TLFG: 1-7 October 2018

Greetings all - welcome to this week's guide.

As the baby and Non-League Day draw nearer, my time is getting more and more limited so I'm going to keep this really brief.

I've produced maps and a full daily digest below so fill your boots and keep telling me what you've been up to.

Thanks to all those who've contacted me this week - whether you've been to U23 games, FA Trophy matches or the Petrolux Kanu Cup, I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know.

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There's now less than two weeks to go until this year's Non-League Day

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 90 matches in and around the London area over the next seven days with the Champions League, Europa League and Premier League taking centre stage. There are also a few ties in the 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. 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 - magenta pin
Thursday fixtures - purple pin

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
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.

Monday 1 October

Professional Development League
There are a couple of games at U23 level on Monday afternoon. The best looking one is the derby between Millwall and Charlton but it's taking place at the Lions' training ground which usually means the public won't get to see it - check with the club on Monday morning to see what the latest info is. Elsewhere, QPR entertain Cardiff at their training ground which is usually open to whoever wants to watch

Bostik League Premier Division
Haringey Borough v Harlow Town @745pm - for me, the pick of the non-league action is this match on White Hart Lane in north London where newly promoted Haringey could go as high as fourth with a hefty win over lowly Harlow

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Tuesday 2 October

Championship
Brentford v Birmingham City @745pm - the Bees salvaged a draw against Reading on Saturday with a late equaliser after being reduced to 10 men. That gritty performance saw them climb into the top six as their impressive start to the season continued. Birmingham are well down the table but that's because they are the draw specialists of the division (seven from their opening 10 games) so they should be tough to beat

League One
AFC Wimbledon v Bradford City @745pm - the Dons picked up an important win over fellow strugglers Oxford on Saturday and now face an equally important game against another side who have found it tough going this season. The Bantams, a former Premier League club, are one of the biggest clubs in this division so a decent crowd is expected

FA Cup Second Qualifying Round
Hendon v Lancing @745pm - it's a big week in the FA Cup with the Third Qualifying Round taking place on Saturday but before that there are still a few ties to settle from the previous round after of a number of ineligible player incidents. Hendon saw their initial tie against Phoenix Sports called off for this reason with the south-east London club removed from the competition and Lancing reinstated. The Greens start this game as strong favourites and will travel to Chippenham Town on Saturday if they win

Bostik League Premier Division
AFC Hornchurch v Folkestone Invicta @745pm - both sides have made a good start and could potentially climb into the top three with a win. However, the Urchins have a big FA Cup tie on Saturday and might hold a bit back in preparation

Bostik League South East
Whyteleafe v Ramsgate @745pm - the Leafe also fell foul of an ineligible player ruling in the FA Cup and bowed out but they've looked impressive in the league and will no doubt want to focus on getting promotion - victory here could put them second

Spartan South Midlands League Division 1
Broadfields United v Park View @745pm - Preston Park looks like being an exciting place to watch football this season. Harefield, whose ground it is, are celebrating their 150th year and are top of the division while tenants Broadfields can jump above them if they win both of their two games in hand

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Wednesday 3 October

Champions League
Tottenham Hotspur v Barcelona @8pm - the match of the week takes place at Wembley where Spurs welcome Spanish champions Barcelona for this group stage game. After losing their opening match against Inter Milan and with only the top two going through, Tottenham will be desperate to get something out of this match. The sides have only met once before way back in 1982 when Barcelona beat Spurs 2-1 over two legs in the semi-final of the Cup Winners' Cup

Friendly
Brentford B v Queens Park Rangers U23 @12pm - earlier in the day there's a west London derby to enjoy at the Bees' training ground. These games are usually open to the public and free to get into but, as always, check with the club before you travel

Bostik League Premier Division
Kingstonian v Tonbridge Angels @745pm - the K's have moved back to the borough they come from after time groundsharing at Leatherhead but things aren't going too well at their new home. In the bottom five along with landlords Corinthian Casuals they're finding things tough and on Wednesday they welcome league leaders Tonbridge for another challenging fixture

Southern Counties East League Premier Division
Beckenham Town v Erith Town @745pm - the Becks are among the sides to watch in the lower divisions this season. After winning all eight of their opening games, they're already five points clear at the top and looking impressive

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Thursday 4 October

Europa League
Chelsea v MOL Vidi @8pm - the Blues begun their European campaign with a win in Greece over PAOK. On Thursday they welcome Hungarian champions Vidi (formerly known as Videoton) for a game they will be expected to win

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Saturday 6 October

Premier League
Crystal Palace v Wolverhampton Wanderers @3pm - unbeaten in three games in all competitions, the Eagles are doing a darn sight better than they were this time last year. On Saturday they welcome recently promoted Wolves who have impressed since coming up and moved up to eighth with a win over Southampton on Saturday. Palace have a very good recent record against the club from the Black Country winning all of their last three games against them
Tottenham Hotspur v Cardiff City @3pm - after the rigours of Wednesday night's big match against Barcelona, Spurs return to Wembley where they welcome Neil Warnock's Bluebirds. At the time of writing, the Welsh club are still without a win and will almost certainly struggle here - Tottenham are unbeaten in seven against Cardiff and haven't lost to them since 1977
Watford v AFC Bournemouth @3pm - Vicarage Road plays host to two of the surprise packages of the new season. The Hornets started superbly but have slightly worryingly gone three games without a win to slide to sixth. The Cherries play Palace on Monday night and will move level on points with Watford if they win so this could see one of them crack the top five with another victory

Championship
Millwall v Aston Villa @3pm - with only one win from their first 10 games, things have begun really badly for Neil Harris's side. Things were looking good against a strong Sheffield United side on Saturday until two late goals saw them lose a third game on the trot. Villa are one of the giants of the Championship but are struggling to get going and badly need the win
Queens Park Rangers v Derby County @3pm - it's fair to say these clubs have a bit of history. Since Rangers rather undeservedly beat the Rams with a last-minute goal in the 2014 Championship play-off final, there's been a bit of grudge held in the Midlands. To make things even weirder, Derby's then manager Steve McClaren is now in charge of QPR whilst Chelsea legend Frank Lampard (not the most popular at Loftus Road) is managing at Pride Park. On form, the visitors should win

League One
Charlton Athletic v Coventry City @3pm - the Addicks are now unbeaten in seven matches and are nestled nicely in the top six. On Saturday they entertain former top-flight side and FA Cup winners Coventry who have had a terrible few years but are on the up after winning last season's League Two play-offs

National League
Barnet v Solihull Moors @3pm - the Bees are models of inconsistency at the moment. They begun badly, went on a five-game winning streak and are now four games without a victory. That run could get extended when fifth-placed Solihull, on a hot run themselves, pay a visit

FA Cup Third Qualifying Round
Hampton & Richmond Borough v AFC Hornchurch @3pm - things are starting to get pretty serious for non-league sides in this grand old competition. With a princely sum of £15,000 up for grabs for winning this tie and the knowledge that only one more win in the fourth qualifying round will put them in the First Round proper against EFL sides. The Beavers, doing well in the National League South, will start this one as strong favourites against their Bostik League opponents who, don't forget, have a game in midweek to negotiate before this
Haringey Borough v AFC Sudbury @3pm - in the only other tie taking place in the capital, Haringey have a great chance of making progress as they take on a side who are stuggling badly in the eighth tier. Imagine if they eventually made the Third Round and took on Spurs at their new ground literally just down the road...

Bostik League Premier Division
Enfield Town v Merstham @3pm - if Tonbridge slip up over the course of the week, there is a chance that the Towners could be top by teatime on Saturday. With 23 goals from eight games they are way out in front in the goals scored department and Merstham are, with all due respect, nothing special so should be there for the taking

Evo-Stik League Premier Division
Harrow Borough v Hartley Wintney @3pm - talking of goals, Harrow are still among the most free-scoring teams in this division with 20 from eight games. They're not quite as accomplished as Enfield though tending to lose one game 1-0 and win the next 4-0 as they did at Chesham on Saturday, consequently they're firmly in midtable. The visitors have a had a great couple of years and are on course for their third consecutive promotion although it's obviously still early days

Bostik League South East
Cray Wanderers v Faversham Town @3pm - the hosts' 100% record may have come to an end but they are still unbeaten and already seven points clear at the top. That lead is a little false as their nearest challengers have games in hand so they'll want to keep that healthy buffer in place with another win here

Combined Counties League Premier Division
Chertsey Town v Colliers Wood United @3pm - the Curfews also saw their 100% record end this week when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sutton Common Rovers. That result left them three points clear at the top but unlike Cray above, they are the ones with games in hand on those around them. CWU are tonking along quite nicely in seventh and will be given confidence by SCR's performance against the leaders

Southern Counties East League Division 1
Erith & Belvedere v Welling Town @3pm - talking of unbeaten sides, the Boots are leaving everyone for dust in this division and strangely, given their name, travel to Welling to play away to E&B. With nine wins and a draw they are a staggering 10 points clear at the top after only 10 games. The hosts, however, are fourth and have three games in hand meaning a win here could put them firmly in contention

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Sunday 7 October

Premier League
Fulham v Arsenal @12pm - the week ends with a London derby on the banks of the Thames as the Gunners travel south-west to take on the Cottagers. Current form suggests an away win as do the history books - Fulham have won only one of their last 10 games against Arsenal home or away

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 or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

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

TLFG: 24-30 September 2018

It's almost the end of September and this weekend has definitely made me feel summer's gone and autumn's firmly on the way.

I did see mention of a few games falling by the wayside but generally most continued but it's something we'll have to get used to as the weeks progress.

Again it's been another non-event on the football watching side of things for me. To be honest, I probably spend most of my free time working on this blog and the preparations for Non-League Day (NLD) which seems a bit strange when you think about it.

Talking of NLD, the National League, Vanarama and Prostate Cancer UK officially launched their charity partnership at the Eastleigh v Dagenham & Redbridge game on Saturday lunchtime. I was invited to go along and pose for a photo or two but work got in the way and I couldn't make it which was a shame.

Subscribe to The London Football Guide

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There's now less than three weeks to go until this year's Non-League Day

As we get closer to the day, things will get pretty hectic as I try, with help from some great volunteers, to get everything in place and answer any late queries or do the odd interview - I did one for Germany's national broadcaster ARD on Friday. There is also the chance of two or three partnerships coming through before the day too but I'm always wary of how to play these as as soon as money becomes involved, things get complicated. 

NLD is always self funded, with one or two of my team also chipping in. The annual cost is incurred almost totally by our website design, hosting and maintenance costs - everything else is achieved by simply asking for favours or working contacts. To be clear, I have never made a penny and have actually put quite a bit into it since 2010. With my circumstances having changed since I set up the day and with another child imminent, the costs are starting to become an issue so having some kind of partnership which could cover those fairly minimal costs would be really helpful. Let's see what happens over the next week or two...

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 90 matches in and around the London area over the next seven days with the Premier League and Championship taking centre stage. There are also a few ties in the opening round of the FA Trophy.

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. 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 - magenta 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, 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.

Monday 24 September

Professional Development League
Charlton Athletic v Watford @2pm - the Addicks' youngsters have only managed to win one of their six games so far this season but they'll fancy their chances against the Hornets who haven't won any at all. This game is scheduled to be played at Greenwich Borough's ground but with persistent rain over the weekend, it will be well worth checking if any of the match arrangements have changed before you set off

London Senior Cup First Round
Tower Hamlets v Hackney Wick @745pm - two of the lower ranked teams in the competition meet for an east London derby (although don't expect a big crowd) in Mile End on Monday night. The winners will travel to Barking in the next round

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Tuesday 25 September

Carabao Cup Third Round
Millwall v Fulham @745pm - from a London perspective, the Carabao Cup draw has thrown up some pretty interesting ties. The only one in the capital on Tuesday is this intriguing derby at The Den. The last time these two met towards the end of last season, they were pushing hard for a place in the Championship play-offs. By all accounts, the Cottagers played superbly and won 3-0 and it was they who ultimately went up and the Lions who fell short. Neither side are playing particularly well at the moment and being a Carabao Cup game tickets are only £15 and only half the ground is being opened

National League
Sutton United v Dover Athletic @745pm - there are a couple of fifth-tier games on Tuesday with this being marginally the better option. The U's are right up in contention again thanks in part to their impressive win over promotion rivals Wrexham on Saturday. The visitors are usually there or thereabouts too so for them to bottom of the league after 12 games is something of a surprise
Barnet v Havant & Waterlooville @745pm - if the deep south of London is inconvenient for you, then maybe a trip to London's northern polar regions could be more appealing. The Bees started badly, strung a great winning run together and have now gone off the boil again - consequently they're slap bang in the middle of the table. After enjoying two consecutive promotions, Havant seem to have run out of steam and, like Dover, are among the strugglers

Bostik League South Central
Hayes & Yeading United v Northwood @745pm - two of the top eight meet for a game at the well appointed SkyEx. Compared to the National League, the Bostik League season is still in its infancy with most clubs having played only five or six league games so a win could see either jump into the top four

Bostik League South East
Phoenix Sports v Greenwich Borough @745pm - after getting embroiled in an ineligible player incident, Phoenix saw their FA Cup tie at Hendon postponed on Saturday. They'll hope to put that behind them by winning this derby

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Wednesday 26 September

Carabao Cup Third Round
Arsenal v Brentford @745pm - stop the press! For the second week running, a midweek game at the Emirates Stadium is on sale to non-members (from £10). Last week it was for a Europa League match against a little known Ukrainian team, this time it's for, what is for me, a far more interesting London derby. Despite being a tiny club compared to the Gunners, the Bees are a fine Championship side and backed by several thousand fans could give Arsenal a tough time if they show any complacency
West Ham United v Macclesfield Town @745pm - over in east London, groundhoppers have a got a good, low cost, chance to tick the London Stadium off their list as the Hammers entertain last season's National League champions. Tickets are available from £10 and are likely to be in plentiful supply

Bostik League South East
Cray Wanderers v Whyteleafe @745pm - the hosts have made a cracking start to their campaign, winning all six games to top the division. The Leafe are in third with four wins from five

Essex Senior League
Ilford v Southend Manor @745pm - with only one league defeat, the Foxes are up in second and the leading club in the division from a TLFG point of view. A healthy win over an unspectacular Manor side will put them top on goal difference

Southern Counties East League Division 1
Welling Town v Sporting Club Thamesmead @745pm - the Boots moved up to this level over the summer and have taken to life in the tenth tier like ducks to water. Unbeaten after eight games, the south-east London club are four points clear and will look to increase their lead by beating the side they groundshare with

Uefa Women's Champions League
Chelsea v SFK 2000 @730pm - after winning the away leg in Sarajevo 5-0, the Blues look certain to progress to the last 16 as they try to follow up last season's domestic double with their first European title
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Friday 28 September

Professional Development League
Watford v Crystal Palace @3pm - the Hornets' youngsters entertain their counterparts from the Eagles at Wingate & Finchley's ground

Essex Senior League
Redbridge v Woodford Town @745pm - you can easily combine the match above with this ESL encounter later in the day. Neither team have made a stunning start but with Oakside right next to Barkingside station, it's one of the easiest grounds to reach by public transport anywhere in London

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Saturday 29 September

Premier League
West Ham United v Manchester United @1230pm - the Hammers host the Red Devils in the opening game of a bumper afternoon of top-flight action in London. Relatively speaking, both sides have been out of sorts so far this season. It's hard to say how West Ham will fare but with their win over Everton last week and draw against Chelsea on Sunday, there are some signs of improvement. Man Utd have been indifferent to say the least with last weekend's hard fought win at Watford followed up with a disappointing draw against Wolves at Old Trafford - a game many said they could and possibly should have lost. This will probably simply come down to which side is more motivated and whose disgruntled supporters give the most backing
Arsenal v Watford @3pm - next up we have this derby at the Emirates Stadium. There can't have been many times when you reach the end of September and found Watford above Arsenal in the league, certainly not in the last 20 years. With four wins from six, the Hornets have been impressive this season and were unfortunate to only draw at Fulham on Saturday. At first glance you might think a win for Watford would be an upset and of course it would be, but a look through the history books shows the head-to-head between the two is incredibly close with the Gunners only 15-12 up in all competitions since their first meeting in 1906
Chelsea v Liverpool @530pm - saving the best till last we have a potential humdinger of a game as third placed Chelsea host the current leaders. The Reds have a decent record at Stamford Bridge and have only lost three times in their last 10 league visits. They brushed aside Southampton on Saturday and beat PSG in the Champions League in midweek - I'd have them as marginal favourites

Championship
Brentford v Reading @3pm - tickets for all of the above will be hard or expensive to get hold of and you could do a lot worse than go to this. The Bees have played some entertaining stuff this season and are right up among the leading pack. Located just to the west of London, Reading's matches against Brentford become derbies as geographically they are their closest divisional opponents. You would usually expect the Royals to challenge for promotion but after losing in the 2017 play-off final they've struggled and are in the bottom five again
Millwall v Sheffield United @3pm - if you're living/staying centrally and don't want to go so far out then a trip to Bermondsey to watch the Lions might be more appealing. As mentioned above, Millwall aren't on a great run at the moment and face another tough game here against the Blades who are pushing hard for top spot

League One
AFC Wimbledon v Oxford United @3pm - it's still early days but these sides are in the bottom six and this could prove to be a big game for both

National League
Leyton Orient v Sutton United @3pm - the standout game of the day at non-league level is this derby at Brisbane Road. The O's beat then leaders Harrogate Town 3-0 on Saturday to replace them at the top. Justin Edinburgh's side are now unbeaten in 12 and looking impressively good. On Saturday they welcome the U's who were London's top ranked non-league club last season and who are right up among the contenders again - it could be a cracker
Boreham Wood v Harrogate Town @3pm - if the O's do slip up, Harrogate will fancy their chances of retaking top spot with a win at The Wood who aren't quite as good as the side who made last season's play-off final

National League South
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Billericay Town @3pm - in NLS terms, this is all set to be a blockbuster. These two former Isthmian (Bostik) League champions, currently both in the top three, go head-to-head at the Beveree knowing a win could put one of them top

Bostik League Premier Division
Corinthian Casuals v Enfield Town @3pm - with only one win from their first six, Casuals are finding the step up to seventh-tier football to be quite a tough adjustment. On Saturday they welcome the Towners who are third

Evo-Stik League Premier Division
Staines Town v Weymouth @3pm - the Swans were among a clutch of clubs transferred somewhat against their will from the Bostik to Evo-Stik League over the summer. Some of the travelling has been significant and with only two wins from eight games, they've found life tough. On Saturday they take on the Terras who are one of the biggest clubs in the division and they could go top with a victory here

Bostik League South East
VCD Athletic v Cray Wanderers @3pm - it's derby time at Old Road between two decent sides - at the time of writing VCD are fifth and Cray are top

FA Trophy Extra Preliminary Round
This season's FA Trophy gets underway with an Extra Preliminary Round which I think is the first time it's happened, presumably as a result of the summer's big non-league restructure. This knockout competition is for clubs in the fifth to eighth tiers with its final at Wembley in May. Winners of each tie receive a not insubstantial amount of £2,000. There aren't really any standout ties but the games at Aveley and Uxbridge, who are currently the best local teams playing at home, should be worth a watch

Combined Counties League Premier Division
Sutton Common Rovers v Chertsey Town @3pm - after going on a dodgy run of three straight defeats, SCR managed to arrest this run and have taken four points from the last two. However, probability states that they could well come unstuck again as Dave Anderson's Curfews side have won all their league games this season and are already three points clear

Essex Senior League
Walthamstow v Leyton Athletic @3pm - it's groundshare derby time at Wadham Lodge where the hosts will look to win and push into the top three

Thurlow Nunn League Division 1 South
Hashtag United v Halstead Town @3pm - the game of the day in the 10th tier is to be found at Coles Park where it's a case of second versus first where the winner will end the day top
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Sunday 30 September

Petrolux Kanu Cup
Premier League Masters v African Masters @3pm - bring your week to an end with this charity fundraiser at Barnet's ground which is very close to Canons Park Tube station. Former Arsenal and Inter Milan forward Kanu is raising money to help children with heart problems in Africa and has assembled two sides of well known players including Gunners team-mates Sol Campbell and Robert Pires plus the likes of Teddy Sheringham, Jay-Jay Okocha and for QPR fans like me, the legendary Danny Shittu. Adult tickets range from £10-15

FA Women's Super League
Chelsea v Brighton & Hove Albion @2pm - there are number of women's games on Sunday with this being the pick of the bunch. The Blues won the double last season but haven't had it all their own way so far this season, drawing all three of their opening league fixtures. They should improve on that here as the Seagulls have lost all three and are joint bottom with Yeovil

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 or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

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

TLFG: 17-23 September 2018

Welcome one and all to this week's guide - still a bit late but earlier than last week.

It's been another hectic few days and once again I didn't get to see any live football - I think my last match was QPR's pre-season game at AFC Wimbledon a couple of months ago but I hope to get out there again soon.

I don't have a huge amount to report this week other than a couple of bits of news relating to Non-League Day (NLD).

Firstly, I'm pleased to say we sold all of our badges and raised £120 for Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) in the process so thanks a lot if you ordered one.

Subscribe to The London Football Guide

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On the charity theme of the day, PCUK were also announced as the official charity partners of the National League for the rest of the season with sponsors Vanarama temporarily renaming the competition the Manarama National League.

The vehicle leasing business have pledged to donate £50 to the charity for every car they manage to lease out to people through their Motorama arm until NLD on 13 October - so if you're looking for a car, go to them. Their target is to raise £150,000 which would be fantastic!

Some of our other partners have yet to unveil their plans for Non-League Day but I've been given a preview and there's some exciting stuff in the pipeline which I hope to share with you over the next few weeks.

With the draw for the First Round of the FA Vase taking place on Monday, we'll get a much clearer picture of all the games taking place on 13 October so you'll be able to choose where you'll spend your afternoon should you wish to take part.

On the subject of the FA Vase, I'd like to give a special mention to St Panteleimon who pulled off another cupset on Saturday by beating Long Buckby.

There's now less than four weeks to go until this year's Non-League Day

The Saints, who play in the 11th tier, have never entered the Vase before and have now beaten two higher ranked sides to make the First Round which is some achievement.

The club are also currently challenging for the Middlesex County League title alongside Pitshanger Dynamo and PFC Victoria London in what looks like being a very competitive division - keep your eye on all of them as the season progresses.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 90 matches in and around the London area over the next seven days with the Premier League and Championship taking centre stage. There are also a load of ties in the next round of the 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. 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 - magenta 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, 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.

Monday 17 September

Professional Development League
Watford v Ipswich Town @2pm - there are three U23 games in London on Monday with this one at Vicarage Road being the best on offer. The other games are being hosted by Millwall and QPR but are at the clubs' training grounds so check before you travel whether the public will be admitted

Velocity Trophy First Round
Carshalton Athletic v Corinthian Casuals @745pm - the best non-league option would seem to be this cup match between between two Bostik League Premier Division sides. If you don't know, the Velocity Trophy is the Bostik (Isthmian) League Cup by another name

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Tuesday 18 September

Checkatrade Trophy
AFC Wimbledon v Swansea City U21 @745pm - this competition has had its opponents with the Dons being among the most vociferous critics. They barely publicise their games in it and consequently attendances are pretty low. Tickets are £10 and are not available in advance

National League
Sutton United v Boreham Wood @745pm - there will probably be a bigger crowd a short journey down the road for this non-league London derby between two sides who narrowly missed out on promotion to the EFL last season

London Senior Cup First Round
Harrow Borough v Hendon @745pm - the pick of the night's county cup ties could well be this derby between two old rivals from north-west London. Over the last two or three years, matches between these two have produced stacks of goals with the last one, just a couple of weeks ago, ending in a 4-2 win for Boro

FA Vase Second Qualifying Round Replay
Spelthorne Sports v Bugbrooke St Michaels @745pm - after fighting out a thrilling 3-3 draw up in Northamptonshire on Saturday, these two will do it all again on Tuesday for a place in the First Round proper

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Wednesday 19 September

Championship
Queens Park Rangers v Millwall @745pm - picked for live television coverage by Sky, this London derby is often very closely fought - sadly on and off the pitch.The Lions' fans usually travel in great numbers and sold out their initial allocation in quick time. I've been to several of these games over the last 15 years and I can't remember a time which didn't feature an unsavoury moment in or around the ground. Historically Millwall have a good record against QPR and rarely lose at Loftus Road but they haven't won there since 1989

FA Vase Second Qualifying Round Replay
Bridon Ropes v Tunbridge Wells @745pm - the hosts did well to hold Tunbridge Wells to a 1-1 draw on Saturday. The Ropes play a division below their opponents but should fancy their chances against the 2013 finalists who have lost five of their six league games thus far

FA Women's Super League
West Ham United v Reading @745pm - the Hammers are new to this level and play their first game in it against the Royals who began their season with a 4-0 win over Yeovil so it could be tough

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Thursday 20 September

Europa League
Arsenal v FC Vorskla @ - 8pm - after a disappointing sixth-placed finish in the Premier League, the Gunners are having to make do with Europa League football again this season. With a run to the semi-finals last time, they are unsurprisingly one of the favourites to win. Drawn in a group alongside Sporting Lisbon, FK Qarabag and Ukrainian club Vorskla, they should make the knockout phase without too much difficulty. Rarely for a first-team match at the Emirates Stadium, tickets are on general sale at decent prices so take your chance if it's on your to-do list

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Friday 21 September

Premier League 2
Arsenal v Liverpool @7pm - if you're a Gunners fan, you can watch the U23 side in action less than 24 hours later up at Boreham Wood's ground in what should be a decent game

Essex Senior League
Barkingside v Clapton @745pm - if you fancy something a little more gritty and meaningful, you might fancy this east London derby. A couple of years ago when the Clapton Ultras were fully behind their team then this would have been a great place to spend a Friday night but they fell out with those running the club and after a year or more of boycotting home games, they recently disbanded and now the Tons have gone back to playing in front of much smaller crowds which is a great shame

Southern Counties East League Premier Division
Beckenham Town v Rusthall @745pm - the Becks have got off to a great start and currently top the league. They should stay there after this game as Rusthall are struggling
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Saturday 22 September

Premier League
Fulham v Watford @1230pm - a very full weekend of top flight action in the capital gets underway with this derby at Craven Cottage. With only one win from five, the hosts have found their return to their Premier League pretty tough going. The Hornets, on the other hand, had a 100% record until Saturday when they lost to Manchester United. Despite this setback, they'd have to start as favourites in my book
Crystal Palace v Newcastle United @3pm - any team in the bottom half of the table can be regarded as a viable contender for relegation so every win is vital. Palace picked up their second of the season with a valuable away victory at Huddersfield on Saturday. The Magpies are finding things a bit tougher and have only managed to glean one point from their opening five games and could well flounder again here

Championship
Queens Park Rangers v Norwich City @530pm - you can spend your whole day in west London if you combine this match with the one at Fulham. QPR have ended up on Sky again (yes - twice in a matter of days) for a match that is often competitive and well attended. Given what travel is like from East Anglia, games in London have a bit of derby feel to them with Canaries fans often turning out in force. After a dreadful start, Steve McClaren seems to be turning things around at Rangers with the club now unbeaten in four games. Norwich are usually expected to challenge for promotion so they'll be disappointed with the indifferent start they've made

League One
Charlton Athletic v Plymouth Argyle @3pm - with three wins on the trot, the Addicks are the form team of the division. They should extend that run here as Plymouth are winless and rooted to the bottom of the table

Premier League 2
West Ham United v Chelsea @1pm - with the first XIs set to meet on Sunday, the U23 teams will do battle at Dagenham & Redbridge's ground on Saturday lunchtime. If you get a shift on, you should be able to combine this with the match at Barking at 3pm or you could easily make it over to Shepherd's Bush for the QPR game later on

National League
Sutton United v Wrexham @3pm - the U's were the top ranked non-league club in London last season, finishing third in the National League. Sadly they lost out in the play-offs so will have another go again this year. With only one defeat from their opening 10 games, they're right up amongst the contenders again but so are Wrexham who are in even better form and up in second

FA Cup Second Qualifying Round
At this stage all sides in the sixth tier (i.e. National League North and National League South) enter the draw alongside those who have successfully made it through the three previous rounds. A sum of £9,000 is awarded to the winner of each tie. There are quite a few ties in London on Saturday but here are three I particularly like the look of

Dulwich Hamlet v Tonbridge Angels @3pm - over the last few years these two were rivals for promotion in the Bostik League. Last season Dulwich finally made it up whilst Tonbridge finished well short. This season the Hamlet have struggled to get to grips with life at the higher level but managed to stun leaders Woking with a fine win in Surrey on Saturday. Conversely, Angels are unbeaten in seven and top of the Bostik League so should arrive at Imperial Fields in confident mood
Egham Town v Brightlingsea Regent @3pm - after upsetting local rivals Staines in the last round, the Sarnies face another seventh level opponent this time in the form of Bostik Premier side Brightlingsea. The Essex club haven't had a great start to the season and Egham may well fancy their chances
Hanwell Town v Lowestoft Town @3pm - the Geordies play in the same division as Egham but have overall made a much better start to this campaign. Like the Sarnies they also beat a seventh-tier opponent in the previous round so should be capable of repeating the feat here on Saturday

Bostik League South Central
Ashford Town (Middlesex) v Bracknell Town @3pm - if the FA Cup's not for you then this match near Heathrow could be. The Tangerines have made a solid start to the season but will need to be at their best as Bracknell are top with a 100% record from five games

Bostik League South East
Cray Wanderers v Hythe Town @3pm - London's oldest club have made a fine start to their campaign and are top of this division after five games. Kent side Hythe aren't far behind and are usually among the challengers

Combined Counties League Premier Division
Chertsey Town v Cobham @3pm - former AFC Wimbledon manager Dave Anderson is working his magic at Alwyns Lane where the unbeaten Curfews top the league despite having played three games less than their nearest challengers - and they've only played six games! Cobham are ailing near the foot of the table and should be picked off with relative ease

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Hadley v Tring Athletic @3pm - the Bricks have only played four games but find themselves in the top six. They have three games in hand on the current leaders who by chance are Tring so a win here will put them firmly among the contenders

Spartan South Midlands League Division 1
Enfield Borough v Amersham Town @3pm - the Panthers have made a really good start with five wins from seven in the league. On Sunday they also saw off the higher ranked Sporting Bengal United to the make the First Round of the FA Vase. If they win here against midtable Amersham then they could go top

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Sunday 23 September

Premier League
West Ham United v Chelsea @130pm - the Hammers picked up their first three points of the season on Sunday with a 3-1 win at Everton. The result saw them climb off the bottom and jump four places up the table, showing just how close clubs are and how important every point is at this level. The Blues are having no such difficulties and moved top of the Premier League on goal difference after beating Cardiff 4-1 on Saturday. They should win again here but West Ham often raise their game against the Blues and have won three of their last four home games against the Stamford Bridge club
Arsenal v Everton @4pm - later in the afternoon there's some more top-flight action over at the Emirates. Both sides have made unspectacular starts to their campaigns but with three wins on the bounce, the Gunners might be starting to come good

FA Women's Super League
Arsenal v West Ham United @2pm - with both clubs' men's sides in action on Sunday afternoon, the scheduling of this match seems a bit unfortunate. Nevertheless, the Gunners should be among the frontrunners this season and with favourites Chelsea and Man City sharing the points in their big game last week, they went top after crushing Liverpool 5-0 in their opening game

FA Women's Championship
London Bees v Manchester United @2pm - having gone many years without a women's team of their own, Man Utd have finally set one up and have joined the second tier in time for this season. They began in spectacular style, destroying Aston Villa 12-0 so hosts London Bees will need to ready themselves for a tough afternoon 

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 or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

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

TLFG: 10-16 September 2018

Apologies one and all for the late publication of this week's guide.

Quite by chance, it turns out that there's no senior football taking place in the London area today (Monday) anyway so you're not likely to miss much.

As I mentioned recently, the blog could start to tail off a bit as the birth of my second child next month gets closer and it seems to have happened a bit sooner than I originally expected.

With ante-natal classes and decorators playing a huge part in changing my normal weekend schedule, many of my normal activities went by the wayside.

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The biggest story of the weekend, from a personal point of view, occurred on Sunday afternoon when a trip to the park turned into a bit of a drama.

Whilst sitting on an ornamental rock, my five-year-old approached me and asked if I wanted to see something she and some friends had unearthed under a tree a couple of days before.

Initially non-plussed by the idea of inspecting an odd-shaped stone or similar, I wandered over and was greeted by a far more alarming sight.

Poking out of the soil was a small metal circular object which immediately screamed to me of World War Two ordnance.

Not wanting to cause a panic or make a fool of myself near a busy playground, I took a photo and tweeted it to the local police who almost immediately told me to dial 999.

Les Ferdinand and Andy Sinton at the QPR Community Trust 10th anniversary reception

Within minutes the park had numerous officers descend on it and after an initial assessment they evacuated everyone.

I received a call later that afternoon from the police to say that it was found to be a 'viable device' from WW2 and thanks for reporting it. It seems like my daughter and friends had a lucky escape!

Strangely, I did exactly the same thing when I was at primary school in the '80s - digging up a Nazi device with a friend in our playground which got us all an afternoon off.

Aside from this, and on a totally different note, I was lucky enough to attend the reception to mark the 10th anniversary of the QPR Community Trust on Tuesday at Loftus Road.

There were some great speeches from those involved and I got to meet former player Andy Sinton (a hero of my youth), club CEO Lee Hoos and I also got to talk about the challenges facing the club in the hunt for a new stadium with those tasked with securing somewhere.

On the subject of Non-League Day, for the first time this year, we've produced a limited number of enamel badges to mark the event and these can be ordered for £3 (+£1.25 P&P) from my colleague Ian who can be contacted here but there are only a few left. The day itself, on 13 October, is now only a few weeks away so put the date in your diary now.

Lastly this week I'd like to say a big thanks to all the readers who have emailed and posted on social media - I really appreciate your words of support and the effort taken to post your pictures and match updates, especially as my chances to get out and about are becoming limited.
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THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 80 matches in and around the London area over the next seven days with the Premier League and Championship making their return after the international break. There are also a load of ties in the next round of the FA Vase.

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. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.

Details on all of this week's games can be found on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (orange pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.

Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here

Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top.

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - magenta 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, 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.

Tuesday 10 September

Kent Senior Cup Second Round
Welling United v Gillingham @745pm - with no matches in the London area at all on Monday, the first game of the week of note is this one between the Wings and the Gills from League One. The visitors are more than likely to only field an U23 side but it should be worth a watch

FA Cup First Qualifying Round Replays
Walton Casuals v Beckenham Town @745pm - while the match above might feature some higher quality players, these replays are arguably far more important for the participating clubs as the £6,000 prize money for winning will make a big difference. The hosts, who play two levels above the Becks, should start as strong favourites
Whyteleafe v Corinthian Casuals @745pm - these two were in the same division last season but Casuals ended up getting promoted. In theory they should therefore be more likely to win but they've failed to win a league match this season and could be there for the taking

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Wednesday 11 September

Friendly
Brentford B v Huddersfield Town U23 @1pm - get down to the Bees' training ground if you fancy a bit of free football at lunchtime

FA Cup First Qualifying Round Replay
Cray Valley PM v Merstham @745pm - the non-league pick of the night takes place in south-east London where the ninth-tier hosts will be looking to upset the visitors who play two levels above them - they're in reasonable form so it is doable

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Friday 14 September

Premier League 2
Fulham v Wolverhampton Wanderers @7pm - get your weekend underway with some U23 football at the Cottagers' training ground, it's £3 on the gate and I'm told the facilities for spectators are pretty good

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Saturday 15 September

Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool @ - 1230pm - the top flight returns from the international break with a bang as two of the title contenders do battle at Wembley. Spurs have begun to cement themselves as a member of the exclusive 'Top Four' group over the last few years just as the Reds have started to show a surge in improvement too. At the time of writing, Tottenham are just outside the leading pack but a win against the current leaders will put them right back in it
Chelsea v Cardiff City @3pm - the Blues are also right up there with Liverpool as life under new manager Maurizio Sarri has begun well. Neil Warnock's latest attempt to flourish in the Premier League is once again stalling but it is early days, however, they're unlikely to get anything here
Watford v Manchester United @530pm - the day finishes off with another very interesting fixture. The Hornets have had a superb start to the season and are joint top with Liverpool and Chelsea. They saw off Tottenham in their last game so an out of sorts Man Utd shouldn't hold any extra fears

Championship
Brentford v Wigan Athletic @3pm - despite being two of the smallest clubs in the division, these two are more than holding their own. The Bees have been building a fine side over the last few years and are right up among the promotion challengers again. The Latics occupied a Premier League place for several years and won the FA Cup in 2013 but it all went wrong after that. Last season they found themselves in League One but got promoted and have begun well this time too
Millwall v Leeds United @3pm - the match of the day at this level, certainly in London, is to be found at The Den. The Lions had a great second half of last season and looked likely to grab a play-off place before falling away at the last moment. This campaign has got off to a sluggish start and they've now lost three in a row. Leeds, on the other hand, are unbeaten in six and top of the table so should be incredibly tough opposition. Also, these clubs' fans have two of the worst reputations in the country so if you're new to London and looking for a family day out, this might not be the match for you. Surprisingly, tickets are on sale to non-members and I haven't seen anything to say it's all ticket but it is approaching a sell out so don't delay buying one if you do want to go

League One
AFC Wimbledon v Scunthorpe United @3pm - elsewhere in the EFL there's only one other game to choose from and it's this one at Kingsmeadow. On paper, with both teams in lower midtable, it doesn't look like being a classic so there might well be better options available

National League
Leyton Orient v Barnet @3pm - one of them is this game at Brisbane Road where two London rivals, who were both previously in the EFL, go head-to-head. Unbeaten this season, the O's have made a great start and are just two points behind leaders Harrogate. Although down in tenth, the Bees are the form team of the division with five wins on the bounce so this could well be a corker. It could quite conceivably get a crowd in excess of 5,000 too
Bromley v Salford City @3pm - with only two wins from their opening 10 games, a few concerns will be starting to creep in at Hayes Lane where more was probably expected from last season's FA Trophy finalists. This Saturday, you've got another chance to run the rule over big spending Salford who made headlines in July by persuading Adam Rooney to leave Aberdeen for English non-league football despite the fact the Dons were in the Europa League. Things didn't start all that smoothly for the club, owned by Man Utd legends the Nevilles, Giggs, Scholes and Butt, but they seem to have found their feet and have moved into the top six
Dagenham & Redbridge v Chesterfield @3pm - with ailing finances, the Daggers were in all kinds of trouble at the bottom of the division. However, with former England caretaker manager Peter Taylor in the manager's hotseat, the east London club have started to turn things around. Unbeaten in three, they've climbed three places and will almost certainly move clear of the relegation zone if they win here. The Spireites were a League Two side last season but finished bottom and, after a positive start, seem to be finding the transition to non-league football a tough one. Now winless in six, they will slip below the Daggers if they lose here


National League South
Wealdstone v Chelmsford City @3pm - at the time of writing, the Stones are sitting pretty in sixth and are firmly among the play-off contenders. On Saturday they welcome Chelmsford who seem to challenge for promotion every year but never quite make it. Although down in 11th, this division looks like being very competitive again with only six points separating the teams between second and 13th

Bostik League Premier Division
Carshalton Athletic v Bognor Regis Town @3pm - the Robins won the South Division last year to  make their return to the league's top division after several seasons away. It's still early but they should be reasonably satisfied with eight points from five games. Bognor suffered relegation from the NLS last season and are showing strong signs of being able to make an immediate return

Evo-Stik League Premier Division South
Hendon v Poole Town @3pm - of the sides shunted unceremoniously from the Bostik to Evo-Stik Leagues over the summer, the Greens have made the best start. Sixth after six games, the north-west London club must be pretty happy with how they've adjusted to the long journeys (there have so far been trips to Frome, Taunton and Swindon). On Saturday they welcome a club from Dorset who often do well in this division and who gave current Southampton striker Charlie Austin the platform he needed to turn pro


FA Vase Second Qualifying Round
This competition is for clubs in the ninth to 11th tiers of the English game. It is a knockout competition with its final at Wembley in May. This round sees another 120 clubs enter the action, meaning the vast majority of entrants are now in the draw (of 638 teams who entered, only another 46 will be added over the next two rounds). Ties are still generally regionalised at this stage with the winners of each tie receiving £725 and the losers £250. Several ties are being played around London but here are a few I really like the look of

AFC Croydon Athletic v Lingfield @3pm - one of the highest ranked ninth-tier teams in the London area, the Rams should represent one of the city's best chances of doing well this season. They welcome opposition from Surrey who also play in the ninth tier but in the parallel Southern Combination
Sporting Club Thamesmead v Banstead Athletic @3pm - also amongst the contenders in the ninth tier are Banstead. The Surrey club are unbeaten in nine league games so far and should start as strong favourites in this one
Southall v Wembley @3pm - I've gone for this as it's got the flavour of a derby about it. Both play in the ninth tier and although neither are pulling up any trees, I just like the look of it. Southall made the final in 1986 and had another good run a couple of years ago. As for Wembley, well they've never played under the stadium's famous arch but they can see it from their ground
Harefield United v Oxhey Jets @3pm - these two don't play a million miles apart either. They used to be in the same division but the Hare are now a level below and will want to cause an upset
St Panteleimon v Long Buckby @3m - the hosts, who play at North Greenford United's ground, are competing in the Vase for the first time and caused quite an upset by beating Holmer Green in the last round. This time their opponents, from Northamptonshire, play just one level above them and are struggling so they've got a great chance of making further progress
Cricklewood Wanderers v North Greenford United @3pm - talking of North Greenford, they make the short trip to Vale Farm to play another one of the remaining 11th tier teams. Cricklewood play two divisions below their opponents and have barely played this season so they'll do very well to win

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Sunday 16 September

FA Vase Second Qualifying Round
With several clubs groundsharing, there are also three ties to be enjoyed on Sunday afternoon. Broadfields United entertain fellow north-west Londoners Edgware Town, Enfield Borough have a London derby against Sporting Bengal United (at 2pm) and Cray Valley (PM) welcome Hailsham Town from Sussex

FA Continental Tyres Cup
There are three women's games in the capital on Sunday with Crystal Palace v Chelsea at Bromley's ground the standout fixture

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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 or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

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

TLFG: 3-9 September 2018

Welcome one and all to this week's TLFG - I hope you're well.

With this weekend's action concluded, the first international break of the season begins and with it the usual chorus of groans and moans that there is 'no football going on'.

There may not be any Premier League or Championship action but there are well over 70 other matches for you to enjoy elsewhere in the EFL, National League and FA Cup - to name just three competitions. There also one or two rather unusual matches taking place too - see the daily digest below.

Why not go to the match that's causing the break in the first place?

Thanks to their showing at the World Cup, England's match against Spain at Wembley now looks far more tempting than it did before the tournament in Russia and tickets are still available. Its evening kick-off time means it can also easily be combined with another match earlier in the day with some clubs close to the national stadium offering great deals on admission and even parking to get you interested.

Subscribe to The London Football Guide

Having spent the last week or so holidaying in Somerset and Sussex, I'm now back in the capital and have a couple of football related events booked later in the week.

The first is a reception to mark 10 years of the QPR Community Trust who I have done a bit of work with over that time and the second is still to be confirmed but could include a live TV appearance as the promotion of this year's Non-League Day starts to really get going.

Non-League Day is coming up and you can order a limited edition badge to show your support

On the subject of Non-League Day, for the first time this year, we've produced a limited number of enamel badges to mark the event and these can be ordered for £3 (+£1.25 P&P) from my colleague Ian who can be contacted here.

Lastly this week I'd like to say a big thanks to the two readers who have very generously donated to TLFG's coffee drinking fund this week. Both have been very supportive of this blog for a long time, contributing and offering kind words numerous times over the years. So many thanks once again to Chris H and Mr Anonymous (you know who you are) - it means a huge amount to me and I really appreciate it. Thanks also to all those who wished me well with the birth of my second child, scheduled for next month - what a great bunch TLFG readers are.
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THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 70 matches in and around the London area over the next seven days with the FA Cup and non-league football more generally dominating proceedings during the international break.

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. 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.

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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

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
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.

Monday 3 September

Professional Development League
The week begins with several U23 games in this competition. The highlights are matches at Crystal Palace and QPR who are both playing at their main stadiums in lunchtime kick-offs

FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay
Erith Town v Loxwood @730pm - once you've digested one of the games above you could move on to this cup tie in south-east London. The original tie in Surrey ended in a 1-1 draw - the victors will travel on Saturday to the winners of the other replay between Raynes Park Vale and Spelthorne Sports


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Tuesday 4 September

Checkatrade Trophy Group Stage
Charlton Athletic v AFC Wimbledon @745pm - the much maligned Checkatrade Trophy gets underway again on Tuesday with this decent looking London derby. Tickets to watch these two crosstown rivals from League One go head-to-head are only £10

National League
Leyton Orient v Solihull Moors @745pm - there are four very decent games in the fifth tier on Tuesday night with this the pick of the bunch. The O's are averaging crowds of well over 4,000 and are rewarding their fans with some decent results. Unbeaten in their first eight games they're up in fifth only a point behind leaders Wrexham in what appears to be a very competitive division. The visitors are also right in there among the leaders so this could be a cracker
Boreham Wood v Chesterfield @745pm - after a disappointing start, The Wood are now unbeaten in three and gradually climbing the table. On Tuesday they welcome the Spireites who in May became the latest long-term members of the EFL to fall into non-league football. With new boss Martin Allen in place for the new season they got off to a flying start but now it's all gone wrong and they've lost five in a row and could well be there for the taking
Bromley v Barnet @745pm - there's a derby at Hayes Lane where two clubs from north and south London separated by only one point in midtable do battle. Bromley made the FA Trophy final at Wembley last season whilst the Bees, like Chesterfield, fell out of the EFL
Dagenham & Redbridge v Braintree Town @745pm - there's an early season relegation six-pointer at Victoria Road where the bottom two scrap for points - it's also an all-Essex affair

FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay
Hanworth Villa v AFC Croydon Athletic @730pm - managed by former Fulham defender Rufus Brevett, Hanworth have had an iffy start to their campaign but did well to hold the Rams in the original game last week. AFC Croydon are currently joint top of the SCEFL so must start as favourites. A trip to AFC Uckfield Town awaits the winners
Spelthorne Sports v Raynes Park Vale @745pm - the other replay of the night sees two well matched midtable CCL Premier Division teams meet again


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Wednesday 5 September

Southern Counties East League Premier Division
Beckenham Town v Croydon @745pm - with AFC Croydon playing in the cup on Tuesday, the Becks have a great chance to leapfrog them and go top with a win against the Rams' near neighbours. The Trams have made a very poor start, losing all four of their league games

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Saturday 8 September

Uefa Nations League
England v Spain @745pm - the Three Lions play their first game since returning from what was seen overall as a successful World Cup in Russia. This is also Gareth Southgate's side's first match in the all new Uefa Nations League - a competition so unnecessarily convoluted I won't go into it here. Essentially it's a way of making friendlies a bit more meaningful and with games against Los Toros and Croatia, they don't come much bigger right now. Whoever comes top of this group of three teams goes into the semi-finals against the winners of the other three groups at this top level of European football

Friendly
Arsenal Legends v Real Madrid Legends @2pm - one of the great things about England's late kick-off at Wembley is that it gives you plenty of time to combine it with another game. Over at the Emirates Stadium there's another type of England v Spain encounter with an old boys game between two of the biggest clubs in those countries. These matches usually draw big crowds and with Spain also in town, there should be even greater interest

League One
Charlton Athletic v Wycombe Wanderers @3pm - if you fancy something a bit more meaningful then this encounter at The Valley might be more to your liking. Wycombe play just outside London so there is a bit of a derby feel to this one to make things even more interesting

Irn Bru Cup Second Round
Boreham Wood v Dunfermline Athletic @1pm - one of the biggest oddities of the season so far takes place at Meadow Park, not all that far from Wembley, where an English side will play in the Irn Bru Cup for the first time. Alongside fellow National League side Sutton United, The Wood are taking part and will entertain opposition from the Scottish Championship in a competition for clubs from all over the UK and Ireland. It will be interesting to see how a top English non-league club fares against one from the second tier north of the border

National League
Barnet v Maidenhead United @3pm - if you are going to the England match and want to see a second game earlier in the day then this could well be the one for you. Located a little to the north of Wembley close to Canons Park station on the same Tube line as Wembley Park, you're being offered the chance to watch this fifth-tier game and get parking for only £10 which is a great deal. Just present your ticket for the England game at the box office on arrival - full details

National League South
Dulwich Hamlet v Wealdstone @3pm - down at Imperial Fields, two former Isthmian League rivals will lock horns in what should be a decent encounter. The Stones came up four years ago and have more than held their own at this level and are currently among the frontrunners. The Hamlet came up via the play-offs in May and despite being known for their attacking brand of football and large support, they've really struggled to get going in the sixth tier. With only two wins from eight, they're sitting just above the relegation zone

FA Cup First Qualifying Round
With the two preliminary rounds out of the way, all remaining clubs in the seventh tier enter the draw as the quality of sides goes up a gear. Ties are still generally regionalised at this stage with the winners of each tie receiving £6,000. Several ties have yet to be decided as midweek replays still need to be concluded but here are three I really like the look of

Hendon v Harlow Town @3pm - I've gone for this tie first as the clubs have agreed between them to cut admission to only £6 for England v Spain ticket holders. Located closer to Wembley than Barnet but not quite as conveniently for the Tube, this match between two seventh tier sides is well worth a watch and both should be commended for agreeing to this deal
Egham Town v Staines Town @3pm - these two towns lie either side of the River Thames on the far west of the London area and only one stop apart on the local train network - this is without doubt a derby. The Sarnies have played at a lower level than Staines for some time so they don't play that often. The FA Cup should be a great leveller
Walthamstow v Beaconsfield Town @3pm - the hosts are one of the lowest ranked London clubs left in the FA Cup. Currently fifth in the Essex Senior League, the club from E17 welcome a team struggling towards the wrong end of a division two levels above them - my mouth's watering at the prospect of a cupset!

Combined Counties League Premier Division
Chertsey Town v Horley Town @3pm - former AFC Wimbledon manager Dave Anderson took over at the Curfews towards the end of last season to steer them away from the relegation zone. He seems to have done some amazing things over the summer as Chertsey have come out and won all five of their opening league games to go top. Get down to Alwyns Lane to see how they get on against eighth placed Horley

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Oxhey Jets v Tring Athletic @3pm - two of the top four in the SSML meet for a game that could send either of them to the top of the table. This is also another reasonable option for fans heading to the England game as the ground is close to Carpenders Park station which is only a 16-minute ride into Wembley Central on London Overground - I'm not aware of any deals though
Wembley v Edgware Town @3pm - why not do the Wembley double and see the town's very own club in action? Playing a bus ride away at Vale Farm, they are struggling and can do with all the support they can get for this derby against near neighbours Edgware

Combined Counties League Division 1
Bedfont & Feltham v Ash United @3pm - the hosts have made an unbeaten start to the season and are top by just one point. Despite their slender lead, they are by far and away the division's highest goalscorers and are netting an average of almost five goals a game! Fourth placed Ash should present them with a tougher challenge than most of their opponents so far

Southern Counties East League Division 1
Welling Town v Holmesdale @3pm - arguably the game of the day in the 10th tier is this match at Bayliss Avenue where the top two battle for supremacy. Welling have only just moved up to this level but are taking it by storm and are unbeaten after six games. Holmesdale have only slipped up once and will be looking to wrest top spot away from the Boots

Spartan South Midlands League Division 1
Broadfields United v Enfield Borough @3pm - there's also another strong contender for game of the day at this level over at Preston Park (in Harefield) where fifth placed Broadfields take on the leaders. Since forming in 2016, the Panthers have developed a habit of flying out of the blocks - sometimes they sustain it, sometimes they don't. This season they've won five of their first six to go top again but Broadfields, also a team to watch, have two games in hand which if won would put them in pole position


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Sunday 9 September

FA Women's Super League
Hot on the heels of England qualifying for next year's Women's World Cup, the Super League returns with two absolutely mammoth games to get things going. At 1230pm, up at Boreham Wood's ground, last season's beaten FA Cup finalists Arsenal host Liverpool. Then at 2pm down at Kingsmeadow, last season's doublewinners Chelsea entertain their biggest rivals Manchester City in a game which could go a long way to deciding the title even at this early stage in the season

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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.

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