TLFG: 6-12 November 2023

Greetings one and all and welcome to this week's TLFG.

Once again I've produced match maps for the whole week and previews for Monday to Friday - I'll produce some weekend ones in a few days time.

My week saw me get to the two games I targeted.

QPR won their U21 game against Cardiff City 3-2 on Monday whilst Actonians put up a great fight and were very unlucky to lose 0-3 to leaders AFC Wimbledon. The Dons were probably worthy of the win but two late goals made the win look far more convincing than it was.

The highlight for me was getting a birthday card from the A's players and it's small things like this that keep fans like me coming back for more.

Tickets are available for West Ham's Europa League game against Olympiakos

Elsewhere, the much-hyped FA Cup tie between Charlton Athletic and non-league Cray Valley PM didn't disappoint with the eighth-tier club earning a replay after recording a superb 1-1 draw in front of a live TV audience on Sunday evening. A huge well done to them.

I'm lucky enough to have a few days off now and hopefully I'll get to see a few more games by the time I write next weekend.

Lastly this week, many thanks to Jack M from Bethnal Green who donated to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund I really appreciate it.

THE WEEK AHEAD

We've got a great few days of action to look forward to with matches in the Champions League, Europa League, Premier League, EFL, FA Vase, Women's Super League and Women's FA Cup as well as all the other non-league and women's competitions which our local clubs compete in.

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 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 6 November

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea @8pm - the week begins with a huge derby game at the THS. With 13 points from their last five games, Spurs are the division's form team and will go top if they win here. With only two wins from five, the Blues are down in 13th but they have a good away record against Tottenham in recent years, losing only one of their last six in all competitions. Tickets are only available to members whilst remaining hospitality packages cost in excess of £2,000

National League South

Aveley v Hemel Hempstead Town @3pm - the Millers won again on Saturday, beating Weston-super-Mare 2-0 to stay second in the division. Hemel are in the bottom half so should be beaten. If the Essex club do take the three points and win by two goals or more then they will go top

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Tuesday 7 November

EFL Trophy

Leyton Orient v Portsmouth @7pm - there's an all-League One fixture in this competition on Tuesday. We're still in the group stage at the moment with the O's bottom and Pompey top. The visitors are unbeaten and top in League One but lost to non-league Chesterfield in the FA Cup at the weekend so they are beatable. Tickets

AFC Wimbledon v Crystal Palace U21 @7pm - the Dons trounced Cheltenham 5-1 in the FA Cup on Saturday so should have some confidence coming into this one against the Eagles' youngsters who have yet to win. Tickets

National League South

Dartford v Chelmsford City @745pm - locked on 22 points just outside the play-off zone, these two will go into this knowing a place in the top seven is up for grabs. Chelmsford did the double over the Darts last season and they should be capable of getting at least a point

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Wednesday 8 November

UEFA Champions League

Arsenal v Sevilla @8pm - with three games played, the Gunners are top of Group B but they have lost a match and can't relax just yet. Sevilla won the Europa League for the seventh time last season but are struggling in La Liga this season and will do well to get anything at the Emirates. Any remaining tickets are only available to members

UEFA Youth League

Arsenal v Sevilla @1pm - earlier in the day, the clubs' U19 sides meet at Boreham Wood for what should be a thoroughly entertaining fixture

Isthmian League Cup Third Round

Kingstonian v Dulwich Hamlet @745pm - the pick of the non-league matches for me is this match at Imperial Fields where two south London sides meet in this league cup game. Both sides are in the bottom eight of the Isthmian Premier so it should be close. UPDATE - match brought forward to Tuesday 7 November

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Thursday 9 November

UEFA Europa League

West Ham United v Olympiakos @8pm - with three consecutive defeats in the league, the Hammers are suffering a dip in form. They also lost to 2-1 to Olympiakos a couple of weeks ago in the reverse fixture. The Greek side suffered only the second defeat of their domestic season on Saturday but remain second and should provide a stern test. Tickets are available

Women's League Cup

Arsenal v Bristol City @7pm - the Gunners recorded a hugely important 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the WSL on Sunday. This will be the first match in the defence of the trophy they won last season and on paper they should win against a City side who are struggling towards the bottom of the table. The match is being played at Boreham Wood

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Friday 10 November

Premier League Cup

There are a couple of games in this U21 competition on Friday night with Crystal Palace hosting Ipswich Town at Sutton United and Fulham taking on Burnley at the club's Motspur Park training ground. Both kick-off at 7pm

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Saturday 11 November

Premier League

Arsenal v Burnley @3pm - the Gunners recovered from losing their first league game of the season at the weekend by beating Sevilla in the Champions League on Wednesday. They should be confident of further success here as the Clarets have only won once since the start of the campaign and they've only triumphed once at Arsenal since 1974. Tickets are only available to members. Hospitality packages are available from £660!

Crystal Palace v Everton @3pm - the Eagles ended a three match winless streak with a win at Burnley last weekend which lifted them above West Ham into 11th. The Toffees are in the bottom five but enjoying a bit of a recovery with seven points from their last four games - it should be close. Tickets are only available to members

Championship

QPR v Bristol City @3pm - both clubs will be showing off new managers on Saturday. The R's unveiled Catalan Marti Cifuentes at Rotherham at the weekend but this will be his first home game since taking charge. City recruited Liam Manning from Oxford United on Wednesday. To say the Robins are a bogey team for QPR would be an understatement. The west London club are seven without a win at home to the West Country club and five of those games ended in defeat. Tickets

Watford v Rotherham United @3pm - the Hornets have built a five-game unbeaten run but with three of those games ending in a draw, their climb up the table hasn't been as dramatic as it could've been. The Millers are down in the bottom three and haven't won at Vicarage Road since 2003 so the chances of an away win look slim. Tickets

League One

Leyton Orient v Oxford United @3pm - the O's are unbeaten in five too but again they're drawing too many. Still only six points adrift of the top six, though, a win here should move them into the top half. As mentioned above, the U's are having to begin life without their fine young manager Liam Manning who had lifted them to second. Tickets

League Two

AFC Wimbledon v Doncaster Rovers @3pm - five games without a win in the league, the Dons have won back-to-back games in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy. Although down in 17th, Rovers have won four of their last six league games and have drawn 2-2 on their last three visits to Wimbledon. Tickets

National League

Boreham Wood v Bromley @3pm - both sides bowed out of the FA Cup at the weekend. The Wood got stuffed 5-1 by fellow fifth-tier club Eastleigh while the Ravens fought hard against League One Blackpool before losing 2-0. Returning to league action, Bromley should start as favourites as they're up in third and in fine form

Dagenham & Redbridge v Solihull Moors @530pm - if Bromley do slip up then Solihull are poised to take their place in the top three. To do that, they'll need to get the better of a Daggers side who have only lost one of their last five league games and are eyeing a play-off spot themselves

Wealdstone v Rochdale @3pm - having been knocked out of the FA Cup in the previous round, these sides have had a week off. The Stones have only won one of their last seven games in all competitions and the relegation zone is getting too close for comfort. The visitors are playing their first season in this division following relegation from the EFL and could end up in the play-off places with a win

National League South

Hampton & Richmond Borough v Maidstone United @3pm - the game of the day in the sixth tier sees the sides in fourth and fifth meet at the Beveree. The hosts had to play their first few games away from home while they waited for some issues with their pitch to be resolved. As a result, they didn't start too well. Now unbeaten in seven, they're climbing the table fast. The Stones are on an even better run, having not tasted defeat in 12 games in all competitions. The Kent club usually bring a sizeable travelling contingent so there should be a good crowd

Isthmian League Premier

Enfield Town v Canvey Island @3pm - the Towners have had a bad week. Having lost 2-0 to Hornchurch in their top-of-the-table clash on Saturday, they got knocked out of the Middlesex Senior Cup by Combined Counties League side North Greenford United on Tuesday. Now down to third, they have to get back to winning ways quickly to have any chance of keeping up with the leaders. Canvey made the play-offs last season but are down in 11th at the time of writing

Isthmian League North

Redbridge v Walthamstow @3pm - in my opinion there aren't any standout games in the eighth tier but this derby in north-east London should be worth a watch. The Stow are currently sixth whilst Redbridge are three points behind in 11th

FA Vase Second Round

This national knockout competition for clubs in the ninth and 10th tier, with its final at Wembley, is now down to the last 64 teams. At this stage, the draw is still regionalised into north and south to minimise travel for these smaller clubs. Here are my pick of the ties:

Bedfont Sports v North Greenford United @3pm - two of the top seven in the CCL Premier North meet at a ground that's probably most famous for being close to the runway at Heathrow Airport so you can watch planes land while you're enjoying the game. Neither side have ever made it beyond the Third Round

Erith Town v Peacehaven & Telscombe @3pm - playing in the Premier Divisions of the parallel SCEFL and SCFL and both in the top four, they both also had good runs in the competition last year. Being played in Thamesmead, it should provide some fine entertainment

Wembley v Athletic Newham @3pm - with the final being played at the National Stadium, I think it's always worth watching the Lions if they're still in the running. Down in the bottom four of the CCL Premier North, it hasn't been a great season for them but they're still going strong in the Vase. They've never been beyond the Third Round and they'll do well to get there this year as the visitors are in the top eight in the parallel Essex Senior League

ECL Division 1 South

Cannons Wood v Dunmow Town @3pm - in the 10th tier, two of the title contenders in this division meet at Aveley's ground. Dunmow are top and three points above the hosts but Cannons Wood have a game in hand so this is huge!

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Sunday 12 November

Premier League

West Ham United v Nottingham Forest @2pm - after an important win over Olympiakos in the Europa League on Thursday, the Hammers now need to arrest a four game winless streak in the league. After a bright start, their Premier League form has noticeably dropped off and they're now down in the bottom half. Forest struggled last season but they're more than holding their own this time and are only a point behind West Ham. Tickets are available

Chelsea v Manchester City @430pm - by their very high standards, the Blues have been poor this season but with only one defeat in five, they are back into the top half following their 4-1 win at Spurs on Monday. They'll have to be at their best on Sunday as the current leaders and reigning champions head to Stamford Bridge, a ground which they've won at on their last three league visits. Tickets have sold out but hospitality packages are available from £495

FA Vase Second Round

May & Baker v White Ensign @3pm - there's also one non-league match. The hosts are struggling towards the bottom of the 10th tier ECL Division 1 South so they'll do very well to beat opposition from the division above. This is being played at Aveley's ground

Women's Super League

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool @1230pm - Spurs have made a really bright start under new boss Robert Vilahamn. Since the Swedish coach took over, they've only suffered one defeat and that was a closely fought game against top club Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Currently third, three points behind the leaders, they'll be confident of getting something here. Liverpool, however, are also much improved on last season and are level with them on points. The last time the Reds played a club from north London was on the opening weekend of the season when they beat Arsenal at the Emirates so they're dangerous opponents. This match is being played at Leyton Orient and tickets are available

Women's Championship

Crystal Palace v Lewes @2pm - the title race in the second tier is shaping up to be a good one with only four points separating the top four at the moment. The Eagles are in that group and have a game in hand on all those around them. On Sunday they welcome bottom club Lewes so you'd expect them to win. The match is being played at Sutton United and tickets are available

London City Lionesses v Birmingham City @1pm - the hosts made an underwhelming start to the campaign but two wins have put them back up to seventh.City are in fifth and joint top of the form table so another win would appear to indicate that their season is back on track. This match is being played at Dartford and tickets are available

Women's FA Cup First Round

With the qualifying rounds out of the way, the surviving clubs from the fourth tier and below are joined in the draw by clubs from the third tier. The winners of each tie should get something in the region of £6,000 which is a huge sum for some of the smaller clubs

Bromley v AFC Portchester @1pm - one of the first ties of the afternoon takes place at the well appointed Hayes Lane where two of the best clubs in the sixth tier go head-to-head. Currently second in their respective regional leagues, this should be a well contested match and will definitely see one of the lower-ranked sides make it to the Second Round

Dartford v Abingdon United @1pm - taking place on the 3G pitch behind the main stadium at Princes Park (London City Lionesses will be using that), the Darts have one of the best chances of causing an upset. Currently undefeated and top of their fifth-tier division, they play a midtable side from a level above

Denham United v Millwall Lionesses @1pm - at the same time on the far western edge of London, Denham host one of the biggest games of their recent history. Another one of the sixth-tier's best sides to have made it this far, they take on a Millwall team who play in the division above so there is a chance of an upset

Dulwich Hamlet v London Bees @2pm - the biggest crowd of any tie taking place in London could well come at Champion Hill where the fifth-tier Hamlet welcome the women's wing of Barnet. The north London club play in the third tier so should start as considerable favourites even though they are bottom such is the gulf in quality between divisions 

Fulham v Portsmouth @230pm - after beating Actonians on penalties in the last round, the Cottagers have landed a home draw against Pompey. To say the fifth-tier hosts face a daunting afternoon would be an understatement. The visitors are currently top of the third tier, scoring 40 goals and conceding only two in the nine games they've played. Fulham will do well to get nil!

Sutton United v Maidenhead United @630pm - with Crystal Palace playing at the same ground at lunchtime, this tie has been pushed back to the evening meaning you'll easily be able to see two games on Sunday. With Maidenhead playing a level above the U's, they should start as favourites

L&SE Women's League D1 North

Clapton CFC v Actonians Reserves @2pm - last but not least I'm giving this game a mention too as it's the one I'm aiming to be at. Being played at London's oldest ground, two well-matched sides with ambitions of at least a top-three finish meet in Forest Gate. On X, CCFC are calling it the "most important league game of the season" so what more do you need to know?!!!

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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