The bank holiday weekend is over and by the end of this week, we'll be into September - where did the summer go?!
So how has your week been? Did you do a double on Monday?
Since an enjoyable trip to St Neots last Sunday, I've endured a barren spell as I've worked pretty constantly since then.
Overall, my teams had a pretty decent weekend.
Harrow Borough impressed the most.
After the disappointment of losing their FA Cup replay at Ashford United on Tuesday, they recovered to beat Guernsey 3-0 in the Channel Islands before a fine derby win over Uxbridge by the same scoreline on Monday.
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| Two Premier League sides meet in the EFL Cup on Wednesday - tickets |
This means they've won all three of their league games and are now joint top - long may it continue.
Actonians followed up their hard-fought 1-0 win at Cambridge United last weekend, with another 1-0 victory over Chatham Town on Sunday.
The Chats have just come down from the third tier and asked plenty of questions of the A's defence with German goalkeeper Elisa Dogor pulling off a number of spectacular saves before Dior Knorr scored again late-on to earn the win.
Lastly, QPR took an early lead against Plymouth Argyle but saw them equalise shortly before the half hour.
Annoyingly they repeated the feat of keeping us out, as they did in December, but on this occasion they finished with nine players as another saw red in the final minute and it ended 1-1.
This week the R's have back-to-back games against old rivals Luton Town - at home in the EFL Cup on Tuesday and then away in the Championship on Friday.
Hopefully I'll be at Actonians' cup match against London Bees on Thursday, maybe Harrow Borough's game at Metropolitan Police on Saturday AND Actonians' game at AFC Sudbury on Sunday.
I say hope as a family schedule makes seeing so many games in such a short time close to miraculous but I'm pretty confident - wish me luck!
THE WEEK AHEAD
This week's highlights include action in the Premier League, EFL, National League and the next rounds of the FA Cup and EFL Cup too.
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
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.
Tuesday 27 August
EFL Cup Second Round
Crystal Palace v Norwich City @8pm - all the Premier League clubs, bar the ones in European competition, enter the draw at this stage. The Eagles have made it to the last four numerous times but have never made it to the final. The Canaries, on the other hand, have made it four times, winning the EFL Cup twice although the last appearance was in 1985. Palace are the sort of side that should give this a good go but who knows whether they'll bother. The best thing about these early ties is that they often give non-members a good chance of getting a ticket to watch a game at a top-flight stadium which is usually off limits. Tickets
Millwall v Leyton Orient @745pm - there's a derby at The Den between two of London's most out-of-form clubs. The Lions have only managed one point from their first three games in the Championship whilst the O's have lost all three of theirs at the level below. Both could do with a win to lift morale! Tickets
QPR v Luton Town @745pm - talking of clubs who could do with a win, these two Championship sides are also struggling. The R's contrived to squander an early lead before only drawing 1-1 with the nine men of Plymouth on Saturday. Following their relegation from the Premier League, the Hatters are doing even worse and find themselves in the relegation zone coming into this. Both sides have made two finals and have one title each. By a quirk of fate, the two will also meet on Friday night at Kenilworth Road in the league. Tickets
Watford v Plymouth Argyle @745pm - the Hornets have got off to a flyer, winning all four of their opening games in the league and cup which should make them strong favourites here. Wayne Rooney's side did really well to draw at QPR on Saturday but are still searching for their first league win. Tickets
Professional Development League
There are also a couple of U21 games on Tuesday. If you want to see two games today, then head to The Valley at 2pm where Charlton Athletic take on Hull City (tickets). In the evening, QPR are set to play Wigan Athletic at Hayes & Yeading United but that venue is still in some doubt so check on the day for the latest
CCL Premier North
Egham Town v Bedfont Sports @745pm - the highest level non-league match of the day takes place on the far west of TLFG's catchment area where two of the top 10 go head-to-head in this ninth-tier division. Last season, this match ended in a 1-1 draw and it could well go the same way again. Tickets will be available on the gate
SCEFL Division 1
Clapton CFC v SOUL Tower Hamlets @745pm - in the 10th tier there should be a decent turnout for this east London derby at the capital's oldest ground. Both sides were a little controversially transferred from the Eastern Counties League at the end of last season and now have to spend most of their away days in Kent and south-east London despite coming from north of the river. With only one defeat between them so far in 2024/25, it could be a cracker. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Wednesday 28 August
EFL Cup Second Round
West Ham United v AFC Bournemouth @745pm - there's an all-Premier League tie at London Stadium on Wednesday. The Hammers are a side I'd expect to have some kind of pedigree in this competition but despite two final appearances, they've never won it and it's been over 40 years since they went close. The Cherries' record is even less impressive. Unbeaten in five against the Dorset club, the hosts start as favourites for me. Tickets
AFC Wimbledon v Ipswich Town @745pm - in south London, the Dons welcome Premier League opponents to Plough Lane for what could be a really entertaining encounter. With top-flight survival the top priority for the Tractor Boys, they could well rest a few players for this and give the League Two side a fighting chance. Tickets
Premier League International Cup
Chelsea v RB Leipzig @7pm - this entertaining U21 competition returns for 2024/25 with this eye-catching match-up at Kingsmeadow. In a nutshell, 24 teams from England and the rest of Europe are invited to take part and all matches are played in England - often at clubs' training grounds. After a group stage, it becomes a knockout competition. Crystal Palace and PSV Eindhoven have made the last two finals, with each winning one. Since it began 10 years ago, Chelsea have made the semi-finals once so will want to improve on that this year. I'm not sure Leipzig have entered before but they've never made the closing stages. Tickets are cheap and available online
CCL Division 1
Westside v Colliers Wood United @730pm - my non-league pick of the night is this groundshare derby at Wibbandune. Tenants Westside have made a solid start and are eighth after five games. CWU suffered relegation from the ninth tier last season and are still searching for their first win in this division. Tickets will be available on the gate
FAWNL Cup Determining Round
QPR v AFC Wimbledon @745pm - if you'd like some women's football instead then we've got this derby. These two were in the same division last year but the Dons won it to move up to the third tier so, on paper, they should start as favourites. So what is the 'Determining Round'? Well it decides who goes on to play in the FAWNL Cup and who contests the lesser FAWNL Plate. The winners of each tie go into the former and the losers the latter. With fourth-tier clubs having very little chance of winning the Cup, it's not really in their interests to win in this round so for some it becomes little more than a great chance for squad rotation. If you do want to go, check the venue before you travel as there's still some doubt as to whether Hayes & Yeading United's ground will be ready. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Thursday 29 August
FAWNL Cup Determining Round
Actonians v London Bees @745pm - after beating Chatham Town 1-0 on Sunday, the A's confidence should be high as they prepare to play the other side who were relegated from the third tier last season. Bees, under new boss, Dan McKimm have drawn one and lost one coming into this but faced tough opposition in both games. Both sides should want to win to build momentum but an absolute hammering could await them in the next round if they do end up with one of the big clubs. This is being played at the Middlesex FA's HQ at Rectory Park in Northolt. Tickets are available online or it's £5 cash only on the night. UPDATE (27/08) - this match has now been switched to The Hive complex
London Seaward v Dulwich Hamlet @745pm - after winning 1-0 at Seaward on Sunday in the league, the Hamlet travel east again four days later for this. The visitors are new to the fourth tier after their promotion so I think this is probably the first time they've taken part. This is being played at Redbridge's ground next to Barkingside Tube station. Tickets will be available on the gate for £6
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Friday 30th August
Premier League 2
A number of high profile U21 games top the bill on Friday. Fulham get things underway at 3pm when they host Leicester City at Motspur Park. At 7pm, Arsenal entertain Aston Villa at Boreham Wood whilst West Ham United play Norwich City at Rush Green. Admission prices vary but never exceed £5 - check the clubs' websites for the latest
FA Cup First Round Qualifying
Hanworth Villa v Walton & Hersham @745pm - the most meaningful game of the day, however, takes place at Rectory Meadow where neutrals will be hoping for an upset. Eighth tier Hanworth are in the top half of the Isthmian League South Central and thrashed local rivals Ashford Town 4-1 on Monday. In the previous two rounds, they've scored a total of eight against two CCL clubs but the Swans represent a big step up in class. The seventh-tier side remained among the leaders in the Southern League Premier South after an epic 3-2 derby win over Chertsey on Monday in front of nearly 1,200 fans. Tickets are £11 on the gate
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Saturday 31 August
Premier League
Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion @1230pm - arguably the game of the week in London, two of the sides with 100% records meet at the Emirates on Saturday lunchtime. The Gunners have gone close to winning the title for the last two years, as we all know, and will almost certainly challenge again. The Seagulls have impressed greatly since joining the top flight in 2017 but many wondered how they'd fare without Roberto De Zerbi. Its early days but it appears that they're go to do just fine following the appointment of 31-year-old German boss Fabian Hurzeler who took St Pauli back into the Bundesliga last season. Tickets are only available to members whilst hospitality packages are available from £595
Brentford v Southampton @3pm - although too early to call this a relegation six-pointer, as two of the division's smaller clubs, both will see this as one where they need to be getting some points. The Bees have dominated in recent years, winning four of the five matches played since 2020 and I have to favour them here too. Tickets are only available to members. Enquire about hospitality packages
West Ham United v Manchester City @530pm - after losing their opening game to Aston Villa, the Hammers have responded well with back-to-back wins over Crystal Palace in the league and AFC Bournemouth in the League Cup. The visit of champions Manchester City presents a much greater challenge. Unsurprisingly, Pep Guardiola's team have won their opening two matches and are top already. Although West Ham have managed the odd draw against City, their winless streak against them in all competitions now stands at 19 games and they'll do really well to end it here. Tickets are available via the club's re-sale site
Championship
Millwall v Sheffield Wednesday @3pm - aside from a point on the road at Hull City, the Lions have made a troubling start to the campaign. Questions must already be being asked about manager Neil Harris who was primarily brought in at the end of last season to keep them up, something he succeeded in doing. To add to the unease, they suffered the ignominy of defeat at home to League One strugglers Leyton Orient in the cup on Tuesday. The Owls looked like worldbeaters when they thrashed Plymouth in their first match but they've lost their following two league games and will end up below Millwall if they lose this. Tickets
League Two
AFC Wimbledon v Fleetwood Town @3pm - the Dons made the headlines in midweek for beating Premier League club Ipswich Town on penalties in the League Cup. They've been rewarded with an even more juicy tie in the next round, with Newcastle United coming to visit. Their top priority now is to stay focused and get their minds back into the bread-and-butter stuff of fourth-tier football. With two wins from three, they've made a solid enough start but Lancashire club Fleetwood are just a point behind. Tickets
Bromley v Crewe Alexandra @3pm - the newly promoted Ravens have made a very satisfactory start to life in League Two, winning two of their first three games. Ahead of Wimbledon on goal difference, they're currently occupying the last play-off place. Their 3-1 loss at Bradford last weekend quelled any thoughts of this being a cakewalk for them but they should fancy their chances here as Crewe are yet to win. Tickets
National League
Sutton United v Forest Green Rovers @530pm - the match of the day in the fifth tier sees the two sides relegated from the EFL meet at Gander Green Lane. Only a point apart, both come into this game in the top six. The last match between them in March saw Sutton win 1-0 at the New Lawn. This match has also been selected for TV meaning that you should be able to do a 'double' and combine it with the FA Cup tie at nearby Carshalton Athletic
National League South
Boreham Wood v Maidstone United @3pm - in the sixth tier, the Wood have made a decent start after their relegation from the National League. Fifth after five games, they're firmly in contention as we move into the second month of the season. Maidstone, a far bigger club from Kent, made the play-offs last season and enjoyed a famous run in the FA Cup but they've yet to get going in 2024/25 and could really do with a win. Tickets
FA Cup First Round Qualifying
The next round of the nation's favourite knockout competition takes place this weekend. At this stage, all the clubs in the seventh tier enter draw alongside the eighth and ninth-tier survivors from the previous two rounds. The winners of each tie receive £2,250 and the losers £750. There are numerous ties around London, here are my pick:
Dulwich Hamlet v Leatherhead @3pm - if you want a big crowd, then the biggest will almost certainly be found at Champion Hill where the Hamlet will look to improve on their surprisingly poor FA Cup record. With only one appearance in the First Round proper since 1998, the south London club should start as favourites against a side who play a level below them. The Tanners have a relatively illustrious history in this competition, famously making it all the way to the Fourth Round in 1975 and a match with Leicester City. Their last good run came in 2017 when they made it to the Second Round before losing 3-1 to Wycombe Wanderers. Tickets
Harefield United v Lewes @3pm - the David v Goliath tie of the round takes place in the Middlesex village of Harefield. Since entering the cup for the first time in 1979, the Hare have never made it beyond the qualifying rounds and they'll do amazingly well to make it this time. The Rooks arrive at Preston Park top of the Isthmian League with a 100% record after five games and are effectively the toughest team they could've drawn. Tickets
Athletic Newham v Amersham Town @3pm - two of the lowest-ranked sides left in the competition meet in east London, meaning we'll definitely have a ninth-tier side in the next round. Coming into existence in 2020 when Lopes Tavares renamed themselves, the hosts' wins over Chipstead and Lancing means this is already their best performance in the FA Cup. Going really well in the Essex Senior League too, they'll be full of confidence. Amersham, however, are also a top-three side in the parallel CCL Premier North and look to be continuing the form which saw them romp to promotion last season. A win here, would make this their best run in the cup. Tickets are £10 on the gate
Isthmian League South Central
Metropolitan Police v Harrow Borough @3pm - both these sides have already exited the FA Cup, meaning this is one of the only eighth-tier games taking place this weekend. They are, however, two of the better sides in this division. Harrow are second with only goals scored keeping them off the top. With wins over Ashford Town (with nine men), Guernsey and Uxbridge, my favourite non-league side have responded well to their first relegation in decades. The Met are in the top eight too and their ground at Imber Court is always worth a visit. Tickets are £10 on the gate and the burgers are legendary
CCL Premier North
North Greenford United v Holyport @3pm - the hosts looked to be having a great 2023/24 but their huge fixture backlog eventually caught up with them as missed out on the play-offs and bowed out of the FA Vase at the quarter-final stage. It appears they have unfinished business as they've exploded out of the blocks with five straight wins to go joint top. Holyport did make the top five last season and are in the leading group again so this was an easy pick in the ninth tier. Tickets will be available on the gate
SCEFL Division 1
FC Elmstead v Canterbury City @3pm - in the 10th tier but I've gone for this as the hosts are the highest ranked London club in any of the leagues at this level. Currently second with 10 points from four games, the team from Chislehurst rarely get much time in the spotlight so this seems like a great opportunity. The visitors are in the top six themselves so they should provide a stern test. Tickets will be available on the gate. UPDATE - originally Sheppey Sports were to provide the opposition but Canterbury are now playing instead. Many thanks to the official at Croydon FC who tipped me off about this
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Sunday 1 September
Premier League
Chelsea v Crystal Palace @130pm - although they lost the second leg of their play-off tie with Swiss side Servette, the Blues won through to the next stage of the UEFA Conference League on aggregate. They return to league action with this derby against the Eagles. The south-east London club have made a disappointing start, losing both of their opening fixtures. Despite the chaotic state of Chelsea at the moment, they should still start as favourites. Their record against Palace is fantastic, beating them on the last 14 occasions in all competitions. Regular tickets have sold but hospitality is available from £300
Women's friendly
Charlton Athletic v Aston Villa @2pm - the Addicks missed out on the Championship title by just one point as local rivals Crystal Palace won promotion to the WSL. With the new season starting next weekend, they'll be looking to fine tune a few things here against a top-flight side which includes the likes of Rachel Daly, Jordan Nobbs and Katie Robinson. Tickets are £8 in advance and £10 on the day
FAWNL Southern Premier
Hashtag United v Billericay Town @3pm - the highest level competitive women's game on Sunday is this Essex derby at Aveley's ground. The Tags enjoyed a great win over Watford in their opening match but then lost to title rivals Ipswich Town on Sunday. With newly promoted Exeter City and third-tier stalwarts Cheltenham Town starting well, the battle for the title and the one promotion place available looks as though it could be tighter than expected. Billericay are level on points with Hashtag so this could be close. Tickets will be available on the gate for £5
FAWNL Division 1 South East
Dulwich Hamlet v Ashford Town (Middlesex) @2pm - after attracting over 800 fans to their season opener against Norwich City, you should be able to expect a few hundred at Champion Hill for this one too. Having lost that match, the Hamlet will be looking for their first home win in the fourth tier and they should get it as the Tangerines are bottom after losing their first two. Tickets
QPR v Real Bedford @2pm - the most eye-catching event of the day in the women's game is the R's staging of this match at Loftus Road. After a change of management and a number of new signings, the side have yet to settle and they've accrued only one point from two games. However, they caused a notable upset on Wednesday when they beat third tier AFC Wimbledon in the Determining Round of the League Cup. Sunday's visitors are new to the division but currently top and should give Rangers a very challenging afternoon. Backed by crypto millionaires, they're looking to climb the divisions as quickly as possible in both the men's and women's games. Tickets
ERWFL Premier
Haringey Borough v Luton Town @2pm - the hosts looked impressive last season as they finished runners-up to big spending Real Bedford. With two wins from two and 12 goals scored so far, they should be there or thereabouts once again. The Hatters enjoyed a superb run to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup last season where they eventually bowed out to WSL side Brighton & Hove Albion but in the league they didn't really challenge - it could be a similar story this year. Tickets will be available on the gate
Women's FA Cup First Round Qualifying
This competition gets underway on Sunday with teams as low as the seventh tier taking part. With clubs at that level often playing on little more than park pitches and being entirely amateur, the prize money of £1,800 for the winners and £450 for the losers can be hugely important
AFC Whyteleafe v Tunbridge Wells @2pm - the Leafe finished fifth in their sixth-tier division of the London & South East League last season. Despite losing some key players to Actonians over the summer, they should still start as favourites against a club from the level below. Tickets will be available on the gate
Denham United v Ruislip Rangers @2pm - over on the west side of town, just to the north of Uxbridge town centre, we've got a derby. The hosts finished three points behind Whyteleafe last season so should fancy their chances against seventh-tier opposition
Richmond Park v Aylesford @2pm - the hosts narrowly avoided relegation from the sixth tier last year and have made another bad start. The visitors come from a parallel division of the L&SE League but are among the early leaders so should progress
Hammersmith v Bromley @2pm - over at Gunnersbury Park, seventh tier Hammersmith will be looking to pull off one of the shocks of the round against one of the biggest sides in the division above them. It's a tall order but you never 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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