TLFG: 29 September - 5 October 2014

Greetings everyone and welcome to the latest edition of TLFG.

I'm going to keep things relatively brief this week as I'm really tired after running the Ealing Half Marathon this morning. It's had rave reviews in the past and I really have to agree that it is a fine race so if distance running is your thing put it in your diary for next year and combine it with a weekend of football watching here in the capital.

I haven't seen any football again this week but I'm all set to walk from Loftus Road to Upton Park on Sunday ahead of the Premier League game between West Ham and QPR. Every year a group of Rangers fans do a charity walk to raise funds for the QPR Tiger Cubs  - a club for kids and young people with Down's syndrome. We've made about £40,000 since I approached the club about setting up the event in 2010.

QPR's players show their support for this year's 'Tiger Feet' charity walk

It's a shame I've got to cut things a bit short as it's a huge week for football in London with big derbies, Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup and FA Vase matches all taking place. Scour the map and enjoy!

Anyway, that's it from me. Don't forget, you can get all the latest ticket information for our local clubs and other big games taking place in the capital on the 'Match Ticket Info' page .

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.

Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries.

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

LATEST TICKET NEWS

Please follow this link or click on the tab at the top of the page for all the information you need about how to get a ticket, what's currently available to non-members at London's biggest clubs and any other special offers or promotions which might be running.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 80 matches in the London area over the next seven days so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

However, 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).

MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures

Turquoise pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Magenta pin - Friday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures

Red pin - Sunday fixtures

View London match map 29 September - 5 October 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. If I miss one that you think should get a mention then add your own in the comments section below. This will be far shorter than normal as I don't have the energy or time this week - sorry.

TLFG TOP 10

1. Chelsea v Arsenal - the big matches are coming thick and fast for both these sides at the moment. The Blues are top and the Gunners are fourth and it's a huge London derby. Need I say more? (Premier League, Sunday 5 October, 205pm. Ticket info)

2. Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton - new Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino welcomes former club Southampton to White Hart Lane. After an impressive start, the north London club are winless in four in the league while the club he left have gone from strength to strength under Ronald Koeman. The Saints could go joint top if they win here. (Premier League, Sunday 5 October, 205pm. Ticket info)

3. West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers - London is going to be a busy place on Sunday afternoon as we have this derby too. Neither side have made a scintillating start to the season but the Hammers pushed Manchester United hard on Saturday. QPR are in the bottom three but are led by Harry Redknapp who is most famous for his association with West Ham where he played and managed for a number of years. (Premier League, Sunday 5 October, 415pm. Ticket info)

4. Watford v Brentford - the Hornets have made a confident start to the campaign and are sat nicely in fourth after only losing two league games. The Bees had a terrible few days where they soundly lost back-to-back games against Norwich and Middlesbrough but they bounced back superbly on Saturday with a solid 2-0 win over Leeds. A win here will move them level with Watford. (Championship, Tuesday 30 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

5. Fulham v Bolton Wanderers - at the other end of the table we've got an early six-pointer between two former Premier League clubs who are finding this season very tough indeed. Both sides have only managed one league win so far but Fulham's came yesterday under caretaker boss Kit Symons so the form is with them.  (Championship, Wednesday 1 October, 8pm. Ticket info)

6. Leyton Orient v Swindon Town - after the heartbreak of last season's play-off final, Orient have found it hard to get going this season and are just a point above the relegation zone. Swindon are usually play-off contenders at the very least and they're right up there in third with a game in hand on second-placed Peterborough (League One, Saturday 4 October, 3pm. Ticket info)

7. Welling United v Dartford - it's derby time in the Conference on Tuesday when these two south-east London rivals meet for the first time this season. In recent years there have been some big meetings between these two and hopefully this won't disappoint. Both sides were among the favourites for relegation but they're keeping their heads above water at the moment with only a point separating them. (Conference Premier, Tuesday 30 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

8. Enfield Town v Eastbourne Borough - it's FA Cup replay time and we could have a cupset on our hands. Enfield are at the wrong end of the Isthmian League but recorded a very creditable 1-1 draw at Eastbourne on Saturday. The Sussex side were briefly top of the Conference South but have lost three on the trot meaning they could be vulnerable here. (FA Cup, Tuesday 30 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

9. Tooting & Mitcham United v Bishop's Stortford - there's a bigger gulf of two divisions between these clubs as TMU of the Isthmian Division 1 South also host Conference South opposition. The Terrors did really well to hold the Hertfordshire club to a 0-0 draw on Saturday and they'll have to be at their best again to progress here. (FA Cup, Tuesday 30 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

10. Kingstonian v Romford - the K's will have been disappointed not to see off lower ranked Romford on Saturday with a 0-0 draw forcing this replay. The hosts will again start as favourites but the Boro are likely to be well motivated and this could lead to one of the surprises of the round. (FA Cup, Monday 29 September, 745pm. Ticket 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.

TLFG: 22-28 September 2014

Hi there one and all and welcome to TLFG.

How's your week been? With Non-League Day (NLD) now well and truly over, it's been nice to have a week doing more mundane things.

Sadly my free Saturday saw me awarded babysitting duties so I had to listen to QPR v Stoke City out of my window, gauging how things were going by the reaction of the crowd.

Aside from Niko Kranjcar's fine late free-kick which earned Rangers a 2-2 draw, I don't think there were a huge amount of positives to come out of the game. Today's results have also been pretty dire, pushing us into the bottom three.

Next up is a trip to in-form Southampton so I'm not expecting too much from that. However, QPR do have a good record at St Mary's where they've won three times and drawn twice since it opened in 2001.

Going back to NLD, I'm pleased to report that a friend of mine who joined me at Dulwich Hamlet a couple of weeks ago was so impressed with what he saw that he went back again on Saturday with his girlfriend so hopefully there have been a few more like him doing the same thing around the country.

In other news, I have a big birthday coming up in November and am hoping to mark it by going to watch some European football. I've been to a few of the big clubs already and am still debating where I want to go and what tickets will be available.

There's usually always some big matches on with the probably the most notable being Paris St Germain v Marseille but tickets for this are very hard to get. Besiktas v Fenerbahce appeals too but I think the game will be played at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium some way out of Istanbul's central area as the hosts' ground is being rebuilt.

There are some massive games in the Champions League as well but matches like Ajax v Barcelona and Bayern Munich v Roma will both see their tickets fall into the goldust category.

A Portuguese twin centre break seeing Benfica one night and Sporting the next and then heading over to Madeira to see Nacional play the Eagles again also appeals but I've been to Lisbon before and seen games at both grounds.

I'd love to go to Moscow too. Here I can do a parkrun on the Saturday morning and then see Dinamo v CSKA or Torpedo v Lokomotiv. Spartak are at home too. However, I find the prospect of going to see football in Russia quite daunting given the very different language and less than brilliant reputation of some of the fans.

If you've got any advice about watching Russian football or recommendations about any other European games in early November then I'd love to hear from you.

Anyway, that's it from me. Don't forget, you can get all the latest ticket information for our local clubs and other big games taking place in the capital on the 'Match Ticket Info' page .

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.

Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries.

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

LATEST TICKET NEWS

Please follow this link or click on the tab at the top of the page for all the information you need about how to get a ticket, what's currently available to non-members at London's biggest clubs and any other special offers or promotions which might be running.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are 90 matches in the London area over the next seven days so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

However, 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).

MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures

Turquoise pin - Wednesday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures

Red pin - Sunday fixtures

View London match map 22-28 September 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. If I miss one that you think should get a mention then add your own in the comments section below.

TLFG TOP 10

1. Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur - it wasn't hard to identify this as the game of the week in London. The big match on the north side of town is arguably THE derby when it comes to ranking such matches throughout the capital. Although there are geographically closer rivals or even more bitter ones, overall I think this generally shades things. The Gunners usually start as favourites and will do so here given their better start to the season and home advantage. Arsene Wenger's side have won the last four games, in all competitions, against Spurs at the Emirates netting 13 goals in the process. (Premier League, Saturday 27 September, 530pm. Ticket info)

2. Chelsea v Aston Villa - if Villa hadn't lost at home to Arsenal on Saturday, this would've been a clash of the Premier League's top two. However, they did so it will be first against third. As I write this, the Blues have just drawn 1-1 with Manchester City to go three points clear. Jose Mourinho's side saw off other unfancied contenders Swansea last weekend and you'd expect them to do the same here. Interestingly, the head-to-head record between these two is exactly even with 57 wins apiece and 34 draws in all competitions.  (Premier League, Saturday 27 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

3. Charlton Athletic v Middlesbrough - the Addicks' draw with Rotherham on Saturday saw them extend their unbeaten league run to eight games. The dropped points saw them pushed out of the play-off places by Boro whose 4-0 drubbing of Brentford was their performance of the season. Aitor Karanka's side have really started to hit form after a rocky start and will be tough to beat. Boro are also becoming a bit of a bogey team for Charlton at The Valley where they have won on the last three occasions. (Championship, Saturday 27 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

4. Dagenham & Redbridge v York City - in League Two, London rivals AFC Wimbledon had a dream week recording back-to-back wins over the top two. Although avoiding defeat against Cheltenham, the Daggers are findings things tougher with their winless run now standing at five games. This sequence of results has left them just one point above the relegation zone making this match against fellow strugglers York an important one. Although the Minstermen are tough to beat, with only one defeat this season, they've only managed one win so are right down there too. Last season the hosts won 2-0 so they'll be hoping for more of the same. (League Two, Saturday 27 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

5. Dulwich Hamlet v Wingate & Finchley - Tuesday is a huge night in the Isthmian League with its top four clubs all in action against each other. Margate and Maidstone, the top two, meet in a huge Kent derby while back in London, third placed Dulwich host fourth placed Wingate. The fact that Maidstone, Margate and Dulwich fill the top three places will surprise no-one but Wingate in fourth after 11 matches with a game in hand is something very few would've predicted. The north London club are one of the smallest in the division attracting a tenth of the support Maidstone do on a good day. Not only this but they also got relegated last season but stayed up courtesy of financial problems at other clubs. Shrewd transfers have transformed W&F into a fine side who should be quite capable of giving a talented Dulwich team, who are going through a rocky patch, a run for their money. (Isthmian League Premier Division, Tuesday 23 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

6. Wealdstone v Concord Rangers - it's FA Cup time again this weekend with the Second Qualifying Round seeing the entry of Conference South clubs. Two such teams meet at Grosvenor Vale. The Stones looked to have finally turned the corner on Tuesday when they got their first win of the season at Whitehawk but sadly their bad form returned on Saturday when they lost 3-0 at home to St Albans City. Gordon Bartlett's side enjoyed a notable run to the FA Trophy semi-final in 2012 and they could do with a good cup run this year to get their season back on track. Like Wingate, Concord are another side who are punching well above their weight and put four past Wealdstone in the league just over a week ago so they'll fancy their chances here. (FA Cup, Saturday 27 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

7. Hendon v Leiston - with the top four in the Isthmian League all playing each other on Tuesday, the teams in fifth and sixth, at the time of writing, meet in the FA Cup on Saturday. The Greens are another side who do consistently well on relatively meagre resources. Always seemingly in the hunt for a play-off place despite being without a ground of their own for five years. Gary McCann, in charge since 2005, has done a tremendous job to keep Hendon competitive. Suffolk club Leiston have made a decent start to their campaign but came unstuck at struggling Harrow on Saturday and will hope that Earlsmead, where Hendon also play, won't be unlucky for them again. (FA Cup, Saturday 27 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

8. VCD Athletic v Harrow Borough - there's another all Isthmian League affair in this tie too. The Vickers have made spectacular progress over the last two seasons winning back-to-back promotions to move from the Kent League up to the heady heights of the Isthmian League Premier Division. It looks like such progress will halt this season and could even reverse as they've found life at this level tough losing eight of their first 11 games. My beloved Harrow are one of the perennial strugglers of this division but somehow never get relegated. They would've fallen into the drop zone yesterday but managed a shock win over Leiston. VCD have never made it beyond this round of the FA Cup while Harrow seem either go out straight away or achieve First Round glory. It's anyone's!  (FA Cup, Saturday 27 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

9. Romford v Kingstonian - this is one of the only ties in London which sees a team from a lower division play host to one of the bigger clubs. Romford have had an unspectacular start to the season and are sitting comfortably enough in the middle of the Isthmian League Division 1 North table. On Saturday they lost 3-1 at home to Aveley in a local derby so they'll really have to raise their game for the visit of the K's. Kingstonian, from the division above, finished second last year and should really be in the Conference South but they lost in the play-offs. This season they should challenge again with their current ninth place the product of them having played two or three games less than most of their rivals. In Isthmian League terms there's a bit of the David versus Goliath about this but this is the FA Cup so anything could happen. (FA Cup, Saturday 27 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

10. Thurrock v Aveley - at the same ground a day later we've got this mouthwatering local derby. Only a mile separates these two clubs geographically and only a point separates them in the Isthmian League Division 1 North table with Thurrock third and Aveley fourth. The Fleet have won three on the bounce scoring 11 in the process while the Millers have gone on a staggering run which has seen them win nine in a row in all competitions. With local bragging rights and £4,500 of prize money up for grabs, the stakes are high. (Sunday 28 September, 2pm. Ticket 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.

TLFG: 15-21 September 2014

After the last two weeks of Non-League Day (NLD) preparation, everything's been far more relaxed at TLFG Towers.

There's been a bit of digesting of figures, a few emails sent out and big thank yous given to my volunteers.

One thing I was often asked by journalists during the build-up to NLD was what I thought Premier League clubs should be doing to help their non-league counterparts.

I came up with a few simple, inexpensive suggestions one of which was to promote local clubs' games when the Premier League sides were not in action or had a non-3pm kick-off time.

Pretty much every weekend sees top-flight matches being played on Sundays so there's usually always fans floating about with no game to go to but getting them out of their house to make a special trip to a club they don't know takes quite a bit of effort.

TARGET 1% 

However, if fans are heading to an early evening kick-off and there's another game on at 3pm in the locale then they might not need as much persuading.

Such an opportunity exists this weekend when West Ham United host Liverpool in the Premier League at 530pm.

Earlier in the afternoon, a short walk along Upton Lane you'll find the Old Spotted Dog - the oldest ground in London. At 3pm there's an Essex Senior League game between London Bari and Ilford. Alternatively to the south of the Boleyn Ground, you could also head to the Terence McMillan Stadium to watch Newham take on Sawbridgeworth Town in the same division. If only 1% of the West Ham and Liverpool fans heading to the game made a stop at one of these first then it would give these clubs possibly their biggest crowds of the season if not ever so please consider it if you are going. Tickets are only five or six quid and you'd be making a big difference to the clubs involved.

Anyway, that's it from me. Don't forget, you can get all the latest ticket information for our local clubs and other big games taking place in the capital on the 'Match Ticket Info' page .

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.

Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries.

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

LATEST TICKET NEWS

Please follow this link or click on the tab at the top of the page for all the information you need about how to get a ticket, what's currently available to non-members at London's biggest clubs and any other special offers or promotions which might be running.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 80 matches in the London area over the next seven days so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

However, 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).

MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures

Turquoise pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Magenta pin - Friday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures

Red pin - Sunday fixtures

View London match map 15-21 September 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. If I miss one that you think should get a mention then add your own in the comments section below.

TLFG TOP 10

1. Chelsea v Schalke 04 - the obvious top pick in London this week is the Blues' opening Champions League fixture against Die Konigsblauen from Germany. Jose Mourinho's side were expected to do well this season and with four wins from four and averaging nearly four goals a game, they're not letting anyone down. The same can't be said for Schalke who have taken only one point from their opening three matches, albeit against Bayern Munich. The pair also met in the group stages last season with Chelsea winning both games 3-0 and it's hard to see it being much different here. (Wednesday 17 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

2. Brentford v Norwich City - I'm going to go a bit off piste here and not recommend any Premier League games this week even though there are three of them. To me, it's a much bigger week in the Championship. Brentford have made a fine return to life at this level after an absence of over 20 years. After a brief wobble at the beginning they've now gone four games unbeaten and have climbed to sixth. On Saturday they enjoyed a thrilling 3-2 win over Brighton in front of their biggest crowd of the season. On Tuesday they entertain Norwich, freshly relegated from the Premier League and seen by many as title favourites. Tickets for this game are on general sale but only to those with a previous booking history. If the Bees continue to do well, tickets for their 12,000 capacity ground will become increasingly hard to get hold off. (Tuesday 16 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

3. Charlton Athletic v Wolverhampton Wanderers - the Addicks and Watford battled out a 1-1 draw on Saturday meaning they both missed out on the chance to go top. One side to also drop points and miss out on becoming leaders were newly promoted Wolves. Their 0-0 draw at winless Blackpool would've been disappointing so they'll want to bounce back with something more substantial here. Since 2000 the clubs have met five times at The Valley with Charlton ahead by three wins to two. Will Wolves level things up? I'd say there's a good chance. (Tuesday 16 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

4. Millwall v Nottingham Forest - with three wins from their first six, the Lions are doing a lot better than many would've thought. Still seen as a good bet for relegation with some bookmakers, they will look to give current leaders Forest a run for their money on Saturday. Aside from Charlton, the East Midlands club are the only unbeaten side in the division but have to get through their big derby match with Derby County on Sunday and a midweek game against Fulham before travelling down for this one. Millwall have a good record against Forest and usually always match or better their results when they play them over two games in a season - doubles are very rare indeed. (Saturday 20 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

5. AFC Wimbledon v Burton Albion - the Dons have got a massive week coming up with back-to-back home games against the top two in League Two. First up are leaders Burton who are in formidable form, having won six and drawn one so far. They've also topped up that record with League Cup victories over Wigan Athletic and QPR so they are hot, hot, hot right now. It looks very tough for Wimbledon but they did take four points off them last season so there is cause for some hope. (Tuesday 16 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

6. Barnet v Wrexham - after failing to make the play-offs last season, the Bees brought in Martin Allen for his fourth spell in charge and he seems to be getting results. With only one defeat in their opening nine games they are sitting pretty at the top of the Conference, one point ahead of Woking. They are also the division's highest scorers so Wrexham will have their work cut out keeping them at bay. The Dragons, a League One side as recently as 2005, are one of the biggest clubs in the division and have lost in three of the last four play-off finals so should pose a decent test. (Tuesday 16 September, 8pm. Ticket info)

7. Metropolitan Police v South Park - after Saturday's first qualifying round ties, we've been left with a few FA Cup replays. The first of them takes place at Imber Court where two Isthmian League clubs battle it out for the £3,000 prize money on offer for getting through. These two met the season before last in the fourth qualifying round with the Met getting through and drawing League One side Crawley Town in the First Round Proper. The hosts are still the higher ranked team and should progress. (Tuesday 16 September, 745pm. Club info)

8. Chipstead v Merstham - there's another all Isthmian League affair in this replay too. Both sides play in Division 1 South but they are also near neighbours with little more than the M25 motorway separating the two towns so this is very much a derby. The Chips are the form team at the moment and would be top if they won their games in hand. Merstham are in midtable but will surely raise their game for this one. (Tuesday 16 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

9. Northwood v Barton Rovers - on the north west side of town between Harrow and Watford we have a replay between two Southern League clubs. There has been little to choose between them this season with both locked together on 10 points from eight games. On Saturday they drew 1-1 in the original tie so this could easily go all the way to penalties.  (Tuesday 16 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

10. Haringey Borough v FC Romania - last up this week we've got an Essex Senior League match between the top two. The hosts are currently top and are on a 20-game winning streak stretching back to last season. They have to negotiate a tricky trip to Ilford on Wednesday before this one but will still be top whatever happens by the time this one kicks off. FC Romania used to groundshare with Haringey where I went to see them play in the Middlesex County League a couple of seasons ago. They looked to be a very classy side for the level back then and have contniued to make good progress since. They have a 100% league record this season and are only in second because they've played fewer games. (Saturday 20 September, 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.

TLFG: 8-14 September 2014

Well it's all over for another year.

What am I talking about? Non-League Day (NLD) of course.

The last few days of the campaign became quite intense as more and more people got involved and backed the campaign. It was pretty overwhelming, in a good way, as things just got bigger and bigger.

Getting great pre-event publicity is the sort of thing you dream of but if it's not backed up by people actually attending games then the whole thing becomes a bit pointless.

On Saturday morning I rose at about 6am to have a bit of breakfast and get the social media side of things off and running. Before too long we were one of the top trends in the UK (ultimately we finished fifth over the whole day).

Completing my 50th parkrun on Wormwood Scrubs

In previous years I've had to anchor myself to my laptop to keep generating interest to keep us in those top spots but this year I was able to take a couple of hours off, go and complete my 50th parkrun (which has taken me about two-and-half years to achieve), do a bit of post-run socialising and come back home again. Every time I checked, #nonleagueday was in the top four - an excellent sign.

Crucially, the weather was also holding up. All was going to plan.

I'd chosen some time ago to spend my afternoon at Isthmian League club Dulwich Hamlet who were playing Hampton & Richmond Borough in the seventh tier of English football. The south London club had never been at home on NLD and had always promised to throw the kitchen sink at it if they ever were.

They have a relatively large, diverse, colourful and lively fanbase who usually generate crowds of 600-700 so I knew it would be worth going whatever happened.

I met a few work colleagues at East Dulwich station and then headed up to the ground followed by a procession of fans, driven on by a drummer, who had walked from nearby Peckham Rye as another way of generating publicity.

One of the club's stated aims of the day was to smash their attendance record of 1,835 which had stood since 1998. Deep down I thought this was ambitious with anything over 1,000 a highly creditable effort.

A packed Champion Hill watches as Dulwich go close to opening the scoring

With the game under way and most people in, Champion Hill did seem busy and I figured the 1,000 mark had almost certainly been reached.

Safe with this thought, I settled down to enjoy the game. Midway through the first half I was joined by Francis Duku - one of the NLD team and a former captain of Dulwich. As he made his way round the ground to meet me you could track his progress by the sections of the crowd chanting his name as he walked past - a true legend in the area.

On meeting up, he quickly assessed that there must've been 2,000 present and being someone who's played in front of many crowds he was probably a better person to be able to judge.

For me, the game became secondary as I just soaked up the atmosphere, took everything in and tried to find out what was happening elsewhere in the country.

I got so distracted that with the game coming to its conclusion I realised I'd completely missed one of Dulwich's players being sent off and only found out from Francis after Hampton's injury-time goal which salvaged them a 2-2 draw. In all the commotion surrounding that incident, we'd both also missed the attendance announcement and found out a few minutes after the final whistle that the crowd had actually been 2,856 exceeding all our wildest expectations!

Celebrating news of the fantastic attendance with Francis and the rest of the crew

I'm still pinching myself now. Only Grimsby Town, a former Championship club, had a higher crowd throughout the 'non-leagues' and it also exceeded that of five Football League clubs including Crawley in League One.

Although I've yet to see proper stats for most divisions, there were many other positive stories. One simple stat showed total attendance in the three divisions of the Conference was up 7,000 on last week.

The next few weeks will be spent trying to collate data and discuss with the rest of the team how it went and where we go from here, so the work never really ends.

Don't forget, there's another international break on 11 October so although it's not officially Non-League Day, there is another great opportunity for clubs to try and bring some new fans in or bring other ones back. If you're feeling adventurous, the first overseas version of NLD will be taking place in Germany that weekend. Called Lokalrunde, the event will also be taking place in Switzerland so give it a go if you fancy a weekend away.

Anyway, that's it from me. Don't forget, you can get all the latest ticket information for our local clubs and other big games taking place in the capital on the 'Match Ticket Info' page .

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.

Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries.

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

LATEST TICKET NEWS

Please follow this link or click on the tab at the top of the page for all the information you need about how to get a ticket, what's currently available to non-members at London's biggest clubs and any other special offers or promotions which might be running.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are 90 matches in the London area over the next seven days so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

However, 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).

MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures

Turquoise pin - Wednesday fixtures
Magenta pin - Friday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures

Red pin - Sunday fixtures

View London match map 8-14 September 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. If I miss one that you think should get a mention then add your own in the comments section below.

TLFG TOP 10

1. Arsenal v Manchester City - after a couple of weeks off, the Premier League returns with a bang as two of its biggest clubs meet in this lunchtime kick-off. After three games, neither are yet firing on all cylinders with Arsenal unbeaten but only having won once and City winning twice but suffering a shock home defeat to Stoke. Historically this has been a very bad fixture for the Mancunians who have won only two league games away from home against the Gunners over the last 40 years. However, the visitors are now a dramatically different side to the one that competed for most of that time and will probably start as favourites. (Saturday 13 September, 1245pm. Ticket info)

2. Chelsea v Swansea City - not many people would have predicted that these two teams would be locked on level points at the top of the table at this stage of the season, something borne out by it's run of the mill Saturday 3pm kick-off. As they move into their fourth season in the top flight, the Welsh side are really starting to establish themselves. Aside from a shaky patch last season, the other two campaigns were impressive. Under new, untested boss Garry Monk some might have feared this could be a tough campaign but there's no sign of it at the moment with the highlight being their opening day win at Manchester United. The Blues have been more free scoring though and should have enough to take all three points. (Saturday 13 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

3. Charlton Athletic v Watford - the Addicks have continued to build on their solid start and are one of only two teams to have unbeaten records after five games of the Championship season. As a result of drawing three of them they only find themselves in sixth. The Hornets, on the other hand, have 12 points and are tucked just a point behind leaders Nottingham Forest in second. Games between these two can go either way and often produce at least three or four goals. (Saturday 13 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

4. Brentford v Brighton & Hove Albion - the Bees are new to the Championship following promotion and are starting to get a strong foothold in the division after a slightly wobbly couple of games. Currently in a very respectable eighth they next host Brighton who should be doing better than they are under new boss Sami Hyypia. The Seagulls came unstuck in the play-offs, saw their manager resign and then sold their top scorer to Leicester. Despite this they are still one of the biggest clubs in the division and should challenge for promotion again. Given Brighton's close proximity to London they will bring a large following and I expect quite a lively game. (Saturday 13 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

5. Boreham Wood v Eastbourne Borough - nothing in the next three divisions is taking my fancy so next up it's the Conference South clash between the teams currently ranked third and second. Both sides had pretty unremarkable seasons last time so it's quite something to see the two of them right up there. Eastbourne have a game in hand on leaders Basingstoke so will go top if they win this. The Wood enjoyed a fine win at Gosport on Non-League Day but this means they'll have little recovery time unlike Borough who've had a week off. (Monday 8 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

6. Wealdstone v Bath City - at the other end of the table we've got a clash of the bottom two in an early season six-pointer. The Stones came up from the Isthmian League last season and I thought, like quite a few others, that they'd acquit themselves pretty well. However, it hasn't proved to be the case and they have become the only side in the division not to have won a game so far this season. Despite having won a game, Bath are actually the basement side but do have a game in hand of Gordon Bartlett's team. The last time these sides were in the same division some seven years ago, Bath won both games. (Tuesday 9 September, 745pm. Ticket info)

7. Clapton v Barking - over in east London we've got this tasty looking derby in the Essex Senior League. Both sides have begun well and fill spots in the top four. On Saturday, Barking came unstuck at Stanway in the FA Vase while the Tons had a bye so had the week off. As mentioned many times previously, the hosts have a much larger and more vocal support than many in this league so London's oldest ground shouldn't lack atmosphere. (Saturday 13 September, 3pm. Club info)

8. AFC Hayes v Harrow Borough - this Saturday it's FA Cup time and there are a few derbies in town. Over on the west side we've got this game between two neighbours. Hayes, formerly Brook House, play a level below Harrow and have only managed two draws this season so start very much as underdogs. Apart from a couple of seasons, Harrow have a pretty atrocious record in this competition and regularly lose to clubs like this so it's anyone's. (Saturday 13 September, 3pm. Club info)

9. AFC Hornchurch v East Thurrock United - on the other side of town we've got an Essex derby between two Isthmian League Premier Division sides. The Urchins have been one of the shocks of the season having begun so badly (one point from nine games) despite starting as one of the favourites. East Thurrock only just avoided relegation last season but have begun much better this time round meaning they start as favourites in my book.  (Saturday 13 September, 3pm. Ticket info)

10. Grays Athletic v Harlow Town - last up this week we have this FA Cup tie between two more Essex rivals. After a slow start, Grays have started to pick up a bit of momentum winning four of their last five league games. Harlow play a level below in the Isthmian League Division 1 North but currently top it after winning seven of their eight games. Two teams on a good run will hopefully make for a compelling match. (Saturday 13 September, 3pm. Ticket 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.