Greetings one and all and welcome to TLFG.
A punishing work schedule means I'll keep this preamble pretty brief.
I haven't been able to see any live football since last Sunday and I probably won't be able to see any until next Sunday - that's what having a week of shifts that require me to get up between 3-4am does for you.
The World Cup is now underway and I should be back in time to watch England's opener against Iran at 1pm - I have my views on this tournament, like everyone does, but I haven't got the energy to go into them right here and now.
This weekend was a great one for my teams with Harrow Borough pulling off a notable shock in the FA Trophy, winning 4-2 at National League South side Concord Rangers.
 |
| Millwall welcome Brondby to The Den on Saturday |
They now go into the Third Round draw alongside a number of former EFL clubs so we could have a big moment to almost replicate the one we enjoyed at Pompey in the FA Cup last season.
In the women's game, Actonians recorded an emphatic 4-0 away win at Chesham United to continue their good run of form.
They next face a home game against Hounslow on Tuesday before travelling to Ashford United in the Women's FA Cup on Sunday, which I will try and get to.
Lastly, many thanks this week to Toby P-S from London who donated to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund, I really appreciate it.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The highlights of the next few days include games in the FA Cup, EFL, National League, Women's Super League Cup, Women's FA Cup and many other games in our local non-league and women's competitions.
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
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Wednesday fixtures - turquoise 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.Monday 21 November
Premier League Cup
QPR v AFC Bournemouth @7pm - the R's B team get the week underway again with another match in this U21 competition. Being played at Hanwell Town's ground, QPR's second string games usually produce loads of goals with 30 coming from just the last five! With Rangers only sending two players to the World Cup, they could well field a strong side here. Admission is usually around £5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday 22 November
EFL Trophy Second Round
AFC Wimbledon v Sutton United @745pm - with the group stage complete, it's time for the knockout rounds of this competition that's predominantly for sides in League One and League Two. Usually drawing small crowds, this derby could well pull in a few more fans than normal. Both in League Two and very evenly matched, the U's got to the final last season and beat the Dons in a recent league game. Tickets
Premier League Cup
Charlton Athletic v Fulham @1pm - earlier in the day, the Addicks take on the Cottagers in this U21 match at Dartford's ground. The visitors are currently top of Group A and start as favourites
Middlesex Senior Cup Second Round
Hanwell Town v Harrow Borough @745pm - postponed from last week, there's a decent local derby in west London where these two Southern League sides look to make progress in the county cup. The Geordies won the competition two years ago but lost to Harrow in the final when they last won it in 2015
Isthmian League Premier Division
Wingate & Finchley v Corinthian Casuals @745pm - in north London there's a relegation six-pointer between a couple of the bottom five. The hosts come into this on the back of a valuable away win at Cray Wanderers
CCL Division 1
Bedfont v Sandhurst Town @745pm - if you fancy a bit of 10th-tier football, head down to the Heathrow area where two of this division's top six go head-to-head. Bedfont were top but have slipped down a bit but they have two games in hand on the leaders, so should be able to get back amongst it
FAWNL Division 1 South East
Actonians v Hounslow @745pm - the A's continued their recent run of good form with a 4-0 win at Chesham United on Sunday. Hounslow have been struggling for two or three years now and this season has been a disaster. Having managed to play only five games so far, they've lost the lot. They've scored only one and have conceded a staggering 47! They lost 12-0 at home to Cambridge United on Sunday and could suffer a similar fate here. This match is being played at Rayners Lane rather than Actonians' normal Rectory Park home. Admission is £5
-------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday 23 November
UEFA Women's Champions League
Chelsea v Real Madrid @8pm - there's an eye-catching fixture at Kingsmeadow where two of world football's biggest names do battle. The Blues are currently top of Group A with a 100% record whilst Real are just behind them having taken four points from their opening two. Tickets
Isthmian League South Central
Bedfont Sports v Walton & Hersham @745pm - the hosts had a great run to the play-offs last season but it's all gone badly awry at the beginning of this campaign. Recently parting ways with their manager, they'll hope to bring their 10 game winless run to an end ASAP. However, it's unlikely to happen here as W&H are second and looking to close the gap on leaders Northwood to four points
SCEFL Division 1
Lewisham Borough v Forest Hill Park @745pm - in south-east London there's another relegation six-pointer to enjoy. Not only that but it's a groundshare derby too - the stakes are high!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday 25 November
Suburban League
Bromley v Beaconsfield Town @745pm - there's not much on on Thursday or Friday, with this U23 game being the pick of the action at Hayes Lane MATCH OFF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday 26 November
Friendly
Millwall v Brondby @1pm - with the World Cup causing an extended international break, bringing a pause to Premier League and Championship football, some sides have decided to arrange friendlies to keep their players in good shape. The first of those, that I'm aware of, is this interesting game between the Lions and one of Denmark's biggest clubs. Adult tickets are a very reasonable £10
FA Cup Second Round
Charlton Athletic v Stockport County @3pm - the Addicks have been the models of inconsistency this season and are mired in midtable in League One. Now four without a league win, they'll need to be wary of the visitors who finally returned to League Two after several years in the fifth and sixth tiers. Although only 14th, they've been on a good run of late and will probably bring a sizeable following with them. In my opinion, there is a decent chance of a cupset here. Tickets
AFC Wimbledon v Chesterfield @3pm - after struggling to get past non-league Weymouth in the last round, the Dons welcome another National League side on Saturday, albeit a much better one. Currently third in the fifth tier, the Spireites arrive in great form and they beat League Two club Northampton Town in the last round. However, AFC Wimbledon are on a good run of their own and could edge through if they put in a thoroughly professional performance. Tickets
Dagenham & Redbridge v Gillingham @5pm - talking of upsets, there's a very good opportunity of seeing one in east London. The Daggers have won four games on the trot and are now only a point adrift of the National League play-off places. The Gills, on the other hand, suffered relegation from League One last season and are now in the bottom two of the fourth tier. Despite this, they're thriving in cup competitions. Not only are they in the second round of this competition, they've sensationally made it to the last 16 of the EFL Cup and won at Premier League Brentford in the last round. Can they get themselves up for the cup again? Tickets
National League
Wealdstone v Scunthorpe United @3pm - the Stones have played a number of the division's big names in recent weeks and they welcome one of the newest fallen former EFL sides on Saturday. The Iron have really struggled since relegation at the end of last season, managing only three wins from their first 20 games. Current form suggests a home win. Tickets
National League South
Dartford v Concord Rangers @3pm - just when the Darts looked to be getting back into making top spot their own, they've wobbled again and are down to third. All is not lost though as they're still only two points behind leaders Ebbsfleet. Concord, who hail from Canvey Island, are way down in 19th and lost 4-2 at home to Southern League club Harrow Borough in the FA Trophy on Saturday
Friendly
Dulwich Hamlet v Chelsea U21 @1pm - the Hamlet were supposed to be playing Ebbsfleet in a league game but they're still in the FA Cup. So rather than have a blank Saturday, they've arranged this decent looking friendly against the Blues' youngsters. Adult tickets are £10
Isthmian League Premier
Wingate & Finchley v Enfield Town @3pm - in the seventh tier, I'd recommend another trip to Summers Lane for this north London derby. With the clubs scrapping for points at either end of the table, this should be well worth a watch
Isthmian League South Central
Tooting & Mitcham United v Uxbridge @3pm - the Terrors have had a very disappointing season and find themselves in the bottom three. As a result they haven't featured much in TLFG in 2022/23. With no real standout games in the eighth tier, give them a visit if you're in south London. They have a great ground and some equally great fans. It's also worth going along to check out the visiting Reds. Although a bit underwhelming in the league, they caused one of the shocks of the round in the FA Trophy on Saturday as they beat NLS side Dover Athletic on penalties
Essex Senior League
West Essex v Redridge @3pm - the game of the day in the ninth tier sees two of the top four go head-to-head at Wadham Lodge in Walthamstow. Only four points separate the top five, so the result of this will have a significant impact on the title race
SCEFL Premier Division
Fisher v Welling Town @3pm - both of these side have made a very disappointing start to this season and are in the bottom three. Consequently, this is a hugely important game. To top it all, it's Fisher's Community Day and the first 50 people through the gate will get a free pie!
CCL Division 1
Bedfont v Langley @3pm - in the 10th tier, I recommend another trip to The Orchard. As it stands, the sides are sixth and first but Bedfont could be in the top four if they win in midweek. Langley are currently a point clear at the top
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday 27 November
FA Women's Super League Cup
Tottenham Hotspur v Coventry United @2pm - the WSL has a week off so its League Cup takes over. Open to WSL and Championship clubs, we're still at the group stage. These two currently jointly top Group E after winning their opening games. Coventry have been really struggling in the Championship and Spurs should win. This is being played at Leyton Orient
West Ham United v Birmingham City @3pm - the Hammers got back to winning ways on Sunday with a narrow 1-0 victory over bottom club Leicester. In their opening group game, they scraped past Championship leaders London City Lionesses on penalties. Birmingham are also a second-tier side and should be beaten
Charlton Athletic v Bristol City @2pm - in south-east London, at VCD Athletic's ground, this clash of two of the Championship's top four could produce one of the games of the day
Crystal Palace v Lewes @2pm - elsewhere in south-east London, two clubs only a point apart in the second tier should also be a close one
London City Lionesses v Brighton & Hove Albion @2pm - recently installed as top club in the Championship, LCL could well cause a bit of an upset against one of the WSL's lower clubs
Women's FA Cup Second Round
At this stage no new clubs enter the draw, meaning this one features the remaining clubs from the third tier and below. There are 28 ties taking place around the country with the winners of each receiving £8,000 and the losers £2,000. Here are the ties taking place in London:
Watford v Crawley Wasps @1pm - two third-tier teams who've had very different seasons meet at Wealdstone's ground at lunchtime. The Hornets were top but have lost some ground of late with Sunday's home defeat to Billericay leaving them five points behind new leaders Oxford United. Crawley have had a terrible season, failing to win any of their 10 league games and really should be beaten here
AFC Wimbledon v Billericay Town @3pm - Carshalton Athletic's ground plays host to an intriguing tie between one of the best sides in the fourth tier and an ever-improving third tier one. Billericay won the Dons' division last season and have started to build a decent run of results which has lifted them to fifth
Dartford v Hashtag United @4pm - one of the lowest-ranked teams left in the competition, the Darts face an incredibly tough afternoon against a strong Hashtag side who top the division above them
Dulwich Hamlet v Gillingham WFC @2pm - although the Hamlet top the fifth-tier division Dartford play in, they can expect an even bigger challenge as they play host to a midtable third-tier outfit from Kent. There should be a decent crowd to encourage them though
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!
Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here
No comments:
Post a Comment