After suffering the disappointment of Harrow Borough's relegation, the last few days have been filled with far more joy as QPR secured their place in the Championship with a game to spare.
A home game against a Leeds United side looking for an instant return to the Premier League looked like a tough assignment.
Most of us were hoping for a hard fought 1-0 win a bit like the one against Preston the week before but what transpired took us all by surprise.
Ilias Chair scored in the eighth minute and the R's never looked back.
January signing Lucas Andersen scored a second before half-time and then Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field added two more in the closing stages for a thoroughly deserved 4-0 win.
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| Crystal Palace celebrate their promotion to the WSL |
The result saved Marti Cifuentes' side from relegation and confirmed Leicester City's promotion back to the top flight.
Leeds are now in a battle with Ipswich Town for the final automatic promotion place.
Currently level on points, the Suffolk club have a game in hand against Coventry in midweek which if won could put them at a big advantage going into the final match.
Anyway, that's for them to worry about.
As for live football, with Actonians' friendly on Sunday cancelled, I went to Selhurst Park to watch Crystal Palace rubber stamp their promotion to the Women's Super League for the first time in their history.
Three points ahead of nearest rivals Charlton Athletic going into the final game but with a much better goal difference, the result against Sunderland didn't really matter.
A crowd of around 7,000 turned out to watch the Eagles' women ride their luck and grind out a 0-0 draw which saw them win the title by one point.
They'll be replacing Bristol City who confirmed their relegation with a 4-0 loss to leaders Manchester City.
Five of the 12 teams in next season's WSL will now be from London so there'll be no shortage of top women's games in the capital in 2024/25.
Next Sunday I'm hoping to swap a shift at work so I can get to Actonians' final match of the season against AFC Wimbledon at Plough Lane.
The Dons have already won the fourth-tier division they both play in so it'll be a bit of a victory lap for them - hopefully my girls will be able to spoil the party.
At the time of writing, the play-offs have got underway in most divisions which means the schedule of games at the end of the week and into the bank holiday has still to be decided so come back on Friday to see what's on.
What we do know is that Bromley will be playing Solihull Moors at Wembley on Sunday for a place in League Two so the best of luck to them - tickets go on sale on Monday morning.
THE WEEK AHEAD
This week we've got matches in the Premier League, National League, Women's Super League and most of 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.
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
BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin
Monday fixtures - yellow 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 29 April
Premier League 2
Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur @7pm - the final round of regular-season games in this competition is being played on Monday. Whatever happens here, Spurs have already finished first in this 26-team league. Once this game is complete, the top 16 move into a play-off stage where 1st plays 16th, 2nd faces 15th etc. The Eagles are also through but a win here could see them finish as high as ninth. This is being played at Sutton United and tickets will be available on the gate for no more than £5
London Senior Cup Final
Hendon v Charlton Athletic U21 @745pm - if you'd prefer to see a match with a lot more riding on it then head to Dulwich Hamlet's Champion Hill which is playing host to this final. The Greens finished their Southern League campaign in a very respectable 10th and will want to end their season on a big high with a win here. They last won this cup in 2020 when they beat a young Brentford side. On Monday they face the Addicks who won it last year after edging past Haringey Borough 5-3 in a dramatic final. Tickets are £10 and can be bought online or on the gate
CCL Division 1
RB Kensington v Bedfont @745pm - the hosts still have three games to go and have an outside chance of grabbing a play-off place if they win all three. The visitors are down in 12th and will complete their over-running season with this match. This is being played at North Greenford United and tickets will be available on the gate
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Tuesday 30 April
SCEFL Premier Semi-Final Play-Off
Glebe v Erith Town @745pm - after some thrills and spills in the National League over the weekend, the play-off season gets into full swing this week. First up is this all south-east London tie at Foxbury Avenue. The hosts were top for a while and have been in the leading group all season. They eventually finished third and now take on a Dockers side who surged into the top four after a fantastic late run of results which also saw them win the Kent Senior Trophy. Form suggests that the visitors might just edge it. Tickets will be available on the gate
EAL Senior Division Cup Final
Walthamstow Reserves v FC Baresi @730pm - Leyton Orient's Brisbane Road plays host to this 11th-tier cup final. Baresi won the league so they'll be hoping to complete a double against midtable opposition. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Wednesday 1 May
Isthmian League Premier Play-Off Semi-Final
Enfield Town v Wingate & Finchley @745pm - one of the smallest clubs in the division, the visitors have done the almost unthinkable and made it to the play-offs. They made sure of it with a solid 3-0 win over Carshalton on the final day. Next up comes a formidable tie against north London rivals Enfield who should start as favourites. The Towners pulled in over 1,000 fans for their final game against Chatham and a large and vocal crowd should be there to cheer them on again. Tickets are £12
L&SE Women's League D1 South
Bromley v Newhaven @745pm - in the women's game we've got a top-two clash in this sixth-tier division. The Ravens are second and their Sussex opponents top. Whatever happens, they'll finish in those positions so it's purely pride at stake here
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Thursday 2 May
Premier League
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur @730pm - the Blues did well to draw 2-2 at Aston Villa on Saturday as they gave a vastly improved performance from the one which saw them lose 5-0 at Arsenal. Still in with a chance of a European place, they've got to start winning again very soon. With Spurs chasing a Champions League spot themselves, they need a victory too. Despite Chelsea's really poor showing this season, one of the few highlights was the 4-1 win at the THS in the reverse fixture - although Tottenham played the last 35 minutes with 9 men so it wasn't actually that impressive. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality packages are available from £300
Capital Women's Senior Cup Final
Haringey Borough v Ashford Town (Middlesex) @730pm - the form guide suggested this final was going to be between Actonians and AFC Wimbledon but both fell victim to upsets in the semi-finals. Haringey thoroughly deserved their 3-2 win over the A's whilst a look at the Dons' squad for their last-four tie suggested a bit of squad rotation. Either way, both these sides should be at full strength for this. Ashford play a level above Haringey so should start as favourites. The match is being played at Hendon - tickets are £5 and can be bought online or on the gate
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Friday 3 May
Professional Development League
Millwall v Wigan Athletic @2pm - split into a Group North and a Group South, the top two teams in each division after 30 matches qualify for the play-offs. The Lions won this U21 competition last year and may well have secured top spot in the South again by the time this kicks off as they have a game at Peterborough earlier in the week. Wigan are not in the running. This is being played at The Den and tickets are available
Watford v Burnley @2pm - there's little at stake in the other game of the day between two also-rans but it's being played at Vicarage Road so if you haven't been before then this is a good opportunity. Tickets
Essex Senior League Play-Off Semi-Final
Woodford Town v Sporting Bengal United @745pm - after a delay of a couple of days, the ESL play-offs are finally here. Ashtons plays host to this match between two London clubs which should generate a great atmosphere. The sides scored 165 goals between them over the course of the league campaign so hopefully this will deliver a load more. The winners will play Barking or Romford in the final. Tickets are £7 on the gate
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Premier League
Arsenal v AFC Bournemouth @1230pm - the Gunners come into this as league leaders but only by a point and main challengers Manchester City have a game in hand. With three games to go, they simply have to win every one and that still might not be enough. The Cherries should be beaten but they've had a superb season and a top-eight finish is within their grasp. Tickets are only available to members
Brentford v Fulham @3pm - across town, there's a mouthwatering west London derby at the GTech. Games between these two are always keenly contested and with both now having avoided relegation, they should be free to play and put on a good show. The Bees have won three of the last four matches between the sides and will want to improve that record even more. Tickets are only available to members
CCL Premier North Play-Off Semi-Final
Bedfont Sports v Reading City @3pm - if you can't get into either of the above, then a little to the west of the GTech, we've got this exciting play-off match to look forward to. The hosts existed in a strange third-place no-man's land a long way adrift of the leaders and well clear of the chasing pack for a large chunk of the campaign so they've had plenty of time to plan for the post-season. The visitors only secured their place more recently. In the two games between them during the regular season, Bedfont won 6-0 and drew 2-2 so they'll start as favourites. Tickets are £8 on the gate
Rayners Lane v Holyport @3pm - it's crunch time for the hosts who topped the league for months but ended up five points off the pace. If social media is to be believed, many neutrals badly want to see them fail as they've spent a fortune of wages to players with EFL experience in an effort to get promoted. Holyport only made it into the play-offs on Thursday night after Burnham lost to Hilltop, meaning they kept hold of fifth. The hosts should win but let's see. Tickets will be available on the gate
Middlesex Charity Cup Semi-Final
North Greenford United v Harefield United @3pm - a few weeks ago things were looking really exciting for NGU. In the quarter-finals of the FA Vase and firmly in the hunt for the play-offs, they were having a great season. Sadly they lost that quarter-final and eventually missed out on promotion so this competition still gives them the chance to end the campaign on a high. Harefield were bumping along at the bottom for a while but they improved greatly and ended up finishing comfortably in midtable. The winners will face Uxbridge in the final
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Sunday 5 May
Premier League
Chelsea v West Ham United @2pm - after beating Spurs on Thursday night, the Blues look like they might just force their way into the top six at the last minute which would be quite something given how poor they've been. Sadly for David Moyes, the Hammers seem to have run out of steam at precisely the wrong moment and despite fine draws against Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool in recent weeks, the wins seem to have dried up. Having played one more game than the three teams immediately above them, their hopes of getting back into Europe again seem slim and only really a win will do here. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality packages are available from £300
National League Play-Off Final
Bromley v Solihull Moors @3pm - if Stamford Bridge is beyond your price range then there's also a huge game at Wembley where two sides with no previous EFL experience find themselves only 90 minutes away from a place in League Two. The Ravens made it to the play-off semi-finals last year and have gone one better this time. Although they finished higher in the table than Solihull, this is really tough to call as they've played twice in the last month with very different results. Solihull beat Bromley 2-1 at Hayes Lane to make the final of the FA Trophy, meaning they're going to Wembley twice in a week, and then they lost 3-0 to them at the same venue in a league game shortly after. Adult tickets are available from £35
Women's Super League
Chelsea v Bristol City @645pm - when Emma Hayes announced she would be leaving the Blues at the end of the season there was much talk of her departing on the back of a glorious quadruple. Sadly for her that is not going to happen. Out of the Champions League, FA Cup and beaten in the final of the League Cup, hopes of retaining the WSL title received a huge blow when they lost 4-3 to Liverpool on Wednesday. Now six points adrift of leaders Manchester City with three games to go, it's not impossible but it's going to be tough. Sunday could be pivotal though - Chelsea should comfortably beat already relegated Bristol City but Manchester City have a challenging home game against Arsenal so the gap could close. Tickets have sold out
West Ham United v Leicester City @3pm - with Bristol City having already claimed the only relegation place, these two will now be fighting to avoid the ignominy of finishing second from bottom. The Foxes are still relatively new to this level so for them to be struggling is no shock or disgrace but for the Hammers to be right down there is disappointing. Rehanne Skinner was able to bring in some big names in January and it started quite well but they haven't now won a game for three months and the season can't end soon enough. Tickets
FAWNL Division 1 South East
AFC Wimbledon v Actonians @2pm - it's the final day in the women's fourth tier and there's not a huge amount to play for. The Dons have won the title already and will be doing their trophy lift after this game. The A's had a very shaky start to this transitional season but they've come good since the start of 2024 and could even finish fourth if they somehow win this and QPR drop points against AFC Sudbury. This is being played at Plough Lane and a decent crowd is expected - tickets
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Sunday 6 May
Premier League
Crystal Palace v Manchester United @8pm - with three games to go, the Eagles are safe and can now have a bit of fun in their last few matches. United, on the other hand, are still fighting for a place in the top six and need every point they can get. The London club won the reverse fixture at Old Trafford so know what it takes to beat Erik ten Hag's team. Tickets are only available to members
SCEFL Premier Division Play-Off Final
Erith Town v Corinthian @3pm - finishing fourth and fifth respectively, these sides both caused upsets in the semi-finals by knocking out teams who finished higher in the table. The Dockers have home advantage and are in better form so they look the more likely to make it into the promised land of the Isthmian League South East. Tickets are £8 on the gate
Premier League 2
Fulham v Nottingham Forest @7pm - after finishing third, the Cottagers' U21 side should feel confident as they head into this play-off match against their counterparts from Forest. In this 26-team division, the top 16 make the post-season so there's still a long way to go. This is being played at the club's training ground in Motspur Park and tickets will be available on the gate
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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