We're now well and truly into the autumn of pre-season.
EFL clubs are preparing for their final friendly matches ahead of the opening weekend on 9-11 August and Premier League clubs have another week to go after that.
National, Isthmian and Southern League clubs all start for real on 10 August whilst clubs in the ninth and 10th tiers will have all got underway by the end of this weekend.
Competitive women's matches start the same weekend as the Premier League.
One of the highlights of this week is the opening round of the FA Cup which sees clubs from the ninth tier and some from the eighth entering the draw.
A total of 745 teams have entered the competition this season with the biggest ones not entering the fray until the Third Round in January.
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| Tickets are available now |
My favourite non-league club Harrow Borough suffered relegation to the eighth tier last season but don't enter the draw until the next round when they'll play either Ashford United or Egham Town.
The winners of each tie at this stage receive £1,125 and the losers £375 which are considerable sums for clubs at this level.
Aside from the FA Cup, there are lots of eye-catching friendlies featuring a number of well known European clubs - most of these are outside London but they're well worth your consideration.
I'm off to Ireland towards the end of the week.
There's talk of seeing a top-division match there and possibly a trip to Croke Park for a Gaelic football final which should be fun.
As a result, this blog may just be match maps next time but we'll see.
I think that's about it from me, enjoy your week.
THE WEEK AHEAD
This week there's a great selection of high profile friendlies, FA Cup ties, lower league non-league matches and a number of women's games - plenty to keep you entertained.
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
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 29 July
Friendly
Redbridge v Newbury Forest @745pm - the week begins with a groundshare derby. The big news at Oakside is the new 3G pitch which the Motormen have installed over the summer and they inaugurated it with a 6-1 win over SE Dons on Saturday. The Isthmian League club will hope for another win here as they play two levels above their tenants who lost their opening league match 7-0 on Saturday
ECL Division 1 South
Barkingside v St Margaretsbury @745pm - all the action on Monday is happening in the greater Ilford area with this match a short distance away from the one above. The 'Side began their league campaign on Friday night with a 1-1 draw at NW London whilst the visitors lost 4-1 at Southend Manor. Last season, the hosts won a thriller 4-3
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Tuesday 30 July
Friendlies
Leyton Orient v Tottenham Hotspur U21 @730pm - the O's are unbeaten in their five pre-season games so far with the most eye-catching result probably being the 2-1 win over Hearts in Scotland. On Tuesday they take on a development side from Spurs and it's being played at Dagenham & Redbridge with funds being raised for the Justin Edinburgh Foundation. Tickets are £10
Hanwell Town v QPR U21 @745pm - the R's have played most of their U21 games at Hanwell's ground for the last year or two so a fixture against the Geordies is usually part of pre-season. This time last year, QPR won the same fixture 2-1. Tickets are £10
Cobham v Fulham XI @715pm - the ninth-tier Hammers welcome a young side from Craven Cottage as they prepare to begin their season with an FA Cup tie at the weekend. Tickets are £5 on the gate
Essex Senior League
Barking v Stanway Rovers @745pm - the Blues raced out of the blocks in their first game of the season on Saturday, winning 3-0 at FC Clacton. While they were doing well on their travels, Stanway were back at Barking's ground playing their tenants Romford. The FA Vase winners fell behind early on before coming back to beat the visitors 4-1
Women's friendly
QPR v Sutton United @745pm - the fourth-tier R's welcome opposition from the division below to their state-of-the-art training ground in Heston. Although not 100% confirmed, it looks like spectators will be allowed in. However, that usually requires a little bit of form filling to gain access. Check with the club for the latest entry requirements - UPDATE: I've had it confirmed that this match is open to the public, email William.lambert@qpr.co.uk to secure your place
A bit further afield
If you're prepared to travel beyond the M25 then a few other matches have caught my eye. Championship side Coventry City, who made it to the FA Cup semi-finals last season, host Everton. It is a long way to the Midlands but trains are fast and go back to London until well after the game. Much closer to the capital, about 30 miles out, League One club Wycombe Wanderers host Championship club Watford in a derby. League Two new boys Bromley head to Essex to play Braintree Town. AFC Wimbledon are also on their travels, visiting Maidenhead United who play at one of the oldest grounds in the world
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Wednesday 31 July
Essex Senior League
Romford v Athletic Newham @745pm - as mentioned above, the hosts have started well and must be one of the favourites for the title this season. On Wednesday they play some local rivals in this derby. The Kings also started with a victory, beating Saffron Walden 1-0
ECL Division 1 South
May & Baker v Enfield Borough @745pm - after time groundsharing at Aveley, M&B are playing their games at the new facility in Parsloes Park in Dagenham this season. They began with a 2-1 win at newly promoted FC Baresi on Saturday whilst Enfield lost 1-0 at Rayleigh Town
Women's friendly
Dulwich Hamlet v London City Lionesses U21 @745pm - there are several women's games on Wednesday and this looks the best. The hosts are new to the fourth tier after winning the London & South East Women's Regional League last season. Here they entertain a development squad from one of the women's teams of the moment. Having received major investment in recent months, they've brought in a manager from PSG and Swedish legend Kosovare Asllani from AC Milan. Tickets
A bit further afield
Championship club Oxford United welcome Premier League side Southampton to the Kassam Stadium in the biggest game of the night whilst Bishop's Stortford take on an Arsenal U21 squad in Hertfordshire
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Friday 2 August
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Spelthorne Sports v Burgess Hill Town @745pm - the nation's favourite and most historic cup competition gets underway for another year on Friday night. There are a few ties around the country but this is the only one in London. Ninth tier Spelthorne have new groundshare tenants in the form of British Airways who have also been drawn at home so they've opted to play first. In Burgess Hill they face a tough opponent who play a level above them. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Saturday 3 August
Friendlies
Millwall v Southampton @1pm - with the Championship season starting next weekend, most clubs have scheduled high-profile home games to complete their pre-season programmes. The Lions completed a short tour of Spain with a 2-1 win over Real Murcia on Friday and will look to pick up another win here against Premier League opposition. Tickets
QPR v Brighton & Hove Albion @3pm - the R's also welcome top-flight opposition from the south coast. Marti Cifuentes' side have been a bit underwhelming in the last week, losing three games against Spurs, Fulham and Reading and failing to score in any of them. The Seagulls are currently on tour in Japan so hopefully the after effects of jetlag will give the hosts a better chance. Tickets
Watford v Brentford @3pm - after making the short journey to Wycombe on Tuesday, the Hornets will spend Saturday afternoon playing one of their local Premier League clubs. The Hertfordshire outfit have been a bit inconsistent in pre-season but managed a 3-2 win at Hibernian in their last game. After putting five past AFC Wimbledon in their first pre-season game, the Bees made a memorable trip to Lisbon on Thursday where they recorded a fine 1-1 draw with Portuguese giants Benfica. Tickets
Charlton Athletic v Portsmouth @3pm - talking of clubs from the south coast, another one will be heading to the capital on Saturday. Pompey won the League One title last season to return to the Championship for the first time since 2012. The Addicks, on the other hand, are preparing to start their fifth consecutive season in the third tier. Now with Nathan Jones in charge, they are among the clubs expected to challenge for a play-off place. Tickets
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Rayners Lane v Broadfields United @3pm - the next batch of the 745 clubs who've entered this season's competition get going on Saturday. There are loads of ties across London so it's very hard to recommend any specific ones but this one stands out for being a groundshare derby. These two were in the same division of the ninth tier Combined Counties League last season but Rayners Lane won promotion via the play-offs. As a result, they will start as favourites
Wembley v Bedfont Sports @3pm - if they're at home, then the Lions always have to make the shortlist. If you're going to attempt the 'Road to Wembley' and try and see a game in every round, then the obvious place to start must be Vale Farm. Both sides are in the Combined Counties League Premier North but the visitors made the play-offs last season and should win
British Airways v Loxwood @3pm - if you want to see a bit of history being made then head to Spelthorne Sports' ground where BA play the first competitive match at their new home and, more importantly, their first ever game in the FA Cup. The west London club won promotion from the 10th tier CCL Division 1 last season and take on a side from Sussex who struggled in the ninth tier SCFL Premier but managed to avoid the drop
A bit further afield
Outside the M25, lots of European clubs are in action around the country. Bristol City play Dutch club Willem II, German side Werder Bremen travel to Coventry City, Spanish teams Celta Vigo and Real Valladolid are at Luton Town and Derby County respectively. Elsewhere, Oxford United welcome Palermo from Italy and last but not least, cult German club St Pauli pay a visit to Carrow Road to play Norwich City
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Sunday 4 August
U21 Friendly
Brentford v Brighton & Hove Albion @2pm - Sunday gives you another chance to visit the Bees' new facility at Wheatsheaf Park in Staines. Tickets are £3 and need to be bought in advance
Women's friendlies
QPR v Millwall Lionesses @2pm - there's a London derby to be enjoyed at the R's training ground on Sunday afternoon. The Lionesses play a level below QPR so should start as underdogs. Once again, check with the club before you travel what the entry requirements are
Dartford v Actonians @2pm - the Darts pushed hard for the title in their fifth-tier division last season but fell short as Dulwich Hamlet took the crown. On Sunday they gave a good account of themselves against third tier Billericay Town but ultimately lost 4-2. Here they again welcome higher-level opposition. The A's saw off Oxford City 4-0 at Rectory Park in their last game
Fulham v MK Dons @230pm - the Cottagers were also in the title race with Dartford and should be seen as one of the favourites for the title again this season. It seems they've spent some money in recent weeks and have picked up some good results against teams from further up the pyramid. MK Dons play two levels above them but lost most of their squad to Real Bedford following their promotion. UPDATE - this has been cancelled
Brentford v Southampton @2pm - the Bees recorded a decent 3-3 draw against Dulwich on Sunday in an entertaining game at Bedfont Sports. According to their website, this match is against Southampton rather than Southampton WFC and it will only be a development squad as the Women's Championship side are playing Rugby Borough. UPDATE - this has been cancelled
Clapton CFC v Leyton Orient @2pm - the capital's oldest ground, the Old Spotted Dog, plays host to an East End derby. CCFC play in the same division as Brentford and will look to be a thorn in their side again this season after they took a crucial point off them in the closing weeks of the campaign. Leyton Orient's progress up the divisions following their split from London Seaward came to halt last season, which means they will start this campaign in the seventh tier
A bit further afield
If you fancy a trip to the seaside, then get yourself down to the Dorset coast to watch Premier League minnows AFC Bournemouth welcome La Liga club Rayo Vallecano who make the journey to the Vitality Stadium from Madrid. Tickets are £20
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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