Welcome to the latest edition of TLFG and thanks for taking the time to pop by.
How has your week been?
I was off the whole time and finally return to work tomorrow.
As you'll soon discover, I've had quite a busy time and at this point I've only got previews for Monday and match maps for the whole week - updates will follow ASAP.
The week began with my latest A-Z of London football club runs.
G was the letter we were after with Glebe being the obvious choice but being located 17 miles away from where I live, I felt that was a bit far on this occasion so after a bit of research Liam came up with Grenfell Athletic instead.
Formed in the wake of the terrible fire at the tower in 2017, the club have men's and women's sides who have been playing county league football ever since.
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| Young midfielder Prudie Todd-Warmoth starred for Actonians on Sunday as they went top |
So we decided to start by running to the tower to pay our respects before heading south to Kings House Sports Ground, by the Thames at Barnes Bridge, where they play.
We're spoilt for choice for H.
My favourite non-league side Harrow Borough will almost certainly get a visit but we might combine it with one or two others on our way there or back.
Towards the end of the week we celebrated my youngest daughter's birthday before heading to the West Country where most of my immediate family have now migrated too.
A lot of us have birthdays at this time of year so we had a big gathering at a restaurant in Taunton which was great.
All in all, despite having a good amount of time off I reached Sunday having not watched any live football but I put that right after a dash back to the capital that morning.
No prizes for guessing that my afternoon was spent seeing how Actonians got on in their latest Women's National League match against fellow independent club (i.e. not affiliated to a men's one) London Seaward.
The east London club used to go under the Leyton Orient name until the O's inexplicably dropped them with little warning in 2021 - a strange move as they were and are a good fourth-tier side whilst Orient's own new team are mired in the seventh tier and struggling to progress.
Games between these two are often tight and the previous two games between them at Rectory Park had seen Seaward fight back from 3-1 and 2-0 down to get draws.
This season has begun very differently for the two sides with Actonians coming into the game in second and Seaward second bottom so as I supporter I was quite confident of getting something.
Thankfully I wasn't disappointed as a superb free-kick from youngster Prudie Todd-Warmoth and a header from midfielder Kat Turner, her first for the club, just after half-time were enough to seal a fairly comfortable 2-0 win.
With news of London Bees' very late equaliser against leaders Norwich City filtering through from The Hive, there were celebrations on the pitch as the players realised their efforts had put Actonians top for the first time this season!
Of course, they've won nothing yet but for an independent women's club with a fraction of the budget of those around them, it's some achievement to see them leading the way with just over a third of the season gone.
On this evidence, Seaward look a little unlucky to be in the bottom two. They're a perfectly competent side who more than hold their own but there was no end product and I don't think A's goalkeeper Elisa Dogor actually had to make a save of any note all afternoon.
Talking of the German stopper, Sunday's game saw her record her seventh clean sheet of the season underlining again how this side is built on a platform of solid defence.
The next two weeks are going to be incredibly tough and could go some way to defining their campaign.
First up they travel to Oxford United, who play a level above them, in the Women's FA Cup First Round and the following Sunday they travel to Norwich for a huge top-of-the-table clash.
Right I've got to go - my six-year-old is champing at the bit to begin her half-term holiday with a trip to Kew Gardens to do the 'Room on the Broom' trail. Wish me luck!
THE WEEK AHEAD
The EFL Cup and EFL Trophy make their return this week and we've also got the always highly anticipated FA Cup First Round.
Unusually, there's only one Premier League game and only two in the Championship which means it might be a good time to check out a non-league club either in the FA Cup or in a more regular match of which there are loads to choose from.
In the women's game, the WSL and Championship are back after the international break and the Women's FA Cup reaches its First Round stage too.
Last but not least, the FA Youth Cup for U18 sides has a few ties for you to enjoy 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.
Monday 28 October
Professional Development League
Brentford v QPR @7pm - it's derby day in this U21 league between two west London rivals. The Bees are fielding a specific U21 side and entering a league for the first time in several years after previously playing friendlies and county cup games with a 'B' team. With 10 points from seven games, they haven't made a particularly eye-catching start. The R's are just one place and three points above them but they've played three games more and have the leakiest defence in the division. The match is being played in Staines and you can buy tickets in advance for £5 or pay on arrival but it's card only
Surrey Senior Cup Preliminary Round
Carshalton Athletic v Epsom & Ewell @745pm - these two south London sides get their county cup campaigns underway on Monday. The Robins are one of the most successful clubs in the competition, having made it to the final eight times. However, their last win came way back in 1992 so they're overdue some success in this cup which has been running since 1882. The Salts have never made the final and given they play two levels below Carshalton, they'll do well to progress here. Tickets appear to be £11 which is a little steep in my opinion as most clubs discount their prices for the early rounds of cups like this - check social media on the day to see if this is correct
ECL Division 1 South
Barkingside v Harlow Town @745pm - in the 10th tier, there's an important match affecting clubs at opposite ends of the table. The 'Side sit just two points above the relegation zone whilst the visitors are second with two games in hand on the leaders. The hosts are very welcoming to neutrals and groundhoppers so if you're free and able to get to the Ilford area, they'd love to see you. Tickets are £5 on the gate
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Tuesday 29 October
EFL Cup Fourth Round
Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday @8pm - we're down to the last 16 in this competition and, on paper, the Premier League hosts should start as strong favourites against their Championship opponents. Brentford have never won or even been to the final whilst the Owls made it twice in the early '90s, winning it in 1991. Unlike most Bees games, tickets are on sale to non-members but they've almost gone so don't delay!
EFL Trophy
We're still in the group stage of this competition at the moment and there are two games this evening. Charlton Athletic host Chelsea U21s (tickets) at The Valley whilst AFC Wimbledon welcome Brighton & Hove Albion U21s to Plough Lane (tickets). These games are often pretty low key so don't expect massive crowds
Isthmian League South Central
Ashford Town (Middlesex) v Farnham Town @745pm - the Tangerines have had a poor start to the season, not helped by the fact that their ground is temporarily shut for a 3G pitch installation, but they pushed top club Farnham really hard when they played last month and only lost 2-1. The visitors won the CCL Premier South with ease last season and looked like breezing through this division too but they've stuttered a bit in recent weeks and although top, the chasing pack are just behind them. This match is being played at Cobham and tickets will be available on the gate
Isthmian League Cup
Hayes & Yeading United v Harrow Borough @745pm - there are lots of county and league cup matches at non-league level on Tuesday night with this derby in west London the pick of the ties in my opinion. Both these sides suffered relegation from the Southern League Premier South last season. H&YU had been challenging for the title and promotion in recent seasons so their slide was a shock, Harrow's not so much. However, this season it's the Boro who have started really strongly and if they both put full-strength sides out then they should win. Tickets will be available on the gate
CCL Premier North
Bedfont Sports v Wallingford & Crowmarsh @745pm - a lot of the focus in this division has been on Egham Town and North Greenford United who are the top two but back in sixth we have Bedfont Sports. The west London club made the play-offs last season and they actually have enough games in hand to go top if they win them. The visitors are way down in 14th but they too have games in hand which could put them among the promotion contenders if they win them. Tickets will be available on the gate for £8
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Wednesday 30 October
EFL Cup Fourth Round
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City @815pm - arguably the tie of the round takes place at the THS on Wednesday. Spurs are regularly mocked for not winning much but it's this competition that has brought them the most joy in recent years. When I say 'recent' I mean 2008 but they have made the final three more times since, most recently in 2021. However, over the last 10 years, City have dominated winning it six times. Saying that, they've missed out on the last three finals as Liverpool (twice) and Manchester United have claimed the crown instead. Tickets are only available to members
FAWNL Southern Premier
Watford v AFC Wimbledon @745pm - there's a bonus bit of women's third-tier action on Wednesday at Wealdstone's Grosvenor Vale ground in Ruislip. These sides were two divisions apart last season but the Hornets suffered relegation from the Championship whilst Dons won the title in their fourth-tier division. Seven games into this campaign, only one goal separates them in midtable with the hosts just ahead so it should be close. Tickets
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Thursday 31 October
FA Youth Cup First Round
Barking v Whitehawk @745pm - youth and development football takes centre stage on Thursday and this match at Mayesbrook Park is the one which most interests me. The Blues were the talk of the competition last year making it all the way from the Extra Preliminary Round to the Third Round where Millwall required extra-time to beat them at The Den. Amazingly, they appear to be on course to do it again, winning through five rounds already to make this stage again. Whitehawk haven't done badly either, getting past four opponents to get this far. They are higher ranked than Barking but given the London club's record, they've got a great chance. Tickets will be available on the gate for £5
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Friday 1 November
Premier League 2
There's a busy schedule of U21 games on Friday night with the derby between Chelsea and Arsenal at Kingsmeadow topping the bill (tickets). Crystal Palace host Tottenham Hotspur at Sutton United (tickets) whilst West Ham United welcome Fulham to Rush Green - tickets are available on the gate for £5. All games start at 7pm
Essex Senior League
Woodford Town v Saffron Walden Town @745pm - two of the top six in the ESL meet at Ashtons for this big ninth-tier game. Both sides have games in hand which if won would put them first and third respectively so it's an even bigger game than it might as first appear. Tickets will be available on the gate for £5
ECL Division 1 South
Cannons Wood v Coggeshall Town @745pm - there's also a top-six clash in the 10th tier. The hosts are fourth and currently the top-ranked side in the division from TLFG's catchment area. The visitors have two games in hand and will draw level with them if they win here. This match is being played at Aveley and tickets will be available on the gate for £7
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Saturday 2 November
Championship
QPR v Sunderland @3pm - unusually for a regular football Saturday there are no Premier League games in London and only one in the EFL, meaning good old QPR top the bill for the first time in ages. I say they top the bill but perhaps it's the visitors who really will be. The Mackems have spent many years in the top flight but they've been stuck in the EFL doldrums for seven years now. They even found themselves in League One for four seasons but this is the best they've looked for some time. They arrive at Loftus Road five points clear at the top. They managed to extend this lead last weekend, thanks to the R's highly unexpected 0-0 draw at second placed Burnley. The London club are in the relegation zone having won only one game this season so will definitely start as underdogs. Not many tickets are left so buy now if you want to go
National League South
Aveley v Weymouth @3pm - the main reason only one of 'the 92' are playing at home on Saturday is because it's the First Round of the FA Cup. By a quirk of the draw, all of our local League One and League Two clubs have been drawn away and the London non-league clubs with home ties are playing on Sunday. Therefore, after QPR, the next highest ranked teams you can get to watch are in the sixth tier. This match at Parkside is of huge importance as it features the bottom two in the division so they'll be desperate to avoid defeat. Already well adrift of safety, really only a win will do for either. Tickets
Welling United v Chippenham Town @3pm - sitting just above the relegation zone, these are two of the sides that Aveley and Weymouth have to catch so these two could really do with three points too. It's just over a year since they last played each other at Park View Road and on that occasion it ended 0-0. Tickets
Isthmian League Premier
Dulwich Hamlet v Wingate & Finchley @3pm - for me, the game of the day in the seventh tier is this one at Champion Hill. It pits the biggest club in the division, certainly in terms of attendance, against one of its smallest. However, it was Wingate who made the play-offs last season and who are in the top four again coming into this. The Hamlet are only three points behind and anything less than a top-five finish would be an underachievement in my book. This is likely to sell out so I strongly advise you to buy tickets in advance if you do want to go
Isthmian League South Central
Kingstonian v Harrow Borough @3pm - as someone who has followed the Boro since the late '80s, it's really strange to see them challenging for a title. For most of the 30-odd years I've been supporting them, they've been grimly holding on to their coveted seventh-tier status but last season they finally lost it. However, the lower level has so far brought them a lot more joy. They're second but face a big test of their credentials on Saturday when they travel to the third placed K's. In the early years of watching Harrow, Kingstonian were a club to envy. They were the original inhabitants of Kingsmeadow (now owned by Chelsea), won the Isthmian League and went on to enjoy a top-five finish in what is now the National League. They also won the FA Trophy twice. However, since that peak in 2001 they've never come close to returning to those highs. Problems off the pitch, which I won't go into in case I get any crucial details wrong, have seen them lose Kingsmeadow and roam around various grounds in Surrey for several years. Now sharing at Raynes Park Vale, they've started the season strongly after recruiting former Walton & Hersham boss Scott Harris. Unexpectedly, he left in mid-October after falling out with the fans but returned less than a week later after reconsidering. All-in-all, this is a pretty big game and it's £10 on the gate
SSML Premier
Cockfosters v Milton Keynes Irish @3pm - in the ninth tier, Chalk Lane would appear to be the place to be on Saturday as the top two in this league go head-to-head. Locked together on 31 points, it's the hosts who need the win more as they've played two games more than their Buckinghamshire opponents. MKI finished as runners-up last season and seem well capable of going one better this time. Tickets are £10 on the gate
SCEFL Division 1
Croydon v Forest Hill Park @3pm - from the far north of London, we head next to one of its most southern clubs. With nine wins from 12, the Trams have had a great start and are two points clear at the top coming into this. FHP formed a new partnership with SE Dons over the summer and they've thrived after finishing second from bottom last season. Now third, they will go above Croydon on goal difference if they win this. Tickets are £7 on the gate
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Sunday 3 November
Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa @2pm - Spurs are having a really Spurs week. After the disappointment of becoming the first team to lose a league game to Crystal Palace on Sunday, they then went and knocked Manchester City out of the EFL Cup! Next up they face another challenging fixture against Villa. Last season, Unai Emery's side finished fourth and it appears it wasn't a flash in the pan as, at the time of writing, they're fourth again and top of the Champions League after three games. Last season Villa won 2-1 here but the last time they played in March in Birmingham, Tottenham won 4-0 so who knows what's going to happen here. Tickets are only available to members but hospitality packages are available from £199
Championship
Millwall v Burnley @3pm - with leaders Sunderland visiting the capital on Saturday, one of their closest challengers head to town the day after. Standing in the way of their title ambitions are Millwall who are doing quite well at the moment. With only one loss from their last seven, they're up to 10th and could well give the Clarets an uncomfortable afternoon. Tickets
FA Cup First Round
With the six preliminary and qualifying rounds now complete, the FA Cup reaches its 'proper' stage when all the clubs from League One and League Two enter the draw alongside all the remaining non-league clubs - for the latter it's often a huge day. With £45,000 going to the winners and £15,000 to the losers of each tie, the financial rewards can be transformative for some of the smaller clubs. There are two ties in London:
Sutton United v Birmingham City @1230pm - averaging crowds of 26,810, former Premier League club Birmingham top League One and are the biggest club in the draw at this stage and it's the U's who've got them. With replays scrapped this season, they may well have preferred an away draw as the gate receipts are split in the FA Cup but home advantage will give them a good shot at the prize money instead. Sutton are arguably the most famous giantkillers in the FA Cup's history with numerous wins over higher division opposition and a run to the Fifth Round in 2017. The Blues finished last season in disarray as they got relegated from the Championship but they've spent millions rebuilding and should start as strong favourites but if anyone can cause a shock it's Sutton. Amazingly it seems there's still a few tickets left
Boreham Wood v Leyton Orient @2pm - the other tie of the day isn't too bad either as another non-league side with good FA Cup pedigree welcome League One opposition. Having lost their fifth-tier status last season, the Wood had to enter the cup two rounds earlier so they've won three ties already to get this far. They face an O's side who are just above the relegation zone and struggling for form. The east London club have also been knocked out of the FA Cup by non-league opposition twice in the last five years so the chances of an upset look pretty good. Tickets
Women's Super League
Crystal Palace v Manchester City @2pm - after being heavily beaten in their first two games at this level, it looked like the Eagles were really going to struggle. However, they've managed a win and a draw since then to put them up to lower midtbale. Selhurst Park plays host on Sunday as they welcome one of the WSL's top clubs for what should be a very tough game. Tickets
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United @2pm - after finishing sixth and making the FA Cup final, Spurs were expected to push on this season but with only one win from five and the joint leakiest defence in the division, it's fair to say they disappointed. The Hammers finished just above the relegation zone last year so it's no surprise to find them bottom heading into this. This is being played at Leyton Orient. Tickets
Championship
Charlton Athletic v Southampton @2pm - the Addicks got off to a flyer but they're now three without a win and have surrendered top spot to Birmingham City. In a division where the margins for error are tiny, they really need to this one against the midtable Saints. This is being played at The Valley. Tickets
Women's FA Cup First Round
The 'proper' part of the Women's FA Cup takes place this weekend too. At this stage of the competition, the third tier clubs enter the draw alongside the survivors from the lower tiers who made it through the qualifying rounds. Unlike the men's, the prize money is only £6,000 for the winners and £1,500 for the losers
AFC Wimbledon v Watford @2pm - one of the ties of the round sees these two third-tier sides play each other at Plough Lane. Given there were some seventh-tier teams in the draw, this is one of the worst draws that either of them could have hoped for. The two actually played in the league of Wednesday night with the Dons edging to a narrow 1-0 away win. Tickets
Brentford v Ascot United @3pm - this tie should be incredibly interesting. As regular readers know, I'm not too enamoured of the Bees and their approach to women's football this season. Having built a team that's way too strong for the level, after their epic failure to win promotion last year, they're thrashing most of their opponents (15-0 against Richmond Park on Sunday) and celebrating every win as if they'd just beaten Chelsea (classy - not). Here they take on a club who are top of the level above them so it will be interesting to see just how good they are. Tickets will be available on the gate
Comets v Worthing @2pm - amazingly, seventh-tier club Comets have made it to this point which is a huge achievement. In the last round they beat fifth tier Wycombe Wanderers on penalties to cause quite an upset. On Sunday they play fourth-tier opposition from Sussex. Worthing managed a top-three finish in the FAWNL Division 1 South East last season but they got transferred to the South West division over the summer and aren't doing quite as well. Even so, the chances of Comets winning again are really slim. It appears this is being played at Fisher's ground in Rotherhithe but I haven't had that confirmed yet. They don't usually charge admission for their games but I think they will have to for this - expect to pay no more than £5 on arrival
Fulham v Chesham United @230pm - there's a very real chance of an upset at Motspur Park where the fifth tier Cottagers take on a side from the level above them. The hosts are one of the best sides at their level whilst the Generals are struggling in the fourth tier. On their day, Chesham have produced some fine performances this season but when things start to go against them, they tend to capitulate and have conceded six goals or more on five occasions so far this season. Tickets
London Seaward v Hackney @2pm - the hosts are having a rough time in their fourth-tier division. In the relegation zone and thrashed by fifth tier Dartford in the Isthmian Women's Cup in midweek, they'll be hoping for a bit of FA Cup respite as they host fellow east Londoners Hackney who play two levels below them. If the visitors do win, Seaward will be in real trouble. Tickets will be available on the gate - not certain of the price but I think it could be £7
Hashtag United v Wroxham @3pm - in the last tie in our area, we could see a cricket score as the Tags who top the third tier welcome a side towards the wrong end of the fifth tier. A lot will depend on how strong a side the hosts choose to field. 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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