TLFG: 28 February - 6 March 2022

Welcome one and all to this week's TLFG.

Once again, this week has been crazily busy and as we approach 11pm I've regretfully taken the decision to cull the 'Daily Digest'.

I was expecting a quiet shift at work but it wasn't to be and I've yet to eat and have to do the school run in the morning - realistically I would need another three or four hours from this point to do a complete blog and I just haven't got it in me.

So instead of doing the digest, I'll just recount what I've been up to in one of the biggest weeks we've all faced probably since the start of the pandemic.

Although I had the week off, it was busy.

The first major activity came on Tuesday when I headed to the Premier League's new HQ in Paddington for our annual Non-League Day (NLD) planning meeting.

A lot of exciting ideas were discussed and with them and their member clubs behind us, we should have another decent year.

Non-League Day is less than 4 weeks away

On Wednesday I began a bit of awareness-raising ahead of NLD by starting to run between some of the London clubs that are hosting matches on 26 March.

I kicked things off at Wembley FC before gradually heading north east via Edgware Town and Wingate & Finchley before finishing off at Cockfosters.

It totalled 23km and it was uphill virtually all the way!

Just as I was coming to the end, a woman smiled and thanked me - I was running in a Prostate Cancer UK top so I presume she had some kind of connection.

After a day of rest, I headed out again on Friday morning but this time in the company of TLFG reader Liam who I've met a couple of times at games.

It was a beautiful morning so it was very enjoyable indeed. 

Our meanderings around west London took us to Hanwell Town, Harrow Borough, Rayners Lane and Wealdstone.

There are plans to explore some more clubs on Wednesday in possibly the south or east of London but we'll see over the next couple of days how that works out.

Liam (right) and I reach Wealdstone

Finally, on Saturday I took my three-year-old to her first-ever match.

We headed back out to Harrow Borough to watch them take on title-chasing Taunton Town in what would turn out to be an epic game.

Having met friend and club official James C at the gate, I was informed that he'd invited lots of school kids from the local area to check out the club and that 139 had turned up.

This explained the fact I could hear the crowd from some distance away as my daughter and I turned up nearly 20 minutes late.

Still 0-0 when we arrived, the kindly gateman let me in for half price because I'd missed so much and my daughter got in for free.

Sadly within about five minutes, Taunton took the lead and were 2-0 up by half-time.

Given their form, this was no great surprise and I wasn't expecting a huge amount in the second half.

However, with the children doubling the normal attendance and cheering the Boro players forward, they mounted a superb comeback and ultimately won it 3-2 with an 82nd-minute goal from star striker James Ewington who has now scored 31 goals in all competitions this season.

My daughter gets fully involved in the action

The crowd went wild and there were jubilant celebrations at the end as the hosts held on for a famous win.

It was fantastic to see the children and their families take up the offer of free tickets and also the diversity of those that did with many members of the local Asian community visiting the club for the first time.

They were given a thrilling welcome and hopefully they'll be back for more.

What my 3-year-old companion made of it I'm not sure.

The trips to the tea bar for chocolate and bread pudding probably made it worthwhile but by the end she was attempting to gouge my eyes out!

If you're wondering whether to take a youngster to their first football match, for any kids under the age of five or six, I'd say go to a non-league match.

They're not tied to their seat as they will be in most Premier League or EFL clubs and it's usually very safe to explore the ground or just hang out on the terraces.

My nine-year-old much prefers non-league games and enjoys the freedom. She often finds the big stadiums too noisy and the crowd intimidating.

Apart from anything else, if it does all go wrong and they have a meltdown, you'll have paid a fraction of the price for a ticket and going home won't be quite so painful.

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The joyous scenes at the end were very different from the far more sombre ones earlier in the day as my daughter and I paid a brief visit to the Ukrainian Embassy in Holland Park and then briefly interacted with a peace vigil at the nearby Ukrainian Social Club.

I visited Kyiv for the European Championship 10 years ago and had a great time. I also have Ukrainian colleagues who have been worrying about the situation for weeks.

Having spent some time in Georgia too, I contacted one of my oldest friends there and the alarm bells are ringing again for them as well.

Where things go from here is unclear but there won't be many winners - the whole thing seems pretty pointless.

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Back to football now and my plans for the next few days are unsure.

QPR were supposed to play an U23 match against Millwall at Wealdstone on Tuesday.

However, the Stones have had a couple of structural safety incidents during games where hoardings have given way during goal celebrations and the council have closed the stadium to fans.

Consequently, the QPR match is now behind closed doors.

On a positive note, I plan to be at Rectory Park on Sunday to see my eldest daughter do mascot duties for Actonians as they play London Seaward in a Women's National League game at 2pm.

I think that's more than enough from me - take care wherever you are and hopefully they'll be a blog to write next week.

                                                             THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the Premier League, EFL, most of our local non-league competitions and it's the Women's League Cup Final too. 

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 - turquoise pin

Thursday fixtures - purple pin

Friday fixtures - black pin

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin

Sunday fixtures - orange pin

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: 21-27 February 2022

Greetings one and all from a windswept London.

How was Storm Eunice for you?

There were, very sadly, deaths in the capital and around the country as the weather caused all kinds of problems on Friday.

With trees down, structural damage inflicted and heavy rain falling too, several football matches fell by the wayside on Saturday afternoon.

In Shepherd's Bush, where I am, we got off pretty lightly and I think the wind is actually blowing more consistently as I write this.

Although QPR's match with Hull City did go ahead, my plans to attend a local non-league match to keep my expenditure down were all scuppered so I just stayed on the sofa and dozed while my eldest daughter took advantage and put on 'The Emoji Movie'!

Tickets are on sale for this important match on Sunday

This week has been tiring - a combination of work, lots of Non-League Day (NLD) prep, this blog and all my household/family commitments has left me with very little time to do anything else.

On Thursday I received an invitation to collect my QPR Supporter of the Year trophy.

It was announced that I'd won the award back in May but only now have they been able to put on a presentation because of Covid-19.

Unfortunately, it's going to be during half-time of the Cardiff City game on 5 March when I'm working so I've had to decline.

Thankfully I've had the experience of a pitch presentation several times before and it will give the young lad who beat cancer, who I shared the award with, to take centre stage and enjoy the limelight.

After all the rushing around of the last few days, I've got this week off.

On Tuesday I'm heading to the Premier League's new HQ in Paddington for an NLD planning meeting.

They've allotted us a whopping 90 minutes for the session which is really pleasing as they're usually hugely productive and give the campaign massive impetus.

I also hope to get out and run between several of the non-league clubs of London who will be hosting matches on the 26 March.

It will be my effort to publicise the day and our partnership with Prostate Cancer UK who launched a risk checker this week to try and find the thousands of men who may have gone undiagnosed during the pandemic. Give it a go, it only takes a few seconds and could save your life.

One strange thing about this week is that there is no senior action on Monday.

UPDATE - as a result of an admin error on another website, no matches were showing up on Monday. That has been corrected and we now have a match at Carshalton Athletic. Many thanks to Kev on Twitter for the update

A YANK TRAVELS TO MANC (HESTER)

Next up we have another piece from American groundhopper Marc Derks who recently travelled 'Oop North' to watch Fulham take on Manchester City in the FA Cup. He also managed to get tickets to Old Trafford where Manchester United hosted Middlesbrough.

Here's how he got on: 

Flush with excitement as a newly minted (half) season-ticket holder, I watched the FA Cup Fifth Round draw eagerly.  I was looking to see where two teams might be drawn.

Manchester United are my first and true love. After all, you can change your wife, you can change your house, but you can never change your team.  And Man U have been my beloved since the treble year of 1999. Even so, having recently relocated to London, I rekindled a casual, on-again, off-again dalliance with Fulham to commit to them as my London club.  I’d been keeping an eye on Fulham since the days of Marcus Hannehman (the heavy metal goalkeeper) and watched with interest as Fulham became Fulhamerica owing to the eleven Americans who have pulled on the black and white strip of the first team.

So as Fulham were drawn against Manchester City at the Etihad, a plan was hatched.  I would go!  With the away fans!  In my obsessive attention to refreshing the Fulham website to see when tickets might be made available to season ticket holders, I failed to notice that United had been drawn also at home against Middlesbrough.  As much as Manchester likes to think it is a big town, its public transportation infrastructure is not capable of supporting both teams at home on the same day.  As a result, United would be at home on Friday night, and City on Saturday afternoon. 

The plan became a scheme.  Could I see both games?  I held my breath and kept Metro Bank’s fraud prevention line on speed dial as I ordered from an on-line scalper (tout, for you Brits).  The reviews were good and the price (£60 plus £20 in fees) was high but not outrageous.  I booked a hotel room and a train ride and all the pieces fell into place.  The Fulham ticket (easily ordered as a season ticket holder) came in the mail. A very legit-looking pdf of the Manchester United ticket arrived in my email.  I packed and was ready to go.

Relative to continental Europe, trains are expensive in the UK and London to Manchester is one of the busiest and therefore most expensive rides there is.  It was nearly £100 for the round trip, but the ride took only two hours and was a pretty pleasant way to start the weekend early.  Manchester is not big (especially in relation to the sprawling Old Smoke) and I found my way to the hotel to drop off my bag.

The trams in Manchester are easy to navigate and I soon found myself for just the second time in the shadow of the Theatre of Dreams.  It’s a big stadium seating 76,000 and while the die-hard supporters say it needs updating, it generally looks in good shape.  As is typical of the older stadiums, there are no concourses inside and the concessions cater to vertical slices of the stands. The seats at Old Trafford are tiny and you will be physically well acquainted with your neighbors by the end of the game.  The Middlesbrough fans were raucous and a doubt crept into my head as to whether I would be able to keep up with my Fulham compatriots the next day.

Setting aside the result (which NONE shall discuss), my pilgrimage was a great one.  I saw McTominay and Pogba. Varane and Maguire.  And Ronaldo live for the first time since 2004 when he was a youngster on that amazing Portugal national team.

The next day, I ventured to the blue side of Manchester.  The Etihad, like London Stadium, is pretty far removed from any neighborhoods or developments, but even so, the tram leaves you just a fifteen minute or so walk away. It’s relatively big, at 53,000, and it was packed out on this rainy Saturday afternoon.  The Fulham section was full as well so even if they don’t travel loud, they travel in good numbers.  A few, relatively random, observations from a very partial observer: City is obsessed with Oasis and Oasis is terrible. Seeing 93:20 on so much merchandise hurt my heart. Old Trafford, generally speaking, was much louder than the Etihad, but the Etihad is much more comfortable with very good sightlines.  The concessions are awash.  Neither was anything to write home about.

As for being an away fan among the Fulham support, there were more women and children among the Cottagers than I’ve seen in any group of away fans and certainly more than with the ‘Boro contingent the day before.  I had little trouble keeping up with the singing, but if I had been with the ‘Boro fans at Old Trafford, I’m not sure I could have said the same thing.  There was still plenty of drama, as a fair few Fulham supporters were dragged out by the police and many (many many many) insults were hurled between the two groups of fans.  Still, perhaps my favorite chant by the relatively affluent Fulham support was “We pay your benefits.” Snort.

It probably goes without saying in Manchester that it was cold and rainy. But it was. Cold. And rainy.  Having had my fill of exposure to the elements, I didn’t really dally the next morning in heading back to London.  Neither did anyone else and the train that I caught was full to the brim.  As a result, I paid £50 to sit on my bag in a doorway for the ride back to Euston.  I still would not trade it for anything. I am a groundhopper.

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Lastly from me, many thanks this week to James W from Hertfordshire and Wayne C from Nevada, USA for donating to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund. I really really appreciate it.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the Premier League, EFL, EFL Cup, most of our local non-league competitions and the Women's FA Cup too. 

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 - turquoise pin

Thursday fixtures - purple pin

Friday fixtures - black pin

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin

Sunday fixtures - orange pin

TLFG DAILY DIGEST

In the following section, I list, 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 21 February

Isthmian League Cup Fourth Round

Carshalton Athletic v Corinthian @745pm - the week begins with this cup tie at Colston Avenue. The Robins play a level above Corinthian so should be expected to win

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Tuesday 22 February

Champions League

Chelsea v Lille @745pm - very unusually there's no senior football of note anywhere in London on Monday which means you'll have to wait until Tuesday to see a match. Top of the bill is this Champions League last 16 first leg match at Stamford Bridge. It sees the reigning European and World champions Chelsea host last season's French league winners.Sadly for the visitors, they're a shadow of the team they were last season and are currently 10th in the Ligue 1 standings. It's hard to see anything other than a home win here. If you know a season-ticket holder or member then there are some tickets left but they will have to buy them for you

League One

Charlton Athletic v MK Dons @745pm - the Addicks' 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Oxford on Saturday was their third defeat in a row and means they still can't quite rule themselves out of the relegation dogfight. MK Dons are just above Oxford in the table and going for automatic promotion too so it looks set to be another tough evening for Johnnie Jackson's side. Tickets are available

League Two

Leyton Orient v Bristol Rovers @745pm - the O's form has plummetted of late so it was possibly a relief to see Saturday's game at Harrogate postponed. It's getting on for three months since they last won a game and their play-off push has now morphed into a fight to stay out of the bottom two who are only five points behind them. Back-to-back wins over Stevenage and Sutton have got Rovers thinking of a play-off spot again and a win here could put them within touching distance of the top seven. Tickets are available

National League

Dagenham & Redbridge v Woking @745pm - another team who could reignite their play-off ambitions are the Daggers. They were top early on in the campaign but inconsistency has cost them as they have dropped to 10th. A win against midtable Woking will put them back into contention for seventh but with Wrexham, Notts County and Grimsby Town all just above them it's going to be tough. Tickets are available

Southern League Premier South

Hayes & Yeading United v Truro City @745pm - with Farnborough having their match postponed on Saturday, H&YU took full advantage as they beat Poole Town 6-1 to return to the top of the league. The title race is beautifully poised with the top four within four points of each other so the run-in should be exciting. Truro have been among the frontrunners in recent seasons but playing all their home games miles away in Plymouth can't have helped and they're down in ninth

Middlesex Premier Cup Semi-Finals

Bedfont & Feltham v British Airways @745pm - there are plenty of other league and county cup games on Tuesday night but I've gone for these as there's a place in a final up for grabs. The first game is a landlords versus tenants clash, right next to Heathrow Airport - meaning you can watch the game and pretend you're hosting Big Jet TV at the same time

Rayners Lane v FC Deportivo Galicia @745pm - with 184 goals from 57 games between them, the two highest-scoring sides in the CCL Division 1 meet for the second time in three days. Let's hope it's less one-sided this time as the Lane won 7-0

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Wednesday 23 February

Premier League

Watford v Crystal Palace @745pm - the Hornets picked up their first win under Roy Hodgson by beating Aston Villa 1-0 at Villa Park. The victory was absolutely crucial but still left them four points adrift of safety. The Eagles narrowly lost at home to Chelsea as their winless run in the league extended to a sixth game. Consequently, both sides could do with a win here. Tickets are available

Championship

Fulham v Peterborough United @745pm - on paper there can be only one winner as leaders Fulham entertain a struggling Posh who are battling to stay off the bottom. But this is the Championship and literally anything can happen. The Cottagers lost at home to Huddersfield on Saturday and are due another wobble. Tickets are available

QPR v Blackpool @745pm - one side who are currently enduring a wobble are QPR. A place in the top two seemed to be theirs for the taking when they crushed Reading 4-0 at the end of January. However, February has not been kind as they suffered FA Cup and league defeats to Peterborough and Barnsley, the bottom two, and failed to beat Middlesbrough, Millwall or Hull City in their other games. The visitors haven't been in great form either but have shown more spirit, holding Fulham to a draw and narrowly losing to Bournemouth. Tickets are available

London Senior Trophy Semi-Final

Lewisham Borough v Tooting Bec @745pm - postponed from last week, these two SCEFL Division 1 sides will do battle for a place in the final against either AFC Cubo or Hilltop who play in the other tie next month

Inter-Services Match

RAF v Army @2pm - if you're looking for something a little different then head to Tithe Farm where Rayners Lane play host to this U23 match on Wednesday afternoon 

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Thursday 24 February

Premier League

Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers @745pm - there's a bit of bonus Premier League action on Thursday night courtesy of Amazon Prime who hold the rights to this match and are responsible for its unorthodox scheduling. By the time this match comes round, it could be sixth versus seventh and as such we should get a pretty intriguing game. However, don't expect it to be high  scoring - recent matches between the two have been close and Wolves are scoring less than a goal a game despite doing so well. Tickets are only available to members

FA Youth Cup Quarter-Final

Chelsea v Blackpool @7pm - if you've never been to Stamford Bridge before and want to do it on the cheap, then this is your chance as the Blues' U18 side welcome their counterparts from Lancashire. Adult tickets are just £5 and appear to only be available in advance with sales closing at 4pm on the day

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Friday 25 February

Arsenal v Liverpool @7pm - get your weekend underway with this eye-catching U23 match at Boreham Wood's ground. The Gunners are currently third in the PL2 and should start as favourites. Matches like this are often free entry but check with the club on the day

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Saturday 26 February

Premier League

Brentford v Newcastle United @3pm - with Newcastle dramatically improving and the Bees going in the other direction, only two points now separate these teams. A hugely important game at the wrong end of the table, it could have significant ramifications for several clubs in their fight to stay up. The sides produced a thrilling 3-3 draw when they last played in November so we'll hopefully get something similar and maybe a Brentford debut for Christian Eriksen. Tickets are only available to members

Crystal Palace v Burnley @3pm - if Palace lose to Watford in midweek then they'll be only five points above the relegation zone. After their convincing win at Brighton, it's conceivable that the Clarets could beat an inconsistent Spurs on Wednesday to make things even tighter at the bottom. Burnley are unbeaten in four against the Eagles and also drew 3-3 on the same November day as Newcastle and Brentford. Tickets are only on sale to members

Championship

Millwall v Sheffield United @3pm - with three wins from their last five games, both sides are in reasonable form. While the Lions have probably left it a little late to get back into play-off contention, the Blades are now back in the top six. The Den is a tough place to go for most teams but this Yorkshire club have won on their last two visits - we could have a decent match on our hands. Tickets are available

League One

AFC Wimbledon v Doncaster Rovers @3pm - the Dons' run of big home games continues with this match against one of their fellow strugglers. Saturday's 4-0 defeat at Bolton means they are now 14 games without a win in all competitions and this match against the side in 23rd is an absolute must win. Although Rovers have lost 10 more games than Wimbledon this season, they are showing signs of improvement and have enjoyed away wins over Lincoln and Sunderland in recent weeks. Tickets are available

League Two

Leyton Orient v Carlisle United @3pm - as mentioned above, the O's form is pretty terrible at the moment but Carlisle's is even worse. When it comes to form, these are the bottom two in the division. It won't be pretty but it could be hugely important. Tickets are available

Sutton United v Scunthorpe United @3pm - sitting just above Orient and Carlisle in the form table, Scunthorpe are also having a season to forget. In the real table that matters, the Iron are bottom and heading for non-league. In other words, promotion-chasing Sutton won't get a much better chance to win. Tickets are available

Women's FA Cup Fifth Round

Chelsea v Leicester City @1pm - if you're looking for a lunchtime kick-off then this cup tie at Kingsmeadow could be for you. The Blues won last season's delayed FA Cup Final at Wembley in December and are well on the way to retaining their title. Leicester are new to the Super League this season but have struggled and should be beaten. Tickets are available

National League

Boreham Wood v Eastleigh @3pm - currently third with games in hand on both of the top two, the Wood are really well placed to challenge for the title. With FA Cup wins over AFC Wimbledon and AFC Bournemouth in recent weeks, confidence must be sky high. Against midtable Eastleigh, complacency is probably going to be their biggest enemy. Also, with Everton at Goodison Park just a few days later, will the players be as committed as normal??? Tickets are available

National League South

Dulwich Hamlet v Braintree Town @3pm - when people look for a first non-league experience in London, I often point them in the direction of The Hamlet. It might not represent a typical afternoon out at the level, but it should be a good one. Often sold out on Saturdays, Champion Hill is one of the most welcoming, lively and colourful grounds in the capital and is well worth trying out. The big crowds are not to everyone's taste and I have friends who support Dulwich who now only go to away games. At the time of writing, the hosts are just about holding on to a play-off spot and should beat a struggling Braintree side. If you do want to go, you're strongly advised to buy tickets in advance and arrive at least 30 minutes before kick-off to get a good view

Southern League Premier South

Harrow Borough v Taunton Town @3pm - all the games in the seventh tier are much of a muchness so I'm recommending this as it's where I plan to be. Aside from a frankly bonkers 6-3 win over Truro three weeks ago, it's been pretty tough going for Boro in 2022. Still 12 points clear of the relegation zone, hopefully they've done enough to stay up but they need a few more wins to be sure. Taunton are fourth, very much in the title race and crushed Harrow 7-1 in the reverse fixture just before Christmas. However, the hosts signed Neymar and Ronaldo's body double last week so it could be a very different story!

Isthmian North

Aveley v Dereham Town @3pm - unbeaten in 11, the Millers are going along really nicely and are currently third just three points behind leaders Stowmarket. Dereham are also in the top six so you'd think they would present a very stern test, but it ended 4-0 to Aveley when they last played

Essex Senior League

Walthamstow v Stansted @3pm - probably the easiest pick of the day, it's first versus second in the ninth tier ESL. Given that The Stow are already 14 points clear, a win here could effectively give them the title. However, Stansted have two games in hand, so if they win then things could get a lot tighter a few weeks down the line. The hosts have been averaging crowds of nearly 300 this season, which is exceptional for this level, and I'd expect a few more to turn up for this one

CCL Division 1

British Airways v Bedfont & Feltham @3pm - again, nothing really stands out in the 10th tier so for the second time this week you have the chance to see these two groundsharers do battle. This time it's the tenants who have 'home' advantage

MCFL Premier Division Cup Semi-Final

Clapton CFC v Cricklewood Wanderers @130pm - there's a double of sorts over at Wadham Lodge where The Tons go for cup glory on the pitch alongside the main stadium where Walthamstow will be playing at 3pm. Although down in the 11th tier they often get lively crowds of 350-400 so are well worth experiencing. With the slight overlap in kick-off times between the two games, you'll have to leave one early or turn up late for the other but with Clapton CFC games being pay what you want, you can't really go wrong  

Surrey South Eastern Combination

AFC Whyteleafe v Earlsfield United @3pm - hands up, I admit being slow to the party on this one as I rarely cover football in the 12th tier. But with some great results and healthy crowds, phoenix club AFC Whyteleafe have become too hard to ignore. Still playing at Church Road, a ground capable of hosting at least seventh-tier football, the Leafe are well worth investigating especially if you're on the south side of town

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Sunday 27 February

EFL Cup Final

Chelsea v Liverpool @430pm - the first major final of the domestic season is upon us and for the first time since 2017, Manchester City will not be involved. The final we do have though is still big box-office stuff with two more of England's biggest clubs taking part. Neither have won this for several years although the Reds are the most successful club in the competition's history with eight wins from their 12 appearances in the final. Any remaining tickets will be for members only

Premier League

West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers @2pm - it looks all set to be a big week for Wolves as they play two of the sides just above them in the table. If they do beat Arsenal and win at the London Stadium, then a top-four place will be very much on the cards. The Hammers are still in with a shout themselves, of course, but they've played 2-3 games more than three sides immediately below them and a Europa League spot looks a more realistic objective at this stage. Tickets are available

Women's FA Cup Fifth Round

Charlton Athletic v Everton @1pm - there's only one tie in London on Sunday and it could provide a cupset as the second-tier Addicks look to get the better of the Toffees who are second from bottom in the Super League and really struggling for form. The match is being played at VCD Athletic's ground and adult tickets are £5

FA Women's Championship

London City Lionesses v Bristol City @2pm - with Liverpool 10 points clear at the top, it looks like everyone else will be fighting for second. LCL, who play at Dartford, currently occupy the runners-up spot while the Robins are just a couple of points behind in fourth

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: 14-20 February 2022

Welcome one and all to the latest edition of TLFG.

Followers on Twitter will know I've been really pushed for time this week and even ended up doing some work on the match maps on the dashboard of a train (out of service I might add) on Sunday afternoon.

Aside from work, Non-League Day preparations are ramping up even more so I've barely had a spare minute and the week ahead is not likely to get any better.

I got home around 6pm this evening and have to be back at work at around 545am tomorrow.

As a result, I'm not going to be doing a 'Daily Digest' as it just takes too long and I'd quite like to eat and sleep at some point.

On far more serious matters, I couldn't let this week's blog go by without mentioning the very worrying incident that occurred after the match between Stonewall FC and Clapton CFC on Saturday evening.

Fans and members of both teams were enjoying some social time in a bar near the London Marathon Community Track after the game when the mezzanine level collapsed and injured several people - it was declared a major incident by the emergency services and even made the national news.

Some TLFG readers were involved and I'm pleased to report that most, if not all, casualties have now been released from hospital - take care of yourselves folks and ask for help if you need it.

GROUNDHOP DOUBLE

On the subject of Clapton CFC, one of the biggest highlights of this Saturday's fixtures is their Anagram Records Trophy tie against NW London which will be played at Haringey Borough's ground at 745pm meaning a Saturday double is 100% doable and combinable with pretty much any other game in London. 

SSML leaders New Salamis are playing Leighton Town in a hugely important game at the same venue at 3pm or you could pop across the road and watch Park View host Wivenhoe Town at the New River Stadium also at 3pm.

In other words, you could spend pretty much the whole day just groundhopping on White Hart Lane!

It's also pretty convenient if you're going to the London derby between Arsenal and Brentford, whilst Enfield Town and Enfield Borough (who play at Wingate & Finchley) both have games within easy reach of N17.

Right, I think that's about all I've got time for - time to put on some pasta.

Have a great week.

                                                             THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the Premier League, EFL, most of our local non-league competitions and some women's football too. 

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 - turquoise pin

Friday fixtures - black pin

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin

Sunday fixtures - orange pin

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: 7-13 February 2022

Greetings and welcome to the latest TLFG.

I'm going to keep it brief this week as events have caught up with me and I don't have much to share.

Work has been busy, Non-League Day is starting to hot up and my kids have been driving me to distraction but given the context of last week's blog, I'm glad I face that kind of challenge.

My football watching this week has all been via the TV or internet.

The AFCON has just finished and with my father-in-law being Egyptian, it's taken on a lot more meaning in my life since I got married.

It was disappointing to see them lose on penalties to Senegal but given they've effectively drawn their way through this tournament and the Teranga Lions have never won it, I'm generally content with the outcome.

Chelsea will play Man City in the Women's League Cup Final
 - tickets go on sale on Monday at 4pm

Besides, one of my best friends at work is Senegalese and QPR's goalkeeper Seny Dieng was in their sqaud and played some games at the start of the tournament.

I've also watched a couple of women's games on the BBC this week too.

Chelsea have had a great few days - setting up a Continental Cup Final meeting against Manchester City at Plough Lane in March and cutting the gap on Arsenal to just two points in the league.

The Blues can go top if they beat the Gunners in Friday night's big game but more on that in the digest below.

Lastly from me, many thanks this week to John Bradley for donating to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund. I really really appreciate it.

                                                             THE WEEK AHEAD

The highlights of the next few days include games in the Premier League, EFL, FA Trophy, FA Vase, most of our local non-league competitions and Women's Super League too. 

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 - turquoise pin

Thursday fixtures - purple pin

Friday fixtures - black pin

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin

Sunday fixtures - orange pin

TLFG DAILY DIGEST

In the following section, I list, 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 7 February

Premier League 2

Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace @12pm - the week begins with this U23 game at Tottenham's training ground. These games are usually open to the public but attendance is very limited with free tickets secured by calling the box office. Personally I would think they've all gone by now but give them a call to be sure

Professional Development League

Charlton Athletic v Swansea City @1pm - your chances of getting into this match are much better BUT the Addicks' U23 games have been really flaky of late, especially when it comes to the movement of venues. This is scheduled to be played at Dartford's ground but doublecheck on the day

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Tuesday 8 February

Premier League

West Ham United v Watford @745pm - the Hammers return to Premier League action with this home game against the struggling Hornets. The east London club have won their last four against Watford and should be confident of victory here. However, Roy Hodgson is now in charge and he began by drawing at Burnley on Saturday so hopefully they'll be a bit more resolute from now on. Tickets are available

Championship

Fulham v Millwall @745pm - there's some good second-tier action on Tuesday with the leaders entertaining the Lions in this London derby. Many teams find Millwall hard to play against but the Cottagers are unbeaten in seven against them and won 2-1 at The Den earlier in the season. Tickets are not available

League One

AFC Wimbledon v Rotherham United @745pm - the Dons lost 3-2 at Charlton on Saturday as their winless run continued. The defeat leaves them just one point above the relegation zone as they prepare to host the Millers who are six points clear at the top. Rotherham won the reverse fixture 3-0 in September. Tickets are available 

League Two

Sutton United v Salford City @745pm - the U's draw with Bristol Rovers saw them end the weekend in the automatic promotion places as their fine season continued. Salford, another recent graduate from non-league football, are 10th and still very much in the hunt for a play-off place. Tickets are available

National League

Wealdstone v Yeovil Town @745pm - reading the comments of some Stones fans on social media, you get the feeling they're relying on the three teams below them being worse than they are as they hope to stay up. The table suggests they probably won't have much to worry about as the relegation zone is filled with three teams who have won just 9 of the 77 games they've played between them. A win over midtable Yeovil, a Championship side until as recently as 2014, will move them 11 points clear of danger

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Wednesday 9 February

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton @745pm - both sides made smooth progress into the Fifth Round of the FA Cup over the weekend so should begin this in good spirits. Currently seventh with two games in hand, Spurs are well placed for a crack at a top-four finish and on paper you'd expect them to win here. The Saints are no pushovers though and drew 1-1 at St Mary's when they last played just after Christmas. Tickets are on general sale but they're aren't many left

Championship

QPR v Middlesbrough @745pm - if you can't get a ticket at the THS, they should be able to squeeze you in at Loftus Road where two of the division's play-off contenders do battle.The R's are unbeaten in five against Boro but come into this on the back of a disappointing FA Cup loss at Peterborough whilst the visitors must still be basking in the glory of beating Manchester United on Friday, where former QPR keeper Joe Lumley was the hero. Tickets are available. 

Isthmian League Premier Division

Kingstonian v Corinthian Casuals @745pm - there is a slim chance I could be free on Wednesday and if I am then this is where I would head. It's a case of tenants versus landlords in the Kingston derby which has become a bit of a thing in recent years with lively crowds of several hundred turning up at this small ground in Tolworth. The K's are just two points adrift of the play-off places and should start as marginal favourites

FA Youth Cup Fifth Round

Charlton Athletic v Brighton & Hove Albion @7pm - this most prestgious of U18 competitions is down to its last 16 teams and the Addicks have done well to make it this far. The match is being played at The Valley and adult tickets are just £3

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Friday 11 February

FA Women's Super League

Chelsea v Arsenal @745pm - it doesn't come much bigger than this when it comes to women's football. Currently the top two in the country, Arsenal's draw with Manchester United on Saturday means the Blues will go top if they win here. In one of the closest WSL title races there's ever been, this match will play a huge part in decideing who wins the title. Tickets are available

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Saturday 12 February

Premier League

Brentford v Crystal Palace @3pm - the Bees are on a worrying run of five straight defeats in all competitions and badly need to get something from this match. Fellow London club Palace are only a point above them so this could go either way. As with most Brentford matches, you have to be a member to buy a ticket

Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion @3pm - if you do want a taste of Premier League football, they are still a few tickets left for this game at Vicarage Road. As two of the lowest scoring teams in the division, it's not the most mouthwatering prospect but top-flight football is top-flight football right?

Championship

Millwall v Cardiff City @3pm - currently eight points adrift of the play-off places, the Lions' promotion hopes are probably starting to fade. Cardiff, on the other hand, having been fighting to avoid the drop and have enjoyed back-to-back wins over Nottingham Forest and Barnsley to give them a great chance. Games between these two have been ridiculously close in recent years with seven of the last eight ending in a draw. Tickets are available

League One

AFC Wimbledon v Sunderland @3pm - the Dons' run of big home games continues with this match against the biggest club in the division. Up in fourth, the Mackems should start as considerable favourites but they've now lost two in a row, don't have a manager and are showing signs of vulnerability. Unsurprisingly, tickets seem to be pretty much gone but check with the club for the latest

League Two

Leyton Orient v Salford City @3pm - the O's suffered a very disappointing defeat at home to Colchester on Saturday to effectively end any slim play-off hopes they might have been harbouring. Salford, as mentioned above, are still very much in contention for a top-seven finish. Tickets are available

Sutton United v Forest Green Rovers @3pm - one of the matches of the day at any level sees Sutton welcome the leaders to Gander Green Lane. The Gloucestershire club are 10 points clear at the time of writing and have a game in hand. Tickets are available so don't miss out

FA Trophy Fifth Round

Dagenham & Redbridge v Spennymoor Town @3pm - we're down to the last 16 and Wembley is beginning to appear on the horizon. One of the best things about non-league competitions like this is that it throws up matches between clubs that would probably never play each other, given the regional nature of most leagues below the EFL. Spennymoor are probably most famous for making the FA Vase Final in 2013, something they used as a springboard for three subsequent promotions. Now in the National League North, they play a level below the Daggers who will start as favourites 

National League

Barnet v Wealdstone @3pm - the Bees have suffered all kinds of problems off the pitch this week but put it behind them to beat Aldershot on Saturday. This weekend they welcome the Stones for a derby which should draw a lively crowd. The Hive, Barnet's home, was originally intended to be for Wealdstone when they left Lower Mead but it all went wrong - it's a long but well documented story so look it up if you want all the details

Isthmian League Premier Division

Enfield Town v Bishop's Stortford @3pm - the match of the day in the seventh tier pits two of the top four against each other. The Towners have pulled themselves right back into title contention and are just two points behind leaders Worthing although they've played a game more. The visitors play just to north of London, not too far from Enfield, so there should be a decent crowd and good atmosphere

Isthmian League North

Aveley v Canvey Island @3pm - there's an even bigger game in the eighth tier where two Essex rivals who are first and second, do battle for top spot. There's only a point between them, they've both played 26 and with Stowmarket just a point behind with a game in hand, the title race looks set to go all the way

FA Vase Fifth Round

Southall v Stansfeld @3pm - we're down to the last 16 in this competition too and there's an all-London tie at Ashford Town's ground. The 'All play a level above SCEFL Division 1 side Stansfeld but they've been doing superbly well in the league and have beaten three higher-ranked teams, all from Southall's league so they can't take anything for granted

In the other tie, Athletic Newham were scheduled to host Brockenhurst but were thrown out because of fielding an ineligible player in the last round. Their appeal is set to be held this week so it's possible they'll have a tie too - check with the club for updates. UPDATE - the appeal was unsuccessful

MCFL Premier Division

Stonewall FC v Clapton CFC @2pm - in the 11th tier, two clubs fighting for equality and social inclusion on and off the pitch meet at the London Marathon Community Track in the shadow of West Ham United's London Stadium. There should be a lively crowd and a great backdrop. UPDATE - because of the small capacity (300), this match has been made all-ticket so you must register in advance to claim a free ticket. It will be oversubscribed so you'll have to act fast

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Sunday 13 February

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers @2pm - currently seventh and eighth in the table, this is a hugely important match in the battle for European places. It really is staggering to see Wolves doing so well despite scoring only 19 league goals so far this season - only struggling Norwich and Burnley have scored fewer. Spurs are unbeaten in four against Wolves and beat them on penalties, after drawing 2-2, when they last played in an EFL Cup tie back in September. Tickets are only available to members

FA Women's Championship

Crystal Palace v London City Lionesses @2pm - these two were the best London sides in this division until Sunday but they both lost. This allowed an in-form Charlton side to fully capitalise by beating Watford 3-0 to leapfrog both of them up into second. Nine points clear, leaders Liverpool look like champions already but the runners-up spot has at least five clubs vying for it

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