Apologies for the late publication again, it was my birthday over the weekend and I got a bit sidetracked.
One of the positives was that I actually got to go and see a game live - the FA Cup match between Leatherhead and Billericay Town.
The Surrey club are one of those teams I don't usually cover in this blog as they are located just beyond the M25 motorway but as a result they're actually not a million miles away and pretty easy to get to.
I made a real effort to get to this as a friend's son, Kristian Wynter, had just turned 18, signed for the hosts in midweek and made the subs' bench so it was a huge occasion for him. Sadly the game developed into a tight a 1-1 draw so with plenty of FA Cup glory and prize money at stake, he never made it on but I'm sure it won't be too long.
Points to note - it's an international break this week so aside from the blockbuster friendly between England and Germany at Wembley on Friday, there are only four games featuring sides in the second and third tiers over the whole week with one of those matches in the EFL Trophy, one in a county cup and the other two in the league.
One of the non-league highlights is likely to be the Essex Senior League groundhop which sees games spread over Friday and Saturday so you can really fill your boots with these. The three matches on Saturday in east London should form a great value day out but a car or bike might be required as 45 minutes to get from the opening game at Redbridge to the second match at Waltham Forest could be tricky on public transport.
Once again I'm up against it for time and must now get the school run underway. I've got the match maps up and will attempt to fill out the rest later.
One of the positives was that I actually got to go and see a game live - the FA Cup match between Leatherhead and Billericay Town.
The Surrey club are one of those teams I don't usually cover in this blog as they are located just beyond the M25 motorway but as a result they're actually not a million miles away and pretty easy to get to.
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| The ESL groundhop should provide one of the highlights of the week |
I made a real effort to get to this as a friend's son, Kristian Wynter, had just turned 18, signed for the hosts in midweek and made the subs' bench so it was a huge occasion for him. Sadly the game developed into a tight a 1-1 draw so with plenty of FA Cup glory and prize money at stake, he never made it on but I'm sure it won't be too long.
Points to note - it's an international break this week so aside from the blockbuster friendly between England and Germany at Wembley on Friday, there are only four games featuring sides in the second and third tiers over the whole week with one of those matches in the EFL Trophy, one in a county cup and the other two in the league.
One of the non-league highlights is likely to be the Essex Senior League groundhop which sees games spread over Friday and Saturday so you can really fill your boots with these. The three matches on Saturday in east London should form a great value day out but a car or bike might be required as 45 minutes to get from the opening game at Redbridge to the second match at Waltham Forest could be tricky on public transport.
Once again I'm up against it for time and must now get the school run underway. I've got the match maps up and will attempt to fill out the rest later.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Despite the international break, there are still over 70 matches in the London area over the next seven days. At non-league level it's a big week of cup football with the next rounds of the FA Trophy and FA Vase taking place and there are a number of county cup matches too.
As always, 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 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.
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 - magenta pin
Friday fixtures - black pin
Monday fixtures - yellow pin
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - magenta pin
Friday fixtures - black pin
WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin
TLFG DAILY DIGEST
In the following section I list, by day, 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. This section will be updated ASAP.
Monday 6 November
Essex Senior Cup Third Round
Aveley v Brightlingsea Regent @745pm - the only game of the night takes place on the far-eastern side of town. The competition is down to its last 32 and, on paper, the visitors should start as favourites as they play a division above their hosts
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Tuesday 7 November
EFL Trophy
Charlton Athletic v Portsmouth @745pm - a pretty decent fixture for a game in this much maligned competition with two former Premier League clubs meeting in this group stage match. Tickets are only £10 but don't expect much of a crowd
Middlesex Senior Cup Second Round
Barnet v Ashford Town (Middlesex) @8pm - I'm a huge advocate of the pro teams fielding sides in county cups so it's pleasing to see the Bees doing just that. Even though it's likely you'll only see a development team in action, you'll get to see a competitive game at The Hive and it's only £3 to get in
Wealdstone v Hayes & Yeading United @745pm - a few years ago this might well have been the tie of the round but changing fortunes for both sides have seen circumstances change significantly for these local rivals. The Stones play two divisions above H&YU and although they may be tempted to rest a few players, they tend to take this competition pretty seriously - they've made three of the last six finals
Enfield Town v Hampton & Richmond Borough @745pm - aside from Barnet, Hampton are the highest ranked team left in the cup and take things even more seriously. They've also made three of the last six finals and won them all, beating Wealdstone on each occasion. The Towners lost in the final to Northwood two years ago and should start as underdogs here
Hendon v Harrow Borough @745pm - the second round draw has thrown up some really cracking ties this year with this derby also coming out of the hat. Both these sides made good starts to the season but Harrow's run at the top of the Bostik League was unceremoniously ended by the Greens who stuffed them 6-0 at the end of August. Hendon have continued to stay in touch with the leaders and should win again
Bostik League Premier Division
Metropolitan Police v Kingstonian @745pm - the Met are on a stonking 11-game unbeaten run in all competitions which has seen them climb to a very impressive fourth in the league. On Tuesday they welcome near neighbours and eighth-placed Kingstonian knowing a win could put them second
Bostik League South Division
Greenwich Borough v Carshalton Athletic @745pm - the big spenders from south-east London missed out in the play-offs last season but are pushing hard for promotion again. Currently in second, they welcome a Robins side who they beat 3-0 in the reciprocal fixture two weeks ago
Corinthian Casuals v Molesey @745pm - if Greenwich slip up, Casuals will leapfrog them into second if they manage at least a draw here. The Tolworth club also made the play-offs last season on more meagre finances and are right up there again
FA Trophy First Qualifying Round Replay
Egham Town v Bowers & Pitsea @745pm - a trip to the seaside to play Margate awaits the winners of this tie between promotion chasers in the Evo-Stik and Bostik Leagues
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Wednesday 8 November
Bostik League North Division
Romford v Haringey Borough @745pm - if leaders Dereham fail to win at Witham on Tuesday then Haringey can go top with victory here. They have games in hand on both of the top two so even a point will be useful
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Friday 10 November
International friendly
England v Germany @8pm - top billing this week goes to this friendly at Wembley Stadium. The rivalry, certainly from England's point of view, is one of the biggest there is internationally with memorable penalty defeats to Germany in the 1990 World Cup and European Championships of 1996 the most painful. Although the record between them in recent years is pretty even (Germany 3-2 up over the last five games), England haven't beaten a unified Germany at home since 1935! The last win over a West Germany side on home soil was in 1975 so it's not much better
Professional Development League
Millwall v Ipswich Town @12pm - if you're visiting London for the match above then why not do a bit of groundhopping and check out this U23 game at the Den earlier in the afternoon
Essex Senior League
Barkingside v Clapton @745pm - if international football isn't your thing or the ticket prices are beyond your means then get involved in the first leg of the ESL groundhop. Entry is only £5 which includes a special commemorative programme celebrating 120 years of Barkingside's existence. There will also be a food collection for the homeless and you'll get to see the Clapton Ultras in action - given it's a Friday night and they're boycotting home games, there'll probably be loads of them for what is also a local derby
FA Vase Second Round
Walton & Hersham v Hanworth Villa @745pm - one of the ties of the round pits two of the top five from the Combined Counties League against each other at W&H's new state-of-the-art ground. It's just a shame it has to go up against the England game
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Saturday 11 November
League Two
Barnet v Colchester United @3pm - thanks to the international break, this is the game of the day in London certainly in terms of league position. Pressure is really building on Bees boss Rossi Eames as his side have now gone 13 games without a win in all competitions - only goal difference is keeping them out of the relegation zone. Colchester are having a pretty mediocre season and are in midtable as a result. They also lost at home to non-league Oxford City in the FA Cup on Saturday in one of the biggest upsets of the first round
National League
Boreham Wood v Hartlepool United @3pm - talking of FA Cup upsets, the Wood also pulled off a big shock with a home win over Blackpool on Saturday. The Hertfordshire club are also having a decent season in the league and welcome former EFL side Hartlepool for another big game
National League South
Welling United v Concord Rangers @3pm - after a couple of challenging seasons, the Wings are firing on all cylinders again and find themselves up in third at the time of writing. A possible duel for the title with local rivals Dartford could well be on the cards this year and they should win against struggling Concord
FA Trophy Second Qualifying Round - at this stage there are 36 ties taking place around the country featuring teams from the seventh and eighth tiers of the national system. The winners of each tie receive prize money of £4,000 and go into the hat for the third qualifying round when teams from the sixth tier join the competition. The final takes place at Wembley on 20 May
Hendon v Burgess Hill Town @3pm - the Greens have started well in the Bostik Premier and should have too much for opponents from Sussex who are far nearer the wrong end of the table
Ashford Town (Middlesex) v Kingstonian @3pm - the Tangerines play a level below the K's so will be underdogs, They are, however, pushing for promotion and did well to make the third qualifying round of the FA Cup
Corinthian Casuals v Wingate & Finchley @3pm - there's some real cupset potential here with the Casuals one of the strongest teams in the division below Wingate who have lost six of their eight away games in the league this season
Thamesmead Town v Metropolitan Police @3pm - like the two games above, this is an eighth-tier side against a seventh-tier one. As already mentioned, the Met are doing really well at the moment so should win but Thamesmead did manage to hold Billericay here earlier in the season. Despite looking like a decent game on paper, the crowd will probably be negligible - Thamesmead were poorly supported before their groundshare move to Dartford and the Met have hardly any fans at all
Essex Senior League Groundhop - the highlight of the weekend in the ninth tier is this three-match feast in east London. The action gets underway at 12pm when Redbridge host Burnham Ramblers before the action switches to Walthamstow for the Waltham Forest v Woodford Town game at 230pm and finishes at the Old Spotted Dog in Forest Gate at 530pm with Hackney Wick v Wadham Lodge. As mentioned above, logistically it could be a bit tricky to get from Redbridge to Waltham Forest by public transport in under 45 minutes so having access to a car or bike might be worth considering. In all honesty, you'll probably find it much easier to get from Redbridge (Barkingside Tube) to Tower Hamlets (Mile End Tube) and their 3pm kick-off against Enfield 1893 in the FA Vase which is then much easier to get back to Forest Gate for afterwards - sorry Waltham Forest and groundhop organisers!
FA Vase Second Round - a total of 128 teams remain in this national competition for clubs in the ninth to 11th tiers. Winners of each tie receive £900 in prize money. The final takes place at Wembley on 20 May
Tower Hamlets v Enfield 1893 @3pm - the only tie in London featuring two ninth-tier clubs is this one between two Essex Senior League clubs. The hosts have made a solid start to the campaign and should start as favourites
Enfield Borough v Berkhamsted @3pm - the Panthers only formed last season and got promoted at the first attempt. Currently in the top three of the SSML Division 1 they're on for a second consecutive promotion. On Saturday they welcome the SSML Premier Division leaders for what should be an incredibly tough game
Meridian VP v Horley Town @3pm - tenth tier Meridian have done superbly well to make it this far and have set a club record in the process. Horley play one level above in the CCL Premier so will do incredibly well to keep their run going
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Sunday 12 November
League One
AFC Wimbledon v Peterborough United @230pm - end the week with a bit of third-tier action at Kingsmeadow. The Dons are teetering just above the relegation zone so badly need to win this one. It won't be easy though as Posh are chasing a play-off place themselves
FA Vase Second Round
Erith Town v Windsor @3pm - if you're a Vase fan you could see three games over the weekend thanks to this game being moved to Sunday. Erith groundshare with VCD Athletic who play on Saturday. Although the Dockers have home advantage, they are struggling this season and could find Hellenic League side Windsor to be just too strong
FA Women's Super League 1
Arsenal v Sunderland @2pm - the pick of the women's action is to be found in Boreham Wood where the Gunners will look to close the gap on joint leaders Chelsea and Manchester City
Monday 6 November
Essex Senior Cup Third Round
Aveley v Brightlingsea Regent @745pm - the only game of the night takes place on the far-eastern side of town. The competition is down to its last 32 and, on paper, the visitors should start as favourites as they play a division above their hosts
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Tuesday 7 November
EFL Trophy
Charlton Athletic v Portsmouth @745pm - a pretty decent fixture for a game in this much maligned competition with two former Premier League clubs meeting in this group stage match. Tickets are only £10 but don't expect much of a crowd
Middlesex Senior Cup Second Round
Barnet v Ashford Town (Middlesex) @8pm - I'm a huge advocate of the pro teams fielding sides in county cups so it's pleasing to see the Bees doing just that. Even though it's likely you'll only see a development team in action, you'll get to see a competitive game at The Hive and it's only £3 to get in
Wealdstone v Hayes & Yeading United @745pm - a few years ago this might well have been the tie of the round but changing fortunes for both sides have seen circumstances change significantly for these local rivals. The Stones play two divisions above H&YU and although they may be tempted to rest a few players, they tend to take this competition pretty seriously - they've made three of the last six finals
Enfield Town v Hampton & Richmond Borough @745pm - aside from Barnet, Hampton are the highest ranked team left in the cup and take things even more seriously. They've also made three of the last six finals and won them all, beating Wealdstone on each occasion. The Towners lost in the final to Northwood two years ago and should start as underdogs here
Hendon v Harrow Borough @745pm - the second round draw has thrown up some really cracking ties this year with this derby also coming out of the hat. Both these sides made good starts to the season but Harrow's run at the top of the Bostik League was unceremoniously ended by the Greens who stuffed them 6-0 at the end of August. Hendon have continued to stay in touch with the leaders and should win again
Bostik League Premier Division
Metropolitan Police v Kingstonian @745pm - the Met are on a stonking 11-game unbeaten run in all competitions which has seen them climb to a very impressive fourth in the league. On Tuesday they welcome near neighbours and eighth-placed Kingstonian knowing a win could put them second
Bostik League South Division
Greenwich Borough v Carshalton Athletic @745pm - the big spenders from south-east London missed out in the play-offs last season but are pushing hard for promotion again. Currently in second, they welcome a Robins side who they beat 3-0 in the reciprocal fixture two weeks ago
Corinthian Casuals v Molesey @745pm - if Greenwich slip up, Casuals will leapfrog them into second if they manage at least a draw here. The Tolworth club also made the play-offs last season on more meagre finances and are right up there again
FA Trophy First Qualifying Round Replay
Egham Town v Bowers & Pitsea @745pm - a trip to the seaside to play Margate awaits the winners of this tie between promotion chasers in the Evo-Stik and Bostik Leagues
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Wednesday 8 November
Bostik League North Division
Romford v Haringey Borough @745pm - if leaders Dereham fail to win at Witham on Tuesday then Haringey can go top with victory here. They have games in hand on both of the top two so even a point will be useful
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Friday 10 November
International friendly
England v Germany @8pm - top billing this week goes to this friendly at Wembley Stadium. The rivalry, certainly from England's point of view, is one of the biggest there is internationally with memorable penalty defeats to Germany in the 1990 World Cup and European Championships of 1996 the most painful. Although the record between them in recent years is pretty even (Germany 3-2 up over the last five games), England haven't beaten a unified Germany at home since 1935! The last win over a West Germany side on home soil was in 1975 so it's not much better
Professional Development League
Millwall v Ipswich Town @12pm - if you're visiting London for the match above then why not do a bit of groundhopping and check out this U23 game at the Den earlier in the afternoon
Essex Senior League
Barkingside v Clapton @745pm - if international football isn't your thing or the ticket prices are beyond your means then get involved in the first leg of the ESL groundhop. Entry is only £5 which includes a special commemorative programme celebrating 120 years of Barkingside's existence. There will also be a food collection for the homeless and you'll get to see the Clapton Ultras in action - given it's a Friday night and they're boycotting home games, there'll probably be loads of them for what is also a local derby
FA Vase Second Round
Walton & Hersham v Hanworth Villa @745pm - one of the ties of the round pits two of the top five from the Combined Counties League against each other at W&H's new state-of-the-art ground. It's just a shame it has to go up against the England game
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Saturday 11 November
League Two
Barnet v Colchester United @3pm - thanks to the international break, this is the game of the day in London certainly in terms of league position. Pressure is really building on Bees boss Rossi Eames as his side have now gone 13 games without a win in all competitions - only goal difference is keeping them out of the relegation zone. Colchester are having a pretty mediocre season and are in midtable as a result. They also lost at home to non-league Oxford City in the FA Cup on Saturday in one of the biggest upsets of the first round
National League
Boreham Wood v Hartlepool United @3pm - talking of FA Cup upsets, the Wood also pulled off a big shock with a home win over Blackpool on Saturday. The Hertfordshire club are also having a decent season in the league and welcome former EFL side Hartlepool for another big game
National League South
Welling United v Concord Rangers @3pm - after a couple of challenging seasons, the Wings are firing on all cylinders again and find themselves up in third at the time of writing. A possible duel for the title with local rivals Dartford could well be on the cards this year and they should win against struggling Concord
FA Trophy Second Qualifying Round - at this stage there are 36 ties taking place around the country featuring teams from the seventh and eighth tiers of the national system. The winners of each tie receive prize money of £4,000 and go into the hat for the third qualifying round when teams from the sixth tier join the competition. The final takes place at Wembley on 20 May
Hendon v Burgess Hill Town @3pm - the Greens have started well in the Bostik Premier and should have too much for opponents from Sussex who are far nearer the wrong end of the table
Ashford Town (Middlesex) v Kingstonian @3pm - the Tangerines play a level below the K's so will be underdogs, They are, however, pushing for promotion and did well to make the third qualifying round of the FA Cup
Corinthian Casuals v Wingate & Finchley @3pm - there's some real cupset potential here with the Casuals one of the strongest teams in the division below Wingate who have lost six of their eight away games in the league this season
Thamesmead Town v Metropolitan Police @3pm - like the two games above, this is an eighth-tier side against a seventh-tier one. As already mentioned, the Met are doing really well at the moment so should win but Thamesmead did manage to hold Billericay here earlier in the season. Despite looking like a decent game on paper, the crowd will probably be negligible - Thamesmead were poorly supported before their groundshare move to Dartford and the Met have hardly any fans at all
Essex Senior League Groundhop - the highlight of the weekend in the ninth tier is this three-match feast in east London. The action gets underway at 12pm when Redbridge host Burnham Ramblers before the action switches to Walthamstow for the Waltham Forest v Woodford Town game at 230pm and finishes at the Old Spotted Dog in Forest Gate at 530pm with Hackney Wick v Wadham Lodge. As mentioned above, logistically it could be a bit tricky to get from Redbridge to Waltham Forest by public transport in under 45 minutes so having access to a car or bike might be worth considering. In all honesty, you'll probably find it much easier to get from Redbridge (Barkingside Tube) to Tower Hamlets (Mile End Tube) and their 3pm kick-off against Enfield 1893 in the FA Vase which is then much easier to get back to Forest Gate for afterwards - sorry Waltham Forest and groundhop organisers!
FA Vase Second Round - a total of 128 teams remain in this national competition for clubs in the ninth to 11th tiers. Winners of each tie receive £900 in prize money. The final takes place at Wembley on 20 May
Tower Hamlets v Enfield 1893 @3pm - the only tie in London featuring two ninth-tier clubs is this one between two Essex Senior League clubs. The hosts have made a solid start to the campaign and should start as favourites
Enfield Borough v Berkhamsted @3pm - the Panthers only formed last season and got promoted at the first attempt. Currently in the top three of the SSML Division 1 they're on for a second consecutive promotion. On Saturday they welcome the SSML Premier Division leaders for what should be an incredibly tough game
Meridian VP v Horley Town @3pm - tenth tier Meridian have done superbly well to make it this far and have set a club record in the process. Horley play one level above in the CCL Premier so will do incredibly well to keep their run going
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Sunday 12 November
League One
AFC Wimbledon v Peterborough United @230pm - end the week with a bit of third-tier action at Kingsmeadow. The Dons are teetering just above the relegation zone so badly need to win this one. It won't be easy though as Posh are chasing a play-off place themselves
FA Vase Second Round
Erith Town v Windsor @3pm - if you're a Vase fan you could see three games over the weekend thanks to this game being moved to Sunday. Erith groundshare with VCD Athletic who play on Saturday. Although the Dockers have home advantage, they are struggling this season and could find Hellenic League side Windsor to be just too strong
FA Women's Super League 1
Arsenal v Sunderland @2pm - the pick of the women's action is to be found in Boreham Wood where the Gunners will look to close the gap on joint leaders Chelsea and Manchester City
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!
it's good that at least on your website I found the right timetable. It seems to me that this November will be excellent
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