to win every match to have any chance of the title and the solitary automatic promotion place which goes with it. HHT have a hit a rich vein of form at a good point in the season and now find themselves in the play-off places with nine games to go. If they win here, they should feel confident of staying among the leading pack. Tickets
Isthmian League Premier
Dulwich Hamlet v Billericay Town @3pm - there aren't any really standout games in the seventh tier on Saturday but this one will definitely get a big crowd, if not a sold out one. The Hamlet are averaging crowds of over 2,000 this season and sometimes hit capacity. If you're new to the London non-league scene, Dulwich games offer a pretty unique experience with large crowds turning out no matter how well the side are doing. In midtable, promotion and relegation both look beyond them. It's a different story for Essex club Billericay who are in the top five and looking to make a return to the National League South which they last vacated in 2022. Given the high demand for tickets, you are advised to buy in advance as people are sometimes turned away
Isthmian League South Central
Egham Town v Westfield @3pm - again, no obvious blockbusters in the eighth tier either but this represents one of the Sarnies' last chances to keep their slim play-off hopes alive. Although fairly high in the table in seventh, the gap between themselves and AFC Portchester in fifth is 11 points. With seven games to go, catching them will take a lot of wins and quite a bit of luck. The visitors are second and having played less games than those below them, they're the most credible challengers to leaders Leatherhead who are nine points clear. You could say their title bid will effectively end if they lose. Tickets should be around £10 on the gate
Essex Senior League
Barking v Great Wakering Rovers @3pm - in the ninth tier there actually two games which are well worth your time. Firstly in east London, third place Barking host leaders GWR. Ten points behind with a game in hand, the Blues have to win this if they are to have any real chance of catching them. When the sides last met in November, it ended 1-1 and it should be close again. Tickets are £10 on the gate
SSML Premier
Haringey Borough v Winslow United @3pm - in the other game, we have a top-two clash in north London. The hosts are one point behind Buckinghamshire club Winslow but crucially have played two games more. Like Barking above, a win really is essential to realistically stay in the title race. Tickets
ECL Division 1 South
Newbury Forest v Coggeshall Town @3pm - in the 10th tier two of the top four meet at Oakside. One of the easiest grounds to get to by public transport (it's next to Barkingside Tube station), it plays host to two sides who are still trying to make sure of their play-off spots. With Hutton and Clapton CFC the only realistic title contenders at this stage, the remaining three play-off spots are between the following six clubs. Tickets are usually around £7 on the gate
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Sunday 21 March
EFL Cup Final
Arsenal v Manchester City @430pm - the top two in the Premier League go head-to-head at Wembley for the season's first piece of major silverware. The Gunners are top and, on paper, should start as marginal favourites. They are the most successful club in the history of the FA Cup but that form has not translated to this competition which they've only won twice - the last time way back in 1993. City, however, dominated the competition between 2014-2021, winning it six times. Since then it's been all about Liverpool with the Merseyside club making three of the last four finals. City come into this on the back of a disappointing Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid whilst Arsenal's morale should be high after their win over Bayer Leverkusen. Tickets have unsurprisingly sold out
Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Nottingham Forest @215pm - although most eyes will be on Wembley, this match towards the wrong end of the table will cause a lot of interest too. With eight games to go, both sides are battling to avoid the drop - not something you'd expect from clubs who have a number of major European trophies between them. Spurs looked like dead certs to go down as they appeared to be in freefall but the last week has seen improvement. A 1-1 draw at Anfield against league champions Liverpool and a Champions League win over Atletico Madrid have lifted spirits but they'll nosedive if they lose again here. Forest are a point below them but are heading here after winning at Midtjylland on penalties in the Europa League. They also know what it takes to beat Spurs after winning 3-0 against them shortly before Christmas. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality is still available
FAWNL Southern Premier
Hashtag United v Watford @3pm - with no WSL action in town on Sunday, the third tier provides the highest-level action in the women's game. With one win in eight, the Tags are in the bottom four and only two points above the relegation zone. With bottom club Billericay already down, it's a battle between themselves, Cheltenham, Gwalia and AFC Wimbledon to avoid that last relegation spot. Getting any points here, though, will be ridiculously tough as the Hornets are top and won 3-1 when they played in October. Tickets are £5 on the gate
FAWNL Division 1 South East
QPR v Actonians @2pm - in the fourth tier, it's derby day in west London for the R's and A's. Hailing from the neighbouring London areas of Shepherd's Bush and Acton, this is a proper local derby. Sadly, one team has the much bigger brand and most of the fans. QPR are higher in the table and should start as favourites BUT they parted company with boss Danny Harrigan in midweek. The same Danny Harrigan who led Actonians to their most successful season ever in 2023 and he, and assistant Sinead Friel, are still held in very high regard at the club. Will he be passing on any secrets??? This is being played at Hanwell Town and tickets are £5 on the gate
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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