Hi there. Welcome to the latest edition of TLFG, it's great to have you aboard.
I hope the week has treated you well.
Here at TLFG Towers we love hearing about what you've been up to and this week Devin from the USA got in touch. He's over here with some friends at the moment doing a bit of football themed study abroad which sounds pretty good to me.
Anyway, among other things, they went to check out the U21 Premier League game between Fulham and Arsenal at the Cottagers' Motspur Park training ground.
 |
| A bit of U21 Premier League action at Fulham's Motspur Park facility |
When they mentioned to me they were going I was a fearful the experience would be a little underwhelming but apparently it was £3 very well spent.
There are a couple of small grandstands, tea and coffee facilities and there's even a chance of some decent football too. Apparently you even get to rub shoulders with the players' families who were more than happy to chat so it sounds like a decent night out, especially for only three of the Queen's pounds.
Devin and his group have several other excursions lined up in the near future so hopefully we'll hear more from them.
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 within the London area for this blog then get in touch. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.
You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.
LATEST TICKET NEWS
Each week at TLFG we attempt to compile a list of what's on general sale to non-members at London's Premier League clubs and for other notable matches (click on the team name for details).
Wednesday 5 March, 8pm - Denmark, international friendly, Wembley
Nothing currently available
Wednesday 29 January, 745pm - West Ham United, Premier League
Tickets are only available to season-ticket holders, members and their guests
Tuesday 14 January, 745pm - Norwich City, FA Cup third round replay
Saturday 1 February, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League
Saturday 1 February, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League
Wednesday 29 January, 745pm - Manchester City, Premier League
Sunday 9 February, 130pm - Everton, Premier League
Saturday 18 January, 3pm - Newcastle United, Premier League
Tuesday 21 January, 745pm - Manchester City, League Cup semi-final
Saturday 1 February, 1245pm - Swansea City, Premier League
Tuesday 11 February, 745pm - Norwich City, Premier League
Saturday 22 February, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League (on sale 21 Jan)
Saturday 1 February, 1245pm - Swansea City, Premier League
Tuesday 11 February, 745pm - Norwich City, Premier League
Saturday 22 February, 3pm - Southampton, Premier League (on sale 21 Jan)
Saturday 22 March, 3pm - Manchester United, Premier League
Saturday 5 April, 3pm - Liverpool, Premier League
Saturday 3 May, 3pm - Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League
TICKET DEALS
This week we've got a few FA Cup ties to look forward to and as is now the norm, ticket prices have been slashed.
The pick of them is the all Premier League clash between Fulham and Norwich City on Tuesday with all adult tickets reduced to a flat rate of £15.
The same night it's also £15 to see Watford host Bristol City while over on the south-east side of town it's only £10 to watch Charlton Athletic v Oxford United.
Looking ahead to next week, League One leaders Brentford have had their match against Gillingham selected for live TV coverage and had the game moved to Friday 24 January. To encourage a decent turnout, you can stand on the terrace for only £10 while all seats are available for £15.
If you know of any other deals I may have missed or your club is running a promotion let me know.
The pick of them is the all Premier League clash between Fulham and Norwich City on Tuesday with all adult tickets reduced to a flat rate of £15.
The same night it's also £15 to see Watford host Bristol City while over on the south-east side of town it's only £10 to watch Charlton Athletic v Oxford United.
Looking ahead to next week, League One leaders Brentford have had their match against Gillingham selected for live TV coverage and had the game moved to Friday 24 January. To encourage a decent turnout, you can stand on the terrace for only £10 while all seats are available for £15.
If you know of any other deals I may have missed or your club is running a promotion let me know.
There are over 80 matches in the London area over the next week so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.
With bad weather frequent at the moment, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.
Details on all of this week's games can be found in the following match map. If you've never used it 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 left side of the map page to make sure you get all the information.
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 (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).
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 (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).
MATCH MAP 13-19 JANUARY 2014
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Turquoise pin - Wednesday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Turquoise pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Red pin - Sunday fixtures
View London match map 13-19 January 2014 in a larger map
Next up is this week's TLFG match recommendations where I list a few games which I think could be worth a watch. There are often many more games that are worthy of a mention but I simply don't have the time or space to squeeze them all in so add your own in the comments section below.
TLFG TOP 10
1. Chelsea v Manchester United - the biggest match of the weekend takes place at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Jose Mourinho's team are starting to look ominously good and briefly topped the table on Saturday after their win at Hull. On the other hand, Man Utd have been in absolutely dreadful form, by their standards, losing three games in a row in three different competitions. However, it is all relative and Saturday's league win over Swansea was their fifth in six Premier League matches so they're still a pretty capable bunch. (Premier League, Sunday 19 January, 4pm. Ticket info)
2. Arsenal v Fulham - a north versus west London derby between teams at either end of the table. Arsenal could well be top by kick-off and are overwhelming favourites to win, in fact I don't think Fulham have ever won away against the Gunners so it'll be close to miraculous if they manage it this time. (Premier League, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
3. Queens Park Rangers v Huddersfield Town - London's top team outside the Premier League are QPR. The Shepherd's Bush club are third in the Championship and could move into the top two with a win over the Yorkshire club. The Terriers held Rangers to a 1-1 draw earlier in the season and still have realistic play-off ambitions of their own so could be tricky opponents. (Championship, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
4. Welling United v Woking - with all our local League One and Two clubs playing away, the next featured match is in the Conference Premier. After drawing their big derby against Dartford they host struggling Hyde and Woking in back-to-back games. The Cards aren't a London club but are located on the fringes of the city so this will have a bit of a derby feel to it. The hosts are just above Woking in the table and have won three of their last four against them so should start as favourites here. (Conference Premier, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
5. Sutton United v Weston-Super-Mare - most talk in the Conference South this season has been about Bromley and rightly so as they're 11 points clear at the top. However, Sutton have also been making good progress and are tucked in nicely in third. However, they've lost three of their last five and could drop out of the play-off places if they lose here. The visitors pushed for a play-off spot last season but just fell short and are in a similar position this year, a win here could put them in the top five. (Conference South, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
6. Wealdstone v Billericay Town - the Stones ended the weekend top of the Isthmian League despite losing at midtable Canvey Island. However, they are only there by virtue of superior goal difference over Kingstonian who notched a crucial 2-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet on Sunday to move level on points. Billericay have had an indifferent time since relegation from the Conference South and have been short of games of late because of the bad weather. They are unbeaten in four though, all away from home, and won at AFC Hornchurch who are also in the title-chasing pack. (Isthmian League Premier Division, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
7. VCD Athletic v Redbridge - the hosts raced out of the blocks at the start of the season and built up a sizeable lead which shocked a lot of people. How had the newly promoted club done so well? From the beginning of November the results began to dip and they've now lost four of their last seven matches but they are still top of the tree albeit by only one point. The Motormen are stuck in midtable and have taken a couple of sound beatings recently so should lose here too. (Isthmian League Division 1 North, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
8. Northwood v Uxbridge - our local representatives in the Southern League have been a bit of a let down this season with the exception of Northwood who could move into the play-off places with a win in this local derby. They are in better form than the Reds but got thumped 5-1 in the reverse fixture back in September so it could be close. (Southern League Division 1 Central, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
9. Hanwell Town v Ashford United - this Saturday is also FA Vase fourth round day. One of the ties of the round must surely be this one at Reynolds Field where two of the best sides from parallel leagues meet for a place in the last 16. Hanwell are currently second in the Spartan South Midlands League but would be 11 points clear at the top if they won their games in hand. Kent club Ashford, on the other hand, are one of the leading lights in the Southern Counties East League so it should be quite a contest. (FA Vase, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Club info)
10. Hanworth Villa v Eastbourne United - the only other tie in London is at Rectory Meadow, also on the west side of town. This match isn't quite as eye-catching as the one above as it's between a midtable Combined Counties League side and Eastbourne who are currently top of their division but from a level below (Level 10/Step 6). Given the visitors' decent season, there could be a cupset on the cards. (FA Vase, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Club info)
If you have any questions or want advice about watching football in London, you can contact TLFG using the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or email.
2. Arsenal v Fulham - a north versus west London derby between teams at either end of the table. Arsenal could well be top by kick-off and are overwhelming favourites to win, in fact I don't think Fulham have ever won away against the Gunners so it'll be close to miraculous if they manage it this time. (Premier League, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
3. Queens Park Rangers v Huddersfield Town - London's top team outside the Premier League are QPR. The Shepherd's Bush club are third in the Championship and could move into the top two with a win over the Yorkshire club. The Terriers held Rangers to a 1-1 draw earlier in the season and still have realistic play-off ambitions of their own so could be tricky opponents. (Championship, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
4. Welling United v Woking - with all our local League One and Two clubs playing away, the next featured match is in the Conference Premier. After drawing their big derby against Dartford they host struggling Hyde and Woking in back-to-back games. The Cards aren't a London club but are located on the fringes of the city so this will have a bit of a derby feel to it. The hosts are just above Woking in the table and have won three of their last four against them so should start as favourites here. (Conference Premier, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
5. Sutton United v Weston-Super-Mare - most talk in the Conference South this season has been about Bromley and rightly so as they're 11 points clear at the top. However, Sutton have also been making good progress and are tucked in nicely in third. However, they've lost three of their last five and could drop out of the play-off places if they lose here. The visitors pushed for a play-off spot last season but just fell short and are in a similar position this year, a win here could put them in the top five. (Conference South, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
6. Wealdstone v Billericay Town - the Stones ended the weekend top of the Isthmian League despite losing at midtable Canvey Island. However, they are only there by virtue of superior goal difference over Kingstonian who notched a crucial 2-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet on Sunday to move level on points. Billericay have had an indifferent time since relegation from the Conference South and have been short of games of late because of the bad weather. They are unbeaten in four though, all away from home, and won at AFC Hornchurch who are also in the title-chasing pack. (Isthmian League Premier Division, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
7. VCD Athletic v Redbridge - the hosts raced out of the blocks at the start of the season and built up a sizeable lead which shocked a lot of people. How had the newly promoted club done so well? From the beginning of November the results began to dip and they've now lost four of their last seven matches but they are still top of the tree albeit by only one point. The Motormen are stuck in midtable and have taken a couple of sound beatings recently so should lose here too. (Isthmian League Division 1 North, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
8. Northwood v Uxbridge - our local representatives in the Southern League have been a bit of a let down this season with the exception of Northwood who could move into the play-off places with a win in this local derby. They are in better form than the Reds but got thumped 5-1 in the reverse fixture back in September so it could be close. (Southern League Division 1 Central, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Ticket info)
9. Hanwell Town v Ashford United - this Saturday is also FA Vase fourth round day. One of the ties of the round must surely be this one at Reynolds Field where two of the best sides from parallel leagues meet for a place in the last 16. Hanwell are currently second in the Spartan South Midlands League but would be 11 points clear at the top if they won their games in hand. Kent club Ashford, on the other hand, are one of the leading lights in the Southern Counties East League so it should be quite a contest. (FA Vase, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Club info)
10. Hanworth Villa v Eastbourne United - the only other tie in London is at Rectory Meadow, also on the west side of town. This match isn't quite as eye-catching as the one above as it's between a midtable Combined Counties League side and Eastbourne who are currently top of their division but from a level below (Level 10/Step 6). Given the visitors' decent season, there could be a cupset on the cards. (FA Vase, Saturday 18 January, 3pm. Club info)
If you have any questions or want advice about watching football in London, you can contact TLFG using the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or email.
You are missing Lewisham Borough are at home tonight in Kent Invicta league - http://www.kentishfootball.co.uk/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9578&Itemid=44
ReplyDeleteSorry, picked this up too late in the day to be able to add. Thanks for telling me - did you go?
ReplyDelete