TLFG: 7-13 September 2026

Welcome to this week's TLFG.

I'll keep this preamble brief as I've got to get ready for work, but how have you been?

In the last piece I mentioned how I had an American friend coming to town and as a result I wouldn't be able to go to Actonians' game on Sunday.

Well plans slightly changed and I was able to go and I think I'm glad I did.

I say I think, because it was a landmark day but not much of a competitive spectacle.

A little delayed heading out, I arrived at Bedfont Sports about two minutes into the game only to hear stadium announcer Andy P already celebrating the first goal.

Ascot United from a parallel Tier 4 division were the opposition and over the last 18 months or so, we've had three fairly close contests with them (3-1, 0-0 and 2-0).

Charlton host QPR in the Championship on Wednesday 

However, something must have gone badly wrong over the summer as they've made a dreadful start and I confidently predicted a big win here.

And so it transpired. Phoebe Williams scored an exquisite hat-trick but she was one of five different players who got on the scoresheet before half-time as Actonians led 8-0 at the break.

Sadly for her, she was eclipsed in the second half by Wiktoria Fronc who added to earlier strikes to end the match with five for the second week running as the A's ended up with a 13-1 win - the biggest victory I think I've ever watched by any team at senior level.

The result put them second in the group behind QPR who caused an upset by beating Fulham 2-0 in their game. The A's and QPR meet in the next and final round of group games on 27 September for what should be some match.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Despite there being a round of Premier League and EFL Cup fixtures, there aren't any obvious blockbuster fixtures that really jump out.

In the top flight, I'd argue that the Chelsea game against Hull City is the most interesting as the newly promoted Tigers head to Stamford Bridge unbeaten and just above the Blues in the top four.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace play Ipswich Town in what could prove to be an important match in the battle to ultimately avoid the drop. The biggest crowd of the day will almost certainly be found watching Tottenham Hotspur look for their first win against Everton but the chances of this being thrilling look remote.

The EFL Cup has reached its Third Round. The tie between Chelsea and Leeds United tops the bill on Wednesday but it's the tie between Millwall and Newcastle United on Tuesday which looks far more intriguing. Crystal Palace also face a tricky tie against Championship title contenders Middlesbrough.

If you're looking for a London derby this week then head to The Valley on Wednesday where Charlton Athletic host QPR in a league game. Both are in the top six in the Championship so there's plenty to play for. 

With two wins on the bounce, West Ham United have finally got going and they welcome Wrexham to the London Stadium on Friday night for another highly anticipated fixture.

Talking of derbies, there's a decent one opening proceedings on Monday night in League One where Bromley entertain AFC Wimbledon. After their historic promotion to the third tier, the Ravens begun well but have now lost their last two, conceding 12 goals in the process. The Dons aren't much better off and sit just above them on goal difference.

In League Two, Barnet remain unbeaten and in the top three but three consecutive draws have cost them top spot. On Saturday, struggling Accrington Stanley travel to The Hive and should be beaten.

Sutton United will bid to get back into the National League's top three on Saturday. Struggling Scunthorpe United, with one win from six, are the opposition so the hosts should be feeling optimistic.

Fifth-tier clubs will also be taking part in the latest round of group games in the National League Cup which sees them play against pro clubs' U21 sides. Hornchurch, Sutton United and Wealdstone are all at home but it's Boreham Wood's game against Newcastle United which looks most interesting to me.

With only one win in three, Dagenham & Redbridge have seen their strong start to the National League South campaign begin to slow down. On Tuesday they take on 18th placed Dover Athletic and they'll retake top spot if they better Maidstone United's result against Tonbridge Angels.

For a lot of people, the highlight of the midweek programme will be the smattering of FA Cup First Round Qualifying replays.

Arguably the biggest ones are the all seventh-tier affairs between Carshalton Athletic and Chertsey Town on Monday and Cray Wanderers and Lewes on Tuesday.

Isthmian League North (ILN) new boys Buckhurst Hill will look to make the Second Round Qualifying for the first time in their history when they welcome Yaxley from the southern suburbs of Peterborough. The visitors play a level below so they won't get many better chances to progress.

Hashtag United top the ILN and they'll be looking to cause an upset by knocking out St Albans City who play in the division above them.

With their FA Cup games out of the way, Carshalton Athletic and Dartford meet in an important game in the Isthmian Premier - both are in the top five.Whilst in the parallel seventh tier Southern League Premier South, it's worth keeping an eye on Uxbridge. Despite some of the logistical challenges of being a London club in a division with clubs all over the West Country, they're unbeaten in six and top of the league. They welcome Chichester City to Honeycroft and they're in the top six too.

The FA Trophy and FA Vase will be taking centre stage for many of our local eighth, ninth and tenth-tier clubs this weekend. 

In the Trophy, Hashtag United's game against Hertford Town would appear to be the tie of the round as both are in the top four in their respective eighth-tier divisions.

There are Vase ties all over London but none really jump out at me.

AFC Greenwich Borough are top of the ninth tier SCEFL Premier and should therefore fancy themselves to go far this year. They host Molesey who play a level below them so a home win looks likely.

In the women's game there are two derbies in the WSL this weekend.

West Ham United welcome London City Lionesses to Dagenham on Saturday lunchtime whilst Arsenal host Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday.

The Eagles looked to have made a great start to life back in Tier 1 with a 1-0 win over Everton giving them three crucial points but they made one substitution too many and will now almost certainly face some kind of punishment.

With no WSL2 games in the capital, we look next to Tier 3 where early leaders Oxford United head to Hashtag United and AFC Wimbledon host Real Bedford.

In Tier 4, leaders London Bees host MK Dons at The Hive complex and second placed Actonians receive a visit from Stevenage.

Second placed Bromley take on Sutton United who are just below them in Tier 5. This is being played at the CopperJax Stadium.

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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

    

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!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter, Instagram or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

TLFG: 1-6 September 2026

Greetings one and all and welcome to the first TLFG of September - yes, autumn is here!

I don't know about you, but the transition from summer to autumn has been pretty stark with the heatwaves abating and grey skies and rain coming in pretty much straightaway.

Not that I'm complaining about the rain - we badly needed it!

My football week has been pretty busy, seeing another two Actonians games.

After the win over QPR on Sunday, they were thrown straight back into action against Fulham in another derby in the FAWNL Cup on Tuesday.

The Cottagers won the A's division last season and are already among the early pacesetters in the division above.

Despite our improvements over the summer, this was always expected to be a tough game.

The diminutive Wiktoria Fronc (centre) scored five for Actonians 

Unsurprisingly, the pack was shuffled and several squad players were given starts by both teams and the first half was a closely contested affair.

Fulham took the lead but Actonians equalised from the kick-off, only to fall behind again shortly before half-time when the visitors broke clear and scored after seeing our free-kick come off the underside of their bar!

The visitors rattled in a couple more after the break for a 4-1 win and although they deserved their victory, the game felt a lot closer with the A's hitting the woodwork three times and forcing easily as many saves again from Gibbs in goal.

Putting that behind them, it was back to far more important league football on Sunday and a trip to Billericay Town.

The Essex side had a terrible 2025/26, losing all of their matches as they were relegated from Tier 3.

Having lost all the early games of this campaign too, the free-scoring A's were expected to win.

The first half an hour or so was surprisingly close with the sides locked at 1-1 until two goals in a minute saw Wiktoria Fronc add to her earlier penalty to complete a first half hat-trick and put the visitors in a commanding position.

At the start of the second half I was joined behind the goal by injured defender Lois Colley and we had a first go at doing some online commentary to the A's faithful who couldn't travel via the 'Spaces' feature on X.

She gave me some of her usual fantastic insight into the team and information on some of the new signings and even got into an argument with Billericay's goalkeeper at one point!

As for the game itself, player/investor Steph McCaffrey added a fourth before Fronc rattled off another two to end the game with five as Actonians won 6-1.

The FAWNL's new website has already earned itself a terrible reputation with scores slow to update and stats woefully out of date - I bring this up because Fronc is now probably joint top scorer in the whole league, but it's only showing her on three when she has six.

Next up, they welcome Ascot United for another FAWNL Cup game. In theory, another big win is possible. While Actonians are playing well and scoring an average of four goals a game in the league, the Berkshire side have lost each of their three matches 6-0.

I'm actually off next weekend but I have an American friend in town who's not particularly into football and I think they'll have higher priorities than a trip to Bedfont!

THE WEEK AHEAD

As is so often the case, the biggest match of the week comes right at the end when Arsenal take on Chelsea in a huge London derby at the Emirates at 430pm on Sunday. Tickets are like gold dust and if you do want to go, it will be the black market or hospitality and both will probably cost you well into three figures.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Brentford entertain Sunderland and Fulham host Crystal Palace in another derby but both are currently limiting ticket sales to members.

If you haven't got a ticket for anything yet then the EFL is probably your best bet. There's a busy programme of midweek and weekend games.

Arguably top of the bill is the match between two of the sides just relegated from the top flight as West Ham United play Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday. The Hammers are struggling to find their feet and have yet to win whilst Wolves are second. On Saturday two of the current top five meet at Loftus Road where QPR welcome Middlesbrough, a side who made the play-offs last season. 

Bromley got battered 7-2 at Sheffield Wednesday in League One on Saturday but they'll have a chance to bounce back against Leyton Orient on Tuesday in another derby.

TLFG clubs have made a great start to the season in the National League with Boreham Wood, Sutton United and Hornchurch making up the top three after five games.

Carlisle United were the pre-season bookies' favourites and they travel to Boreham Wood on Saturday for the match of the week in the fifth tier - it's on TV as a result and kicks off at 530pm.

Below the National League, all the main action this week is in the FA Cup which has reached its First Round Qualifying stage where all the seventh-tier teams enter the draw alongside the survivors from the eighth and ninth tiers.

The are only two ties in TLFG's catchment area between two seventh-tier teams.

On paper the better of the two would appear to be Chertsey Town against Carshalton Athletic. Both were early leaders in the Southern and Isthmian Leagues respectively and they're still in play-off positions coming into this so it should be well contested.

The other is the all-Isthmian League clash between Aveley and Cheshunt. This is a particularly good one for groundhoppers as it's being played on Friday night before all the other ties.

Ninth tier Broadfields United, who groundshare with Rayners Lane in north-west London, looked to have gone out in the opening Extra Preliminary Round. They'd done well to draw at eighth tier Herne Bay but then got stuffed 6-1 at home in the replay. However, the Kent club made too many substitutions and the FA ordered the tie to be replayed again and Broadfields won 2-1. They went on to beat Corinthian in the next round and now welcome seventh tier Chichester City to Tithe Farm for one of the biggest matches in their history.

It's also a big day for Frenford. The Ilford-based club who play in the ninth tier Essex Senior League saw off the higher ranked Haringey Borough in the last round and now face Isthmian League leaders Enfield Town at the Jack Carter Centre. This is the furthest the east London club have ever been in the FA Cup so history will be made whatever happens.

If you want to see a tie every day over the weekend, then Southall play Cobham at Uxbridge's ground on Sunday at 3pm. The pair both play in the Isthmian League South Central so it should be close.

Away from the cup, in the ninth tier, Everett Rovers have a big match on Tuesday against Risborough Rangers. The Watford-based club stepped up to senior football last season and stormed to the SSML Division 1 title. Now up in the ninth tier SSML Premier, they're third and looking to push on again. Risborough are the early leaders so it will be really interesting to see how they do.

One team to keep an eye on in the 10th tier could be Westside in the CCL Division 1.

Unbelievably, leaders Bovingdon have already played 10 games but second placed Westside have only played eight and are only a point behind. On Wednesday it's their groundshare derby with Colliers Wood United so they could go top if they win.

In youth football there's an eye-catching U21 fixture between Crystal Palace and Paris Saint-Germain in the Premier League International Cup. It's being played on Wednesday at Sutton United's ground.

There are also numerous ties in the FA Youth Cup for U18s.

It's a huge week in the women's game as the WSL returns.

Big spending London City Lionesses open the campaign on Friday night in Bromley with an intriguing-looking game against Manchester United, whilst Chelsea welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge on Saturday lunchtime. 

On Sunday there are three more games. Charlton Athletic are back at this level after winning last season's play-off against Leicester City. They are expected to struggle but will play their games at The Valley and they open their campaign at home to Liverpool.

Watford are back in WSL2 and they've made the decision to play all their games at Vicarage Road. Like London City, they start their season on Friday too with a home game against Burnley.

In the third and fourth tiers, it's the next batch of games in the FAWNL Cup with the west London derby between QPR and Fulham at Hayes & Yeading United's ground being the most notable.

It's a big day in the fifth tier where two of the early pacesetters and local rivals Hammersmith and Brentford meet at Gunnersbury Park.

Below that, there are also a few ties in the Women's FA Cup with Cray Wanderers' fixture against Camden Town being my pick of what's on offer.

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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

Monday fixtures - yellow pin

    

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!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter, Instagram or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

TLFG: 24-31 August 2026

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.

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.

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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

Monday fixtures - yellow pin

    

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!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter, Instagram or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

TLFG: 17-23 August 2026

Greetings one and all and welcome to this week's TLFG.

I'm publishing on Monday morning as I'm still down in Kent after travelling down to watch Actonians' first match of the new FAWNL season at Chatham Town.

Chatham is on the River Medway alongside Rochester and Gillingham - they are in effect triplet towns or a small city.

There's a lot of maritime and literary history around here, with a lot of museums and things to do. Consequently I brought the whole family down and we're staying in Rochester where there's a seventh-century cathedral (second oldest in the country) and a 12th-century castle, plus some Charles Dickens attractions too - all just over 30 minutes train ride away from St Pancras.

Anyway, you're primarily here for the football so I'll rewind to Sunday afternoon.

It's the next round of the FA Cup this weekend 

After checking into our hotel (Rochester Travelodge - excellent value at £40 a night for a family room), my daughters and I got a taxi the two-miles to Chatham Town's Bauvill Stadium.

It cost £9 and was well worth it as the journey was uphill pretty much the whole way, so bear that in mind if you're coming by public transport.

The ground has been modernised and is all set up for an afternoon out with a beer garden which sports a huge big screen which showed the FA Community Shield while the match was going on - it part faces the pitch so if you go behind the goal at one end, you can watch both matches at the same time!

With a pumping sound system, a bouncy castle in one corner and a good few hundred in the ground, the atmosphere was lively.

As for the match itself, following Actonians' summer revamp, many saw this as a clash of two title contenders.

What a game ensued!

The A's started brightly but got caught on the break from one of their own set pieces and fell 1-0 down after 11 minutes.

Undeterred, they continued to attack and equalised just after the half hour when defender Lois Colley, a former Chatham player, equalised with a long-range free-kick.

Level at the break, Actonians came out on the front foot and saw an effort blocked on the line before the Chats surged down the left and scored again.

With Colley injured soon after and other stalwart defender Jennie Brereton already subbed off, the visitors were left with only one recognised defender for the remainder but managed to equalise and then take the lead through captain Georgia Griffin with only five minutes to go.

Sadly they couldn't hold on and the hosts grabbed a late equaliser from a goalmouth scramble as the game finished 3-3.

It was a fair score and one I would've happily taken before kick-off - for the neutral it would've been a great watch.

Next Sunday they face another one of the title favourites and big local rivals QPR in what could be another epic game - sadly I'll be working.

Following the game, I confirmed I'll be interviewing the A's new player/owner Steph McCaffrey later this week for my podcast - she played a big part in this game and hit the post herself at one point.

Right, I've got a castle to climb. Have a great week! 

 THE WEEK AHEAD

The Premier League makes its return with game one falling on Friday night at the Emirates as reigning champions Arsenal welcome newly promoted Coventry City. It's followed on Saturday by the derby between Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur at 530pm.

There's a fine trio of games in the Championship on Saturday too with the derby between West Ham United and Charlton Athletic at the London Stadium topping the bill.

AFC Wimbledon have a busy week, beginning with an EFL Trophy game at Leyton Orient on Tuesday, before Reading pay them a visit in the league at the weekend.

Also in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday, our only fourth-tier club Barnet entertain Arsenal U21 at The Hive in a north London derby.

The National League Cup is also back for its third season. This competition sees clubs from the fifth tier go head-to-head with pro club U21 sides and Boreham Wood, Hornchurch, Sutton United and Wealdstone are all at home on Tuesday.

In the National League itself, Sutton and Hartlepool United are two sides with 100% records after the early sets of fixtures and they meet at Gander Green Lane on Saturday at 1230pm. The early kick-off means you should be able to combine this with the FA Cup tie between Sutton Common Rovers and Haywards Heath Town which starts at 3pm a little to the east at Carshalton Athletic.

In east London, Dagenham & Redbridge have made a great start and on Saturday they face one of their biggest matches of the season as Torquay United make the long trip up from Devon for what could be a highly important National League South game.

With three wins out of three, Dartford have got off to a flyer in the Isthmian Premier and they host Welling United in a derby on Saturday in what is the pick of this week's seventh-tier games.

Below this, the focus is mainly on the FA Cup with the competition now at its Preliminary Round stage.

The two ties which stand out for me are the south-east London derby between Cray Valley PM, who famously made it to the First Round in 2023, and AFC Greenwich Borough. The hosts play a level above so should start as favourites on paper. Whilst in east London, a big crowd should be expected at the Old Spotted Dog where ninth tier Clapton CFC look to cause an upset against the higher ranked Concord Rangers who were a National League South side as recently as 2023.

Throughout the week, we've also got a few bonus fixtures in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Youth Cup for U18 teams. It's only non-league clubs at the moment but these matches increase your options of what to see, particularly on often quiet Monday nights. 

In the women's game there are a couple of eye-catching friendlies on Sunday with Arsenal hosting Paris FC at Boreham Wood and big spending London City Lionesses taking on Atletico Madrid at their home in Bromley, giving what could be your first chance to see the likes of Mary Earps, Alexia Putellas and Mapi Leon in action for their new club.

In the FAWNL, Hashtag United receive a visit from Exeter City in Tier 3.

In Tier 4, it's a big day in west London where local rivals and two of the pre-season title favourites Actonians and QPR meet at Bedfont Sports for a game which could have a significant bearing on the rest of the campaign.

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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

Friday fixtures - black pin

WEEKEND MATCH MAP

Saturday fixtures - blue pin

Sunday fixtures - orange pin

    

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!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter, Instagram or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

TLFG: 10-16 August 2026

Welcome to TLFG as the season takes another step towards its full launch.

The weekend just gone saw all clubs in the EFL take part in the Carabao Cup and all the remaining leagues below the fourth tier get underway.

Clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two play their first league games this weekend before the Premier League finally starts the week after - so we're nearly there.

On Saturday I headed back out to the suburbs of north-west London, where I spent my formative years, to watch my non-league favourites Harrow Borough.

In the closing weeks of last season, it was announced that the club was in serious financial trouble and could meet its end seven years short of its centenary, which would have been a great shame.

Harrow Borough began their season against Jersey Bulls

A supporters' trust was set up, which I joined, but the narrative over the summer was generally very gloomy.

However, somehow the season has begun with manager Wayne Carter on a new contract and many of last season's players retained.

This is all very encouraging but equally mysterious as the situation portrayed was truly grim and no official announcement has been made to the contrary - not that I'm aware of anyway.

Still playing in the eighth tier Isthmian League South Central, their opening day opponents were newly promoted Jersey Bulls.

The long journey to and from the Channel Islands necessitated a 2pm kick-off presumably to fit in the return flight.

When I lived locally I'd be at pretty much every game but in recent years this has gone down to handful and last season I didn't go at all so it was good to get back to the place which had kindled my love of non-league.

The ground hadn't changed at all since my last visit but the pitch, like many other grass ones, was visibly suffering from the drought conditions we've been experiencing in the capital and the groundstaff had done really well to make it as good as it was.

Boro were competitive and there was nothing between the teams until late in the first half when a poor pass by debutant keeper Trent Carter-Rogers was intercepted allowing Lorne Bickley to score.

It was a real shame as he played well for the rest of the game but, despite a fair bit of Harrow pressure after the break, it proved to be the decisive moment and the Bulls went home with a 1-0 win.

So a disappointing start to the campaign for Harrow but at least there was a start and we can all be thankful for that.

It was also great to meet TLFG readers Stewart M who has just begun volunteering at the club and sports journalist Matt Nash who works on Leyton Orient's programme and plays a huge part in arranging International Surrey games towards the end of each season - a pleasure to meet you both.

As many of you know, Actonians have become the main focus of my football watching and following the recent investment in the club by the McCaffrey family, things have really changed.

Since Thursday, the side have been in Manchester at a pre-season training camp getting ready for the new campaign which starts this Sunday coming.

The thought of such a thing would have been unthinkable a few months ago as the budget required would've been way beyond our means.

Now the players are travelling in luxury coaches, staying in hotels for multiple nights, booking training pitches for several sessions, taking part in team-bonding activities away from the pitch and today they're set to play Tier 3 side Liverpool Feds.

It's no more than the girls deserve for the hard work they've put in but we need to start getting the fans in next season to make this even slightly sustainable.

The opening match is against one of the title favourites Chatham Town at their stadium in Kent.

I've never been before but have been told their facilities are pretty impressive and the photos look great.

I do intend to go and will probably make a bit of a trip of it, taking the family to see some of the sights of neighbouring Rochester while I'm at it.

Right, that's about it from me - have a great week.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Although only friendlies, a number of Premier League clubs are hosting matches at their main stadiums this week.

Arsenal get things underway with a game against Como at the Emirates on Wednesday.

West London will be a hive of activity on Saturday afternoon with Chelsea playing Real Sociedad at 2pm, Brentford entertaining Eintracht Frankfurt at 3pm and Fulham finishing things off at 4pm against VfB Stuttgart.

If you're nearer north London, Tottenham Hotspur welcome TSG Hoffenheim to the THS at 3pm.

The EFL starts in London on Saturday with the highest level game being the visit of Derby County to Charlton Athletic in the Championship. 

A day later, Watford get things up and running against Southampton who will be looking to recover their reputation after last season's spying scandal which saw them thrown out of the play-offs.

Back on Saturday in League One, Leyton Orient will hope to build on their EFL Cup win over Oxford United when they take on Sheffield Wednesday - a game which should provide one of their biggest crowds of the season.

Barnet came close to a play-off spot in League Two last season and they're expected to do well again. On Saturday they play last season's play-off finalists Salford City for what should be a real test of their promotion credentials.

When it comes to non-league, Sutton United began their campaign with a 3-0 win at Woking and should do well against Altrincham who lost their opening game. In Ruislip, Wealdstone welcome early leaders Harrogate Town who thumped Solihull Moors 5-2 in their first game following relegation from the EFL.

On Friday night, there's an intriguing looking game between Dagenham & Redbridge and Farnham Town in the National League South. The Daggers are rebuilding with new investors having fallen from the third tier (at their peak) down to the sixth. Whilst Farnham are rapidly climbing the pyramid and are now at the highest level in their history. 

Earlier in the week there are a few FA Cup replays with the all-eighth tier contest between Raynes Park Vale and Merstham probably topping the bill for me.

We're also lucky enough to have the opening rounds of the FA Trophy and FA Vase this weekend too.

In the former, I fancy the localish derby between Cobham and Egham Town and in the latter, it's got to be the very real derby between Romford and Ilford. 

The two biggest games in women's football take place on Sunday in south London where it's opening day in the FAWNL.

AFC Wimbledon host AFC Bournemouth in the third tier, whilst newly promoted Fulham see Portsmouth head to Motspur Park fresh from their relegation from the WSL2.

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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

Friday fixtures - black pin

WEEKEND MATCH MAP

Saturday fixtures - blue pin

Sunday fixtures - orange pin

    

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!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter, Instagram or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

TLFG: 3-9 August 2026

Greetings everyone and welcome to the latest TLFG.

Despite there being no senior games on Monday or Thursday, it's still a big week with the EFL Cup, National League, Isthmian League, Southern League and FA Cup all getting underway.

I'm not sure where I'll go yet but Hilltop in the FA Cup on Friday is fairly handy, whilst QPR and Harrow Borough both have home games on Saturday.

Over the last week, I've been to a couple of women's games.

On Thursday I headed up to The Hive to watch Barnet's women's team, and one of Actonians' biggest rivals, London Bees.

A former Tier 2 team, they've been down in the fourth tier for two seasons now and finished fourth on both occasions.

Although not winning promotion, they've had great runs in the FA Cup which have made them a lot of money.

This is probably one of the reasons why they've been able to recruit a lot of players this summer, many with Tier 3 experience.

The FA Cup gets underway this weekend 

However, pre-season had been a struggle up to this point with back-to-back 5-0 home defeats to Real Bedford and Norwich City and a 1-1 draw against Wycombe Wanderers.

Here they welcomed fifth tier newcomers Hammersmith.

The west London club, who play and train next to Actonians at the Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub, are incredibly ambitious and have won two consecutive promotions. 

On arrival, I ran into former A's and QPR assistant manager Sinead Friel and it was a pleasure to watch the game with her and get her insight on things. It was also great to run into TLFG reader and Hendon board member Bryan R and have a quick catch up.

In the first half there was very little between the two sides, with both fashioning reasonable chances.

However, not long before the interval, the hosts scored from a corner and that was it for the Hammers.

A series of substitutions and a lower-level of fitness to their semi-pro opponents saw it end 5-0 as Dan McKimm's side went through the gears to wrap up a comfortable win.

The most disappointing part of pre-season for me has been the new management regime at Actonians dispensing with the services of captain Mara Bramwell - a decision which has rocked fans and players alike.

She was present at this game and I had a brief chat with her on the way out. I assumed she'd signed for one of the teams on show but it turned out she's signed for Chatham Town who are strongly favoured to win the title and who Actonians play on the first day of the season.

Having spent most of my life watching men's football where the players are distant demi-gods who the regular fan has little to no contact with, being told this face-to-face by the player themselves was a surreal experience - it made the disappointment even greater. Anyway, good luck to her.

With Mara's departure confirmed, the first team travelled to Tier 3 Norwich City on Sunday for a behind closed doors friendly which meant I headed down to Sussex instead to watch the reserves at Three Bridges.

The Crawley-based club have a really nice modern ground with a 3G pitch which was officially opened on Non-League Day 2025.

Sadly for the A's they had a threadbare squad with only one sub and this must have contributed to their 3-0 loss on a blazing hot afternoon.

Once in a while, my family invite themselves along to one of my football away days and this was one of those occasions.

As an added bonus, my mother-in-law came along too.

Rather than come to the game, they all went to check out Tilgate Park which I'd never heard of.

For a family day out, I'd give it a big thumbs up - it has a lake with pedalos, zoo, Go Ape, adventure playground, a woodland area, walled garden and possibly mini golf too. Who knew you could have so much fun in Crawley?

Anyway, that's more than enough for me - enjoy your week!

THE WEEK AHEAD

Without doubt, the most high-profile match of the week takes place at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday where Arsenal welcome German club Borussia Dortmund for the glorified friendly which is the Emirates Cup.

However, if proper competitive football is more to your liking, it's also the start of the season for EFL clubs. Unusually, though, their first games will all be in the EFL Cup rather than the league.

For me, the tie of the round is the derby between QPR and Millwall on Saturday at 2pm. 

Just behind that, I'd recommend the match at the London Stadium. West Ham United are now back in the second tier after 14 years and they've landed a home draw against Portsmouth.

Watford, AFC Wimbledon, Bromley and Leyton Orient also have home ties too.

Saturday is also opening day in the National League.

Beaten in last season's play-off final, Boreham Wood start their campaign against Tamworth but it's also a huge day in east London where newly promoted Hornchurch play their first ever game in the fifth tier against Kidderminster Harriers.

The Isthmian League and Southern League also get going on Saturday - the biggest crowd will be found at Champion Hill where Dulwich Hamlet host newly promoted Maldon & Tiptree who've been hit by all kinds of scandal in the close season, so it will be interesting to see how they fare.

Hanworth Villa also make their debut in the seventh tier following promotion with a home game against Taunton Town.

Although there are a small number of league games, the main focus below the seventh tier will be on the opening, or Extra Preliminary, round of the FA Cup.

This is where the 'Road to Wembley' begins so if you're going to attempt seeing a game in every round, you need to pick where to start now.

Wembley FC always used to be a good place to start but they play in the 10th tier these days and don't qualify any more, so you'll need to select someone else.

As a result of groundshares, the first batch of ties take place on Friday night - Kingstonian play their first competitive game at Ashford Town (Middlesex) against Hastings United, whilst Hilltop welcome Grays Athletic to Silver Jubilee Park.

On Saturday, I really like the look of the tie between Buckhurst Hill and Barking which is a repeat of last season's Essex Senior League play-off final which the hosts won.

The biggest crowd of the round in London could well come at the Old Spotted Dog where Clapton CFC host Benfleet in an all-ESL tie.

In the far north-west of town, Everett Rovers play their first ever FA Cup tie against local rivals Kings Langley.

There aren't any glaringly obvious games with cupset potential but I think Isthmian League club Hendon could have their hands full with last season's ESL runners-up SOUL Tower Hamlets who claimed the scalps of higher-ranked clubs Hanworth Villa and Ascot United in last season's competition.

If you want to make a whole weekend of it then Erith & Belvedere have a tie against Billingshurst at Park View Road on Sunday too.

At the beginning of the week, there are lots of ninth and tenth tier league games - Abbey Rangers and Camberley Town are among the early leaders in the CCL Premier South and they meet on Tuesday.

In the tenth tier, Brook House and May & Baker have got off to good starts and both have midweek home games.

Women's teams are all still in pre-season - the pick of the friendlies sees Fulham welcome fellow third-tier side Rugby Borough to their training ground at Motspur Park on Sunday.

Hashtag United narrowly avoided relegation from the third tier last season and on Sunday they host Moneyfields who lost in the southern Tier 4 play-off final.

Whilst up at The Hive complex, London Bees take on fellow fourth-tier side Maidenhead United. Despite the industrial level of signings they've made, the north London club have only won one game in pre-season and that was against lower-level opposition 

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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

Tuesday fixtures - green pin

Wednesday fixtures - turquoise pin

Friday fixtures - black pin

WEEKEND MATCH MAP

Saturday fixtures - blue pin

Sunday fixtures - orange pin

    

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!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter, Instagram or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

TLFG: 27 July - 2 August 2026

Hello and welcome to TLFG for what is the fifth week of pre-season for some and the first week of competition for others.

I come into this on the back of a weekend where I watched not one but two games - a rare treat indeed given my normal schedule and commitments!

As indicated last week, I was able to go to QPR's entertaining 3-2 win over Fiorentina on Saturday before travelling east to watch Actonians' 4-0 win at Barking on Sunday.

The match at Loftus Road was pretty typical pre-season fare with a half-full stadium enjoying five goals and one or two notable players turning out for a reasonably illustrious opponent - former Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea being the standout name for me. 

Jimmy Dunne sends a header goalwards for QPR 

As someone who has had a soft spot for the Viola since the days of Gabriel Batistuta on Football Italia in the '90s (I've been to see them play twice in Italy), this was a fixture I didn't want to miss and swapped a shift at work to make sure of it.

Many thanks to TLFG reader and running partner Liam for coming up trumps with some NHS staff tickets, meaning entry came to a grand total of £6 for myself and my daughter.

The following day, I made a long overdue first visit to Mayesbrook Park the home of Barking FC.

From Shepherds Bush, it takes about 90 minutes on public transport with a one-mile walk from Upney Tube station if you go via the District Line. It took me about as long to get the bus from outside the ground to Chadwell Heath and the Elizabeth Line on the way back.

The Blues installed a 3G pitch in 2020 which has no doubt transformed their fortunes with fixtures no longer falling foul of the weather and clubs, like Romford, able to groundshare with them.

With a row of trees down one side of the pitch, ample covered areas to shade from the hot sun and, very importantly, some friendly staff in the refreshment area, I was impressed with the experience.

On arrival I met up with TLFG reader Balham and we enjoyed the game together.

Fourth tier Actonians play a level above Barking and after their resounding 4-0 win over Fulham last week, it looked like being a tough afternoon for the hosts.

With the A's sporting a very colourful new away kit, it was the Blues who arguably made the brighter start but they failed to capitalise and fell behind in the 34th minute when 'trialist' Steph McCaffrey (who now owns a majority shareholding in the team) won a penalty which another trialist converted.

She the scored a goal of her own five minutes later with a very composed finish, before last season's top scorer Abi Kargbo rattled in another to give the visitors a 3-0 half-time lead.

Actonians showed off a new away kit at Barking 

Many changes happened in the second half, disrupting the flow of play, but there was a further goal for an impressive young striker from Oxford who had apparently only turned 16 the day before.

Next Sunday, pre-season continues with a tough trip to old sparring partners Norwich City but I believe it's behind closed doors so I won't be going.

I'm not sure of my plans yet but I hope to get to a game somewhere on Saturday and possibly Sunday again too but we'll see.

One general point about the blog - to save time and make things more manageable for me, I've decided to end the 'Daily Digest' and will expand 'The Week Ahead' section instead, flagging up noteworthy games without going into the preview detail I did before - it was great but has just become too time consuming.

Right, I think that's it from me - have a great week.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Probably the most eye-catching fixture of the week takes place in Hertfordshire on Wednesday where where Watford entertain Italian club Fiorentina. The Hornets welcomed over 6,000 Hansa Rostock fans to Vicarage Road on Saturday but I expect only a few hundred to be backing the Viola.

Continuing the international theme, Belgian club Royal Antwerp are playing at Millwall on Saturday and Leyton Orient on Sunday. 

Prior to all this, the Lions head to Bromley for a derby on Tuesday before the League One side entertain QPR on Friday.

The R's then complete their pre-season programme with a trip to AFC Wimbledon on Saturday. Johnnie Jackson's side also travel to west London to play Wealdstone on Tuesday.

League Two club Barnet play another two home friendlies this week with MK Dons heading to The Hive on Tuesday and Bromley on Saturday.

That's the pick of the friendlies but if you want some competitive football then there's plenty of action in the ninth and tenth tiers.

Belstone thrashed Spartans Youth 4-0 on Saturday to become the first leaders of the CCL Division 1 and they're at home to Edgware & Kingsbury on Tuesday. 

There was a similarly impressive 4-0 win for May & Baker over Hertford Heath in the ECL Division 1 South which put them joint top and they host Cannons Wood at Parsloes Park the same night.

In same division on Wednesday, Lymore Gardens host Athletic Newham at Aveley. These sides also won their opening games and it will be interesting to see if LG can mount another play-off challenge this season.

Friday night sees the opening games of the season in the CCL Premier North, Essex Senior League and SCEFL Premier with Hilltop, West Essex and Erith & Belvedere all at home.

On Saturday, the pick of the competitive games for me and the one which could well get the biggest crowd takes place at the Old Spotted Dog, London's oldest ground.

After winning the ECL Division 1 South play-offs last season, Clapton CFC are up to the ninth tier Essex Senior League for the first time in their short history and they face an intriguing derby against SOUL Tower Hamlets who finished as runners-up in this division in 2025/26.

When it comes to women's football, London Bees host Hammersmith at Barnet's Hive complex in what is the only game taking place on Thursday.

On Sunday, fresh off the back of a 4-1 win at local rivals Brentford, an impressive looking QPR head to Barkingside to play Tier 3 Hashtag United in what should be a good test of their Tier 4 title credentials.

Newly promoted to Tier 4, Dartford host big spending Farnham Town who look set to take Tier 5 by storm this season. 

London Bees are back in action again on Sunday with an Arsenal development side heading their way whilst Brentford take on Tier 3 Lewes at their new home in Uxbridge.

Lastly, there's also a derby between Millwall Lionesses and Dulwich Hamlet at St Paul's in Rotherhithe which should be worth a watch.

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.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

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

    

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!

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below, via X/Twitter, Instagram or even by good old email.

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here