TLFG: 3-9 April 2017

Greetings one and all, I hope you're well.

Not a lot from me this week as I've been working pretty solidly on late shifts since Tuesday so I haven't had the chance to see any football. 

We're coming rapidly to the business end of the season, especially in the non-league competitions many of which conclude this month.

As a result there are big games at all levels this week so you should get to see something pretty decent whatever your budget or interest.

Non-League Finals Day is getting closer - buy your tickets today

I was pleased to see the Tooting & Mitcham United community fun day went well with their free entry promotion generating triple the crowd they normally welcome. If you want to find out more about this, a full ground review and report for the game can be found on 'The Football Journey' blog.

For the second week running we've been doubly spoiled with another ground visit from our friends at 'Two Men In Search Of The Beautiful Game'. Their latest adventure took them to White Hart Lane for the recent Premier League game between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton which Spurs won 2-1.

Lastly from me, just another plug for Non-League Finals Day on 21 May. If you're in London that weekend and are struggling for a Premier League ticket, please seriously consider coming to Wembley instead. For £25 you get to see the Buildbase FA Vase and FA Trophy finals back-to-back and it's only £10 concessions and £1 for U16s. If you bring nine or more people in a group, then adult tickets are reduced to just £12.50! Tickets are available now.

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Cleethorpes Town will play South Shields in the first game and Macclesfield Town and York City in the latter. There was a crowd of around 48,000 last year, it would be great to better it.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 80 matches in the London area over the next week with games in the Premier League, EFL, National League and several minor league and county cup competitions.

However, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed. 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 (white 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 (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Magenta pin - Wednesday fixtures
Black pin - Friday fixtures

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Orange pin - Sunday fixtures

TLFG DAILY DIGEST

In the following section I list, by day, 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 3 April

Professional Development League
Crystal Palace v Sheffield United @1pm - after a bit of time off, a number of our local U23 sides are back in action on Monday. This match gives you the chance to visit a Premier League ground for just £5 and gives you a great chance to combine it with a non-league game in the evening. Millwall's youngsters also have a game at The Den while all other matches are at clubs' training grounds

Ryman League Premier Division
Kingstonian v Burgess Hill Town @745pm - the pick of the night's non-league action is to be found in south-west London where the K's play one of their last games at Kingsmeadow before moving to groundshare with Leatherhead next season. It's also a big relegation six-pointer so there's plenty at stake

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Tuesday 4 April

Premier League
Watford v West Bromwich Albion @745pm - the Hornets managed to arrest their worrying slump in form with a crucial win over bottom club Sunderland on Saturday, This has seen them jump above West Ham and Burnley, giving them a bit of breathing space. The Baggies have had a good season and are kind of in a league of their own marooned in a strange eigth place that's way behind the top clubs and well ahead of all those below them. West Brom won the reverse fixture in December fairly comfortably but I fancy a draw

Championship

Brentford v Leeds United @745pm - the Bees have nothing to play for but seem to be enjoying themselves right now, winning their last two and scoring seven in the process. Leeds, one of the biggest clubs in the division, are still fighting to make sure of their play-off place and will bring a large and loud group of travelling supporters

League One
Charlton Athletic v MK Dons @745pm - with only one win in 10, the Addicks are hovering precariously above the relegation zone. The visitors are only just above them in the table and present an excellent opportunity to take three points

Ryman League Premier Division
Dulwich Hamlet v Leatherhead @745pm - the hosts have had a significant backlog of games to get through after their fine FA Trophy run and in Leatherhead they face another one. Results haven't been going all their way, however, with a fine win against Billericay followed by defeat at Havant. Consequently the race for a play-off place has become really intense with only four points separating the teams from third to tenth. The Tanners are also in need of the points, coming into this game just above the relegation places

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Wednesday 5 April

Premier League
Arsenal v West Ham United @745pm - there's a very big night of action in the nation's top flight on Wednesday. This attractive derby is still only secondary to another game elsewhere in town. The Gunners' season is now all about getting back into the top four and winning the FA Cup - the latter looks more likely at the moment. For some strange reason, I was under the impression that the Hammers were home and dry and looking forward to next season but they're now winless in six and looking over their shoulders again
Chelsea v Manchester City @745pm - the game of the day takes place at Stamford Bridge where two of the top four lock horns. The Blues were seemingly champions elect until Saturday when for the second season running, they lost at home to Crystal Palace. Suddenly the seven-point gap to Spurs looks bridgeable. It certainly will if City take home the points

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Thursday 6 April

London Senior Cup Quarter-Final
Dulwich Hamlet v Tooting & Mitcham United @745pm - the draw has thrown up a derby between two old rivals from south London. Currently a division apart they haven't played each other in the league for a while. Sadly I would expect neither to field a full-strength team as they are both heavily embroiled in promotion campaigns which will surely take priority

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Friday 7 April

Championship
Queens Park Rangers v Brighton & Hove Albion @745pm - the weekend gets underway with what could be a cracker at Loftus Road. With Brighton located just to the south of London, games against clubs from the capital are all effectively derbies. With QPR in decent form and Brighton going for the title, the ground should be close to capacity but there are still a few tickets on general sale

Premier League 2
Chelsea v Sunderland @705pm - a couple of miles down the road there's also an U23 game going on at Stamford Bridge. This presents a great chance to see a game at one of London's top grounds for only £5 but tickets must be bought by 4pm from the box office or you won't be able to get in

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Saturday 8 April

Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Watford @1230pm - Saturday's action begins bright and early at White Hart Lane where Spurs should beat Watford as they look to close the gap on Chelsea and keep their title bid alive
West Ham United v Swansea City @3pm - if the Hammers lose against Arsenal in midweek, this game could become highly significant. It's quite conceivable that such a result could leave them only three points above the relegation zone and the Swans will be one of their main rivals when it comes to keeping out of it

Championship
Fulham v Ipswich Town @3pm - after weeks of near misses, the Cottagers finally made it into the all-important top six with a scraped 1-0 win over bottom club Rotherham. No-one has games in hand on them so the position is theirs to lose. On Saturday a hopelessly out of form Ipswich side pay a visit and should be beaten

League One
AFC Wimbledon v Bristol Rovers @3pm - the Dons are firmly in midtable and have absolutely nothing to play for. Rovers are just outside the play-off places so will be desperate for victory to keep their hopes alive
Charlton Athletic v Southend United @3pm- this game should be more interesting as both sides need to win. Charlton, as mentioned above, need to stave off relegation while Southend are currently occupying the final play-off place

League Two
Barnet v Luton Town @3pm  - this is effectively a derby with Luton located just a little north of London from where the Bees play. It's also a big game for the Hatters who still have an outside shot of automatic promotion

National League
Bromley v Wrexham @3pm - the Ravens have been going along nicely in midtable for most of the season but seven defeats from 10 have teed up a slightly nervy finish to the campaign. Still six points above the bottom four, they need to beat their Welsh opponents to allay any concerns

National League South
Dartford v Eastbourne Borough @3pm - with a play-off place pretty much certain for the Darts, it's now all about maintaining momentum to make sure of home advantage in the post-season. A disappointing two game winless run has seen them slip to fourth so they'll want to reverse that trend here

Ryman League Premier Division
Dulwich Hamlet v Lowestoft Town @3pm - if midweek results go to plan then Dulwich should find themselves in the top five by kick-off in this one. Lowestoft, relegated from the NLS last season, are surprisingly not amongst the pack of teams contesting promotion but are pretty much the best of the rest and should be no pushovers. I'd expect yet another close to capacity crowd at Champion Hill (c.3,000), one which almost certainly dwarf several in League Two and maybe even one or two in League One

Ryman League Division 1 South
Tooting & Mitcham United v Three Bridges @3pm - despite recently winning 14 games on the trot to top the league, Tooting haven't been able to pull clear of Dorking Wanderers who lie just three points behind in second. The Terrors enjoyed another win over South Park on Saturday and should win here against a Three Bridges side destined for relegation but will nerves get the better of them???

Southern Counties East League Division 1
Glebe v Orpington @3pm - the hosts, with four games in hand on the leaders Rusthall, are the favourites to win the division. Being only a point behind, they could well go top here

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 within 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.

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

TLFG: 27 March - 2 April 2017

So how was the international break for you? Not too boring I hope.

The England game on Sunday seemed pretty dull but they got the all-important win so I guess that's the main thing.

As I mentioned last week, I had hoped to go to The Hive on Thursday for the friendly between Nigeria and Senegal. Thankfully everything came together and I made my first visit to Barnet's new home which I was quite impressed with.

Easy to get to by Tube, the ground is located amidst acres of football fields and sporting facilities and is smart, clean and compact.

After joining a reasonably lengthy but well marshalled queue for tickets, myself and a Senegalese friend found ourselves on the South Stand for a tenner and within touching distance of the action.

Free entry at Tooting & Mitcham on Saturday - what a bargain!

I was surprised to learn that my mate, despite having lived for many years in Paris and London and being quite a decent player himself, had never actually been to a proper match as a spectator and was duly rather excited.

The crowd behind the goal was a real mixture of people - apart from fans of the two sides, there was a core of Barnet's regular supporters, a group of Liverpool fans of largely Asian heritage and several hardcore football addicts the type of which read this blog!

I ended up next to someone who my mate explained to me was actually a singer of some reknown back in Senegal so pictures were taken as a fun night ensued.

With all the terrible things that had happened in Westminster the day before, this game and the united crowd was the perfect antidote and any glumness that was there was temporarily forgotten about during those couple of hours within the stadium.

The game itself, like most friendlies, wasn't a classic but there were some top players on show, we got a couple of goals (1-1) and some outrageous misses so we weren't short on entertainment as most people went home happy. It is also worth noting that Barnet offered all ticket holders free entry to their match against Cheltenham two days later which was a cracking deal and I was very tempted to take them up on it (they won 3-1). 

For a far more in-depth review of proceedings check out 'The Football Journey' - this new blog by a young writer from south London has only been going for a few weeks but has plenty of content already so check it out.

'Two Men In Search...' pay a visit to Brentford

It should also be mentioned that Nigeria were set to play Burkina Faso (BF) in another friendly on Monday (27 March) but this was cancelled over the weekend as not enough of the BF players could get visas so I know there will be some disappointed people. Although there are some alternative games in the capital that day, they are not of the same calibre.

Looking ahead I'd like to give a special mention to Tooting & Mitcham United at this point. The Terrors, current Ryman League Division 1 South leaders, are holding a community fun day on Saturday and are offering FREE ENTRY to everyone for the visit of South Park. Their ground is one of the best the London non-league scene has to offer so definitely pay them a visit if you're at a loose end.

Talking of prolific bloggers, 'Two Men In Search Of The Beautiful Game' have been at it again and have a review of their trip to Brentford ready for you to enjoy so give that a read/watch too.

Lastly from me - a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that some of my fellow QPR fans were doing a walk to raise funds for the club's team for kids with Down's syndrome. I'm pleased to report that they raked in nearly £13,000 which is pushing the total raised to nearly £100,000 since we started the annual event back in 2010. Well done all!

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 80 matches in the London area over the next week with games in the Premier League, EFL, National League and several minor league and county cup competitions.

However, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed. 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 (white 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 (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Magenta pin - Wednesday fixtures
Black pin - Friday fixtures

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Orange pin - Sunday fixtures

TLFG DAILY DIGEST

In the following section I list, by day, 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 27 March

Ryman League Division 1 North
Aveley v Bury Town @745pm - the main draw tonight was supposed to be the friendly between Nigeria and Burkina Faso at Barnet but following its cancellation this is the next best alternative. Sadly it doesn't really compare but if a midtable eighth-tier match near Lakeside shopping centre might be able to fill the gap then please give it a go. One other point of note - Mill Field, Aveley's home since 1951, is to close at the end of the season so this will be one of its final games

Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy Quarter-Final
Wadham Lodge v Waltham Forest @745pm - up in E17 it's time for a Walthamstow derby between two clubs who groundshare. Both sides have little to play for in the Essex Senior League so this could be the only bit of silverware either of them have a realistic chance of winning

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Tuesday 28 March

League One
AFC Wimbledon v Rochdale @745pm - following defeat to promotion-chasing Southend on Saturday, the Dons have another tough game against a team looking to go up. Although in eighth, Dale are finding wins hard to come by managing only two in 10 as the draws have held them back. However, they have a 100% win record at Kingsmeadow and have netted five in the two games they've played there

National League

Sutton United v Lincoln City @745pm - the currently two most famous non-league teams in the country do battle at Gander Green Lane on Tuesday. After making it to the fifth round and quarter-finals of the FA Cup respectively and both being knocked out by Arsenal, these two have delighted and thrilled many neutrals over the last few months. The U's need the points to make sure of avoiding relegation while the Imps are top of the league but only on goal difference and arrive having beaten co-leaders Forest Green on Saturday. Big game!

Kent Senior Cup Semi-Final
Welling United v Charlton Athletic @745pm - over in south-east London we have an attractive derby in the county cup. The hosts play in the sixth tier and would normally start as underdogs against the League One Addicks but given this is only a county cup game, the visitors are only likely to field a development side of U23 players and maybe one or two first-team squad members. Tickets have been reduced to £10 for adults but it should still be well worth 90 minutes of your time if you're in the area

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Wednesday 29 March

Ryman League Division 1 South
Cray Wanderers v Herne Bay @745pm - the season is over for these two with promotion and relegation of no concern for either. Go and watch this if you want to see the oldest club in the London area - Cray claim to have been founded in 1860

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Friday 31 March

Ryman League Division 1 North
Aveley v VCD Athletic @745pm - similar to the game on Monday, there's not a lot riding on this but it's a nice bit of Friday night football and there'll only be two games left at Mill Field after this one

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Saturday 1 April

Premier League
Chelsea v Crystal Palace @3pm - the Premier League returns with this London derby featuring teams with very different priorities. The Blues need the win to cement their lead at the top while Palace have won three in a row to edge out of the dreaded bottom three. The odds are heavily stacked against the visitors but they did win at Stamford Bridge last season so it's not impossible
Watford v Sunderland @3pm - with only two wins from their last 10 the Hornets still can't quite say they're out of the relegation fight. They are seven points above the relegation zone but with sides like Leicester, Palace and Swansea all showing signs of resurgence just below them, they could easily find themselves in difficulty. In this context, a win against bottom club Sunderland is an absolute must

Championship
Brentford v Bristol City @3pm - if you can't get or don't want a ticket for either of the above, the go-to next best option for many TLFG readers over the last two or three years has been Brentford. Playing in a compact, old-school ground with a pub on every corner, a trip to watch the Bees is an attractive one. Given its size, Griffin Park is usually close to capacity and generates a good atmosphere. Unusually for the Championship, it also has terracing behind the goals so you can stand. Survival for another season at this level is almost assured but the same can't be said for City who are only a point above the bottom three. The Robins' home town of Bristol is a big place and dominates the western region of England yet it hasn't boasted a top-flight club since City were relegated in 1980 something which must make them one of the biggest underachievers in the country.

League One
Millwall v Scunthorpe United @3pm - things are starting to go a bit wrong for the Lions. After seeing their lengthy unbeaten run ended emphatically by Spurs in the FA Cup, they've gone three without a win in the league. Luckily they haven't suffered too badly and are still only three points adrift of the play-off places with a game in hand. Scunthorpe were top a while back but went on a very poor run to drop back down but two wins in three have seen them climb back to fourth so this will be important for both

League Two
Leyton Orient v Wycombe Wanderers @3pm - watching the O's struggles from the outside has been hard so it must be really bad if you actually do support them. Saturday saw another morale sapping defeat which left them seven points adrift of safety with seven games to go. It's the off pitch side of things which has really taken its toll as financial and managerial problems have left a young and inexperienced squad who haven't got the tools to cope with the current situation. Wycombe, a club just beyond the north-western border of London, are in with a shout of promotion again and will start as firm favourites

National League
Dagenham & Redbridge v Eastleigh @3pm - the Daggers scraped a vital 1-0 win over lowly York on Saturday to keep themselves in the top four of what has become a very tight promotion race. Only 10 points separate the top eight clubs with only two points between the top three. Only one side goes up automatically while the next four play-off meaning a real scramble for points should now ensue with just over a month of the regular season left to play. Eastleigh in 11th are effectively nowhere and would have fancied themselves to have done better this term - they could still give the nervy hosts an uncomfortable afternoon though

National League South
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Chelmsford City @3pm - although Hampton did well to hold title contenders Ebbsfleet to a creditable 1-1 draw on Saturday, they now face an uphill task to make the top five as current incumbents Poole and Chelmsford both won to pull further away. The Essex club are up next, knowing a win could make that play-off place all but certain

Ryman League Premier Division
Enfield Town v Bognor Regis Town @3pm - there's plenty at stake at Donkey Lane this weekend as the seemingly perennial play-off chasing Towners welcome the league leaders from Sussex. As local rivals Havant & Waterlooville have faltered over the last two weeks, the Rocks have opened a four-point lead and will be keen to maintain it as they head for north London. Enfield took a point home from their visit to the south coast in January so shouldn't be overawed

Ryman League Division 1 North
Thurrock v Haringey Borough @3pm - the hosts enjoyed a useful 1-0 win at promotion rivals Cheshunt on Saturday which kept them in fourth and allowed Haringey to remain, despite a spirited defeat to league leaders Brightlingsea, in fifth. Another win here would put them on the verge of securing a play-off spot and possibly leave Haringey as low as eighth so it's an important one for both

Ryman League Division 1 South
Tooting & Mitcham United v South Park @3pm - fancy a bargain? Well Imperial Fields is the place to be this Saturday as everyone is being let in for free as part of the club's Community Fun Day. Not only this but TMU are also top of the league and looking good for promotion. Their amazing 14-game winning run came to an end at Horsham on Saturday but what is even more amazing is that fact that despite all that success they are still only six points clear of Dorking Wanderers who have a game in hand. In other words, the title race is far from over

Combined Counties League Premier Division
Chertsey Town v Hartley Wintney @3pm - Alwyns Lane could witness the visitors reclaim the CCL title with five games to spare. Denied promotion last year because their ground wasn't up to scratch, Hartley Wintney have been brilliant again and are 20 points clear at the time of writing. Given their massive goal difference over second-placed Westfield (+86 to +40), they only need to draw this to be crowned champions. In fact, if Westfield fail to win at Abbey Rangers (less than a mile from Chertsey) then Hartley will claim the title whatever

Combined Counties League Division 1
Banstead Athletic v Redhill @3pm - the hosts sealed promotion with a 5-0 win at Worcester Park on Saturday but the title is still up for grabs. Redhill, back in third, are their only challengers as they have seven games to go while second placed Chessington only have one game left. Even with Redhill having two games in hand, Banstead's lead is still significant and a win here should realistically end the contest

Southern Counties East League Division 1
Glebe v Sutton Athletic @3pm - it's second versus fourth at Foxbury Avenue and with four games in hand on top club Rusthall and being only a point behind, a win for Glebe will be highly significant. With only the top two going up, the season's over for Sutton

FA Women's Super League 2
London Bees v Sheffield FC @7pm - with the afternoon's action out of the way, you can spend your evening at The Hive watching some women's football. A short journey away on the Jubilee Line, this could very easily be combined with the Ryman League game between Hendon and Tonbridge Angels which kicks-off at 3pm

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Sunday 2 April

Premier League
Arsenal v Manchester City @4pm - the week ends with a monster of a game at the Emirates Stadium as two of the top flight's biggest clubs do battle. It should be a good game but realistically both have little chance of winning the title being 19 and 12 points behind Chelsea respectively. This match is more about securing a Champions League place, something City should ultimately manage but for the first time in goodness knows how long Arsenal might not

EFL Trophy Final
Coventry City v Oxford United @230pm - tickets for the above will be very hard or very expensive for non-members to get so you could head to Wembley instead for this cup final. Traditionally a competition reserved for League One and League Two sides, U23 teams from some Premier League and Championship sides were added to the draw this year to help the development of young players. Unpopular with clubs and supporters, crowds were tiny and all the academy sides went out long before the final. Instead we have the 1987 FA Cup winners against the 1986 EFL Cup winners as two sides who were much better in the '80s head to the national stadium. The attendance should be pretty substantial but tickets are still available on general sale at either end of the ground and are available through each club's website

FA Women's Super League 2
Millwall Lionesses v Everton @2pm - the pick of the day's women's action is to be found at Fisher's ground in Rotherhithe where the Lionesses go in search of their first win of the new season

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 within 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.

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

TLFG: 20-26 March 2017

Greetings one and all and welcome to the latest edition of TLFG.

Two words ring out loudly this week and for many football fans they are words of dread!

The 18 letters that make up the accursed phrase 'international break' send waves of loathing and boredom through the hearts and souls of vast numbers of supporters. Stripped of their regular dose of action, fans of the country's biggest clubs think that the beautiful game goes into hibernation for a few days and are regularly heard to say they hate the period because there's 'no football on'.

This is as much a sad reflection on the parlous state of the national team, which clearly inspires so little fervour, as it is a myopic view of the fans themselves.

Despite the Premier League and Championship having time off, we still have over 80 games to look forward to including some international fixtures not involving England.

Tickets for both are on sale now

Yes you heard that right, because on Thursday and next Monday you'll be able to catch African giants Nigeria play friendlies against neighbours Senegal and Burkina Faso. All three are currently ranked in the world's top 50 and boast a number of players from the biggest leagues in the world. Both games take place at The Hive, home of Barnet, which is just a short Tube ride from Wembley on the Jubilee Line (Canons Park is the nearest station). Tickets are only £10 so it looks like pretty good value. I'm hoping to be at the Senegal game. Thanks at this point should also go to TLFG reader Steve who tipped me off that they were taking place or I may well have missed it.

England's match against Lithuania at Wembley is the biggest of the week so if you're in town and were hoping to see a Premier League game then this is the best alternative. The cheapest remaining tickets appear to be £45.

Aside from these games, there are some excellent non-league options. With the regular season ending in late April for many clubs, the promotion and relegation issues are starting to heat up.

The latest video from 'Two Men In Search...' sees them visit Charlton

In other news, Saturday saw the line-up for Non-League Finals Day confirmed with Cleethorpes Town and South Shields meeting in the FA Vase final and Macclesfield Town and York City in the FA Trophy. The event is still over two months away on 21 May but tickets are on sale now - at only £25 for adults and £1 for kids, it's a great value way to spend a whole day at Wembley.

Lastly this week, we are lucky once again to have a blog from 'Two Men In Search Of The Beautiful Game' who paid a visit to The Valley to watch Charlton Athletic take on Scunthorpe United. Give it a read here. 

Right, I think that's it from me. Don't let the international break get you down, get out there and explore another part of what the London football scene has to offer and let me know what you find.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 80 matches in the London area over the next week with international action at Wembley, games in the EFL, National League and several minor league and county cup competitions.

However, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed. 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 (white 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 (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Magenta pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Orange pin - Sunday fixtures

TLFG DAILY DIGEST

In the following section I list, by day, 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 20 March

Professional Development League
Crystal Palace v Bolton Wanderers @1pm - the day begins with a fine selection of U23 games all of which are taking place at the respective clubs' main stadiums. The pick is probably this match at Selhurst Park as it will let you visit a Premier League ground for a fraction of the normal price. There are also games at The Valley (Charlton) and The Den (Millwall) which kick-off at lunchtime as well

National League South
Wealdstone v Concord Rangers @745pm - the best of the non-league action is to be found at Grosvenor Vale where the Stones will hope for three points against lowly Concord in their quest to make the play-offs

Ryman League Premier Division
Dulwich Hamlet v Kingstonian @745pm - the hosts have three home matches this week as they look to push into the play-off places. Five points adrift at the moment, they begin against the K's whose poor form has suddenly seen them sucked into a relegation battle. This match is taking place in close proximity to all of the U23 matches happening earlier in the day so would make for a fine 'double'

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Tuesday 21 March

Professional Development League
Watford v Leeds United @7pm - there's one U23 game on on Tuesday and it's at the Hornets' Vicarage Road ground so well worth a visit if you've not been before

National League

Boreham Wood v Lincoln City @745pm - if you'd rather see a game of real significance then this non-league match a short drive from Watford sees The Wood entertain FA Cup heroes Lincoln who are currently top of the league and looking to get back into the EFL

National League South
Dartford v Margate @745pm - in the division below there's an all-Kent clash as the Darts look to strengthen their grip on a play-off place and even keep their outside hopes of the title alive. Margate are bottom and effectively down already, being 13 points adrift with eight to play

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Cockfosters v Sun Sports @745pm - Cockfosters have had a fine season and will go joint second with victory against another one of our local sides. With eight games to go, the 12-point lead top club London Colney have over them is almost certainly too much but you never know...

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Wednesday 22 March

Ryman League Premier Division
Dulwich Hamlet v Havant & Waterlooville @745pm - the second of the Hamlet's trio of games is the biggest and comes in the form of title contenders H&W. Relegated from the NLS last season, they were top until Harrow beat them on Tuesday and allowed Bognor to re-take control. From a seventh-tier perspective, this is box office stuff and a crowd easily in excess of 1,000 should be present

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Thursday 23 March

International friendly
Nigeria v Senegal @8pm - given its cosmopolitan population, London is frequently used by overseas nations for friendlies. Commonwealth countries like Australia, Ghana and South Africa have been among those to have done so in the past alongside the likes of Brazil who seem to use Arsenal's Emirates Stadium as a second home. Nigeria's Super Eagles also have a strong tradition of playing in the capital too and this match against West African neighbours Senegal should be highly entertaining. The match is being played at The Hive, home of Barnet and tickets are only £10

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Saturday 25 March

League One
AFC Wimbledon v Southend United @3pm - with all the capital's biggest clubs having a rest over the international break, the Dons' match against the Shrimpers takes top billing on Saturday. Southend, if you don't know, is a seaside town just to the east of London so there should be a bit of derby feel to this one. The Essex club are also fighting hard with Millwall to secure a play-off place

League Two
Barnet v Cheltenham Town @3pm - defeat to Notts County on Saturday pretty much ended the Bees' season (if hadn't already). Winless in seven and well away from the promotion and relegation places, there's only really pride left to play for. Cheltenham, however, still need to make sure they get enough points to avoid the drop

National League
Dagenham & Redbridge v York City @3pm - the best the NL has to offer is this promotion/relegation match-up. With four defeats in six, the Daggers are suffering a wobble at a really inopportune time. With the leaders starting to edge away and the chasing pack creeping up, they need to be careful that they don't miss out on a top-five finish. York, fresh from upsetting Lincoln in the FA Trophy semi-finals to book a place at Wembley, are in a perilous position near the bottom but are there because they draw too many games. With only two defeats in 10, they could be tough to beat

National League South
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Ebbsfleet United @3pm - there's a big game at the Beveree between two sides chasing promotion. The hosts, after a great start to the season, are now left targeting the final play-off place after poor results saw them slide to seventh. The gap is only five points and with only two defeats in 10, they've got a reasonable chance of doing it. If they beat title contenders Ebbsfleet then things will look very positive indeed

Ryman League Premier Division
Dulwich Hamlet v Billericay Town @3pm - this fixture has become a lot more interesting over the last few weeks. A casual glance at the table shows you that these two have a good chance of making the play-offs but there's now an added spice to this game. Dulwich, through hard work and some great volunteer-led marketing, have grown to become the biggest club in the league in a relatively short three to four-year period. Crowds average 1,273 which is double what anyone else gets and is a huge amount for a seventh-tier side. Billericay have been a solid Ryman League club for a while and even enjoyed a brief spell in the Conference South but attendances of 300-400 are far more common. Recently they've been taken over by an ambitious new owner/manager who seems keen to splash the cash and has brought former England defender Paul Konchesky into the squad as a statement of intent. You'd be hard pushed to find two clubs with more contrasting approaches

Ryman League Division 1 North
Haringey Borough v Brightlingsea Regent @3pm - after a pretty tough return to the Ryman League, it's really pleasing to see the Borough doing so well this time. The only club to truly play on White Hart Lane, they are massively overshadowed by near neighbours Spurs but manage to keep going. Always keen to try and do new things to improve their lot, they've installed a 3G pitch this season and are up in fifth despite crowds of just over 100. Brightlingsea were only founded in 2005 and have progressed well. Currently nine points clear at the top, promotion looks a certainty

Ryman League Division 1 South
Greenwich Borough v Lewes @3pm - most would now concede that it's become a two-horse race for the title, leaving the rest to scrap for as a high a finish as possible to get home advantage in the one-legged play-off games. Greenwich are currently third while Lewes are seventh. The Sussex club are one of the biggest in the division and were in what is now the National League not all that long ago. Relegated, somewhat surprisingly, to this level last season they are well positioned to try and grab that all-important fifth place

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Sunday 26 March

World Cup qualifier
England v Lithuania @5pm - the biggest match of the week comes right at the end when the Three Lions go in search of three points against Baltic minnows Lithuania at Wembley. Gareth Southgate's side are currently two points clear at the top of a group they should win with ease - only second-placed Slovenia have so far managed to take a point off them. Tickets are still available with the cheapest remaining ones in the £45 bracket

Women's FA Cup Quarter-Final
Chelsea v Sunderland @2pm - in the day's other game at Staines Town, the Blues' women's team face their counterparts from Sunderland for a place in the last four of the cup

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 within 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.

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

TLFG: 13-19 March 2017

Last week I left with you my choice of deciding whether I should go and watch QPR, Harrow Borough or Dulwich Hamlet on Tuesday night.

The latter two were playing away from home and QPR were on my doorstep, they were also the most expensive option or so I thought.

After a bit of umming and ahhing I decided to investigate the QPR ticketing situation on re-sale site Twickets.

A lot has been made of re-sale sites recently with the government actually thinking of getting involved to make vastly overpriced tickets a thing of the past. Twickets are, however, different to the likes of Viagogo and StubHub as they only allow tickets to be sold for face value or less. For some reason, QPR are one of the only clubs in the country who have an official relationship with them and it was very much to my benefit.

With the R's in midtable and Tuesday night's opponents Barnsley hardly box office (no offence), there were a number of tickets available for well below face value so with walk-up prices at a staggering £37 I thought I'd give it a go. In the end I landed a seat in Ellerslie Road for £25 including fees. I then simply went to the box office who printed it out and gave it to me. Job done.

The view from my much-discounted seat at Loftus Road

The game itself was also pretty decent with chances aplenty at both ends. QPR opened a 2-0 lead midway through the second half but faded a bit, let in a goal and hung on doggedly through five minutes of injury time for well-needed 2-1 win. 

I can't really see why I'd buy through the box office again after an experience like that so I'll see what Twickets has to offer the next time I'm free for a game.

Oh and as for Harrow and Dulwich, they both lost - heavily in Harrow's case so it turned out to be the right decision in all respects.

In other news it was great to hear from TLFG reader Wayne who went to Brentford on Saturday to see their game against promotion chasing Huddersfield. Wayne - thanks a lot for the email telling me how it went and for the photos. Another reader Simon, a regular on the Facebook page, posted a picture from his visit to Colliers Wood United for the A3 derby against Raynes Park Vale - thanks to you too.

TLFG reader Wayne sent this picture from his trip to Brentford showing how close you can get to the action at Griffin Park

Lastly this week I'd like to give a special mention to all the QPR fans taking part in Tiger Feet Walk 8 on Saturday. This annual walk, which I helped set up in 2010, sees a group of supporters walk to a game to raise funds for the club's Down's syndrome football team - the QPR Tiger Cubs. Apparently we've raised more than £75,000 over the years which is pretty good going even I do say so myself. This year, they'll be walking from the club's training ground near Heathrow to Loftus Road for the match against Rotherham. It's not the most inspiring route so hopefully people will realise that and give generously. I'm working this year but might get out just in time to join them for the final mile or so.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 90 matches in the London area over the next week with action in the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL, National League and several minor league and county cup competitions.

However, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed. 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 (white 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 (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Magenta pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Black pin - Friday fixtures

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Orange pin - Sunday fixtures

TLFG DAILY DIGEST

In the following section I list, by day, 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 13 March

FA Cup Quarter-Final
Chelsea v Manchester United @745pm - with Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur already through to the semi-finals, the cup will have one of the strongest last fours its ever had once this tie is resolved. Chelsea are 17 points clear of Jose Mourinho's side in the league but on current form there isn't much between them. Truly a huge game, the like of which will bring the glamour back to this great competition

Premier League 2
Arsenal v Manchester City @7pm - if you can't get a ticket for the above and don't want to watch it on TV, how about a live match at the Emirates Stadium instead? The U23 sides of these two meet at 7pm and tickets are only £4 but you must buy them online by 3pm on Monday
Fulham v West Bromwich Albion @7pm - if you've done the Emirates already or it's not handy, head down to the Cottagers' training ground in Motspur Park instead where it's only £3 and you can pay on arrival

London Senior Cup Third Round
Haringey Borough v Greenwich Borough @745pm - it's a battle of the boroughs in the county cup at Coles Park. These two play in the parallel northern and southern divisions of the Ryman League's second tier and are both chasing a play-off place in their respective competitions so it will be interesting to see who is stronger

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Tuesday 14 March

Championship
Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers @745pm - the Bees suffered their first defeat in five on Saturday against high-flying Huddersfield but they have the chance to put things right with this home game against Wolves. The former Premier League side have had a terrible season and were in the bottom three prior to their crucial win over bottom club Rotherham. Brentford should still have too much them and could move into the top half with victory
Fulham v Blackburn Rovers @745pm - the Cottagers pulled off one of the results of the weekend by winning 3-1 at Newcastle. They've now put a seven-game unbeaten run together and are just two points behind sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday, who they will leapfrog with victory against Rovers who, like Wolves are also threatened with relegation

League One
AFC Wimbledon v MK Dons @745pm - one of the matches of the week, this game has been several years in the making. If you don't know, the original Wimbledon FC were controversially moved by its owners to Milton Keynes back in 2003. A year later they changed their name to MK Dons and effectively became a different club and started afresh. AFC Wimbledon were founded by disgruntled fans who quite rightly disapproved of the move to Buckinghamshire and set about bringing them back up through the football pyramid. Starting off in the Combined Counties League, they've managed to make them a League One team again this year and will face their most hated opponent at home for the first time ever. The atmosphere is likely to be pretty intense and you'll find tickets very hard to come by
Charlton Athletic v Bradford City @745pm - elsewhere in the third tier, the Addicks will hope to extend their unbeaten run to three games after taking points off Scunthorpe and Walsall last week. The Bantams enjoyed a couple of seasons in the Premier League at the turn of the century and are a big club who have spent far too long in the lower tiers of the EFL for their own good. Still well in with a shout of automatic promotion, this could be a big year for them

National League
Sutton United v Forest Green Rovers @745pm - after their fantastic FA Cup run came to an end, Sutton have a few games in hand to play and this match against title-chasing FGR is up next. The visitors lost their big game against Dagenham on Saturday so will be keen to get back to winning ways here

Ryman League Premier Division
Harrow Borough v Havant & Waterlooville @745pm - the Boro have been blowing hot and cold in recent weeks with some great wins followed by some heavy defeats. While they were drawing 2-2 with Worthing on Saturday, Havant were thrashing AFC Sudbury 6-0 to go top of the table. Managed by former Manchester City and Crystal Palace striker Lee Bradbury, the Hawks are on course to bounce back into the National League South after relegation last season

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Wednesday 15 March

League Two
Barnet v Yeovil Town @8pm - the top match of the night doesn't have a huge amount riding on it. Both sides are firmly in midtable although you could argue the Bees still have an outside chance of the play-offs. However, with only one win in 10 their form suggests otherwise. If nothing else, it's a good chance to visit The Hive if you haven't been already

Essex Senior League
Wadham Lodge v Barking @745pm - the Blues travel to Walthamstow on Wednesday looking to extend their lead at the top to nine points. Wadham have had a slightly disappointing season and on paper Barking should win

Spartan South Midlands League Division 1
Southall v Baldock Town @745pm - the hosts have a very slim chance of winning promotion this year so they'll need to win here against Baldock who could still take the title themselves

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Thursday 16 March

London Senior Cup Quarter-Finals
Cray Valley PM v AFC Wimbledon @745pm - as I've mentioned on here before, it used to be commonplace for pro clubs to enter sides in county cup competitions and as a youngster I have memories of some big occasions at Harrow. That trend, particularly in London, has sadly died out amongst most of the big clubs so I doff my cap to clubs like Wimbledon who continue to do so. Although the Dons are only likely to field a development side, it's still a great opportunity for a ninth-tier club like CVPM to pit their wits against some pros

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Friday 17 March

Essex Senior League
Tower Hamlets v Ilford @745pm - Friday night football is becoming a bit of a thing in the ESL and I love it. It's a great chance for some of the smaller clubs on the east side of town to grab a bit of the limelight when there's little else on. I went to Tower Hamlets v Clapton last season which drew a big crowd and produced a cracking game. Rather than sit at home and watch EastEnders on TV, head down to Mile End and become one for the night!

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Saturday 18 March

Premier League
Crystal Palace v Watford @3pm - after weeks of waiting it seems the 'Big Sam effect' might finally be happening. With two wins on the bounce, Palace have moved out of the bottom three and their fans are daring to dream of survival once again. With only two victories in 10, Watford are just the kind of side they'll fancy their chances of beating too
West Ham United v Leicester City @3pm - the Hammers are in no real danger of doing anything this season now that a midtable finish would seem to have been secured. The 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday shows they are still a bit suspect at the back which is something a resurgent Leicester could capitalise on so they need to be wary

Championship
Fulham v Wolverhampton Wanderers @3pm - with back-to-back home games against struggling Blackburn and Wolves, the Cottagers will be kicking themselves if they don't end the week in the top six. Games between these two are usually action packed with the last five producing a whopping 25 goals!
Queens Park Rangers v Rotherham United @3pm - revamped by the January transfer window, Ian Holloway's side have improved a lot of late. With genuine competition for places throughout the squad, they've produced some entertaining displays and were seen by many to have shaded the 0-0 draw at Leeds on Saturday. Rotherham. on the other hand. must be one of the most dismal teams to have ever played in this division - 21 points adrift of safety with only nine games to go, their season effectively ended weeks ago

League One
Millwall v Bury @3pm - the Lions suffered a humbling 6-0 defeat at Spurs in the FA Cup on Sunday which shows the gulf in class that can exist between the best clubs in the Premier League and their counterparts in League One. It was their first defeat in 18 games, which included victories over three Premier League clubs in the cup, so I hope it doesn't take the wind out of their sails too much. Winning promotion back to the Championship is far more important and Bury are down near the bottom and very beatable

League Two
Leyton Orient v Doncaster Rovers @3pm - after beating fellow strugglers Newport last week, the O's returned to losing ways with an emphatic 3-0 loss to Grimsby. The result leaves them six points adrift of safety as they prepare to welcome the leaders. Doncaster have scored more goals than Orient have conceded this season, which is saying something, and it's hard to see past them winning handsomely here

FA Youth Cup Semi-Final Second Leg
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur @515pm - the U18 sides of these two London rivals meet at Stamford Bridge for a place in the final. The Blues won the first leg 2-1 so will start as big favourites. Tickets are only £5 for adults and £3 for everyone else

National League South
Wealdstone v Chelmsford City @3pm - the Stones seemed to be fading away into midtable obscurity but six consecutive wins have put them back in contention for a shot at the play-offs. They are still seven points behind Poole but if they can beat fourth-placed Chelmsford the belief will definitely return, if it hasn't already

Ryman League Premier Division
Hendon v Needham Market @3pm - it was really hard to recommend a game in this division as they were all pretty similar. I've gone for this one as it features sides who have plenty to play for at either end of the table. Sadly it is the Greens who are fighting for their lives near the bottom and Needham who still have title aspirations

Ryman League Division 1 South
Corinthian Casuals v Hastings United @3pm - with so many local sides doing well in this division, most weeks will see a top-six clash taking place which is exactly what we have here. Casuals have enjoyed superb wins over Dorking Wanderers (second) and Greenwich Borough (third) in their last two games as they've made fourth place their own. With average crowds of 350, Hastings are one of the biggest clubs in this division so it's no surprise that they're up among the frontrunners too

Combined Counties League Premier Division
Epsom & Ewell v Hartley Wintney @3pm - the title race in this division has been almost as one-sided as that in Scottish Premiership with visitors Hartley Wintney on course to retain their title almost unopposed. Twenty-three points clear, at the time of writing, my crude calculations suggest there is a chance they could win the title here if they win and results in midweek and on the day go their way

Essex Senior League
Barking v Southend Manor @3pm - the Blues could come into this match nine points clear and with games in hand on all their rivals. If they can beat fourth placed Southend then it will send out another powerful message to their challengers that it might as well all be over

Southern Counties East League Division 1
Glebe v K Sports @3pm - it's second versus third down at Foxbury Avenue on Saturday. Glebe are seven points behind leaders Rusthall but have five games in hand so it would seem to be theirs for the taking

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Sunday 19 March

Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton @215pm - Spurs eased into the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday but lost star striker Harry Kane to injury and he will, barring a miracle, miss this one. The north Londoners demolished the Saints down in Hampshire just after Christmas and the smart money will be on them to repeat the feat

Women's FA Cup Fifth Round
Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur @2pm - the tie of the round takes place at Boreham Wood's ground as these two old rivals meet in the women's game. It's a shame it's scheduled against a men's first-team game but that shows you what female and non-league teams are currently up against when trying to grab attention (how many noticed it was the semi-finals of the FA Trophy and FA Vase on Saturday when the FA Cup quarter-finals were going on???!!!)
Chelsea v Doncaster Rovers Belles @2pm - there is also a tie over at Staines Town where Chelsea, last season's runners-up in the league and cup, should have too much for six-times winners Doncaster whose best days are behind them

The Varsity Matches
Cambridge University v Oxford University - two of the oldest teams in the world do battle for bragging rights at The Hive, home of Barnet. This is the first time the women's and men's games have taken place on the same day at the same venue. The women's match kicks off at 1pm and the men's at 4pm. Tickets are £10

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 within 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.

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

TLFG: 6-12 March 2017

Apologies for the later than normal publication this week - I've had a hectic few days of childcare and late shifts and as I write this at just after 1am, I have a child whimpering away in the background who I will need to attend to very shortly.

After the excitement of Dulwich v Macclesfield in the FA Trophy last Saturday, I haven't seen anything this week. The much anticipated replay in Cheshire on Tuesday got snowed off so the two sides will try again this Tuesday. Consequently there could be a very big fixture added to this week's proceedings if the Hamlet pull off an upset.

The prize for winning will be a semi-final against former League Cup finalists Tranmere Rovers who were a second-tier team not that long ago. The first leg will take place at Champion Hill this Saturday and will be all ticket meaning you will have to buy a ticket in person from the club sometime before close of play on Friday. (UPDATE: Sadly Dulwich lost the replay 2-0 so will now play host to Merstham in a league match instead)

I've got Tuesday off so I've been debating whether to go to the replay up in Macclesfield with a few friends who support Dulwich, go to QPR v Barnsley (a fairly meaningless and expensive option on my doorstep) or head down to Sussex to watch Harrow Borough at Burgess Hill Town (a ground I've never visited before). Which would you go for? 

Last up this week, we're lucky to have another piece by 'Two Men In Search Of The Beautiful Game' who made another trip to Wembley to watch Spurs in a European game. Once again it didn't turn out too well for the north London club but you can read about it all here.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 90 matches in the London area over the next week with action in the Champions League, FA Cup, EFL, National League and several minor league and county cup competitions.

However, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed. 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 (white 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 (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Magenta pin - Wednesday fixtures

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Orange pin - Sunday fixtures

TLFG DAILY DIGEST

In the following section I list, by day, 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 6 March

Premier League
West Ham United v Chelsea @8pm - the week begins with this humdinger of a derby. The Blues head to the London Stadium as virtual champions elect, with many of their opponents already seeming to have publicly conceded that they appear uncatchable. However, their lead is only seven points and the Hammers have improved a lot over the last couple of months. In fact Chelsea lost on their last visit here for an EFL Cup tie in October - sadly that match was most notable for the crowd trouble which ensued and it will be a concern again here

Professional Development League
Charlton Athletic v Crystal Palace @2pm - if you've got the day off and are going to the match above then you could combine it with this U23 game at Greenwich Borough's ground earlier in the day

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Tuesday 7 March

Champions League
Arsenal v Bayern Munich @745pm - we've reached the knockout stages of Europe's top club competition and unfortunately for the Gunners it looks almost certain that it's going to be them that go out. After being trounced 5-1 by the German champions in the first leg, their chances of progress look slim to say the least

Championship
Fulham v Leeds United @745pm - the pick of the night's other games takes place at Craven Cottage where two promotion-chasing teams do battle for three precious points. Interestingly, the last three games between them have ended in 1-1 draws
Queens Park Rangers v Barnsley @745pm - elsewhere in the second tier, an improving QPR host the Tykes whose results have dipped of late. As a result, neither side have much to play for but that could lift pressure and provide an entertaining game

League One
Charlton Athletic v Scunthorpe United @745pm - the Addicks are struggling at the moment and have gone eight without a win. On Tuesday they welcome title contenders Scunthorpe, however, the Iron have seen their form collapse of late and are on a seven-game winless streak themselves so are definitely vulnerable

Premier League 2
West Ham United v Stoke City @7pm - if you couldn't get a ticket to see the first team on Monday, then you can check out a game at the Hammers' new London Stadium home the following evening as the U23 sides of these clubs go head-to-head. Please be aware that you must by tickets in advance and none will be available on arrival

Ryman League Premier Division
Hendon v Billericay Town @745pm - the Greens are in desperate need of points to avoid relegation and on Tuesday they welcome an Essex club who have made a lot of headlines over the last week. Following the involvement of a new investor, Billericay have announced ambitious plans to climb the divisions and pulled off the coup of enticing former England defender Paul Konchesky to sign for them a couple of days ago. With average crowds of 361, many are convinced it will end in tears...

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Wednesday 8 March

Ryman League Division 1 South
Cray Wanderers v Herne Bay @745pm - the top match of the night doesn't have a huge amount going for it. Both sides are solidly in midtable and have little to play for. If you're looking for a reason to go, the fact that Cray are believed to be the oldest club in London could be worth the trip to Bromley

Combined Counties Premier Division
Colliers Wood United v Raynes Park Vale @730pm - elsewhere over on the south-west side of town we've got the A3 derby to look forward to. Neither side are having a great campaign, with Vale second bottom and battling relegation

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Saturday 11 March

FA Cup Quarter-Final
Arsenal v Lincoln City @530pm - the nation's premier cup competition is down to its last eight teams and sensationally we've been handed a tie between the most successful club in the history of the competition and a non-league side. To get this far, the Imps have had to see off Guiseley, Altrincham, Oldham Athletic, Ipswich Town, Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley - including replays they've had to play a total of eight matches to get this far. No-one gives them a chance of causing an upset here but who knows? They're actually unbeaten in three against the Gunners, winning two and scoring seven in the process - however, the last match was 102 years ago and a lot has changed!

Championship
Brentford v Huddersfield Town @3pm - with no Premier League games taking place in London, the next best game is this one at Griffin Park. The Bees have blown hot and cold of late and are nestled snugly into midtable pretty much certain of another season in the second tier next season. Visitors Huddersfield are one of the main contenders for promotion this season but have had a disappointing week which has seen them take one point from two league games and get thrashed by Manchester City in the FA Cup. They are still a formidable outfit though and should be well worth a watch - several TLFG readers have told me they're going to this so I hope to get some photos

League One
AFC Wimbledon v Northampton Town @3pm - as with many teams at this time of year, pride is about all there is left to play for. The play-off dream for both these sides is now over and relegation too looks unlikely. As I said for the QPR game above, with the pressure off, we could just see a good game of football
Charlton Athletic v Walsall @3pm - the same can almost be said about this game but for the fact that the hosts are on a worrying run of bad form. Being only six points above the relegation zone, it won't take much for the Addicks to get dragged into a dog fight so they need to start picking up wins

League Two
Barnet v Crawley Town @3pm - the Bees were having a decent go at landing an unlikely place in the play-offs but a spell of four games without a win seems to have put paid to that. Crawley are in pretty much the same boat in lower midtable so as with several of the above, not much to play for
Leyton Orient v Grimsby Town @3pm - the focus in League Two, from a London perspective, will now almost entirely be on the O's and their battle to avoid relegation and financial meltdown. Things have gone disastrously both on and off the pitch since their Italian owner took over but they picked up a crucial 4-0 win at fellow strugglers Newport on Saturday to give them hope

National League
Dagenham & Redbridge v Forest Green Rovers @3pm - the match of the weekend in the fifth tier is undoubtedly this top four clash at Victoria Road. The last week has seen the Daggers suffer back-to-back defeats against Maidstone and Gateshead allowing FGR to leapfrog them and become Lincoln's nearest challengers. Another defeat against one of their main rivals could effectively rule them out of the title race

National League South
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Hungerford Town @3pm - the Beavers seem to be running out of steam at just the wrong time. Having topped the league early in the season, they've now dropped to seventh some eight points adrift of the play-off places. Hungerford are just above them in the table so must be beaten

Ryman League Premier Division
Staines Town v Tonbridge Angels @3pm - the Swans recently went on a superb three-game winning run which saw them score nine and concede none. On Saturday they kept another clean sheet as they drew with Merstham. Sadly, a top-five place looks out of their reach but they should be able to give promotion-chasing Tonbridge a run for their money

Ryman League Division 1 South
Greenwich Borough v Corinthian Casuals @3pm - as mentioned in previous posts, the title race is now between Tooting and Dorking Wanderers leaving the rest to scrap for play-off places. These two are currently third and fourth and with a game in hand, Greenwich could very conceivably still grab second if they win big games like this

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Cockfosters v Hertford Town @3pm - London Colney have topped this division for weeks and have looked uncatchable. However, second placed Hertford could still mount a challenge as they have a game in hand. Cockfosters are tucked in in third but with a deficit of 14 points, the title looks beyond them despite a great campaign

Southern Counties East League Division 1
Glebe v Sutton Athletic @3pm - these two have been among the challengers for the last couple of seasons but have never quite made it. Both in the top four again, the divisional title is still firmly in the sights of the hosts


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Sunday 12 March

FA Cup Quarter-Final
Tottenham Hotspur v Millwall @2pm - the match of the day is this sold out London derby at White Hart Lane. It pits sides who are having good seasons in the Premier League and League One respectively. Spurs will of course start as huge favourites but the Lions come into this on a 17-game unbeaten run which has included FA Cup wins over Premier League sides Bournemouth, Watford and Leicester. They will also be backed by a large and 'lively' band of travelling supporters so shouldn't be underestimated

FA Women's Super League 2
Millwall Lionesses v Brighton & Hove Albion @2pm - if you can't get a ticket to see the men's team play, head over to Fisher's ground in Rotherhithe instead to see the women's side in action. They're still in search of their first win this season and it could come here

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 within 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.

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.