Greetings one and all and welcome to TLFG's Non-League Day Special.
I can't quite believe it's that time of year again, the weeks fly by so fast but here we are with just a few days to go.
Every year I wonder how much further myself and the team can take the event but something new keeps cropping up to move things to another level.
La Liga giants Athletic Bilbao are involved for a fourth year in a row, partnering with Sheffield FC, the oldest club in the world, who play in a similar strip to them.
Not only that, but this year we're also joined from Italy by Juventus and Palermo who are partnering with clubs all over the country again because of similar kits.
My employer South Western Railway have got involved again to help raise awareness and we're also doing some good work with the FSA's Fans For Diversity programme who will be running events at several clubs outside London.
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| 2026 will see the 15th staging of NLD |
The sale of our merchandise will also be generating funds for the charity too.
The t-shirt below is just one of a range of many designs that are available so have a look, there are hoodies and badges too and they're available in pretty much any colour you like.
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| Get NLD merchandise in your club's colours now! |
So back to this week's NLD Special - the format is different.
All the matches are on the maps as normal but rather than have a weekend map, there's now one for Saturday (NLD) and one for Sunday.
The other significant difference is that there is no 'Daily Digest', it's all about what you can see on NLD and this will probably get added to as clubs announce their plans once their midweek games are out of the way.
It's also quite possible I could miss a deal or event here or there so please let me know.
My afternoon is set to be spent at Haywards Heath Town in Sussex.
This is because the Premier League trophy will be heading there for fans to have their photos with it and former Brighton strikers Glenn Murray and Bobby Zamora will be coming along too. Sky Sports could well be present as well, so if you fancy a trip out of London then please come.
To top it all, HHT are locked in a thrilling title race so this match against AFC Varndeanians (who play at Brighton's old Withdean Stadium) has a lot riding on it.
If you want to see a game on Friday night, three games on Saturday and don't mind heading out of London, the Essex Senior League groundhop has staggered kick-offs all over the county and transport is available between games if you book in advance. The final game at Hullbridge Sports starts at 745pm so you should be able to combine that with pretty much any game in London if you simply want to be present at two fixtures.
I really hope you can make it to a game - I look forward to catching up again next week.
THE WEEK AHEAD
This week we've got an England game, a match in League Two and some Women's Super League action but for me the focus is Non-League Day on Saturday.
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. 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
NON-LEAGUE DAY MATCH MAP
SUNDAY MATCH MAP
NON-LEAGUE DAY DIGEST
In the following section, I list what are in my opinion the most notable games of the day and give some brief reasons for my choice. Updates will follow as the week progresses. Check the maps above for club info and directions.
Saturday 28 March
FA Trophy Semi-Final
Wealdstone v Marine @3pm - for me, the biggest game of the day in London takes place at Grosvenor Vale in Ruislip. National League club Wealdstone have made it to the final four of this national knockout competition and are now just 90 minutes away from a Wembley final in May. Standing in their way are Marine who hail from Liverpool and play a level below them. Starting as favourites, the Stones won this way back in 1985 and have never repeated the feat despite now making the semi-finals three times since 2012. Tickets are almost sold out so buy one ASAP if you want to go
National League
Sutton United v Rochdale @3pm - there's also an incredibly important game in the fifth-tier title race with the U's entertaining the current leaders (this could change depending on midweek results). The visitors are in a duel with York City for the title and the one automatic promotion place. Only two points separate them with seven games to go so every match is huge. Sutton are six points clear of the relegation zone so have plenty of incentive to do well, especially after comprehensively losing 3-0 at home bottom club Truro on Saturday. Tickets
National League South
Dagenham & Redbridge v Hampton & Richmond Borough @3pm - the spotlight has really been on the Daggers over the last few weeks following the announcement that celebrity KSI had joined the board. In midweek, the club parted company with boss Lee Bradbury and installed former England striker Andy Carroll as caretaker manager, a slightly strange move as results were generally on the up. Nevertheless, the points kept coming on Saturday as the east London club recorded an excellent 1-0 win over promotion-chasing Torquay United. On NLD they welcome H&RB who with three wins from four have found a bit of form themselves. NLD Special Offer - 25% off all tickets but you must buy in advance
Enfield Town v Worthing @3pm - with eight games to go, the Towners are eight points adrift of safety and in desperate need of a win. If I'm honest, it doesn't look like coming here as Worthing are second and still in the hunt for the title and the one automatic promotion place - there's a lot riding on it for both teams. Tickets
Isthmian League Premier
Aveley v Cray Wanderers @3pm - over in Essex, two of the top seven in this seventh-tier do battle in another important match. In this division, the top team are promoted automatically and the next four play-off for one other promotion place. The hosts are currently second, 13 points behind leaders Folkestone Invicta. If they lose this and the Kent club win, the Millers' title challenge will be mathematically over. Cray, London's oldest club, are eight points outside the play-offs so a defeat here will be really damaging to their hopes of going up too. Tickets are £14 on the gate
Cray Valley PM v St Albans City @3pm - located in south-east London, not a million miles away from The Valley this could be a good option for Charlton fans looking for something to do on the international break. Managed by former Addicks striker Kevin Lisbie, CVPM are in a relegation dogfight and will hope to get something from this clash against a side in the top ten. Tickets
Dartford v Hashtag United @3pm - sitting sixth just outside the play-off places, the Darts should start as favourites against a Tags side who've lost four of their last five and sit just above the relegation zone. If you're new to non-league football, Dartford have a great stadium worthy of hosting much higher-level football so give it a go if you're in the area. Tickets are £15 on the gate
Dulwich Hamlet v Potters Bar Town @3pm - Champion Hill has been a great place to spend NLD ever since the Hamlet really embraced the day in 2014 and saw their crowds soar. On Saturday they posted another near sell-out crowd of over 3,000 for the visit of promotion contenders Billericay Town. Here they play a team threatened with relegation so their chances of winning look very good. Dulwich are one of the clubs to be attracting support from Italy this NLD with Palermo partnering with them and doing various things on the day and before. If you do want to go, buy your tickets now or you could miss out on the day
Wingate & Finchley v Welling United @3pm - three wins from six has given Wingate a bit of breathing space in their battle to avoid the drop. However, Saturday's 4-1 loss to fellow strugglers Carshalton was a reminder that they've still got work to do. Welling sit at the top of the relegation zone, six points behind them so this is another incredibly important game for both. NLD special offer - tickets have been reduced to £10 and there will be other activities, entertainment and local food and drink available
Southern League Premier South
Uxbridge v Wimborne Town @3pm - playing in the seventh tier for the first time in their long history, Uxbridge are having a pretty good time of it. Although they're the smallest club in this division, they're ninth in the league and their attendances are up 80% on last season. With a new artificial pitch installed and regularly used by a host of other clubs, things are looking really good for this west London club. With a strong ethos of getting locals in and making football affordable for all, tickets are only £8 for adults - way lower than most clubs, if not all, at this level. With Wimborne in midtable and the Reds' play-off chances looking slim, there isn't a huge amount immediately riding on this game but the vibes alone should be enough to draw you in if you're in the area
Walton & Hersham v Dorchester Town @3pm - although it's not mathematically over, the Swans' 1-0 win at bottom club Tiverton on Saturday extended their lead at the top to 17 points. Second placed Farnham Town have nine games left so could still catch them but it's looking increasingly unlikely after they only managed a 1-1 draw with Basingstoke Town this weekend. Making the long journey up from Dorset, the visitors had their best season for sometime last year as they finished fifth. However, this time they'll do well to avoid relegation. Sitting only a point above the bottom four, a tough afternoon looks likely. Tickets are £14
Isthmian League South Central
Hanworth Villa v Ascot United @3pm - last year this would've been one of the games of the day in the eighth tier as both sides pushed for promotion. Hanworth are up there again and are the highest ranked London club in the division. Ascot, on the other hand, are in the bottom four and in real danger of heading back to the Combined Counties League. Sky Sports put out an NLD piece on Saturday afternoon about Hanworth, featuring star striker Sam Merson, the son of former Arsenal player Paul Merson. The two of them took part in all kinds of challenges to see who's currently better and the results were pretty clear. Villa had a new artificial pitch put in ahead of the season with the help of a Premier League grant and they seem to be another club on the up. Tickets are £12 on the gate
Isthmian League South East
AFC Croydon Athletic v Ashford United @3pm - following the investment of musician Stormzy and footballer Wilfried Zaha, the Rams' fortunes have generally followed an upward trajectory. Second in this eighth-tier division, they can still catch leaders Three Bridges with six games to go. Midtable Kent club Ashford realistically have little to play for and should be beaten. Admission is usually £10 on the gate but they frequently run promotions so check their social media for the latest
Southern League Division 1 Central
London Lions v Hadley @3pm - if you want a local derby then this eighth-tier match in the far north of TLFG's catchment area could be for you. Just a kilometre apart as the crow flies, both look destined to finish in midtable. Although Hadley have had the better season and should start as favourites, it was the Lions who won the reverse fixture 2-1 in December. Another point of interest, the hosts are the highest ranked Jewish club in the country. I'm not sure of ticket prices but it should be around £10
FA Vase Semi-Final First Leg
Cockfosters v Punjab United @3pm - elsewhere in north London, there's a huge game featuring these two ninth-tier clubs. For those that don't know, the FA Vase is a national knockout competition for clubs in the ninth and tenth tiers with its final at Wembley in May, the same day as the FA Trophy mentioned above. Unlike the Trophy, the semi-finals of this competition are played over two legs. The hosts have been playing in this competition since 1986 and have barely done anything of note, never making it past the second round but now they've amazingly got this far. They've had to get through seven rounds to make it to the semi-finals and what's even more staggering is that four of those ties have gone to penalties. Up against them are Punjab United from Gravesend in Kent. The SCEFL Premier side had achieved even less than Cockfosters in this competition prior to this year but entered earlier and have come through a whopping eight rounds to reach the last four. Both sides sit just outside the play-offs in their respective divisions so this should be really close. Online tickets have unsurprisingly sold out - please contact the club to see if there have been any returns
CCL Premier South
Tooting & Mitcham United v Badshot Lea @3pm - since winning the Isthmian League South Division in 2017, things had been on a downward trend for the Terrors with two relegations leaving them in this division in 2023. However, things are looking up and with three games to go a place in the play-offs would appear to be theirs to lose. It's complicated but I think there is a permutation of results that could see Tooting secure a play-off place on Saturday if they win here - a lot will depend on some very big games in midweek. The visitors are safe in midtable and have nothing to play for but held T&MU to a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture. NLD Special offer - free entry for any parent brought to the game by their child whatever the age. I don't think I've ever seen this tried before so well done to them for being innovative. There are lots of other things going on too so check their online channels for the latest
Essex Senior League
Ilford v Barking @3pm - the ESL have once again staggered games which allows you to see matches on Friday night and Saturday. The fixtures are pretty much all derbies but sadly most of the groundhop action on the day takes place outside London. The biggest game within the M25 is this East End derby. The clubs play less than 2km apart and, at the time of writing, are both in the play-off places. If you want to see two games on NLD and don't mind heading out of the capital, then the ESL groundhop concludes with the match between Hullbridge Sports and Benfleet at 745pm. Admission should be no more than £10
ECL Division 1 South
Clapton CFC v May & Baker @3pm - the biggest crowd in the 10th tier anywhere in the country will probably be found at the Old Spotted Dog which is London's oldest ground. CCFC are going for promotion but whether they win the title or have to settle for the play-offs remains to be seen. The visitors, who come from Dagenham, are fighting relegation so have plenty to play for too. The hosts' fan base are very socially progressive and with a national march against racism and the far right scheduled for earlier in the day in central London, a crowd well in excess of 1,000 could attend. I've spent two previous NLD's at the OSD and would thoroughly recommend it, the atmosphere is great. Despite the name, the club are located near West Ham Park between Forest Gate and Plaistow stations. Adult tickets are a very reasonable £5
SSML Division 1
Everett Rovers v Desborough Town @3pm - the hosts are playing in the tenth tier for the first time this season following their promotion from county football. To say they've adjusted well would be an understatement. Unbeaten until well into the season, they've led from the front pretty much from the off. Eleven points clear with five games to go, it's not quite as comfortable as it at first appears as clubs like fourth-placed Desborough have the games in hand which could put them top but that will be really unlikely if they lose here. Playing in the Watford area, admission at Dodd Road is £6
MORE INFO ON SPECIAL DEALS WILL BE ADDED AS I RECEIVE IT
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