TLFG: 22-28 September 2025

Greetings one and all - sorry for the late publication again.

This is just holding piece for now so you can see the maps and what's going on in the early part of the week.

I'll flesh it out a bit more in the next day or two.

Lastly, many thanks to Charles F from Oregon, USA who very kindly donated to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund - it's hugely appreciated.

THE WEEK AHEAD

This week's highlights include matches in the Premier League, EFL and EFL Cup. 

At non-league level there are games in the National League but most interestingly, the next round of the FA Cup.

In the women's game, there are some WSL games at big stadiums, plus a round of the Women's League Cup in midweek. On Saturday there's even a men's and women's doubleheader at Leyton Orient.

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

    

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. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 22 September

Championship

Millwall v Watford @8pm - the week gets underway with a derby of sorts at The Den. The Lions started well but within only one win in four have slipped back into midtable. The Hornets haven't found their feet at all under new boss Paulo Pezzolano and only goal difference is keeping them out of the relegation zone. The visitors have won only one of their last six against Millwall but the last time was here last season. Tickets

Premier League 2

Crystal Palace v Leeds United @7pm - if you don't fancy the expense of a trip to Millwall, then maybe an evening at Gander Green Lane watching an U21 match could be more to your liking. Tickets

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Tuesday 23 September

EFL Cup Third Round

Fulham v Cambridge United @745pm - this should be exactly the type of competition that a midtable Premier League club like Fulham should see as a top priority. Two seasons ago they made it to the semi-finals and you'd expect them to get through this tie against League Two opposition. Tickets are cheap and in good supply

Middlesex Senior Cup First Round

QPR U21 v Harefield United @745pm - the R's have entered a team in this county cup again which is good to see. Rather than play at Loftus Road, this being hosted by Hanwell Town which is also the base for QPR's women's team. Rangers have yet to make a mark in this competition whilst ninth tier Harefield were runners-up in 2021. Tickets will probably be around £5 on the gate

London Senior Cup Second Round

Enfield Town v Cockfosters @745pm - there's action in several county cups  on Tuesday. This match sees the sixth-tier Towners host ninth-tier opposition. They should win but it's a derby, with Cockfosters located just a mile or two to the west. Tickets

Isthmian League South Central

Hayes & Yeading United v Raynes Park Vale @745pm - five wins on the bounce in all competitions means the hosts come into this game in decent form. Seventh in the table, this match against second place RPV is one of the bigger league games of the night. Tickets are £12 on the gate

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Wednesday 24 September

EFL Cup Third Round

Tottenham Hotspur v Doncaster Rovers @745pm - Spurs have had a pretty decent record in this in recent years, reaching the final once and semi-finals twice since 2021. League One Rovers enjoyed a notable 4-0 win at Championship leaders Middlesbrough in the opening round so they're capable of causing an upset. The last time they made it this far in the competition was in 2017 and that run took them to north London too. On that occasion, a goal from Theo Walcott was enough to see Arsenal make progress. Tickets

Women's League Cup

Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa @7pm - this competition, aka the Subway Cup, gets underway today. There are three group games in London on Wednesday with this all-WSL tie being the pick of what's on offer. Spurs have made the better start to their season so should start as favourites but with squad rotation common at this stage, it could be a bit more unpredictable. This is being played at Leyton Orient. Tickets

SCEFL Premier

Sutton Athletic v Erith & Belvedere @745pm - the best non-league option for me is this match between two promotion chasers in this ninth-tier division. The hosts are level on points with leaders Bearsted so could go top with a win here. The Deres are back in seventh but only four points behind. Tickets are £8 on the gate

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Thursday 25 September

CCL Division 1

London Samurai Rovers v Bedfont @745pm - we're lucky enough to have a bonus bit of 10th-tier action on Thursday. LSR, who groundshare at Hanworth Villa, finished in the bottom six last season so to be up in 12th after nine games shows some improvement. Here they welcome third place Bedfont who play a couple of miles up the road. Tickets are £6 on the gate

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Friday 26 September

Premier League 2

West Ham United v Brighton & Hove Albion @7pm - there are a number of good options on Friday. First up we have this U21 match at the Hammers' Rush Green training facility. The Seagulls have made the better start to their season and are in the top four of this 29-team division. Tickets are usually around £5 on the gate

Premier League Cup

Millwall v Wolverhampton Wanderers @7pm - if you want to see a game at one of the capital's bigger grounds then The Den is hosting this one. The Lions haven't played in this U21 competition since 2016 so they'll be hoping to get off to a good start. Wolves went out in the group stage last year but are in the top eight in the PL2 after four games. On paper, they should start as favourites. Tickets

ECL Division 1 South

Barkingside v Lymore Gardens @745pm - this derby between two sides who play their games in the Ilford area stands out for me at non-league level. The 'Side aren't doing too well in this 10th-tier division but the visitors are only being kept off top spot by goal difference. Tickets are £5 on the gate

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Saturday 27 September

Premier League

Brentford v Manchester United @1230pm - for the second time this month, there's a bumper selection of top-flight games in London on Saturday. It all begins at the GTech at lunchtime. The Bees, with several key players and their manager having left for pastures new, were expected to struggle this season so it will come as no surprise that they're in the bottom four. United are in midtable but still playing at a level way below their fans' expectations. Since Brentford joined this division in 2021, United have only won one of their four games at this stadium - there's not a lot to suggest they will improve that record here. Tickets are only available to members

Chelsea v Brighton & Hove Albion @3pm - despite Man Utd's poor form, they became the first team to beat Chelsea this season on Sunday (an early red card helped). No doubt riled by that result, the Blues will want a big performance against the Seagulls. After some fine years, Brighton haven't got going yet and with only one win from five they've made a disappointing start. Tickets

Crystal Palace v Liverpool @3pm - five games into the new season, these two are the only remaining unbeaten sides in the Premier League. Eagles fans are having the time of their lives - an FA Cup and Community Shield win, followed by a decent start is the stuff of dreams. The Reds have picked up from where they left off. Winning the title last year, they've won all five of their games so far and are already five points clear. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality packages are still on sale

Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers @8pm - on paper this looks like a home banker. Thomas Frank's Spurs are third and going well in the Champions League and EFL Cup, while Wolves are bottom after losing every game. The Midlands club have only lost one of their last four at the THS but it's not looking good for them this time. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality packages are available

Women's Super League

Arsenal v Aston Villa @12pm - if you want a big stadium experience without a substantial cash layout, then head to the Emirates for this WSL game. A load of international stars should be on show as the Gunners go after they win they need to keep up with leaders Chelsea. It's still early days but Villa have yet to win. The early kick-off means you should be able to combine this with one of the 3pm games in the area. Tickets

Championship

Charlton Athletic v Blackburn Rovers @3pm - back in the men's game we have this, I'm afraid to say, fairly unremarkable midtable match. Neither side are doing anything particularly earthshattering at the moment but both won their last matches. I really have little else to say! Tickets

Watford v Hull City @3pm - the Hornets began the week with another loss, this time to Millwall. Only goal difference is keeping them out of the relegation zone and things need to improve soon or the famously trigger-happy board could be looking for a new manager. Hull have the most midtable record possible with two wins, two draws and two defeats. They come into this on the back of a solid 3-1 win over recently relegated Southampton so should back themselves to get something here. Tickets

League One

Leyton Orient v Stevenage @1230pm - since losing in last season's play-off final, the O's have really struggled to build consistency and find themselves in 14th after nine games. Not so their opponents who, with only one defeat so far, are second with a game in hand on the leaders. Stevenage is only a few miles to north of London so this, in a national division, may as well be a derby. The other big thing to note, is that Orient are putting on a doubleheader with their women's team playing afterwards against Luton Town Development. To give a bit of context, the O's women play in Tier 7, an amateur league with games largely played on park pitches or similar. The new American owners have decided to recruit a squad of players largely from Tier 3 and even Tier 2 who were semi and fully professional. Consequently they are absolutely destroying everyone they're playing - their worst result so far has been a 5-1 away win. Usually they score double figures so don't expect a particularly competitive spectacle. Tickets

Premier League 2

Chelsea v Stoke City @11am - this early kick-off provides another great option for people who want to see more than one game on Saturday. If you've got tickets for the late game at Spurs then you could easily go to three. This U21 game is being played at Kingsmeadow which is walkable from Norbiton station in south-west London. Tickets

National League

Boreham Wood v Woking @1230pm - my game of the day in the fifth tier takes place at Meadow Park. After one season in the NLS, the Wood have returned to the National League with a bang. Despite being one of the division's smaller clubs, they're fourth and are currently TLFG's highest ranked non-league club. Here they play a side from just outside London which should give it a derby feel like the Orient game above. The Cards, however, are struggling and are down in the relegation zone. The early kick-off means you should just about have time to get to London Lions for their game at 3pm. Tickets

FA Cup Third Round Qualifying

The highlight of the non-league schedule, for me at least, will be the next round of the FA Cup. At this stage no new sides enter the draw so it's made up of all the surviving sides from tiers 6-9 who have got this far. This winners of each tie receive £5,625 and the losers £1,875. There are five ties within the M25:

Bedfont Sports v Slough Town @3pm - this is probably the game I would pick to go to. It's my nearest, the ground is right next to Heathrow airport so planes fly right past the pitch and it's packed with cupset potential. The hosts play in the eighth tier and they've won through four rounds to get this far, picking off the higher ranked Hanwell Town in the last round. Slough play two levels above them but are struggling a bit and could be vulnerable. To top it all, the Rebels only play a few miles to the west so it's pretty much a derby too. Tickets are £10 on the gate

Cray Valley PM v Tonbridge Angels @3pm - over in south-east London there's some great cupset potential too. CVPM play in the seventh tier but have made the First Round proper twice in 2020 and 2023 so know what it takes to have a good cup run. It's a similar story for Kent club Tonbridge Angels who've also made the First Round twice in recent years. The visitors play a level above CVPM but I still feel they could come unstuck here. Tickets are £2 cheaper if bought in advance and if you arrive before 2pm you'll get a free pint of beer

Enfield Town v Quorn @3pm - the Towners successfully got through a tricky away derby against Enfield FC in the last round to land a home tie here. Quorn come from Leicestershire and are one of the better teams in the Southern League Premier Central, one level below the hosts. Gavin MacPherson's side aren't having the best of season's and have never made the First Round so they could face a challenging afternoon here. Tickets

Walton & Hersham v Chippenham Town @3pm - there's a very real chance of an upset in Surrey where seventh tier Southern League Premier South leaders W&H take on a side who find themselves in the relegation zone in the division above. I'd almost go as far as to say it would be an upset if Chippenham won! Tickets

Woodford Town v St Albans City @3pm - lastly we have this incredibly intriguing tie in north-east London where most neutrals will be hoping to see some real FA Cup magic. Woodford are one of the only ninth-tier teams left in the competition in the whole country. Currently top of the Essex Senior League, they've toppled higher-ranked sides Newmarket Town and Bury Town in the last two rounds so a home tie against another seventh-tier team shouldn't faze them. Don't get me wrong, it would still be a big upset if they pulled it off but it's possible. Tickets are £7 on the gate - bargain!

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Sunday 28 September

Women's Super League

West Ham United v Chelsea @230pm - the biggest crowd of the day should be found in Dagenham for this women's top-flight match. How competitive it will be remains to be seen as it pits the winless, bottom club against the reigning champions who've won every game so far. With Arsenal dropping two points on Saturday against Aston Villa, the Blues should move further clear at the top. Tickets

FAWNL Cup

With no local games in the second tier, the focus switches to this competition which is the women's equivalent of the EFL Trophy. Today sees the final round of group games. The top team in each four-team group goes through to the knockout stage with the 10 best runners-up. The remaining runners-up and 20 best third-place teams drop into the FAWNL Plate instead

Actonians v AFC Wimbledon @2pm - this match looked all set to decide Group H but the Dons played an ineligible player in their last game so will come into this in last place and will need a win to make the Plate. The A's, who play a level below them, have won both of their previous games so just need a draw to win the group. This is being played at North Greenford United and tickets are £6 on the gate

Dulwich Hamlet v Hashtag United @2pm - two other sides to have found it tough going in the league come into this match as the top two in Group I. The Hamlet play a level below the Tags but are top and, like Actonians, just need to draw to finish first. Tickets

London Bees v Crystal Palace U21 @2pm - if Dulwich and Hashtag draw then the hosts here can only finish third at best. The Eagles' youngsters have lost both their games and have to win this heavily to have any chance of making the Plate. Tickets

Fulham v Brighton & Hove Albion U21 @2pm - the Cottagers are top of their fourth-tier division with a 100% record but they've lost a game in this and have to win here to finish at least second. This is being played at the club's Motspur Park training ground. Tickets

QPR v Watford @2pm - apart from being a derby, these two are joint top of Group J with maximum points and are uncatchable by Charlton and Chesham. The R's play a level below the Hornets and will want to test themselves against one of the top clubs in the third tier. This is being played at Hanwell Town and tickets are £5 on the gate

 

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 or even by good old email.

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

TLFG: 15-21 September 2025

Apologies for the slightly late publication, I was a bit down yesterday evening and pretty tired so called it a day earlier than normal.

As regular readers know, I work on the railway and Saturday was spent dealing with all the people attending the 'Unite the Kingdom' march in central London.

Although I didn't suffer any abuse or aggression directly, colleagues from ethnic-minority backgrounds did - it was a bad day and I've been under a cloud since.

Tickets are available for this game at London Stadium 

I had hoped my trip to watch Actonians play bottom of the league and winless MK Dons would improve my mood but they contrived to lose 1-0 to put a real dampener on things.

Anyway, hopefully the week ahead will be filled with more hope on all fronts. 

Lastly, many thanks to Lewis D-A from Essex and Kelvin W from Ealing who very kindly donated to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund - it's hugely appreciated.

THE WEEK AHEAD

This week sees the return of the Champions League and the next batch of games in the Premier League and EFL.

We've also got the next rounds of the EFL Cup, EFL Trophy, FA Vase and FA Youth Cup, there also some FA Cup replays too.

In the women's game, there are some WSL games, many matches in the divisions below and the next round of the Women's FA Cup.

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

    

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. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 15 September

Isthmian League Premier

Aveley v Folkestone Invicta @745pm - the Millers suffered relegation from the NLS last season and have yet to properly settle in the seventh tier but they are holding their own. On Saturday they enjoyed a 2-1 win at AFC Sudbury in the FA Cup. Kent club Folkestone are in the top four and also progressing well in the FA Cup after their really fine win over county rivals Maidstone at the weekend. Tickets are £14 on the gate

ECL Division 1 South

Newbury Forest v Barkingside @745pm - in the 10th tier we have a derby on the north east side of town. After being given a reprieve from relegation last season, the hosts have made a cracking start and are third coming into this. Matches at this stadium are always bittersweet for 'Side fans whose ground it once was but it's a long story and you can look it up. On paper this looks like a home win. Tickets should be in the £5-7 bracket

FA Youth Cup First Round Qualifying

Aside from the non-league options on offer, there will also be games in this U18 competition most nights this week. On Monday we have ties at Hampton & Richmond Borough and Walton & Hersham but the pick of the ties for me is probably the south London derby between Carshalton Athletic and Tooting & Mitcham United where it's free entry

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Tuesday 16 September

UEFA Champions League

Tottenham Hotspur v Villarreal @8pm -with the qualifying rounds out of the way, the group phase of the Champions League gets underway this week. Despite having one of the worst league campaigns in decades, Spurs still made it into this competition thanks to their victory in the Europa League. They begin their campaign with a home game against the club which finished fifth in Spain last year and they arrive in N17 in fifth again. This will be Tottenham boss Thomas Frank's first big European test, let's see how he manages. Tickets are on general sale

EFL Cup Third Round

Brentford v Aston Villa @8pm - the Bees grabbed an injury-time equaliser in the derby against Chelsea on Saturday as they recorded a 2-2 draw and kept their decent record against the Blues going. Villa have made a worrying start and picked up only their second point of the season with a 0-0 draw at Everton this weekend. Brentford have never made the final before whilst the visitors have won it five times. Unlike Premier League games at the GTech, tickets are on general sale 

Crystal Palace v Millwall @8pm - in one of the ties of the round, these two south London rivals will meet again. Earlier this year, they met in the FA Cup in a bad tempered affair which saw the Eagles win after the Lions had their goalkeeper sent off for a terrible foul in the opening minutes. Ultimately Palace went on to win that competition and they'll hope for another great cup run this season. For security reasons, tickets are not on general sale

EFL Trophy

AFC Wimbledon v Crystal Palace U21 @7pm - elsewhere in south London, the Eagles' youngsters make the trip over to Plough Lane for this. We're still in the group stage at the moment and neither side have won a game yet. The Dons got thrashed by Stevenage in their opener whilst Palace lost on penalties to Bromley. Interest in this competition is notoriously low so getting tickets will be easy

National League Cup

There are also a couple of games in this competition which is incredibly similar to the one above - instead of U21 teams playing League One and Two sides, they play National League ones instead. On Tuesday, Sutton United welcome Brighton & Hove Albion and Wealdstone take on a young side from Leicester City

FA Cup Second Round Qualifying Replays

Dagenham & Redbridge v Bedford Town @745pm - the Daggers got relegated last season and have continued to find things difficult in the NLS. On Saturday they travelled to NLN strugglers Bedford and drew 1-1. The Daggers haven't played in the FA Cup this early since 2000 so it would be quite a disappointment to go out, especially when you consider they made the Third Round proper last season. Tickets

Isthmian League South Central

Hayes & Yeading United v Bedfont Sports @745pm - marginally the non-league pick of the day is this eighth-tier derby on the west side of town. The hosts spoiled Hanworth Villa's big pitch unveiling on Saturday to climb back into the top eight. Bedfont spent Saturday pulling off a shock FA Cup win over Hanwell Town and are unbeaten in their three league games so far. Tickets are £12 on the gate

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Wednesday 17 September

FA Cup Second Round Qualifying Replay

Woodford Town v Bury Town @745pm - ninth tier Woodford have made an impressive start to their season. Second in the Essex Senior League, they drew 1-1 at Bury who play two levels above them. Now back on home turf, this could be one to keep an eye on. Tickets are £7 on the gate

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Friday 19 September

Women's Super League

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City @730pm - the biggest game of the day is this one at Brisbane Road. Despite predictions they would struggle, Spurs have begun with two wins over West Ham and most recently Everton - ruining the Toffees' opening game at Goodison Park. After losing to Chelsea in their first game, City beat Brighton on Friday to pick up their first three points. Tickets

Premier League 2 & Professional Development League

There are also several U21 games on Friday. If you want to see two games today, head to Vicarage Road for 2pm where Watford host Cardiff City. Later in the day, Fulham play West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United play Birmingham City. Both matches are at the clubs' training grounds and start at 7pm

FA Vase Second Round Qualifying

The next round of this national knockout competition for clubs in the ninth and tenth tiers with its final at Wembley takes place this weekend. There are three ties on Friday:

Tooting & Mitcham United v Guildford City @745pm - in the all ninth-tier tie of the night, two CCL Premier South teams meet at Imperial Fields. The Terrors have only recently returned to this competition after over 20 years but they've yet to make it beyond this stage. Their chances look pretty good as Guildford are bottom of the division. Tickets are £8 on the gate

Cannons Wood v Great Wakering Rovers @745pm - the hosts are struggling towards the wrong end of their tenth-tier division so they're going find this match against the leaders of the Essex Senior League incredibly challenging. GWR made it all the way to Wembley in 2024 but lost to Romford. Tickets are £7 on the gate

Lymore Gardens v Frenford @745pm - in the final tie of the day, we've got a derby at Redbridge's ground in north-east London. Lymore Gardens are new to the tenth tier and competing in the Vase for the first time. They've started well in the league and pulled off a stunning win over Woodford Town in the last round. That result should give them every confidence of beating another team from the same division. Tickets are £7 on the gate

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Saturday 20 September

Premier League

West Ham United v Crystal Palace @3pm - there are two top-flight games in London on Saturday, they're both derbies and tickets are available. The Hammers have had a rough start. With three defeats from four, boss Graham Potter is under a huge amount of pressure. With the names of replacements popping up across the media, he badly needs his team to win here. Although the Eagles aren't one of the biggest clubs in the league, they are one of only three who are unbeaten. Tickets

Fulham v Brentford @8pm - for the second Saturday running, the Bees have been handed an 8pm kick-off and a west London derby. Last week they scored an injury-time equaliser to draw 2-2 with Chelsea. The Cottagers are unbeaten in three against Brentford and with home advantage, should start as marginal favourites here. Tickets

Championship

QPR v Stoke City @1230pm - this early kick-off in the second tier a couple of miles north of Craven Cottage means you can easily see two games on Saturday. After getting thrashed 7-1 by Coventry in late August, the R's haven't looked back as they've beaten both Charlton and Wrexham 3-1 in the games since. It could get a bit trickier here though as the Potters are one point off top spot in second. Tickets

League Two

Barnet v Grimsby Town @3pm - with one defeat in five, the Bees are more than holding their own on their return to the fourth tier. Next up they face the Mariners who are having a fine start to the season. Not only are they fifth in the table with one defeat from eight, they're also through to the Fourth Round of the EFL Cup - a run which saw them grab plenty of  headlines for beating Manchester United. Tickets

Bromley v Chesterfield @3pm - in south-east London, two sides in the play-off places meet at Hayes Lane. These clubs came up from the non-league ranks together in 2024 and look set to make another push for progress up the pyramid this year. Tickets

National League South

Enfield Town v Chippenham Town @3pm - both these sides have only won one of their eight fixtures and are unsurprisingly in the bottom five. Therefore this match is taking on the form of an early season six-pointer. Enfield Town come into this on the back of an FA Cup win over local rivals Enfield so should be buoyed by that experience. Tickets

Isthmian League Premier

Aveley v Dartford @3pm - the Battle of the Bridge derby, so-called because the clubs are situated at either end of the QEII Bridge on either side of the Thames, takes place on Saturday. Neither side are pulling up any trees so far this season but the Millers have made the better start and being at home should give them the edge. Tickets are £14 on the gate

FA Trophy Second Round Qualifying

Hayes & Yeading United v Southall @3pm - the next round of this competition for clubs in the fifth to eighth tiers takes place this weekend. In my opinion, the best tie in London is this groundshare derby in west London. The sides both play in the Isthmian South Central and last played about 10 days ago in the league cup, a game which produced an entertaining 5-2 win for Hayes & Yeading. Tickets are £12 on the gate

FA Vase Second Round Qualifying

It's also the next round of this competition for clubs in the ninth and tenth tiers. There are ties all over London and it's hard to pick only one so here's three that should be worth a look:

Fisher v Sutton Common Rovers @3pm - the Fish made the SCEFL Premier play-offs last season but got no further. Up in the top six again and with games in hand on all those above them, they look like a decent outfit once again. SCR have just come down from the Isthmian League but are currently top of the parallel CCL Premier South so this likes being a decent contest. Tickets are £8

Ilford v May & Baker @3pm - on the east side of town we have a derby between a side towards the wrong end of their ninth-tier division and one midtable in the division below. If M&B bring their A game they could pull off a cupset. Tickets should be in the £5-7 bracket

Brook House v Winslow United @3pm - the 10th tier hosts are in the top five of the CCL Division 1 and going well. On Saturday they welcome a team who are going for the title a level above them in the Spartan South Midlands League so it looks like being a big day for them. Again tickets should be between £5-7

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Sunday 21 September

Premier League

Arsenal v Manchester City @430pm - one of the biggest matches of any season takes place on Sunday. Both sides have been champions of England multiple times but it's been over 20 years since the Gunners last brought home the title. Arsenal are in better form and are unbeaten in four against City but they both come into this on the back of solid European wins over Athletic Bilbao and Napoli respectively. The smart money is probably on a draw. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality is available from £895!

Women's Super League

Chelsea v Leicester City @12pm - the Blues have begun the defence in their title in assured fashion seeing off title rivals Manchester City in their opening game and winning comfortably enough at Aston Villa in the following fixture. The Foxes are expected to struggle this season but after getting thrashed by Manchester United, they bounced back with a valuable 1-0 win over Liverpool. However, the chances of them getting anything on their visit to Kingsmeadow are slight. Tickets

Women's Super League 2

Charlton Athletic v Ipswich Town @2pm - although often there or thereabouts, I didn't hear any pundits predicting a title charge from the Addicks. After two games, they're the only ones with a 100% record. Here they play newly promoted Ipswich who have lost both matches so you'd think another three points could be coming their way. This is being played at The Valley. Tickets

FAWNL Southern Premier

AFC Wimbledon v Gwalia United @2pm - four games in and the Dons have yet to win a league game, in the bottom two they're struggling. Next up they face opposition from Wales (Gwalia is an old term for the country) who are midtable. Games between these two were tight last year with both sides winning their home games 1-0. I'm sure Wimbledon will be overjoyed with a repeat performance. This is being played at Tooting & Mitcham United. Tickets

FAWNL Division 1 South East

London Bees v Norwich City @2pm - game of the day in the women's fourth tier sees the teams in second and third meet at The Hive complex in north London. As mentioned last week, the Bees were top after beating all the division's strugglers and it would be interesting to see how they got on against Chatham, a tougher opponent. They drew 0-0. The Canaries should produce an even sterner test. Tickets

Women's FA Cup Second Round Qualifying

Dartford v AFC Greenwich Borough @2pm - this competition is hugely important for most women's clubs as the prize money is significant for organisations of their size and budget. A win in this match will earn the victor £3,000 and it gets bigger every round. At this stage, all the teams in the fifth tier enter the draw and the Darts are one of the top teams at this level. Here they've landed a home tie against a new side who've entered at tier six this season and don't play all that far away. Anything other than a home win looks unlikely but this is the FA Cup! This is being played at Princes Park and tickets are £5 on the gate

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 or even by good old email.

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

TLFG: 8-14 September 2025

Greetings everyone and welcome to this week's TLFG.

How was your international break? Did you make good use of it and check out a lower league or women's game?

I was all set to go to the Emirates on Saturday to watch Arsenal open their Women's Super League (WSL) campaign against London City Lionesses but my daughter was unwell and we had to cancel our trip which was very disappointing.

After nearly three weeks off, I returned to work today and I'm writing this on my break.

This meant I didn't get to go to Actonians' big FAWNL Cup match against Chelsea U21s.

Having seen the reigning WSL champions open their season with a crucial 2-1 win over Manchester City on Friday, we were expecting their youngsters to push us hard.

West Ham v Tottenham tickets are on general sale

A bumper crowd, by our standards, at Berkeley Fields watched the A's put in an incredibly disciplined performance as they saw out a very impressive 2-1 win to top their group going into the last game against AFC Wimbledon in three weeks time.

It was a huge moment for the club and I look forward to speaking to Molly O'Reilly, who scored the opener and came up with the assist for the winner, on this week's podcast.

In other news, I took part in a very exciting meeting about expanding Non-League Day into another major European footballing nation - nothing's agreed yet but watch this space.

My next game is likely to be Actonians' home league match against MK Dons on Sunday where they'll hopefully pick up another three points. 

Lastly this week, many thanks to Martin B from Sherborne in Dorset who very kindly donated to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund - it's hugely appreciated.

THE WEEK AHEAD

With the first international break of the season over, London's biggest clubs in the Premier League and Championship return to action - on Saturday alone there are five top-flight games in the capital!

Aside from that, there's a great selection of EFL games and loads of great non-league ones too - including the next round of the FA Cup which is always exciting.

In the women's game, there are a couple of WSL games and many matches in the divisions below.

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

    

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. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 8 September

Premier League Cup

Bromley v Sunderland @7pm - the week begins with a match in the group stage of this U21 competition. Despite the name, most of the participants come from clubs in the EFL with Sunderland one of the handful that don't. The Ravens are the lowest-ranked academy taking part this year so they face a potentially tough evening at Hayes Lane. Tickets

ECL Division 1 South

Barkingside v FC Baresi @745pm - after a reasonable start, the 'Side are now winless in five in the league. When you include cup games too, their record looks even worse. On Monday they play a side who they beat 2-1 on the opening day of the season (why they're playing them again already I don't know) so that should give them some confidence. Tickets are available on the gate for somewhere in the region of £5-7

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Tuesday 9 September

Professional Development League

If you want to see two games on Tuesday, it should be pretty easy to achieve. There are three lunchtime kick-offs in this U21 league with Brentford, Charlton Athletic and Millwall all playing at home - the latter are hosting theirs at The Den too. Check with the clubs for full admission details

Premier League Cup

Leyton Orient v Watford @7pm - the O's didn't have an U21 side until this summer so have never played in this competition before and are the only completely new entrants this year. The Hornets don't have any particular pedigree in this, came bottom of their group last season and got eliminated early. This is being played at Brisbane Road but I can't find any ticket details yet - it will probably be pay on the day, check the club's website and social media for more info

National League Cup

Boreham Wood v West Bromwich Albion U21 @7pm - this competition pits fifth tier National League sides against academy teams from the Premier League and Championship and, like the EFL Trophy, isn't very popular. The Wood beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in their opening group game last month while West Brom lost 3-1 at Forest Green Rovers. Tickets

Southern League Premier South

Hanwell Town v Chertsey Town @745pm - there are some good seventh-tier options on Tuesday but this one just about edges it for me. These two famously met in the Isthmian League play-offs just over three years ago. Hanwell won to gain promotion to this division and the Curfews followed them up two years later. The Geordies have the better team but Chertsey get bigger crowds and I'd expect a healthy attendance here for a midweek fixture. Tickets

Isthmian League South East

AFC Croydon Athletic v Broadbridge Heath @745pm - the game of the day in the eighth tier is to be found at Cobham's ground where the Rams are relocating for the night. I'm not sure why this is happening but just don't head to the Mayfield Stadium as you'll be disappointed. These two are currently third and fifth so will hopefully put on a good spectacle. Tickets should be available on the gate for around £10 - I can't find any prices on their website or social channels

Isthmian League Cup

Hayes & Yeading United v Southall @745pm - I rarely feature games in this competition, particularly in the early stages, but the draw has thrown up a big groundshare derby in west London. The 'All have led a nomadic existence for many years but are now tenants at a ground which is probably closer to Southall than Hayes. The sides play in the same division and are both towards the wrong end so it should be close. Tickets are usually £12 on the gate

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Wednesday 10 September

CCL Premier North

Hilltop v Burnham @745pm - the hosts, who are playing at Silver Jubilee Park this season, have made an inconsistent start to the season but still find themselves in the top eight after eight games. On Wednesday they entertain the division's top club who have played two games less but have won all of them. Two points clear of the teams in second and third who have both played more games, the Blues look like strong title contenders already. Tickets will be available on the gate for £8

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Friday 12 September

Women's Super League

West Ham United v Arsenal @730pm - after a quiet Thursday, this women's game at Dagenham & Redbridge's ground tops the bill. The Gunners began their season with a 4-1 win over newly promoted London City Lionesses to underline their title credentials. The Hammers suffered the setback of a 1-0 loss to Spurs after conceding a late penalty. Tickets

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Saturday 13 September

Premier League

Arsenal v Nottingham Forest @1230pm - today sees a whopping nine Premier League and EFL games taking place in London meaning you can be watching football almost constantly from 1230pm to 10pm when the final one wraps up. I don't know how the police have allowed it, especially when you consider there are two big protest marches happening in central London too. Anyway, back to the football. Following Nuno Espirito Santo's departure from Forest, this will be new boss Ange Postecoglou's first game in charge. He never won a north London derby as Spurs boss and Forest haven't won at Arsenal since 1989. The hosts will start as strong favourites. Tickets are only available to members and hospitality packages are off sale too

Crystal Palace v Sunderland @3pm - despite losing Eberechi Eze to Arsenal and having unsettling transfer rumours swirling around some of their other top stars, the Eagles have become one of only three teams to remain unbeaten after three games. Up in eighth, Palace fans must be pretty pleased with how it's going. Newly promoted Sunderland have made an even better start, winning two of their three games to find themselves in the top six. These sides haven't played since 2017 and the Mackems have won on their last three visits. Tickets are only available to members and hospitality packages are off sale too

Fulham v Leeds United @3pm - winless in three and in the relegation zone, the Cottagers haven't made the best start. Here they face a newly promoted Leeds side who sit in midtable with four points. It's been a couple of years since they last played and Fulham are unbeaten in four against the Yorkshire club. This is one top-flight game you can get tickets for but they're in the Riverside Stand so are unlikely to be cheap

West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur @530pm - next up we've got this big derby at the London Stadium. The Hammers made a very worrying start, losing limply to Sunderland and Chelsea but then pulled off a fine win over Forest. Still in the bottom five, they'll need a special performance to get something from this game. Spurs have begun brightly under new boss Thomas Frank but a 1-0 loss at home to Bournemouth last time out may have served as a bit of a reality check. The last three games between these two at this venue have ended 1-1 and it wouldn't be unthinkable to see that happen again. Luckily for you, tickets are available for this too

Brentford v Chelsea @8pm - the last match of the day is this west London derby at the GTech. The Bees have seen several big stars depart over the summer, making them among the favourites for relegation. With one win from three, they haven't begun well but I think they're in better shape than many people thought. The Blues, on the other hand, won the Club World Cup during the close season and have picked up where they left off. Currently unbeaten in second, they should win. However, since joining the Premier League in 2021, Brentford have become a bogey team for Chelsea only losing two of the eight league games against them. Tickets are only available to members and hospitality packages are unavailable

Championship

Charlton Athletic v Millwall @1230pm - the big games keep coming in the second tier too with this south-east London derby generating a lot of interest. With the Addicks only just returning to this division, this will be the first time they've played for five years and it's the Lions who have historically dominated these games. Unbeaten in 12 matches against their local rivals, they haven't lost to them since 1996. Millwall have made the better start to this campaign too so they should get at least a draw here. For security reasons, tickets are only available to people with a previous Charlton purchasing history

Watford v Blackburn Rovers @3pm - with everything else that's going on within the M25 today, this game looks a bit humdrum. Both sides have made unremarkable starts with the Hornets in 15th and Rovers down in 20th. Looking at the history between these two, they have one of the most even records there is with Watford winning 15 of the games between them and Blackburn 16. The last draw was five games ago in 2023 so that's what I'm going for on this occasion. Tickets

League One

AFC Wimbledon v Rotherham United @3pm - with no big-name signings following their promotion from League Two, some thought this season could be a bit of a struggle for the Dons but with three wins from six games it's going okay. The Millers sit two points and two places below them so you'd expect the hosts to get something out of this game. Tickets

Leyton Orient v Bolton Wanderers @3pm - these two finished in the top eight last season and the hosts made it all the way to the play-off final before losing. Not quite up to speed so far this term, these two are in midtable and still looking to find their rhythm. The visitors did the double over the O's last season and I think they're the more likely winners here. Tickets

National League

Boreham Wood v Altrincham @3pm - the Wood are leading the charge for TLFG clubs in this division. Following promotion from the NLS, the Hertfordshire club have only lost one of their first seven games, meaning they're fifth with a game in hand on most of those above them. Alty finished ninth last year and head to Meadow Park in that position again. The visitors have a pretty decent record here and have only lost on one of their five visits. Tickets

Sutton United v Tamworth @3pm - with one win from eight, the U's have made a worrying start. In the bottom three already, it's not looking good. Tamworth made lots of headlines last season for taking Tottenham to extra-time in the FA Cup and they've made a solid start to this campaign. They head to Gander Green Lane in 11th and shouldn't go home empty handed. Tickets

Wealdstone v Gateshead @3pm - the Stones drew opprobrium from some quarters last week for the circumstances in which their match at Scunthorpe was abandoned. Losing 2-1 with 78 minutes played, an injury to one of their players took an age to be treated and saw the game abandoned. Some fans thought the Stones' management team made too much of the situation, forcing the referee's hand. To the club's credit, Wealdstone's board effectively conceded the match and Scunthorpe were awarded the win on Wednesday. Next up they face a side, who despite being 12th, have the leakiest defence in the division. With 21 goals conceded in eight games, we should see the net bulge a few times here. Tickets

FA Cup Second Round Qualifying

For many neutrals, the highlight of the day's non-league schedule will be matches in the next round of the FA Cup. At this stage, all the teams in the sixth tier enter the draw alongside all those from the seventh to ninth tiers who have got this far. The winners of each tie receive £3,375 and the losers £1,125

Chertsey Town v Cray Valley PM @3pm - one of the ties of the day is this match between two seventh-tier teams who famously met each other in the 2019 FA Vase Final at Wembley when both clubs were in the ninth tier. Chertsey won 3-1 that day but both have gone on to enjoy an excellent few years since then. Both are now playing two levels higher and both have done really well in the FA Cup with the Curfews making the Fourth Round Qualifying twice and CVPM the First Round proper twice. Both have made very similar starts to their league campaigns and with Chertsey generating decent crowds, this could be a good one. Tickets

Hampton & Richmond Borough v AFC Croydon Athletic @3pm - the hosts are in the sixth tier so this will be their first game in the competition this year. Playing at home to a club two levels below them should see them start as strong favourites. They've made the First Round twice since 2018 and weirdly played Oldham Athletic on both occasions. The Rams, famously backed by Stormzy and Wilfried Zaha, have begun their Isthmian South East campaign well with only goal difference keeping them off top spot. Since re-forming in 2012, this is the best run they've had in the cup but all the stats are telling me they won't go any further - a win here would be a big upset. Tickets

Hanwell Town v Bedfont Sports @3pm - with both sides located on the west side of town, this has a bit of a derby feel to it and you'd like to think Bedfont will bring a few fans. The Geordies play a level above the visitors so should progress but the visitors are in the top four in their division and in decent form. Given how much Hanwell have progressed in recent years, their record in this competition is poor - never having gone beyond the Third Round Qualifying. If they make it through this test, which they should, I just have this feeling that they'll have the run of their lives this season. Tickets

SOUL Tower Hamlets v Flackwell Heath @3pm - one of the only remaining ninth-tier teams left, STH have pulled off some minor miracles to get this far. Beating clubs from a level above them in the previous two rounds, this home tie against another team from the eighth tier shouldn't faze them. It will undoubtedly be tough though as the Heathens are in the top four in their division and created a notable upset by beating seventh tier Lewes in the last round. Tickets

Welling United v Slough Town @3pm - in the final tie of the day, the Wings will look to put their gloomy league form behind them and cause an upset at Park View Road. Both sides were in the NLS last season but Welling got relegated. That poor form has continued in the Isthmian League but they recorded a very decent 2-1 win at Uxbridge in the previous round of this two weeks ago. The Rebels are pottering along in midtable in the division above - complacency will probably be their biggest enemy so they'll need to stay focused to get through. Tickets are £15 on the gate

Isthmian League South Central

Hanworth Villa v Hayes & Yeading United @3pm - in the eighth tier, the event of the day will be the official opening of Hanworth's new 3G pitch. Former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy will be the guest of honour so it should be quite an occasion. To top it all, Hayes & Yeading play a couple of miles to the north so it's a derby too. Tickets

CCL Premier South

Abbey Rangers v Corinthian Casuals @3pm - in the ninth tier, two of the top six meet at Addlestone Moor. The hosts were top and could easily return there as they're only a point behind leaders Badshot Lea with two games in hand. Casuals are only a point behind so there's plenty to play for here. Tickets are £8 on the gate

ECL Division 1 South

Clapton CFC v Newbury Forest @3pm - in the 10th tier it's fourth against third at the Old Spotted Dog, which if you didn't know is London's oldest ground. CCFC get some of the biggest crowds at this level anywhere in the country so there should be a good atmosphere for this derby. Tickets are £5 on the gate

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Sunday 14 September

SCEFL Premier

Erith & Belvedere v Fisher @3pm - with Welling at home in the FA Cup, the Deres have seen their game moved to Sunday. They've had a great start to the season and are fourth at the time of writing. The Fish made the play-offs last season but have yet to recapture that form and are down in 10th. Tickets are £8 on the gate

Women's Super League

London City Lionesses v Manchester United @12pm - a little earlier elsewhere in south London, this top flight women's game has sold out. This will be newly promoted LCL's first home match at this level following their promotion. To go from a few hundred last season, to selling out Bromley's ground is quite something but there will be a number of big names on show in both sides. If you have a ticket for this, you could do a double with the match above 

Women's Super League 2

Crystal Palace v Southampton @2pm - the Eagles are back in this division after a tough campaign in the WSL. It began last weekend with a 1-0 loss at local rivals Charlton so they'll hope to get their first points on the board here. The Saints flew out of the blocks, thrashing newly promoted Ipswich 4-0 so it could be a tough afternoon. This is being played at Sutton United. Tickets

FAWNL Southern Premier

Hashtag United v Lewes @3pm - with their highly successful management team and a number of their top players having departed, last season's title contenders Hashtag look to be in trouble. They've lost all three of their league games are in the bottom two. The Rooks, on the other hand, are looking good and should be among the frontrunners this time. This is being played at Aveley. Tickets are £5 on the gate

FAWNL Division 1 South East

London Bees v Chatham Town @2pm - in the fourth tier, you've got a chance to take a look at the Bees (Barnet's women's team) who are top of this division with three wins from three, scoring a whopping 16 goals in the process. These stats can be tempered a little by the fact that they've been recorded against the bottom three teams so it will be interesting to see how they fare against much sterner opposition. The Chats finished third last season and should be a good yardstick of just how good the hosts are. This match is being played at the Bees Stadium which is next to The Hive. Tickets can be purchased on arrival - no price has been advertised but it should be in the £5-7 bracket

 

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 or even by good old email.

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

TLFG: 1-7 September 2025

Greetings one and all and welcome to the first TLFG of the autumn!

It's certainly felt that way over the weekend with some very changeable weather which saw me soaked one minute, scorched the next and buffeted heavily by wind as well.

All of those conditions made an appearance at the game I went to on Sunday.

After beginning with incredibly tough fixtures against title contenders Norwich City and Fulham, Actonians made the trip to Bedfordshire to take on newly promoted Luton Town.

They'd enjoyed one win and one defeat but were viewed as one of those teams we could beat and certainly needed to avoid losing to.

The WSL makes its return this weekend - tickets

Sadly the game wasn't played at Kenilworth Road so all three of the travelling Actonians Ultras took a cab the seven miles north to Barton Rovers' ground at Sharpenhoe Road.

As non-league grounds go, I liked it. 

Well maintained, a decent amount of cover, a good tea bar and picturesque views of the nearby hills.

There was also a strong crosswind and a significant slope down the pitch.

Things were pretty tight in the first half with the Hatters possibly shading things, but they failed to take advantage and it ended goalless.

After the break, the game ebbed and flowed with the A's starting well but then the hosts re-asserted themselves, hit the bar and then missed another excellent chance from close range.

Then everything changed dramatically.

With Actonians winning a free-kick just inside Luton's half, captain Mara Bramwell fired the ball straight into the top corner - something she has a habit of doing.

This gave the visitors real momentum and 10 minutes later it was 4-0!

Despite finishing the game with 10 players after an injury occurred with all subs used, the West Londoners saw out the win to the delight of all associated with the team.

The tough fixtures return next week when Chelsea U21s pay a visit in the FAWNL Cup but with the league being far more important, it will be viewed as a bit of a free hit.

Sadly I'm working on Sunday so I'll be heading to the Emirates the day before to watch Arsenal's WSL opener against London City Lionesses who have been generating a lot of headlines over the summer following their promotion.

Before I go, many thanks to Nico B from Bochum, Germany for donating to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund - I really appreciate it so thanks again.

THE WEEK AHEAD

It's the first international break of the season so all of London's biggest clubs in the Premier League and Championship have the week off.

The two biggest crowds of the week will almost certainly be found in the Women's Super League where Chelsea play Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Friday and Arsenal take on London City Lionesses on Saturday.

Aside from that we have games in League Two, the EFL Trophy, FA Cup, FA Youth Cup and loads of other games featuring our local non-league sides - so there's no reason to get bored.

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

    

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. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Monday 1 September

ECL Division 1 South

Newbury Forest v Dunmow Town @745pm - the hosts finished second bottom in this 10th-tier division last season but were given a reprieve and stayed up. So far this season, they're making the most of the opportunity to remain at this level and have only lost one of their six games. Up in third, they've made a great start. The visitors aren't tearing up any trees yet but it's early days and they've played two games less - I still expect Forest to come out on top though. Tickets are £5 on the gate

CCL Division 1

RB Kensington v Colliers Wood United @745pm - like Newbury Forest, RBK also finished second bottom in their 10th-tier division last season but also received a reprieve. This season they've moved their home games to Northwood, a significant distance from their inner London home, and their crowds are tiny as a result. Nonetheless, they're doing okay and are locked on nine points in midtable with CWU. With their X account now inactive, they have no online presence I know of so getting info on admission prices is hard but it should be in the £5-7 bracket

FA Youth Cup Preliminary Round

The country's most prestigious U18 competition gets underway this week with ties everyday between Monday and Friday. At this stage, only non-league sides enter the draw but they should play the ties at their main stadiums. On Monday, Dulwich Hamlet will probably draw the biggest crowd for their game against Rusthall whilst there's also a decent looking derby between Hanwell Town and Hayes & Yeading United

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Tuesday 2 September

EFL Trophy

This competition is for all clubs in League One and League Two plus U21 sides from 16 Premier League and Championship clubs. The group stage gets underway for most clubs this week. Since the academy sides joined the competition in 2016, a hugely controversial move, crowds for these games have become notoriously low. AFC Wimbledon were one of the biggest opponents of the change so don't expect many for their game against Stevenage (tickets). Elsewhere, Bromley entertain Crystal Palace U21 - it's a derby so there might be a few more for this (tickets)

National League

Wealdstone v Southend United @745pm - if you want a much more meaningful game, head to Ruislip in west London where the Stones welcome the Shrimpers for this fifth-tier contest. Sam Cox's side suffered their third straight defeat on Saturday but losing 3-1 to Rochdale, who went top, is no disgrace. Sadly, that run could extend to a fourth loss as Southend are among the early frontrunners too. Unbeaten in their opening six, it looks like another tough assignment. Tickets

National League South

Hampton & Richmond Borough v Torquay United @745pm - Saturday's win over Ebbsfleet took the hosts into the top three as their great start to the season continued. On Tuesday they welcome the biggest club in the division who make the long midweek journey from Devon. The Gulls have lost two of their last three but are still in the play-off places. Tickets

Hornchurch v Dorking Wanderers @745pm - unbeaten in six, the Urchins are three points clear at the top. Here they welcome a side who were in title contention last season but who ultimately lost in the play-offs. Dorking have been a bit inconsistent so far but a win here could put them into the top six. Tickets

FA Cup First Round Replays

Dartford v Bracknell Town @745pm - the Darts found themselves 2-0 down in the 87th minute but somehow fought back for a 2-2 draw. Both playing in the seventh tier, these two should put on a good show again. Tickets

Hanwell Town v Cray Wanderers @745pm - another two seventh-tier clubs meet at Reynolds Field after they too played out a 2-2 draw in the original tie. Again, it was the visitors who needed a late equaliser to force a replay. Tickets

Wingate & Finchley v Carshalton Athletic @745pm - two Isthmian Premier sides will have to do it all again after they ground out a 0-0 draw in south London. Although a seventh-tier club, Wingate have never made it to the 'proper' rounds of the competition whereas the Robins last made it in 2019. Tickets

SCEFL Premier Division

Fisher v Sutton Athletic @745pm - the Fish made the play-offs in this ninth-tier division last season and sit a point outside the top five with games in hand coming into this. Sutton are a team that don't get that much coverage in TLFG as they sit right out on the south-eastern perimeter, in Kent, and often potter along in midtable without drawing too much attention. That's not the case now though as they're one point clear at the top. Tickets are £8 on the gate

SCEFL Division 1

AFC Greenwich Borough v SE Dons @745pm - long-time non-league watchers will remember the name Greenwich Borough but sadly they came to an end in 2020. In 2023, this new club appeared but they have no connection to the other one. Earlier this year, they took over all operations of Welling United's academy and decided to enter an adult team in this division. After five games, they're level on points with leaders SE Dons so it's fair to say it's going pretty well. This is being played at Holmesdale FC. I've never seen them publicise any info on ticket prices but expect something in the £5-7 region

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Wednesday 3 September

National League

Sutton United v Boreham Wood @745pm - the U's have made a disappointing start but almost out of nowhere they managed to pick up their first win on Saturday by beating title contenders Carlisle 2-1. That result should work wonders for Steve Morison's men as they prepare for this match. Sutton's matches against AFC Wimbledon are known as the Thameslink derby but this could be too as the Wood are located on the same train line but towards the northern part of London. Back in the division following promotion from the NLS, the Hertfordshire club have made a better start and are unbeaten in four. Tickets

Essex Senior League

SOUL Tower Hamlets v Saffron Walden Town @745pm - STH look like being a club to keep an eye on this season. Following their promotion to this level, they've begun confidently in the league but have done even better in the FA Cup. On Saturday they thrashed Ascot United 4-1, the second team from the level above that they've beaten on this run. Here they welcome second placed SWT who, like them, are unbeaten in the league so far. Tickets

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Thursday 4 September

FA Youth Cup Preliminary Round

Ties in this U18 competition are the main attraction on Thursday. There are four ties across the capital but the one which stands out most for me is the derby between Erith & Belvedere and Dartford which kicks-off at 745pm

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Friday 5 September

Women's Super League

Chelsea v Manchester City @730pm - after England's victorious performance in the Women's Euros in July, the WSL is back with this big game opening proceedings. Being played at Stamford Bridge, the Blues are going in search of their seventh consecutive WSL title. City have been runners-up three times in the last six years and should push Chelsea hard again. I think I'm right in saying that these teams currently have 11 of the Lionesses who were part of the squad which played in Switzerland so it should be a good chance to see several of them in action. Tickets

Professional Development League

If you want to see two games on Friday then there are two men's U21 games at lunchtime. QPR host Hull City at Loftus Road at 1pm (entry by donation to the club's trust) whilst Watford take on Sheffield United at Vicarage Road at 2pm (tickets)

Essex Senior League

Woodford Town v Romford @745pm - at the time of writing, Woodford are in sensational form winning all four of their league games and also making it through three rounds of the FA Cup. They face a midweek trip to White Ensign before this so that could change but they look like winners here as Romford are down in 14th. Tickets are £7

ECL Division 1 South

Lymore Gardens v FC Romania @745pm - in the 10th tier, the hosts have made a blistering start after their promotion from the Essex Alliance League. With five wins from six, they're top of the division and they also managed to knock Woodford Town (above) out of the FA Vase. FC Romania play just outside the M25 and are primarily made up of ex-pats from the south-eastern European nation. Sadly they've had funding issues in recent years and have suffered two relegations in three seasons. It hasn't begun well this time either. Tickets are £7 on the gate

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Saturday 6 September

Women's Super League

Arsenal v London City Lionesses @130pm - the biggest crowd of the weekend will be found at the Emirates Stadium where European champions Arsenal will begin their WSL season with a hugely intriguing game. The Gunners, like their male counterparts, are expected to challenge for the title again but they haven't won it since 2019. Coming up against them are newly promoted LCL. The first independent women's football club to play in the WSL have invested millions in new talent with former Arsenal players Danielle van de Donk and Nikita Parris probably being the most recognisable. Their intention is to finish in the top four which would be some achievement. Tickets

League Two

Barnet v Shrewsbury Town @3pm - the highest level men's game you'll be able to get a ticket for will be this one at The Hive. The Bees struggled in the opening games of the season following their promotion but are now unbeaten in three and climbing the table. This game against the struggling Shrews presents them with a great chance to extend that run. Tickets

Bromley v Gillingham @530pm - this later kick-off looks like being a cracker and sadly for you, it's sold out already. Not only does it see the team in third host the leaders but it's also effectively a derby with the Gills coming from just outside London, a 30-minute train ride away

National League

Boreham Wood v Morecambe @3pm - with only one defeat from six, The Wood have made a fine start to life back in the fifth tier. Sitting just outside the play-off places, they have a great opportunity to pick up three points here. After their well documented off-field issues, the fact the Shrimps are even in a position to fulfil this fixture is something to celebrate. However, aside from a win in their first game, they've lost the rest. Tickets

National League South

Dagenham & Redbridge v Worthing @3pm - the Daggers suffered relegation last season and find themselves down in the sixth tier for the first time since 2000. With one win from seven, the new campaign has not begun well and they're sitting just above the relegation zone again. Sussex club Worthing are only one win and three points ahead of them so they should fancy their chances of getting something here. Tickets

Enfield Town v Weston-super-Mare @3pm - the Towners fought a long and ultimately successful battle against relegation last season to preserve their sixth-tier status. Like Dagenham, the early signs aren't encouraging with just a solitary win from their opening seven games too. It's not going to get any easier here with WSM in a position to go top if they win and Hornchurch lose to Ebbsfleet. Tickets

Isthmian League Premier

Dulwich Hamlet v Welling United @3pm - the biggest game of the day in the seventh tier is this south-east London derby. After a few seasons of pretty underwhelming football which saw them relegated in 2023, the Hamlet have begun really strongly. One point behind leaders Brentwood Town, they could be top by the end of the day. The Wings have just dropped down from the sixth tier and have not landed well. With three points from five, they're in the bottom four already. With average crowds of over 2,000, Dulwich are the best supported club in the division and you're always well advised to buy tickets in advance 

FA Trophy First Round Qualifying

After a preliminary round a couple of weeks ago to get the numbers in order, this national competition for clubs in the fifth to eighth tiers with its final at Wembley gets properly underway this weekend. At this stage, it's just eighth-tier teams who take part. There are ties all over London, here are my pick:

Kingstonian v Merstham @3pm - for me, the best tie on Saturday will be this one at Grand Drive. Both sides are in the top five of their respective divisions of the Isthmian League so are in good form. The K's also won the FA Trophy twice in 1999 and 2000 but those glorious days are sadly becoming a distant memory. The Moatsiders, on the other hand, have never gone beyond the second qualifying round. Tickets are £10 on the gate

Harrow Borough v Eastbourne Town @3pm - the Boro are third in the Isthmian South Central which makes them the highest ranked London club in the eighth tier to be at home on Saturday. Aside from a superb run to the Fourth Round in 2023, Harrow have rarely got beyond the qualifying rounds in the last 20 years. The visitors, who hail from Sussex, are towards the wrong end of the Isthmian South East and have never been beyond the qualifying rounds. Tickets are £12 on the gate

Redbridge v Waltham Abbey @3pm - of the remaining ties, I'd say this is marginally the next best and that's primarily because it has a bit of a derby feel to it. Both sides play in the Isthmian North and whilst the Motormen haven't started so well, the visitors are up in fifth. Tickets are £10 on the gate

CCL Premier North

Broadfields United v Windsor & Eton @3pm - my game of the day in the ninth tier sees two of the top three in this division meet at Tithe Farm. The hosts, who groundshare with Rayners Lane, are currently top but their position is inflated by the fact that they've played more games than everyone else. W&E won promotion to this level last season and will move above Broadfields if they win. Tickets are £8 on the gate

SSML Division 1

Everett Rovers v Huntingdon Town @3pm - we've got some local teams doing really well in the 10th tier so far this season, with three of the five divisions being topped by a club from within the M25. Bedfont in the CCL and AFC Greenwich Borough in the SCEFL are doing superbly. However, I've highlighted Everett Rovers as not only are they new to this level but their unbeaten record after seven games has also seen them score 20 goals. Based in Watford, they're likely to score a load more as Huntingdon are bottom and conceding over four goals a game. I'm not sure of ticket prices but it should be in the £5-8 bracket

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Sunday 7 September

TRAVEL ADVISORY - INDUSTRIAL ACTION IS SCHEDULED ON THE UNDERGROUND

FA Trophy First Round Qualifying

Southall v AFC Whyteleafe @3pm - with the 'All now groundsharing with Hayes & Yeading United, this match has been moved to Sunday. Sadly, with three defeats from three, they're bottom of the Isthmian South Central. The Leafe are new to this level following promotion and also made it to Wembley for the FA Vase Final last season - for me, they start as favourites. Tickets are £12 on the gate

Women's Super League

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United @12pm - earlier in the day, these two big London rivals meet for their opening fixture of the WSL season. Strangely, Spurs women play at Leyton Orient which is in a part of London which is more traditionally associated with West Ham fans but we won't go into all that again here. Last season, Tottenham had a stinker and finished just above the relegation zone which cost boss Robert Vilahamn his job. With Martin Ho now in place, they'll hope to be much more competitive. The Hammers, often used to fighting relegation, had an improved season under Rehanne Skinner and finished ninth. It'll be really interesting to see how this one goes. Apparently tickets are sold out

Women's Super League 2

Charlton Athletic v Crystal Palace @2pm - if you can't get into the match above, this derby in the renamed women's second tier looks like a great alternative. Being played at The Valley, the Addicks are usually in the running for promotion whilst the Eagles have just been relegated from the WSL. Tickets

FAWNL Cup

Actonians v Chelsea U21 @2pm - there are matches all over London in what can best be described as the women's version of the EFL Trophy - it features teams in the third and fourth tier plus academy teams from the top two divisions. We're still at the group stage at the moment and my very own A's have landed this incredibly challenging tie against the Blues' youngsters. Having seen the squad list, no big names are set to play for Chelsea. However, three of the youngsters were in the squad which beat AC Milan in a friendly last weekend so you should see some stars of the future. The hosts have two or three key players missing and in many ways this will be seen as a free hit so it could be quite fun. It is being played at North Greenford United and a printed programme will be available. Tickets

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