Welcome to this week's TLFG and apologies again for another late publication.
There was more Non-League Day round-up work to do and also an Actonians podcast to record with long serving defender and club hero Jennie Brereton.
Recorded on a sunny evening last week outside the clubhouse, I was joined by her defensive team-mate and former Fulham player Lois Colley who co-hosted with me.
Some great questions were sent, including some from TLFG readers - thanks so much for that!
We discovered she had Olympic dreams in another sport, how she initially broke through at AFC Wimbledon, who are her toughest opponents are and gave her thoughts on whole range of other topics, including juggling life as a footballer and a mother.
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| Yes, that is me in the middle! |
After a great run of results over the last month, the A's will finish fifth, above local rivals QPR, if they beat Dulwich Hamlet in their final game on Sunday.
The game is being played at North Greenford United's ground in west London and starts at 2pm. It's £6 to get in and a printed programme will be available - my next task is to produce it!
It's also a dog-friendly fixture so please feel to join us with your hound if you're around.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley top the bill but there are also games in the Premier League and EFL.
Crucially it's also the final round of games in all divisions of the National League, Isthmian League, Southern League and several leagues below that so there could be a lot of excitement as clubs battle for titles, play-off places and scrap to avoid relegation.
In the women's game, Arsenal are back at the Emirates Stadium for their huge Champions League Semi-Final first leg against Lyon whilst London City Lionesses and Tottenham Hotspur have WSL games, the latter at the THS. Below that, the FAWNL reaches its final weekend as well with some particularly important games in Tier 3.
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.
Tuesday 21 April
Championship
QPR v Swansea City @745pm - a point apart in midtable and with absolutely nothing to play for other than position, this is THE definition of a late season dead rubber. Such games can be utter borefests or produce absolute thrillers as the players have absolutely no pressure on them and we end up with goals galore. With a Tube strike kicking in at midday, the crowd could be much lower than normal so tickets should be easy to come by. Tickets
CCL Premier North
North Greenford United v Ardley United @745pm - two of the top seven meet at Berkeley Fields for what is the last game of the regular season for both. Sadly a win here will not be enough for the hosts who will agonisingly finish one point adrift of the play-off places if they do triumph. Ardley have already booked their spot in the post-season but a win will see them secure home advantage in the single leg play-off semi-finals. Tickets are £9 on the gate
SCEFL Division 1
Banstead Athletic v Rochester United @745pm - in the 10th tier, we have another game with little riding on it. The home team will finish in midtable whatever happens here whilst Rochester will end the season in third so if nothing else, this will give you the chance to check out one of the division's play-off sides ahead of the semi-finals. Tickets are £8 on the gate
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Wednesday 22 April
Championship
Charlton Athletic v Ipswich Town @745pm - unlike the match at Loftus Road on Tuesday, there's quite a bit to play for here. The Addicks still probably need at least one win to make sure of staying up whilst the Tractor Boys need every point they can get to make the second automatic promotion spot theirs. Tickets
U18 Premier League Cup Final
Crystal Palace v Manchester United @7pm - a junior level we've got this big final to look forward to on Wednesday. The Eagles are hosting the game at Selhurst Park with several thousand tickets sold already. Adult tickets are only £5 so it looks like being a good value night out
Southern League Division 1 Central
London Lions v Hitchin Town @745pm - the highest level non-league game is this one at Rowley Lane. The hosts are currently one place above the relegation zone but safe and are now just playing for position. It's a very different story for the Canaries though, who look almost certain to finish second (a draw will confirm it) and will be looking to build a bit of momentum ahead of the play-offs. Tickets are £10 on the gate
Essex Senior League
Buckhurst Hill v Harwich & Parkeston @745pm - the pick of the action in the ninth tier sees the hosts look to make absolutely certain of their place in the play-offs with a point being enough. However, a win here and in their final game could well see them finish in the top three which will give them home advantage in the play-offs. H&P are safe in midtable with little to play for. Tickets are £8 on the gate
SCEFL Division 1
Chessington & Hook United v AFC Greenwich Borough @745pm - in the 10th tier it's been a disastrous season for C&HU. Guaranteed to finish in the bottom two, it's now all about avoiding the wooden spoon. They picked up an impressive 3-0 win over Bridon Ropes on Monday, only their fifth of the season, to move above Welling Town. If they win this, the Boots will finish last. The chances of them triumphing are pretty remote though. Greenwich are in a very tight title battle with SE Dons and if they win this game in hand, they'll go into the final game two points clear at the top. Tickets should be around £8
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Thursday 23 April
CCL Division 1
SL Benfica v Molesey @745pm - lagging a few days behind everyone else, this is the final game to be played in this division this season. To get it played, it's been switched to Molesey's ground. Featuring two midtable clubs, there's very little at stake. Win or draw and the 'hosts' will end the season in 13th whilst the Moles finish 17th whatever happens here. Tickets will probably be around £7-8 on the gate
SCPFL Premier
CB Hounslow & Abbots v Addlestone @745pm - if you fancy a bit of plane spotting then this 11th-tier game very near to Heathrow Airport could be for you as the aircraft come right over the pitch if they're using the southern runway, it's bonkers! When I went at the beginning of March, I found a very decent little ground with flags of many different nations flying all around the stadium. As for the game itself, the hosts will finish sixth whilst the visitors still need to do a bit more to avoid relegation. I'm not sure of admission prices, it could be free, but you shouldn't pay more than £5
L&SE Women's Division 1 North
Bromley v Soccer Elite Football Academy @8pm - there's an important game in the women's sixth tier where the Ravens are looking to emulate the men's team and get promoted too. Currently top, they'll open a five-point lead over second place Hammersmith if they win. However, their challengers have crucial games in hand. Soccer Elite have been anything but this season and have only managed one point from their 18 games (Actonians Reserves started with only 10 players against them a few weeks ago and still won) so we could witness a cricket score! This is being played at Bromley's main stadium but check all the details before you travel as there's little info on their official channels at the moment
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Friday 24 April
Premier League 2 play-off
Fulham v West Ham United @7pm - the first round of the play-offs in this U21 competition take place across this weekend. I think the fixtures were only confirmed this morning (Tuesday) with some clubs still not publishing the details. In this competition, the top 16 teams, out of 29, make the post-season with the team finishing first hosting the team in 16th, the team in second hosting 15th etc. The Cottagers finished fourth whilst the Hammers only achieved 13th. This is being played at the club's training ground in Motspur Park - it's usually about £5 on the gate
CCL Premier North
Hilltop v Windsor & Eton @745pm - the hosts were looking like possible play-off contenders at one stage but only one win from their last 10 meant they ended up well short of the top five. The visitors won 4-0 at North Leigh on Tuesday to guarantee they'll finish second. If they win this final game of the regular season, they'll end up just one point behind champions Ashford Town. Whatever happens here, they'll host Burnham in the a one-legged play-off semi-final on Tuesday. Tickets should be around £8-10
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Saturday 25 April
Premier League
Fulham v Aston Villa @1230pm - with the FA Cup semi-final and Arsenal's game against Newcastle sold out, why not head to south-west London to the well appointed Craven Cottage for this game? The hosts might only be 12th but the table is tight and a place in Europe is still achievable. Villa look to have a place in the Champions League pretty much sewn up but they're below Fulham in the form table so this could be well worth a watch. Tickets
West Ham United v Everton @3pm - there's arguably even more riding on this game as the Hammers are scrapping to avoid relegation whilst the Toffees are in the midtable group who can still make the Europa League. The last three games between them have all produced draws and it would be no surprise to see another one this time. Tickets
Championship
Charlton Athletic v Hull City @1230pm - the Addicks gave it a good go against high-flying Ipswich Town on Wednesday but lost 2-1. The result leaves them one place above the relegation zone but with a six-point cushion. In other words, with two games to go, a draw will be enough to keep them up. The visitors are being kept out of the play-off places by goal difference alone so a win here is arguably even more important for them. Tickets
QPR v Derby County @3pm - I think I read recently that the R's season meaningfully ended before anyone else in the division, in other words their chances of promotion or relegation fizzled out first. That's very much not the case for Derby who sit just behind Hull in the race for the play-offs. Tickets
League Two
Barnet v Gillingham @3pm - with our local League One teams playing away, the focus next switches to the fourth tier where the Bees still have a chance of going up. Four points adrift of the play-offs with two games to go, it's going to be tough and anything other than a win here will probably rule them out. The Gills are way down in 18th with nothing to play for but coming from Kent, they'll probably bring a reasonable following. Tickets
National League
Boreham Wood v Sutton United @1230pm - the hosts are the highest ranked non-league club in TLFG's catchment area and will finish fourth in the fifth tier whatever happens here. It's now all about negotiating the play-offs. Sutton looked highly likely to be relegated at one point but Chris Agutter took over in October and did enough to keep them up. Tickets
National League South
Hornchurch v Maidenhead United @1230pm - as we go into the final game, it's possible that four teams could all end the season level on points at the top of the table. However, when you take goal difference into it, there really are only two teams in the title battle. The Urchins are second and one point behind leaders Worthing. If they win and the Sussex club drop any points, they will be crowned NLS champions. To complicate matters, though, Maidenhead look like they're going to need to win to make the play-offs so the stakes are high for both. Tickets
Isthmian League Premier
Carshalton Athletic v St Albans City @3pm - a little surprisingly, the Robins have struggled this season and begin the final weekend in the relegation zone, one point adrift of safety. A win against midtable St Albans should be the aim but a draw could be enough if the teams around them slip up. Tickets
Dartford v Cray Valley PM @3pm - sadly for the Darts, their draw at Chichester last weekend ended their play-off hopes. This derby concludes their season and will decide whether or not CVPM get relegated. The visitors' hopes of staying up look slim, three points adrift of safety, they simply have to win and hope Hashtag United and Carshalton lose. Tickets
Hashtag United v Dulwich Hamlet @3pm - as mentioned above, the Tags are in the race to avoid the drop too but they are the only ones not relying on other teams' results - win and they stay up. Well that would've been the case, had they not applied for a voluntary relegation several weeks ago. How this affects the final day and whether a reprieve will go to someone in this division or elsewhere remains to be seen. The Hamlet are the best supported club in the league but a ninth-placed finish is the best they can hope for. Tickets will be available on the gate for around £10-12
Southern League Premier South
Hanwell Town v Basingstoke Town @3pm - the Geordies come into their final match knowing they still need a point to make certain of avoiding the drop. They are three points above, with marginally better goal difference, Evesham United who currently occupy the last slot so they could potentially get away with a narrow defeat. Basingstoke sit two points above them in the table and have little to play for so hopefully the west London club will get the result they need. Tickets
Isthmian League North
Redbridge v Concord Rangers @3pm - in the eighth tier, the Motormen are in a three-way battle for the last play-off place. There or thereabouts all season, only goal difference is currently keeping them out of the top five. Bowers & Pitsea have the best goal difference by a long way so if they win at Newmarket the place will be theirs BUT their form is atrocious. Gorleston are also in contention too and on paper have the easiest-looking fixture. Redbridge, though, are in the best form and Concord have lost four of their last five, three of them by four-goal margins. It will be very interesting to see how this turns out. Tickets are £10 on the gate
Essex Senior League
Rather than preview individual games, I'm going to write a quick summary as there's so much still to be decided. The title race has gone to the final game and it's between Little Oakley (from Harwich) and our very own SOUL Tower Hamlets who are two points behind. STH travel to Halstead so you won't be able to see them in action in London today.
The teams contesting the play-offs have been decided but now it's a battle for position and home advantage. Two of them, Buckhurst Hill and Barking meet for what could be a very entertaining game. If results go their way, Buckhurst could even finish second and play the Blues again in the opening round of the play-offs.
Elsewhere, recent results have made the race to avoid finishing in the bottom two incredibly exciting with the bottom six clubs all involved on the final day. Sadly five of them are from TLFG's area and two play each other. Frenford have been bottom for a long time and they were written off but a storming run in the last few weeks has seen their form only bettered by the league leaders. A win against fellow strugglers West Essex will probably keep them up in sensational fashion
CCL Division 1 Play-Off Semi-Finals
Bedfont v Wembley @3pm - if you want some proper play-off jeopardy then head to the 10th tier where it's all kicking off today. Bedfont, who play by Heathrow Airport, seemed to be at the top for a large part of the season but Penn & Tylers Green accelerated away in the final weeks to win the division by a nine-point margin. With four wins from six, the hosts are still in good nick and should start as favourites against the Lions who squeezed into the top five with a final day win over Langley. Tickets are £7 on the gate
Brook House v Woodley United @3pm - the Brook head into the play-offs on the back of four straight wins, so their momentum is good. They also possess the division's top striker in Troy Pender-Brown who's scored a whopping 39 goals. When these sides last met here last month, it was Brook House who edged to a 3-2 win and hopefully we'll see an equally exciting game this time. Tickets are £7 on the gate
ECL Division 1 South Play-Off Semi-Final
Clapton CFC v Lymore Gardens @3pm - if you're on the east side of town and West Ham's not for you, then this is really the only place to be. Despite a 19-game unbeaten run, CCFC still finished three points behind champions Hutton so will start the post-season as favourites. Last Saturday they drew a club record crowd of 1,712 - absolutely staggering for a 10th-tier club and you'd think they'd come close to that again here. LG are new to senior football this season and were the early pacesetters but for them to make the play-offs is still a huge achievement. They groundshare at Redbridge so are also an east London club. These two met in pre-season and twice in the league and CCFC won them all, scoring three on each occasion. Tickets are £5 on the gate
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Sunday 26 April
Friendly
International Surrey v London Japanese @1pm - the second FA Cup Semi-Final at Wembley is not on general sale and if you prefer men's to women's football, then this is your main option. A few years ago, the organisers put together a team to represent the county of Surrey on a more international stage. Playing every weekend from now until the end of May, they also have a controversial fixture in June when the FA strictly prohibits all 11-a-side football. Played at a variety of venues, this is the first of two fixtures to be played at Peckham Town. Tickets are £6 on the gate
UEFA Women's Champions League Semi-Final first leg
Arsenal v OL Lyonnes @330pm - the Emirates Stadium plays host to the biggest women's game of the day as defending champions Arsenal welcome the most successful club in the competition's history. With eight wins from their 11 appearances in the final, the French club's record is impressive. However, it's been four years since their last win. In the league phase they finished joint top with Barcelona and beat the Gunners 2-1 in north London. Interestingly, the bookies think Arsenal have more chance of making the final but I'm not so sure. Tickets
Women's Super League
London City Lionesses v Leicester City @12pm - the WSL season still has a few weeks to run so nothing will be decided this weekend. With their debut season at the top level nearing its end, LCL can still finish in the top six - a fine accomplishment for the highest ranked independent women's club in the country. For Leicester, it's been a season of toil. Four points adrift at the bottom, it's going to take something special for them to avoid the wooden spoon. However, they won't necessarily go down as a rule change means that they'll now have to face a play-off against the side who finish third in the second tier. This is being played at Bromley's stadium and tickets are available
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United @12pm - it doesn't happen often but for groundhoppers, you've got the chance to do the THS and Emirates in the same afternoon thanks to the early kick-off here. After a very disappointing campaign last season, a change of management makes it look almost certain that Spurs will finish fifth this time - equalling their record high. United still have a chance of coming third but holding onto their current fourth place looks more likely. When these sides played in December, Spurs threw away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3. Tickets
FAWNL Southern Premier
Watford v AFC Bournemouth @2pm - the Hornets have already won the title and as a result this has been switched to Vicarage Road so they can do the trophy lift in front of as many fans as possible. A win in this final game is not a given though as the Cherries were in contention until late in the campaign too. Sadly for them, they will finish third so will miss out on the play-offs too - they did win the League Cup though. Tickets
Hashtag United v AFC Wimbledon @2pm - it's likely to be a far more nervy affair at Aveley where we have this huge relegation six-pointer. Two clubs go down and bottom club Billericay have already taken one of those spots after losing every league game this season. It's therefore between these two, Cheltenham Town and Gwalia United to see who gets the other one. Despite being in the bottom two, Cheltenham travel to Billericay, who concede an average of 6.8 goals a game, so they're pretty much guaranteed a win and safety. Gwalia face a trip to midtable Exeter, whilst these two play each other. Whoever wins will stay up. Tickets are usually around £5-6 on the gate
FAWNL Southern Premier
Actonians v Dulwich Hamlet @2pm - it seems no time since I was on the team bus travelling up to Norwich for the first game of the season but here we are at the final day again. After getting stuffed 4-0 that day, I wouldn't have believed Actonians would be coming into this game knowing they could achieve their best finish since 2023. Fifth going into this, a win here will see them hold that position and finish just ahead of arch rivals QPR which they also haven't done since 2023 - a real success given the gulf in budgets. The Hamlet finished eighth last season and look highly likely to repeat that. The last two meetings have ended in 1-0 wins for the A's and it's likely to be very close again. This is being played at North Greenford United, there will be a printed programme and dogs are allowed. Tickets are £6 on the gate or you can book online
London Bees v Fulham @2pm - there's not a lot riding on this one. Bar a massive Chatham collapse against Luton, the Bees will finish fourth. This match will be mainly about taking one last look at the champions before the season ends. After winning promotion to this level last season, the Cottagers used some of their Premier League pounds to assemble another fine squad who went through this season unbeaten to claim another promotion. The match is being played at the 3G venue next to the main stadium at The Hive. Tickets
QPR v AFC Sudbury @2pm - as mentioned above, this game is all about the R's getting the points they need to move above Actonians and finish fifth. On paper they have a far easier fixture than the A's as Sudbury have already been relegated. However, the match is being played at Loftus Road which could bring out the best in their opponents who also still need points to avoid finishing bottom. 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?
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