To say I'm on a high at the moment would be an understatement.
Sunday afternoon saw the derby between Actonians and QPR played at Bedfont Sports near Heathrow.
After some big summer investment, both were tipped to be among the title contenders.
On Thursday, in the build up to this, I interviewed the A's new investor/player Steph McCaffrey for the club's podcast and it was clear she was really up for this.
She believed that on paper the R's were better but that Actonians' high press and attacking style would see them prevail and so it proved as she gave a masterclass.
Having won caps for the USA, when they were really good, she scored twice and grabbed an assist in a morale-boosting 3-0 win.
Sadly I was working so missed the whole thing but the result is what it's all about.
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| This week I interviewed former USA player Steph McCaffrey |
Hats off to my friend Ash who reads this blog and is QPR women's biggest fan. Today was tough for him but he has been incredibly sporting before and after the game and even helped set the ground up before kick-off - that's what football's all about. He even got a photo with Steph, who he's had a lot of praise for, after seeing her beat his team. Legend!
In just over 48 hours time, the A's face another big test as Fulham visit for another derby in the FAWNL Cup. They play in the division above and have started strongly but I'm sure there'll definitely be some rotation on our part, if not theirs too.
I'm heading down to Devon towards the end of the week but should be back for the feast of football that is the August Bank Holiday weekend.
This blog goes right through to Monday (31 August) so you can plan fully. There are games every day this week so fill your boots - I hope to be at Actonians' games against Fulham (home) on Tuesday and Billericay Town (away) on Sunday at the very least.
One other small note - it was announced this week that Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk will be playing all their UEFA competition home games at Stamford Bridge this season so hopefully it should be relatively easy to get tickets. Let's see what the pricing is like.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The match of the week comes right at the start as Fulham host Chelsea in a big west London derby on Monday night. The Blues have dominated these games for years but the Cottagers have been pretty good against them of late, winning two of the last four.
The biggest midweek fixtures would all appear to be in the EFL Cup Second Round. Most Premier League sides, bar the ones in Europe, enter at this stage with the derbies between Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic and Fulham and AFC Wimbledon looking like the most fun.
Going into the weekend, we've got an unusually busy Friday night with the Premier League game at Selhurst Park between Crystal Palace and Manchester City topping the bill. It's been a summer of big change for the Eagles and their opening day loss at Everton will not have inspired many.
The biggest game in the EFL can be found at Vicarage Road on Saturday where Watford host West Ham United. The Hammers lost their derby at home to Charlton and are still looking for their first win since returning to the Championship.
In League One, Leyton Orient take on Barnsley whilst League Two leaders Barnet will look to extend their 100% record with a win over Cheltenham Town.
Boreham Wood and Boston United, two of the top six, meet at Meadow Park in arguably the biggest match of the week in the National League.
In east London, Dagenham & Redbridge have made an impressive start in the National League South and are already four points clear after just four games. On Bank Holiday Monday they welcome Slough Town, who've lost every game, to Victoria Road so more points should be expected to come their way.
The August Bank Holiday is all about non-league football and there are a numerous derbies around the capital. For me, the all-Kent affair between Dartford and Chatham Town should be some occasion. Nearly 1,500 attended the game between the Darts and Welling United on Saturday and this could be even bigger. It's possible they might make it all-ticket but check in advance to see what the situation is.
At the time of writing, Hashtag United and Redbridge are the top two in the Isthmian League North. The pair groundshare and meet on the Bank Holiday for what should be a keenly contested game.
One of the most important matches of the week, certainly for the clubs involved, is the FA Cup replay between Frenford and Haringey Borough on Tuesday night. Frenford, from Ilford, play a level below Haringey so did well to get a 2-2 draw in north London on Saturday.
In the ninth tier, a trio of games take my fancy - Abbey Rangers v Sheerwater and the groundshare derby between Tooting & Mitcham United and Balham in the CCL Premier South, whilst in north-east London it's Woodford Town v Barking in the ESL.
Wembley have made a decent start in the CCL Division 1 and they entertain last season's beaten play-off finalists Brook House on Saturday.
In the women's game, the most notable match of the week is the first leg of the UEFA Champions League match between Chelsea and Spanish club Real Sociedad at AFC Wimbledon's ground on Wednesday.
The same night, Arsenal host Charlton Athletic in a friendly at Boreham Wood as they continue their preparations for the new WSL season.
Tuesday and Wednesday see a number of group games in the FAWNL Cup - the derby between Actonians and Fulham is arguably the pick of the fixtures. The Cottagers' big league game on Sunday against Plymouth Argyle at Motspur Park tops the bill on Sunday.
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.
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