Welcome to the latest edition of TLFG.
After a hectic week that culminated in a trip to Wembley for the Women's FA Cup Final, I've not got the energy to write a full guide - I'm nodding off at the keyboard as I write this.
As a result, there's no 'Daily Digest' for now but the match maps are available.
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| Another fun day out at Wembley for the Women's FA Cup Final |
OK, that's it for now - hopefully, I'll be able to add a bit more as the week progresses.
UPDATE - THE 'DAILY DIGEST' IS NOW UP (SEE BELOW)
THE WEEK AHEAD
The highlights of the next few days include the final round of games in the Premier League, Non-League Finals Day and several county cup finals 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.
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
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
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 17 May
Kent Senior Cup Final
Dartford v Folkestone Invicta @745pm - withy very little on in London this week, I've included a few games outside the M25 including some decent county cup finals. First up is this one which is being played at Chatham Town's ground which can be reached on a high-speed train from St Pancras in just 40 minutes. The Darts are the current holders and should start as favourites as they play a level above Folkestone. Adult tickets are £10 and MUST be bought online in advance
Surrey Senior Cup Final
Dorking Wanderers v Kingstonian @745pm - it's a very similar scenario in Surrey where a top NLS side take on a club from the Isthmian Premier. To make things even tougher for the K's, the match is being played at Dorking's ground. Wanderers have become a real force in recent years but have never been to the final whilst Kingstonian have won it 11 times. Tickets are £12 MUST be bought online in advance
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Wednesday 18 May
London Senior Trophy Final
AFC Cubo v Tooting Bec @730pm - the much delayed LST final is here and being played at Carshalton Athletic's ground. Tooting Bec play a level above Cubo and should start as favourites. Adult tickets are £7.50 and can be bought online or on the gate
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Thursday 12 May
Premier League
Chelsea v Leicester City @745pm - after the disappointment of losing another cup final to Liverpool on penalties, the Blues now have to make sure they don't lose their place in the top four which has looked nailed on for months. If Arsenal win at Newcastle on Monday, they'll be just one point behind and Spurs will be two back. In other words, victory here will be enough for a Champions League place but a loss will put it all at risk going into the final game on Sunday. By their recent standards, the Foxes have had an underwhelming season but a top-eight finish is still possible. Tickets are not available
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Saturday 21 May
League One Play-Off Final
Sunderland v Wycombe Wanderers @3pm - finishing fifth and sixth respectively, these clubs have somewhat defied the odds to make it to Wembley for this game. About as much of a David v Goliath contest as it's possible to get at this level, the Mackems are way too big a club to be playing in the third tier and easily sold their allocation. Gareth Ainsworth has been in charge of Wycombe for 10 years now and has done a superb job to put them on the verge of an instant return to the Championship after getting relegated last season. The last match between them in January ended in a 3-3 draw. Tickets are currently only available from Wycombe's ground and you need to prove local residency
National League South Play-Off Final
Dorking Wanderers v Ebbsfleet United @3pm - the hosts end the week and their season with another big game at Meadowbank. Having finished as runners-up to Maidstone United and successfully seen off Oxford City in the play-off semis, they now have home advantage in a game that could propel them to the highest level in their history. Ebbsfleet have spent a number of seasons in the fifth tier but took only a point off Dorking during thge regular season and got thrashed 5-1 on their last visit to the Surrey town in January. Ticket news will be announced on Monday afternoon
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Sunday 22 May
Premier League
Arsenal v Everton @4pm - the final day of the Premier League season has arrived and there's still plenty to play for, certainly at the time of writing. Whatever happens in midweek, the Gunners will still be fighting to secure a place in the top four by the time this comes round. If the Toffees lose or draw with Crystal Palace on Thursday, then they'll still be looking to avoid the drop. Tickets are not available
Brentford v Leeds United @4pm - the Bees' win at Everton on Sunday took them up to 11th and means that a win here could see them finish in the top half, an almost unthinkable feat at the beginning of the campaign. They also now have a huge say in the fate of Leeds who could well go down if they lose here. Tickets are not available
Chelsea v Watford @4pm - if the Blues beat Leicester on Thursday then this match will simply determine whether the Hornets finish 19th or bottom. However, if they don't, then this could become an incredibly tense battle to stay in the top four. Tickets are not available
Crystal Palace v Manchester United @4pm - the Eagles have comfotably avoided any struggles this season and could still finish in the top half with a win here. After finishing second last time, United have had a disastous season by their very high standards. They need to win just to hold on to sixth - a seventh-place finish would be their worst since 2013/14. Tickets are not available
Non-League Finals Day
At Wembley, one ticket will get you access to both the FA Vase and FA Trophy finals which are played back-to-back. The Vase is a national knockout competition primarily for clubs in the ninth and 10th tiers whilst the Trophy is for clubs in the fifth to eighth tiers. Tickets could usually be bought from Wembley either online or in person on the day but the official site is saying it's sold out which suggests all neutral tickets are gone so go to one of the participating clubs to secure one. Bromley seem to be the best source of tickets at the moment
FA Vase Final
Littlehampton Town v Newport Pagnell Town @1215pm - neither of these ninth-tier teams have ever made it to this final before. On paper, Littlehampton should start as favourites as they won the Southern Combination title this year whilst Newport Pagnell could only manage fifith in the parallel United Counties League but are the leagues of the same quality? Sunday could give us some indication. It's interesting to note that Littlehampton got thrashed 5-0 by Athletic Newham in one of the earlier rounds but got reinstated after the London club fielded an ineligible player. Personally I'll be rooting for NPT where my uncle lives and my Mum did too until she died
FA Trophy Final
Bromley v Wrexham @415pm - London club Bromley will hope to go one better after losing the 2018 final to Brackley Town. They come into the game as underdogs after finishing 10th in the National League whilst Wrexham were runners-up. This could be to the Ravens' advantage as the Welsh club will surely have an eye on the play-offs which they will no doubt want to win more than this. However, promotion and this cup would be a huge achievement
GLWFL Finals Day
The Greater London Women's Football League is celebrating its 50th anniversary and has a hat-trick of finals taking place at Bedfont Sports starting at 11am and going on throughout the day, possibly into the early evening. Clubs including Brentford B and Clapton CFC will be on show during what looks set to be a veritable feast of women's football
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!
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