Hi there and welcome to the first TLFG of November - where is the year going?
How has your week been?
From an Actonians point of view it's been a rollercoaster.
Knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties last Sunday, they bounced back on Tuesday with a 2-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet to go top of their fourth-tier division.
However, within seconds of the final whistle being blown, top scorer Wiktoria Fronc announced she was leaving for arch-rivals and fellow title contenders QPR - it was the ultimate way to smash the mood of euphoria after a hard-fought win.
Not only was she moving but she would be collecting an FAWNL record salary package that was set to include accommodation as well.
The amount rumoured is similar to what many players in the men's fourth tier (League Two) are on. This is particularly staggering when you consider whole squads in the women's fourth tier, which she plays in, don't earn a penny.
To clarify, she is a fantastic player and she'll be a big loss for us but why QPR have decided to pay so much is a bit baffling. Again, I want to stress that's no reflection of her talent - she should be considering offers from Tier 2 and a coach I know from South America is pretty convinced she could sign a lucrative deal to play for a decent team on that continent.
However, signing for a big rival is always a hazardous thing to do and there's been some blowback which I don't think she was prepared for.
Anyway, with that simmering in the background, the A's headed into a huge FAWNL Cup tie against a very talented Moneyfields team on Sunday.
After the longish journey down to Portsmouth, they raced into a 2-0 lead but blew it and went to penalties again. Thankfully they triumphed 3-1 and now go into the last 16 of a competition several members of the coaching and playing staff have won before.
It was a great end to a turbulent few days and hopefully they'll push on again next Sunday when they travel to the coast again to play Saltdean United in a league game. I'm planning to make this as a post-birthday treat to myself so hopefully it will be worthwhile.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The highest level competition this week is the UEFA Champions League and we have one game on Tuesday. Unusually you can get a reasonably priced ticket for it too as it's the latest Shakhtar Donetsk fixture at Stamford Bridge. Sporting Lisbon provide the opposition and the cheapest remaining adult tickets are £55 which for the level is pretty good. Just shy of 30,000 turned up for their last match so the atmosphere should be decent enough.
Earlier in the day, you can watch the clubs' U19 sides do battle at Kingsmeadow in the UEFA Youth League - tickets for this are £5.
It's also the UEFA Europa League this week and Crystal Palace welcome German club Hoffenheim to Selhurst Park on Thursday. This appears to be on general sale too with tickets starting at £38.
There are three Premier League games at the weekend but none of them are blockbusters.
Arsenal will look to continue their title push against Hull City at the Emirates, Crystal Palace welcome Liverpool as they attempt to move away from the bottom three, and Fulham take on Newcastle United at Craven Cottage. The latter is the only one with tickets on general sale but there are only a handful left and they're £120 each!
Don't despair though as there's a very busy programme of games in the Championship with Charlton Athletic, QPR and Watford all playing at home on Tuesday and Saturday.
Of the six games they're playing between them, it's the Hornets' game against current leaders Middlesbrough on Saturday which stands out the most.
Also, for the uber groundhoppers among you, it is possible on Tuesday to try and combine the Shakhtar Champions League game which starts at 545pm with QPR's game against Burnley at 745pm. Depending on which one you prioritise, you'll miss a bit of one but you could easily watch all of Shakhtar and then at least the second half of the match at Loftus Road, if not the last 15 minutes or so of the first half. A Lime bike, or similar, would probably give you the best chance of doing this as the grounds are only a couple of miles apart and traffic could be an issue by bus or car.
One of the highlights of this week is undoubtedly the FA Cup First Round.
This is the stage in the competition when all the clubs in League One and League Two enter the draw alongside all the surviving non-league clubs - for the latter, this is often a huge moment.
I have been lucky enough to enjoy this experience a few times with my own non-league club Harrow Borough, most recently in 2021 when they drew 2008 FA Cup winners Portsmouth at Fratton Park. It was a joyous afternoon and we only lost 1-0.
In the nearly 40 years I've been following the Boro, they've only made it this far four times and I'd say that's a pretty good rate for a club at that level so it is a big achievement for a lot of teams.
So which ties stand out for me?
First up, Leyton Orient welcome Harborough Town to Brisbane Road. The visitors hail from Leicestershire, have only been in senior football since 2010 and are already up to the heady heights of the National League North (Tier 6). They do have a recent pedigree in this competition, making it to the Second Round two years ago where they bowed out to Reading 5-3. I have a friend who volunteers on their media team so I'll be keeping a close eye on this one.
In the north of TLFG's area, the match at Meadow Park looks really interesting.
Here National League leaders Boreham Wood entertain 2013 FA Cup winners Wigan Athletic. With the hosts in sensational form and the Latics battling the drop in League One, a cupset is very much on the cards. The Wood also have a great history in this competition too, making it to at least the Third Round (they went to the Fifth Round in 2022) in four of the last six seasons.
In east London, Hornchurch are readying themselves for a visit from Blackpool who are another club from the north west who are struggling in League One. The Urchins went on an amazing run to win the FA Trophy at Wembley in 2021 but success in the FA Cup, in their many guises, has generally eluded them. Midtable in the National League, this will be tough but anything's possible in this competition.
Lastly on Sunday, it's the turn of London's oldest club Cray Wanderers to enter the fray.
To demonstrate how hard it can be to get to the First Round, this will be the south-east London club's first appearance at this stage since their formation in 1860! Their opponents will be League One title contenders Stockport County, so it couldn't be a much tougher draw for the Sidcup club who play four levels below them. Tickets sold out in minutes and the game will be shown live on BBC Two.
Other games of note at non-league level include the top-five clash in the Isthmian Premier between Dartford and Eastbourne Borough on Saturday. With four defeats in five, the Darts need to improve their results fast or they could slip into midtable obscurity.
The whole eighth tier is a bit dull this week with no derbies or top-of-the-table games.
A level below that, it's also looking a bit thin too but it could be worth going to check out Lingfield.
They actually come from outside TLFG's catchment area but have moved all their games to Whyteleafe this season, meaning we get to watch a load of SCFL fixtures which wouldn't normally be the case.
On Saturday they entertain Hassocks in a top-five clash at Church Road.
I think it's also worth pointing out the east London derby between Barking and Clapton CFC at Mayesbrook Park in the Essex Senior League on Saturday.
The Blues are firmly in contention for a play-off place whilst CCFC have found things a bit of a struggle since promotion but are keeping their heads above water. Despite this, they are still drawing the league's biggest crowds and should help to generate a decent atmosphere as they make the short journey from Forest Gate.
It's an easy choice in the tenth tier as AFC Walcountians and Infiinty, the top two in the SCFL Division 1, meet at Cobham's ground on Saturday.
In the women's game, Chelsea will look to break clear at the top of the WSL by beating Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
If you want to see Ballon D'Or winner Alexia Putellas in action then head to Bromley where her London City Lionesses play Birmingham City on Sunday.
Hot on their heels are Tottenham Hotspur and they could move level on points if they beat Brighton at Brisbane Road and LCL lose.
In the other WSL game, it's a big day at the wrong end as well as the bottom two, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic, meet at Gander Green Lane.
In Tier 3, AFC Wimbledon have moved their match against Lewes to their main stadium at Plough Lane, whilst title contenders Fulham play Cheltenham Town at the club's training ground in Motspur Park.
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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