Evening all and apologies for the late publication of this week's piece.
I'm on holiday in Dublin and simply haven't had the time to write until now.
As a result, it's just going to be match maps from me and no recommendations.
I have enjoyed some football during my time in the Irish capital but not the sort I'm used to.
On Sunday my daughter and I got taken by my wife's cousin to Croke Park to watch the final of the women's All-Ireland Gaelic football final between Galway and Kerry.
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| Galway took on Kerry in Sunday's final |
My daughter is actually an Irish citizen courtesy of having an Irish grandmother.
She hails from Kerry so my daughter was provided with one of their shirts and backed them whilst the rest of the family, who come from Galway supported them.
With Lidl sponsoring the event, we were given lots of free food and drink on the way into the stadium as things got off to a great start.
On entering the stand, we discovered our seats were right on the front row next to the pitch so we couldn't have got any closer to the action.
With Ireland's prime minister in attendance, the game got underway at 415pm.
Kerry pretty much bossed it from the start and eventually won 23-11, scoring three goals without reply.
We had a top time and Lidl provided us with ice lollies on the way out to make things even better.
I'm heading back to London tomorrow (Tuesday) so hopefully I'll have a better blog for you next week.
This weekend sees the start of the EFL season and there are also some huge friendlies spread across the next few days with some of the biggest clubs in Europe landing on these shores.
THE WEEK AHEAD
This week there's a great selection of high profile friendlies, FA Cup replays, 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
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
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.
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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