It's another short one from me this week I'm afraid.
If you read last week's piece, you'll know I was in Turkey and my eldest daughter had picked up a nasty bug.
She recovered, we came home on Thursday and the youngest one came down with the same affliction so I've been rather sidelined by that.
As a result, it's just match maps again this time and there's absolutely loads on in the men's and women's game so there's no excuse not to see something.
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| Resale tickets for West Ham v Brighton are now available |
I'm actually at work now and my break is about to end so I gotta dash!
UPDATE (16/08/22) - I've managed to find a bit of spare time and have now produced a 'Daily Digest' which you can find towards the foot of the page.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The highlights of the next few days include a few games in the Premier League and EFL, the next round of the FA Cup, lots of other non-league matches and the opening weekend of the FA Women's National League. There are also some good U21 games and FA Youth Cup ties.
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 16 August
Championship
QPR v Blackpool @745pm - the R's created one of the stories of the weekend when they came from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Sunderland courtesy of goalkeeper Seny Dieng's injury-time header. The club from W12 have made a reasonable start under new boss Mick Beale and will hope to pick up three points here against a side who haven't won at Loftus Road since 1972. Tickets
League One
Charlton Athletic v Plymouth Argyle @745pm - after the joy of beating QPR on penalties in the EFL Cup, the Addicks came back down to earth with a defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. With four points from their opening three games, they're sat snugly in midtable. Plymouth have made a better start and should provide a stern test. Tickets
National League
Boreham Wood v Aldershot Town @745pm - the hosts are one of the smallest clubs in this division but have a habit of doing rather well. Last year they were challenging for the title but fell away after a superb FA Cup run which culminated in a Fifth Round trip to Goodison Park to play Everton. This season they've made a solid start and are one of nine teams to be sharing top spot after two games. A win here against early strugglers Aldershot could see them take the lead outright
National League South
Dartford v Havant & Waterlooville @745pm - the Darts also looked like title contenders for much of last season but eventually bowed out in the play-offs. They've got off to a good start again with two wins and face another one of the division's strongest sides on Tuesday
Southern League Premier Division South
Hayes & Yeading United v Hendon @745pm - if I was heading out to a non-league game tonight, this would be my personal pick. In a division with clubs stretched between West London and Cornwall, this is definitely a derby. H&YU were another side to see a strong title bid fall away at the last and will hope to go one better this time. The Greens have made a disappointing start, losing their first two and could be in for another tough evening here
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Wednesday 17 August
Premier League Cup
Arsenal v Swansea City @7pm - the Gunners play their first group game in this U21 competition which they have yet to win. This is taking place at Boreham Wood
Isthmian League Premier Division
Kingstonian v Wingate & Finchley @745pm - the K's nomadic existence begins a new chapter on Wednesday as they play the first competitive game at their new home at Imperial Fields which they will be sharing with Tooting & Mitcham United
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Thursday 18 August
UEFA Europa Conference League
West Ham United v Viborg @745pm - after making it to the semi-finals of the Europa League last season, the Hammers have made it into Europe again although in the slightly lesser Conference League. On Thursday they welcome Danish club Viborg for the first leg of this second qualifying round tie. The visitors only finished seventh in their domestic league last season and had to go into a 'relegation round' in order to stay up. In other words, they start as significant underdogs here. Tickets
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Friday 19 August
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Southall v Peacehaven & Telscombe @745pm - the next round of the FA Cup gets underway on Friday night at Ashford Town's ground near Heathrow. The 'All won promotion from the Combined Counties League last season and therefore play a level above their opponents who hail from the Sussex coast
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Saturday 20 August
Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers @1230pm - the top-flight action gets underway at lunchtime with this match at the THS. Spurs grabbed a dramatic injury-time equaliser to draw 2-2 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in what was a highly entertaining game. With only one point from two games, Wolves have yet to get going but they have a good record here - winning on two of their three visits. Tickets are only available to members
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa @3pm - the Eagles picked up their first point of the season at Anfield on Monday night after recording a tidy 1-1 draw with Liverpool. Next up they face a Villa side managed by Reds legend Steven Gerrard. The sides are part of that midtable pack that will have aspirations of breaking into the top 10 this season. Tickets are not available to non-members
Fulham v Brentford @3pm - if I could choose a Premier League match to be at on Saturday, then it would be this derby at Craven Cottage. Old rivals from the lower leagues, there will be members of the fanbase at both clubs who will be pinching themselves that this is taking place in the top division. Aside from the play-off final at Wembley in 2020, the Bees have dominated this fixture in recent years and have lost only one of their last 10 league games against Fulham. Tickets are only available to those with membership or a previous booking history
Championship
QPR v Rotherham United @3pm - for most casual fans or neutrals, the highest level match you can watch on Saturday will be this one at Loftus Road. As a QPR fan, your instinctive reaction would be to predict a home win as the Millers are one of the smallest clubs in the division. However, they finished as runners-up in League One last season and won the EFL Trophy so come into this campaign on a high. With four points from two games, they can't be underestimated. Tickets
League One
Charlton Athletic v Cambridge United @3pm - following their promotion from League Two, the U's finished just a point behind the Addicks in 14th last season. With two wins from their first three games, they've begun well but they've only won twice at Charlton with the last time coming way back in 1991. Tickets
Premier League 2
Arsenal v Chelsea @2pm - there's a rather random but high quality U21 game sandwiched into Saturday's schedule, but at a time where you can't really get to go to anything else afterwards. The match is at Boreham Wood's ground where it's often free to get in but check with Arsenal nearer the time for the latest information
National League
Barnet v Woking @3pm - at the time of writing, the Bees have made the best start of any London club in the National League. Although it's still very early days, they're third. Woking haven't started quite so brightly but hailing from Surrey, they should bring a decent travelling support for this one
National League South
Dulwich Hamlet v Slough Town @3pm - at one point last season, it looked like the Hamlet would grab a place in the top seven but their form left them at the wrong moment and they finished 10th. Slough had a mediocre season and have yet to win so far in this campaign. With a crowd of 1,808 for their last home game against Braintree, Dulwich often draw the highest crowds in the division so, unusually for this level, you're always advised to buy in advance and turn up at least half an hour before to claim a spot with a decent view. Tickets
Southern League Premier Division South
Harrow Borough v Hanwell Town @3pm - it's derby day at the Rogers Family Stadium where these two near neighbours meet in a league match for the first time in ages, possibly ever. The Geordies are a club on the up after winning promotion from the Isthmian League South Central via the play-offs. Shunted across into the Southern League by the bigwigs at the FA, they will be looking to embarrass the Boro on their own pitch and they could well do it
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Everyone's favourite cup competition continues on Saturday with clubs from the eighth tier and below looking to break into the Qualifying Rounds where the higher ranked non-league teams begin to enter. The winners of each tie get £1,444 and the losers £481
Colliers Wood United v Chatham Town @3pm - Combined Counties League club Colliers Wood face a tough afternoon against Kent club Chatham who finished runners-up in the SCEFL last season to claim promotion to the Isthmian League. However, the south London club saw off Faversham Town in the last round, who play at a similar level to Chatham, so shouldn't be overawed
Erith Town v Bedfont Sports @3pm - the Dockers also welcome eighth-tier opposition. Bedfont made it to the Isthmian League South Central play-offs last season and all the way to the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup
Fisher v Sittingbourne @3pm - the Fish have a habit of causing the odd cupset, beating Tooting & Mitcham a couple of years ago and knocking out Sutton Common Rovers in the opening round this season. The visitors on Saturday come from the eighth tier too and will have to avoid complacency at all costs
Glebe v Cray Valley PM @3pm - after beating Holmesdale in a derby in the last round, Glebe have drawn another local club at home in this round too. CVPM play a level above them and made it to the FA Vase final in 2019 so should provide a significantly tougher test
Raynes Park Vale v Hythe Town @3pm - after getting the better of Erith & Belvedere in the last round, RPV have been rewarded with another home tie. Hythe play in the Isthmian League so should represent a step up in class. I've got a feeling the hosts will give it a good go though
Sutton Athletic v Ashford United @3pm - the home team won promotion from the SCEFL Division 1 last season and with it, a place in the FA Cup. Kent club Ashford finished as runners-up in the Isthmian League South East before losing in the play-offs. If Sutton do win, it will equal their best ever run in the competition
MCFL Premier Division
Clapton CFC v Shepherd's Bush @3pm - nothing really takes my fancy in the 10th tier but as a little added bonus, I'm going to throw in this 11th-tier game which is being played on the 3G pitch at Wadham Lodge. Going back to the early days of football in the capital, Clapton and Shepherd's Bush were two of the city's main amateur teams. The Tons' history has been a bit complicated since then, whilst Shepherd's Bush, who used to play at Loftus Road, simply ceased to be in 1915. Fast forward over 100 years and clubs representing both these areas are back and about to play for the first time. As someone who always had a dream of seeing the Bushmen relaunch, I'm chuffed to see that it's happened. The only slight downside is that it's not being played at The Old Spotted Dog, the hosts' historic old ground, but it's still not quite ready
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Sunday 21 August
Premier League
West Ham United v Brighton & Hove Albion @2pm - after hopefully avoiding an upset in the Viborg game, the Hammers welcome a very tricky Brighton side to the London Stadium. The Seagulls have taken four points from their opening games against Manchester United and Newcastle and should fancy themselves to get at least a draw here. Tickets are available via the club's ticket exchange
Isthmian League Premier Division
Kingstonian v Enfield Town @3pm - the K's welcome a tough Towners side to Imperial Fields. The north London club made it to the play-offs last season
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Romford v Takeley @3pm - as a result of their groundshare with Barking, Romford have to play a lot of their cup ties on Sundays. In this one, they face fellow Essex Senior League side Takeley who have lost both of their league games so far this season
FA Women's Championship
London City Lionesses v Crystal Palace @1230pm - after England's success in the Euros, this season is set to be a hugely important one for women's football in this country. With the Super League campaign still a few weeks away from kick-off, the second to the sixth tiers begin on Sunday. This big derby in London is the pick of the action in the second tier. LCL finished as runners-up to Liverpool last season but with only one team going up, have to spend another year at this level. Palace had a good year too and finished fourth so it will be really interesting to see who comes out on top in this game at Dartford's ground. Adult tickets are £8 and can be bought in advance or on the gate
FA Women's National League Southern Premier
Watford v Gillingham @2pm - the Hornets suffered relegation to the third tier with virtually the last kick of the season in a thrilling game against Coventry United. They'll be looking for a positive start to life at their new home at Wealdstone's ground but Gillingham are a canny side who they can't take lightly. The visitors used to be associated with the men's team of the same name but split and became an independent entity in 2020. Adult tickets are £5 and can be bought online or on the gate
FA Women's National League Division 1 South East
AFC Wimbledon v Hashtag United @2pm - the biggest game of the day in the fourth tier takes place at Carshalton Athletic's ground in south London. Finishing third and second respectively last season, this should provide us with an early look at who could challenge for the title this time round. Adult tickets are £5 on the gate
Actonians v Chesham United @2pm - personally, I'm aiming to be at the Middlesex FA's HQ at Rectory Park in Northolt for this one. As regular readers know, my eldest daughter plays junior football for Actonians and has been a mascot for them in the past. The West London club finished fifth last season, just a point behind local rivals QPR who they will hope to pip this year. Chesham are new to this division after being moved over from the parallel Division 1 South West in which they also finished fifth. Adult tickets are £5 and can be bought online in advance or on the gate
Hounslow v Ashford Town (Middlesex) @2pm - elsewhere in West London, there's a derby between a club who have just been relegated and one which has just come up. Hounslow, who play at Hanworth Villa, have struggled for several years and only seasons curtailed by Covid saw them stay in the third tier for so long. Last season, they lost all 26 league games and could well find it tough against Ashford who beat a number of higher ranked sides in cup games. I couldn't find any ticketing details but it can't be more than a fiver to get in
London & South East Women's Regional League Premier Division
Sutton United v Fulham @2pm - the U's won the Division 1 North title last season to move up to the fifth tier. The Cottagers came third in the Premier Division and should be regarded as one of the favourites going into this derby at Gander Green Lane. To top it all, it's free entry
London & South East Women's Regional League Division 1 North
Brentford v Clapton CFC @3pm - in the sixth tier, the Bees welcome the well-supported Tons' women's team to Bedfont Sports' ground near Heathrow for this season opener
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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Looking forward to that Arsenal vs Chelsea game for sure. Let's see whether Arsenal can scoop another victory. I just don't see Chelsea U21 winning this one...
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