Monday 18 March 2024

TLFG: 18-24 March 2024

Greetings one and all and welcome to TLFG's Non-League Day Special.

I can't quite believe it's that time of year again, the weeks fly by so fast but here we are with just five days to go.

Every year I wonder how much further myself and the team can take the event but something new keeps cropping up to move things to another level.

Last year it was La Liga giants Athletic Bilbao getting involved, something which is very much continuing this weekend too.

This time round it has been my employer South Western Railway committing to do more or less whatever they can to help raise awareness.

The last few days have seen signs promoting NLD on screens at London's Waterloo station and many others around their network. 

Yesterday I started receiving reports of posters appearing too - both things we could have only dreamed about in the early years.

This year's Non-League Day is on Saturday

Then there's all the work that's being done around the 10-year anniversary celebrations of our partnership with Prostate Cancer UK.

There will be 10 showpiece games around the country and many more smaller events at other clubs.

In fact, at the end of last week, the National League came out and said every one of its clubs would be getting involved to give the partnership some publicity on the day so the overall number is now much higher.

The sale of our merchandise will also be generating funds for the charity too.

The t-shirt below is just one of a range of many designs that are available so have a look, there are hoodies and badges too.

Get NLD merchandise in your club's colours now!

Apart from all the prep, I managed to squeeze two games in this week and both required lengthy trips up to north London.

On Saturday I took my youngest daughter and TLFG readers Christoph and Liam up to Donkey Lane to watch the Isthmian League match between Enfield Town and Horsham who had travelled up from Sussex.

An important fixture in the battle for a play-off spot, the hosts won a tight game 2-1.

Everyone had a good time and my five-year-old accumulated a fantastic collection of sticks which kept her well entertained.

What impresses many people is the way the club have adapted superbly to having a running track around the pitch.

Instead of the stands being miles away from the action, they've built terraces within the track right behind each goal and gates swing across the track forming a neat fence around the pitch - we were stood right next to a corner flag within touching distance of the players for most of it.

Fun for all at Enfield Town

On Sunday I then made my way up to Wood Green to watch Haringey Borough host Actonians in the semi-finals of the Capital Senior Cup.

Despite falling behind after only 18 seconds, the Boro fought back well and eventually won the game 3-2 bringing the A's cup run to a disappointing end.

So back to this week's NLD Special - the format is different.

All the matches are on the maps as normal but rather than have a weekend map, there's now one for Saturday (NLD) and one for Sunday.

The other significant difference is that there is no 'Daily Digest', it's all about what you can see on NLD and this will probably get added to as clubs announce their plans once their midweek games are out of the way.

It's also quite possible I could miss a deal or event here or there so please let me know.

Anyway, I'm all set to go to Eastleigh v Hartlepool United on the day as there is a lot going on there that I really should be present for.

I really hope you can make it to a game - I look forward to catching up again next week.

 THE WEEK AHEAD

This week we've got international friendlies, a game in League Two and some Women's Super League but for me the focus is Non-League Day on Saturday. 

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



NON-LEAGUE DAY MATCH MAP



SUNDAY MATCH MAP

    

NON-LEAGUE DAY DIGEST
In the following section, I list what are in my opinion the most notable games of the day and give some brief reasons for my choice. Updates will follow as the week progresses. Check the maps above for kick-off times, club info and directions.

Saturday 23 March

National League
Barnet v Dorking Wanderers @3pm - the Bees are second in the fifth tier and currently London's highest ranked non-league club. On Saturday, we'll almost certainly see leaders Chesterfield clinch the title as they're 24 points ahead. This means that for Barnet it's now all about making sure they finish second or third as these positions get a bye through the first round of the play-offs. This is by no means certain as the chasing pack are all closing in. The battle to avoid relegation is still wide open with only seven points separating the clubs in 12th to 23rd. Dorking are currently second bottom but they thrashed Chesterfield recently and took a point off Solihull Moors, another top side, on Saturday. Tickets

Bromley v York City @3pm - it's a very similar story at Hayes Lane where the Ravens sit just behind Barnet in third. Only two points ahead of Solihull Moors they need to keep winning to stay in the top three. York, like Dorking, are in the relegation zone but could get out of it with a win here. Tickets

Dagenham & Redbridge v Oldham Athletic @3pm - the Daggers thrashed Maidenhead 4-1 on Saturday to pull themselves into the top half but they're still only six points above the relegation zone. The Latics blew a two-goal lead in their big match with leaders Chesterfield but still earned a creditable 2-2 draw which leaves them one point adrift of the play-off places. Apparently, the hosts have never beaten Oldham - could it be an historic NLD for them? Tickets

Wealdstone v Kidderminster Harriers @3pm - seven points from their last three games has made things look a lot more promising for the Stones. Still only three points above the relegation zone, it will be absolutely massive for them if they can beat Kiddy who are in the bottom three. Wealdstone were the first ever club to offer an NLD Special Deal back in 2010 and they've come up trumps again slashing prices for everyone and offering a concessionary rate of £5 to fans heading to Wembley for England v Brazil and all Premier League and EFL season-ticket holders - however these prices only apply if booked online in advance so don't miss out

National League South
Aveley v St Albans City @3pm - the game of the day in the sixth tier takes place at Parkside where two of the top eight continue their quest for a play-off place. Non-League Day is celebrating 10 years of its partnership with Prostate Cancer UK and this is one of 10 feature games taking place around the country. The Millers have lots of fun stuff planned including local stalls, a raffle, face painting and a penalty shoot-out. I've even heard rumour of a race between the two clubs' mascots but I can't confirm that just yet. Tickets 

Dartford v Hemel Hempstead Town @3pm - the other game in the division doesn't have a huge amount going for it as it features the two teams at the foot of the form table. With the Darts losing five of their last six and Hemel eight of their last nine, it's hard to know who will win here. Dartford are in the relegation zone so have a more immediate need for a win. Tickets

Southern League Premier South
In a quirk of the fixtures there are no Isthmian Premier games in London on Saturday so all the action in the seventh tier is in the Southern League where every club is offering a great deal to get you in

Harrow Borough v Hungerford Town @3pm - after being reprieved from relegation last season, the Boro were always likely to struggle in this campaign. With a tiny budget (leaders Chesham are reportedly paying one player as much as the whole Harrow squad), it's no surprise to find them second from bottom. However, Jordan Berry's side have battled hard and have often only lost games by narrow margins and to very late goals. They're eight points adrift of safety with eight games to go so the task is not impossible. The visitors are eighth and still have an outside chance of the play-offs. NLD Special Deal - free entry to NHS & Emergency Services, half price for Premier League and EFL season-ticket holders and those going to England v Brazil. Again, these discounts only apply if booked online in advance

Hayes & Yeading United v Swindon Supermarine @3pm - there's a relegation six-pointer at the SkyEx which looks well worth your time if you're in west London. I spent the initial NLD in 2010 at Hayes & Yeading's old ground watching them play Histon in a National League game - things have changed quite radically for those clubs since then. NLD Special Deal - "Pay What You Want", simply turn up and make a donation. The usual rate is £12 for adults and I'd encourage you to get as close to that as possible

Hendon v Winchester City @3pm - eleventh at the time of writing, the Greens are coasting along nicely in midtable with promotion and relegation both looking unlikely. Hampshire club Winchester are a couple of places above them but have the games in hand which could put them back in play-off contention. Hendon won the reverse fixture 2-0 so they should be capable of getting something here. NLD Special Deal - it's "Pay What You Want" here too and again the usual adult price is £12

Isthmian League South Central
Corinthian Casuals v Badshot Lea @3pm - CCs have played a big part in this year's NLD campaign. Not only were they kind enough to host myself and the media team from SWR to film our promotional video, they're also teaming up with Athletic Bilbao to promote the day here and in the Basque Country. The club who gave rise to Corinthians in Brazil, have had a disappointing season and will hope for a bit of NLD magic against midtable opposition. Adult tickets are £12 on the gate

Sutton Common Rovers v Chipstead @3pm - there's a Surrey derby to be enjoyed at Whyteleafe's ground. Although both sides are in the bottom six, they have decent gaps between themselves and the two at the foot of the table who will go down. NLD Special Deal  - £5 for Premier League or EFL season-ticket holders. There will also be lots of extra activities for kids

Uxbridge v Guernsey @130pm -  if you need an early kick-off then head to the far west where the recently overhauled Honeycroft could be an ideal place to spend the afternoon and it's always fun to watch a bit of 'international' football. NLD Special Deal - free entry for Premier League and EFL season-ticket holders. It's also worth noting that there's a second game here in the evening as Hilltop take on Bedfont Sports in the Combined Counties League at 745pm so you will definitely be able to see two games in London on NLD

Isthmian League South East
Cray Valley PM v Hythe Town @3pm - if you're in south-east London then think about a visit to the Artic Stadium. CVPM made headlines earlier in the season when they took local EFL club Charlton Athletic to a replay in the FA Cup. Since then, their good form has continued and they're locked in an exciting title battle with Ramsgate. The visitors are ninth but have the games in hand to put them up among the frontrunners so there's plenty to play for for both. Adult tickets are £10 on the gate

CCL Premier North
Rayners Lane v North Greenford United @3pm - in the ninth tier there's an enticing looking derby between the leaders and a side who made the FA Vase quarter-finals. The hosts had a commanding lead but are now only top on goal difference and, with only one going up automatically, badly need to win. As a result of their great cup run, NGU have games in hand on all of those above them so their current fifth place could conceivably become third. Tickets will be available on the gate

Hilltop v Bedfont Sports @745pm - as mentioned above, this game is worth a second mention because of its late start time. This means you can see a match pretty much anywhere else in London and have the best part of three hours to make your way to Uxbridge's ground (nearest station West Drayton) for this. As for the sides - Hilltop are notable for having their roots in the capital's Somali community and although in the bottom three, they've got lots of games in hand after also enjoying a good run in the FA Vase. Bedfont Sports are third which is as high as they're likely to get given how far ahead the leading pair are. Tickets will be available on the gate, £7 adults

SCEFL Premier
Erith Town v Whitstable Town @3pm - the Dockers are having a fine season. Currently fifth in the league and through to two cup finals, it's a great time to be watching the south-east London club. With only five points separating the sides in fifth and tenth, the battle for the last play-off place is intense. Whitstable are also in that group so there's a lot riding on this match. NLD Special Deal - in an effort to get a crowd of 300+, the club are offering £5 admission to Premier League and EFL season-ticket holders

CCL Division 1
British Airways v Amersham Town @3pm - there's a mouthwatering game in the 10th tier where the top two meet at Bedfont. The visitors have been out in front for ages and with a 17-point lead over BA, this could effectively be a title decider. If the hosts somehow win, then they'll have nine games left to close a 14-point gap. Tickets will be available on the gate

FC Deportivo Galicia v Oxhey Jets @3pm - just over the fence at Bedfont Sports, a club with connections to northern Spain would like to welcome you through the door. FCDG play a good brand of football and they're always one of the highest scoring teams in the division. On Saturday they take on Oxhey who sit just below them in the table. I'm assured pin badges and limited edition wristbands will be available. Tickets are usually £5 on the gate

SCEFL Division 1
Lewisham Borough v Meridian VP @3pm - the hosts ended their losing run with a fine draw against promotion rivals Staplehurst Monarchs. Still fifth, it's all to play for for the south-east London club and they'll start as favourites against a side in the bottom three. NLD Special Deal - free alcoholic or soft drink if you arrive before 230pm

MCFL Premier
Shepherds Bush v Pitshanger Dynamo @3pm - in the 11th tier there's a top-of-the-table clash at Harefield United's ground which is home to the Bushmen this season. Although the hosts are three points clear at the top, Pitshanger have three games in hand. When you look a bit further down the table, you realise there's only three points between the top four! 

KCFL Premier
Peckham Town v Cuxton 1991 @245pm - there's nothing particularly remarkable about this midtable game but as 11th-tier clubs go, Peckham are well run and you could believe you were watching at a higher level. They are also well known for having former England Lioness Mary Phillip as manager. With neighbouring Dulwich Hamlet playing away at Bognor there's a reasonable chance a few of their fans could head here. This match also provides you with an opportunity to check out the World's Smallest Stand
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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!

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

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

Monday 11 March 2024

TLFG: 11-17 March 2024

Welcome to this week's TLFG.

It's been another busy few days on the Non-League Day (NLD) preparation front with things looking very positive in several areas.

On Wednesday I headed down to Corinthian Casuals in Tolworth to film some promotional material with the press team from South Western Railway (SWR) who are partnering us for the first time this year.

I'm sure you'll see bits of that appear on social media at various points over the next couple of weeks.

Probably one of the most fun things about that was a huge rail ticket they'd had been produced with 'Non-League Day 2024' printed on it.

This year's Non-League Day is now less than two weeks away

Initially it went back to head office but my wife and kids were adamant that I should bring it home so I picked it up on Friday.

With some protective cardboard wrapping around it, it was even bigger!

As I made my way to the nearest Tube station, the wind got up and I struggled to keep control - I think I even got pinned to a building by it at one stage.

Sheltering down an alleyway, I gave in and booked a taxi - it was the only way home in one piece.

The sale of our merchandise received a boost on Thursday when comedian Charlie Baker invited Paul, our merch man, onto his show on Talksport and gave it a great plug - thanks to all for that.

Get NLD merchandise in your club's colours now!

Aside from all that, I managed to get out on Tuesday night to watch Actonians.

With their normal home at Rectory Park booked up, they switched their match against Chesham United to Bedfont Sports which I think most of us in attendance prefer because it's a proper non-league ground.

Located a 10-minute walk from Hatton Cross Tube station, on the edge of Heathrow Airport, it's also pretty simple to get to if you live in the Acton, Ealing or Hammersmith area which most A's fans do.

The A's were expected to triumph after winning the away game 5-0 but the Generals were more spirited than I remember.

Although going 2-0 down fairly quickly, they kept pushing, pulled one back and it took a goal-line clearance to stop them equalising right on the stroke of half-time. 

The second half began evenly with goals exchanged to make it 3-2 to Actonians but with a number of first-choice players coming off the bench, following a bit of initial squad rotation, the goals started to flow.

Eventually it finished 6-2 with young striker Tori St Clair scoring another hat-trick - you can see her third goal which I caught from a particularly good angle on TLFG's YouTube channel.

Right that's it - I'm about to go an address SWR's board and lots of other managers about NLD on the company's weekly video call. Wish me luck!

THE WEEK AHEAD

This week we've got matches in the Premier League, EFL, National League and Women's Super League as well as all the other non-league and women's competitions which our local clubs compete in.

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 11 March

Premier League
Chelsea v Newcastle United @8pm - a late goal saw the Blues salvage a 2-2 draw in last weekend's derby with Brentford. It means the big spenders are now unbeaten in three league games but they remain stuck in the midtable doldrums. The Magpies are also having an underwhelming season after enjoying a top-four finish last year and are now just a place above Chelsea after slipping below Brighton and Wolves in recent days. Eddie Howe's side have gone four without defeat against the Stamford Bridge club and won the reverse fixture 4-1 in November. As a sign of the malaise that has set in among Chelsea fans, tickets for this match are on general sale

U21 Matches
There are also three games at this level over the course of the day. The action begins at Dartford's ground at 1pm where Charlton Athletic host QPR. If you fancy something a bit more central then Millwall take on Watford at The Den at 2pm. Finally, in the evening, Crystal Palace entertain Aston Villa at Sutton United's ground at 7pm. Tickets for all should be available on the gate and be no more than £5 

National League South
Aveley v Tonbridge Angels @745pm - just when the Millers seem to be getting firmly back into the play-off race, they go on a poor run again. Saturday's loss to Weymouth made it three without a win. However, all is not lost as they're still just a point outside the top seven. The visitors are about as midtable as it's possible to be with little chance of getting promoted or relegated. Tickets
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Tuesday 12 March

Champions League
Arsenal v Porto @8pm - the Gunners have been virtually untouchable in 2024, winning all eight of their Premier League games since late January. There has been one fly in the ointment during that time though, a 1-0 loss in the first leg of this Champions League knockout tie last month. The visitors are currently third in the Portuguese league and are on a four-game unbeaten run which saw them thrash old rivals Benfica 5-0 at the beginning of the month. Tickets are only available to members 

League One
Leyton Orient v Port Vale @745pm - a fantastic run of results made it look like the O's were heading for the top six but back-to-back defeats to Bristol Rovers and Wigan Athletic have left them seven  points adrift. The visitors are second from bottom and in poor form so should be beaten. Tickets

League Two
AFC Wimbledon v Gillingham @745pm - there's a really important game at Plough Lane where the teams in seventh and sixth do battle over the last play-off place. With the Gills based in Kent, pretty much every game against London opposition is a derby for them so they should travel in reasonable numbers. Having taking seven points from three games, the Dons come into this in good form. Tickets

National League
Barnet v Eastleigh @745pm - having lost their big FA Trophy match to Bromley on Saturday, the Bees can now refocus on getting promoted. Currently second and a whopping 20 points behind leaders Chesterfield, the runners-up spot is the best they or anyone else can hope for. Hampshire club Eastleigh recently took on former Southampton player Kelvin Davis as manager as they look to make sure of staying in the division. Tickets
Wealdstone v Bromley @745pm - there's an all-London affair at Grosvenor Vale where teams with very contrasting fortunes go head-to-head. The Stones were going along nicely in midtable until manager Stuart Maynard got headhunted by Notts County. After a reasonable start, new boss David Noble has found things a struggle and they're now only two points above the relegation zone. The Ravens, on the other hand, are flying. Third in the league and through to the FA Trophy semi-finals, they'll start as strong favourites here. Tickets

National League South
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Welling United @745pm - the hosts went on a lengthy unbeaten run through the autumn and winter which turned them into title contenders but then their form dipped and they fell away. Wonderfully for them, it seems to have come back and Saturday's win over Chippenham put them back in the top four. The Wings are a proper Lazarus story. Seemingly destined for relegation, Rod Stringer came in at the end of January and has pulled off a number of fantastic results including a 1-0 triumph at leaders Yeovil Town at the weekend. Now three points clear of the bottom four, they've still got work to do but they have a fighting chance. Tickets

Southern League Premier South
Hanwell Town v Plymouth Parkway @745pm - although it might not immediately look like it, this is kind of a relegation six-pointer. The Geordies are currently six points clear of the visitors, who are the team at the top of the drop zone but the Devon club have SEVEN games in hand on most of the clubs above them, nine in one case. If they just win a couple of them, then they're back where they need to be and Hanwell and the teams below them are back in real trouble. Tickets

Isthminan League North
Walthamstow v Heybridge Swifts @745pm - both in the top eight and locked together on 45 points, these sides need to make up a gap of seven points to get into the play-off places. A win for either would keep them in the hunt but a defeat could effectively end their hopes. Tickets will be available on the gate for £10

SCEFL Premier
Erith Town v Snodland Town @745pm - the Dockers have gone a bit under my radar over the last couple of months but they're very much back on it thanks to a five game winning run which has lifted them back into the top five. With games in hand on most of those above them, they've got an outside shot at the title although Deal Town have even more games in hand than them. Snodland won the Division 1 title last season and have a chance of breaking into the top five themselves so there's plenty to play for here. Tickets will be available on the gate

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Wednesday 13 March

Isthmian League Premier
Cray Wanderers v Potters Bar Town @745pm - the highest level match of the night is this one at Bromley's ground. Cray are London's oldest club and have successfully banished any fears of relegation with an eight game unbeaten run which came to an end against Whitehawk in their last match. PBT are six points behind them but have games in hand so this could be close. Tickets

Essex Senior League
Woodford Town v Little Oakley @745pm - the hosts are leading the charge for London-based clubs in this division. Currently second on level points with Romford, who now play outside the capital, catching leaders Tilbury looks unlikely. If they are to win the title, they'll probably need to win all nine of their remaining games so they can't slip up here against midtable opposition. Tickets will be available on the gate

FAWNL Southern Premier
Hashtag United v Billericay Town @745pm - there are some really key games on the women's side of things on Wednesday. The Tags have had a brilliant debut season in the third tier but it looks as if they will come up short and miss out on a second consecutive promotion. Currently second, if they beat bottom-four club Billericay, they'll end the day six points behind leaders Portsmouth with five games to go. Tickets will be available on the gate
London Bees v Chatham Town @745pm - two go down from this division and these are the sides currently filling those positions. To be fair, they've been there pretty much all season, neither team have won a game and they will both go down whatever happens here. What we do know for sure though is that London Bees will get relegated if they lose this. Tickets will be available on the gate

FAWNL Division 1 South East
AFC Wimbledon v Haywards Heath Town @745pm - it's looking increasingly likely that the Dons will be the side coming up to replace them. With title rivals Norwich City only managing a 1-1 draw with Worthing on Sunday, Wimbledon will go eight points clear if they beat bottom club HHT. This is being played at Carshalton Athletic and tickets will be available on the gate
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Thursday 14 March

Europa League
West Ham United v Freiburg @545pm - after fighting back from 2-0 down to draw with Burnley on Sunday, David Moyes' side will head into this tie in better spirits than looked likely. Weirdly, West Ham played German club Freiburg in the group stage so it's strange to see them paired with them again in this knockout tie. The Hammers lost the first leg 1-0 so this is very delicately poised. Tickets

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Friday 15 March

Women's Super League
Chelsea v Arsenal @7pm - games don't come much bigger than this and consequently it's being played at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have seemingly won everything for years and with boss Emma Hayes off at the end of the season, they could still win the quadruple. They are top coming into this but only on goal difference from Manchester City. If they lose to the Gunners, as they did in the reverse fixture, then all three teams will go level on points to set up an even more thrilling title race with six games to go. Tickets

Premier League 2
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest @7pm - the Blues men's U21 team are also in action on Friday night. Being played at Kingsmeadow, the hosts will move into the top four if they win. Tickets will be available on the gate

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Saturday 16 March

Premier League
Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur @530pm - the only top-flight match on Saturday takes place in the early evening at Craven Cottage. Spurs have totally dominated the recent history of this derby, currently unbeaten in 11 against the west London club. In fact Fulham's record against Tottenham at home is worse than it is in N17 with their last win coming way back in 2011 when they thrashed them 4-0 in an FA Cup match.You have to go back to 2008 for their last league win at the Cottage. With Ange Postecoglu's side recording a hugely impressive 4-0 win at Aston Villa last weekend, they look highly likely to extend that unbeaten record. Tickets are only available to members

League Two
AFC Wimbledon v Newport County @3pm - there are slim pickings in the Premier League and there's even less in the EFL with this match at Plough Lane being your only option. The Dons beat Gillingham on Tuesday to break back into the play-off zone. Welsh club Newport enjoyed a thrilling 5-3 win over one of Wimbledon's promotion rivals Morecambe on Tuesday and are now five points off a top-seven place. Tickets

National League
Bromley v Kidderminster Harriers @3pm - there are three games in the fifth tier but this one shades it for me. In this division, the teams who finish second and third get a bye through the first round of play-off games. The Ravens are currently third but Solihull Moors could jump above them if they don't win here. Kidderminster are fighting the drop but they're much improved under former Hull City boss Phil Brown. The sides drew 0-0 when they last met. Tickets

National League South
Dartford v Maidstone United @3pm - in the sixth tier, this all-Kent affair should generate a decent crowd at the well-appointed Princes Park. After finishing second last season, the Darts are having a shocker in 2023/24. Defeat on Tuesday saw them slip into the relegation zone and this game should be tough again. Maidstone famously beat Ipswich Town in the FA Cup in January and beat second placed Chelmsford in midweek. Tickets

Isthmian League Premier
Hornchurch v Billericay Town @3pm - there are some great options in the seventh tier ILP. First up at Bridge Avenue, the leaders welcome fourth placed Ricay who make the short journey from Essex. The Urchins are nine points clear with three games in hand over nearest rivals Chatham Town so they're going to take some stopping. With four points separating the clubs in third to seventh, the play-off race is looking far more interesting. Tickets
Enfield Town v Horsham @3pm - in the far north of the city, two of those play-off contenders meet at Donkey Lane. The Towners have been doing London proud in the FENIX Trophy this season and picked up a fine 4-1 win over BK Skjold in Denmark last week. They followed it up with a league win over Lewes which kept them in the hunt for a top-five spot. The Hornets are currently fifth and made headlines earlier in the season when they took League One club Barnsley to a replay in the FA Cup. Tickets

Isthmian League South Central
Raynes Park Vale v Southall @3pm - in the eighth tier, Grand Drive would appear to be the place to be where two of the top five look to strengthen their grip on a play-off place. I'm pretty sure both of these sides were top at one point this season but with current leaders Chertsey Town now well clear of them with nine games to go, neither are likely to get back there. RPV's place in the top five is looking far more perilous than that of the 'All and they need the win more as a result. Tickets will be available on the gate

SCEFL Premier
Erith Town v Faversham Town @3pm - after seeing their midweek match against Snodland postponed, you've got another chance to see the Dockers on Saturday. Still fifth, despite the postponement, they take on former leaders Faversham who are just above them in the table. The London club won the reverse fixture 4-3 back in November, let's hope for some more of the same. Tickets will be available on the gate 

SCEFL Division 1
Lewisham Borough v Staplehurst Monarchs @3pm - the hosts' form has nosedived at a terrible point in the season. Pushing AFC Whyteleafe for the title at one stage, they've now lost four on the bounce and have slipped to fifth. Teams like FC Elmstead and Canterbury City are just a win away from knocking them out of the play-off places so this match against the team in second is very important and incredibly tough. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Sunday 17 March

FA Cup Quarter-Final
Chelsea v Leicester City @1245pm - we're down to the last eight in the FA Cup and the Blues are the only London club left in the competition. This will be the first time they've played the Foxes in this competition since they lost to them 1-0 in the 2021 final. Things have a changed a lot for both sides since then, with Chelsea no longer the top-four power they once were and Leicester in the Championship. Although the visitors are top of the second tier, their form has been iffy of late and if they were to win, it would still represent a big upset. Tickets are only available to members

Premier League
West Ham United v Aston Villa @2pm - both these sides enjoyed resounding wins in European games on Thursday with the Hammers smashing five past Freiburg and Villa four against Ajax as English clubs enjoyed a great night. Both sides are also in the top eight in the Premier League and yet the jury is still out for many fans on whether David Moyes is the right man to take West Ham forward - something which boggles the mind of supporters of pretty much every other club. Villa have been playing some great stuff under Unai Emery and are fourth at the time of writing. However, they got thrashed 4-0 by Spurs in their last league game and will want to avoid that happening again at all costs. Tickets

Women's Super League
Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City @2pm - Spurs caused the upset of the round in last weekend's FA Cup games, beating Manchester City on penalties to reach the semi-finals for the first time in their history. They've since drawn Leicester in that last-four tie and will enjoy a dress rehearsal for that big game here. That's not to say this isn't important too. Tottenham have broken into the top six this season but a poor run of four without a win means the Foxes will go above them if they win. This is being played at Leyton Orient. Tickets should be available on arrival

Women's Championship
London City Lionesses v Sunderland @2pm - LCL gave their hopes of staying up a boost by winning at Reading in their last game. Still only three points above the relegation zone, they've got a lot of work still to do. The Mackems are having their turn at the top of what is incredibly tight table with only four points separating the top four, two of whom have games in hand on the leaders. In essence, both sides really need to win! This is being played at Dartford. Tickets

Capital Senior Cup Semi-Final
Haringey Borough v Actonians @2pm - playing in the fifth tier, the hosts are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition and they did superbly well to beat an academy side from near neighbours Spurs in the last round. The A's also claimed the scalp of a big local rival in Fulham to set up this tie. Although Haringey play a level below Actonians, they're second and clearly a decent side. Tickets will be available on the gate

Capital Senior Cup Quarter-Final
Ashford Town (Middlesex) v London Seaward @2pm - if you can't get to north London, then this much postponed match near Heathrow could be for you. Having seen this held up by bad weather, these two fourth-tier sides will look to finally sort out who will make the last four. The hosts are above Seaward in the table so should start as favourites. The winners will play AFC Wimbledon in the semis. 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!

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

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

Monday 4 March 2024

TLFG: 4-10 March 2024

Welcome to TLFG for the first full week of March - spring is finally here, well at least it's been quite sunny today.

It's been another busy few days on the Non-League Day (NLD) preparation front with things looking very positive in several areas.

Our showpiece game, which several of our partners will be focusing on, looks like being the National League fixture between Eastleigh and Hartlepool United down near Southampton.

It's one of 10 games around the country which our charity partners Prostate Cancer UK will be having a presence at.

This year's Non-League Day is now less than three weeks away

As anyone browsing the NLD website may have noticed this week, a major corporate partner has appeared on our website for the first time.

The press team at South Western Railway (SWR), my employer, contacted me about a month ago saying how the company wanted to get involved.

Having had a couple of meetings, their plans are pretty exciting with a decent amount of resource being thrown behind the campaign in a way I could only dream of.

A few things have still to be signed off so I won't go into further details but their big launch will be on 11 March.

As part of the preparations, I'm off Corinthian Casuals on Wednesday to record a short promotional film as part of the SWR build-up.

We picked them as they're on the train company's network and the line passes right next to the ground offering a great photographic opportunity.

Anyway, that's all for the future.

Earlier today, Sunday, I went to the Emirates with TLFG reader Liam B to watch the derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the WSL.

Despite being a regular watcher of women's football, I'd never been to a top-flight game before so with a seat on the Clock End going for £15 I couldn't say no.

We travelled up on the Piccadilly Line from Hammersmith and ended up missing the first 10 minutes.

So many people were using Arsenal station that trains were backed up all the way to Holborn where we sat for several minutes. 

Whilst waiting at Caledonian Road, we were told the two trains in front of us hadn't even been allowed to stop at Arsenal because the crowds were too large.

Thankfully ours was but the queues to actually get into the sold out game were immense so that slowed us down even more.

It was my first visit to the Emirates for a match since 2012 when I went in the away end to watch QPR lose 1-0 in a Premier League game.

The match itself wasn't exactly thrilling as underdogs Spurs set up to defend and did a pretty good job, making it to half-time without conceding a goal.

Liam and I (left) at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday

Sadly for them, Alessio Russo found a way through soon after the break and that was about it - I can't remember either keeper having to make any stunning saves at any point.

The overall experience is so different to a men's game, the atmosphere is much flatter than a men's North London Derby but far less threatening with fans of both teams sitting together - we had a couple next to us who were supporting opposing teams but there were no issues whatsoever.

The seats we had were superb - in the upper tier directly behind the goal.

For £15 the view was fantastic, the legroom was great and the seat was padded - the same seat for the men's game against Tottenham is about £100!

The rest of the afternoon saw us pop into a local mosque, grab a coffee and walk a circuit of Finsbury Park and finish with a meal in a Uyghur restaurant which went down very well indeed.

Aside from the continuing NLD preparations, I'm hoping to get down to Bedfont Sports on Tuesday night to see Actonians play Chesham United in their next Women's National League game.

Lastly, if you want to help the NLD cause, check out our full range of merchandise which can be customised to your club's colours, an example of which can be found below:

Get NLD merchandise in your club's colours now!

THE WEEK AHEAD

This week we've got matches in the Premier League, EFL, FA Trophy, FA Vase and Women's FA Cup as well as all the other non-league and women's competitions which our local clubs compete in.

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 4 March

National League South
Aveley v Yeovil Town @745pm - the Millers are having a very tough few days. On Saturday they played second placed Chelmsford City and lost 2-0 to fall out of the play-off places. Just over 48 hours later they're back in action against the leaders. The Glovers were a Championship side as recently as 2014 so it's fair to say the last 10 years have been pretty traumatic for them. However, it looks like the sixth tier is as far as they're going to fall as they've dominated for large parts of this campaign. Tickets
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Tuesday 5 March

League Two
AFC Wimbledon v Grimsby Town @745pm - there were wild scenes at Plough Lane on Saturday when a last-minute goal saw Wimbledon beat their bitter rivals MK Dons for the first time since 2017. The result lifted Johnnie Jackson's side into the top 10, four points shy of the play-off places. On Tuesday, they have a great chance to pick up some more points as the visitors are in the bottom four. Tickets

Professional Development League
QPR v Millwall @7pm - most U21 games don't mean a huge amount but this one has quite a bit riding on it. The Lions were crowned PDL champions last season and look very well placed to do it again as they went back to the top of Group South last week. They replaced the R's at the summit so this is a top-two clash. Being played at Hanwell Town, tickets are £5 on the gate

National League South
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Eastbourne Borough @745pm - the Beavers kept their place in the top seven despite seeing their game at St Albans City postponed. On Tuesday they face an Eastbourne side who are fighting to avoid the drop. Of the sides in the bottom four, they're in the best form but that's not saying much. Tickets

London Senior Cup Quarter-Final
Charlton Athletic U23 v Barking @745pm - with wins over Cockfosters and Welling United in the opening two rounds, the Addicks' development team are through to the last eight of this county cup. With AFC Wimbledon, Brentford, Leyton Orient and QPR already out, Charlton are the only pro club with a squad left in the competition. Barking are among the frontrunners in the Essex Senior League and claimed the scalp of Orient in the opening round so this could be close. This match is being played at Dartford - tickets will be available on the gate

CCL Premier North
North Greenford United v Rayners Lane @745pm - with virtually the whole programme of games washed out in this division on Saturday, there wasn't much change in the table. Both of these local rivals are having a fine season. NGU are fifth but because of their great run in the FA Vase (they play in the quarter-finals on Saturday), they have games in hand on all of those above them. Rayners Lane are top but only by virtue of having a slightly better goal difference than Flackwell Heath. It's a big game and hopefully the pitch will be ok. Tickets will be available on the gate

CCL Division 1
British Airways v Berks County @745pm - with leaders Amersham Town 15 points clear at the top, the battle to see who finishes second looks far more interesting. As it stands, these two are second and third with just a point between them. This match is being played at Bedfont and tickets will be available on the gate

FAWNL Division 1 South East
Actonians v Chesham United @745pm - literally just over the fence at Bedfont Sports, we've got this fourth-tier women's match. With their usual home at Rectory Park presumably booked up, the A's have moved this game to the Heathrow area. Actonians have been a club in transition this season after seeing Danny Harrigan, their most successful ever manager, move on in the summer. After a rocky start to the current campaign, new boss Kieran Beesley has steadied the ship and a top-six finish is a very realistic goal. Chesham are in the bottom four and lost the reverse fixture 5-0 back in September. Tickets will be available on the gate for £5
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Wednesday 6 March

Championship
QPR v West Bromwich Albion @8pm - the R's recorded one of the results of the weekend by beating leaders Leicester City 2-1 at the King Power Stadium. It extended their winning run to three games and kept them out of the relegation zone. However, it was generally a good weekend for all the strugglers so only goal difference is keeping them out of the bottom three. The Baggies are another one of the division's top clubs and they've only beaten them twice in the last 10 attempts so it looks like being a challenging evening at Loftus Road. Tickets
Watford v Swansea City @745pm - with the form of teams towards the bottom improving significantly, teams in midtable are starting to look over their shoulders with some anxiety. Although 15th, Swansea are now only four points above the relegation zone and even the Hornets in 12th are now much closer to the drop zone than the play-off places. Watford won 1-0 when they last played in October. Tickets

Women's League Cup Semi-Final
Arsenal v Aston Villa @715pm - after beating Spurs in the WSL at the Emirates on Sunday, the Gunners head back to Boreham Wood to continue the defence of the trophy they won last season. With the top two of Manchester City and Chelsea meeting in the other tie, it's far to say Arsenal got the best draw they could have. Villa have been really inconsistent this season and got stuffed 4-1 at home by Liverpool on Sunday - a home win looks highly likely. Tickets

SCEFL Division 1
Lewisham Borough v Croydon @745pm - the best non-league option of the night, for me, is this 10th-tier match between clubs from neighbouring boroughs in south London. Now four without a win, the hosts' title hopes seem to be over but a play-off place is very much there for the taking. The Trams are in eighth but are still 10 points adrift of the top five so to have any chance of going up, they must win games like this. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Thursday 7 March

Youth & Development matches
Thursday is, once again, all about the youngsters. The highest level matches are a trio of U23 games at Abbey Rangers, Erith Town and Molesey

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Friday 8 March

Premier League 2
Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur @7pm - there are a couple of games in this U21 competition on Friday but this one clearly stands out. Currently third and first respectively, it should be a great game. It's being played at Boreham Wood but, at the time of writing, I'm unaware of any admission details so check the club's website as the week progresses. Elsewhere, West Ham are playing Fulham at Rush Green

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Saturday 9 March

Premier League
Crystal Palace v Luton Town @3pm - with four points from their last three games, Palace have moved eight points clear of the relegation zone but they still probably need another three or four wins to make sure of staying up. Despite being a club in the bottom three, a match against the Hatters always seems to be a tricky one. They give it their all against whoever they play and only tend to lose games when they run out of steam in the closing stages. Worryingly for the hosts, Luton didn't tire enough in the reverse fixture at Kenilworth Road and won 2-1. Tickets are only available to members
Arsenal v Brentford @530pm - in the day's late game we've got a derby at the Emirates. The Bees famously beat the Gunners in one of their first ever Premier League games back in 2021 but have failed to win any of the five matches between them since. Mikel Arteta's side are third in the league and top of the form table after winning seven games in a row, scoring a staggering 31 goals in the process! Brentford's star striker Ivan Toney has been regularly linked with a move to north London so he should be looking to impress. Tickets are only available to members

Championship
Millwall v Birmingham City @3pm - all our local second-tier teams are at home on Saturday with this big relegation six-pointer topping the bill. With struggling clubs like QPR and Sheffield Wednesday really hitting form at this crucial point of the season, sides like Millwall and Birmingham have been pulled right back into the relegation dog fight. Only six points separate the teams in 14th-23rd so who will go down, other than Rotherham, is anyone's guess! Tickets
QPR v Middlesbrough @3pm - the R's have a had a good few days, winning 2-1 at league leaders Leicester on Saturday and coming from behind to draw 2-2 with West Brom on Wednesday, picking up four points from two games many would've predicted them to lose. Boro have lost three of their last five to put a big dent in their play-off hopes. The hosts won 2-0 at the Riverside earlier in the season and they should be confident of getting at least another point here. Tickets
Watford v Coventry City @3pm - the Hornets sit 13th just below Boro in the table and are actually significantly closer to the relegation zone than the top six. In recent months, their target was definitely promotion, but now avoiding the drop has become the most immediate priority. Tickets

League One
Charlton Athletic v Carlisle United @3pm - after dropping like stones under former manager Michael Appleton, new boss Nathan Jones has steadied the ship. Losing only one of the seven games he's presided over, they've moved up to 14th and are seven points clear of the relegation zone. Carlisle are bottom and seemed doomed to go down, so there should be some more points for the Addicks. Tickets

League Two
Sutton United v Grimsby Town @3pm - despite netting four points from three games, the U's are still bottom and six points adrift of safety. If they're to have any chance of staying up, they simply have to win this game against another one of the bottom four. Tickets

FA Trophy Quarter-Finals
This national knockout competition for clubs in the fifth to eighth tiers, which has its final at Wembley, is down to its last eight. We're lucky enough to have two of the four ties in the capital:

Bromley v Barnet @3pm - these two London clubs are third and second respectively in the fifth tier so it's the biggest tie of the round by far. Only two points separate them in the league and their recent FA Trophy pedigree is impressive with the Ravens winning it in 2022 and the Bees making it to the semi-finals last year. The visitors are unbeaten in three against Bromley and won 2-0 at Hayes Lane in August which makes them marginal favourites in my book. Tickets
Wealdstone v Solihull Moors @3pm - things were starting to look worrying for the Stones but four points from two games has made sure they've stayed outside the relegation zone. Solihull, on the other hand, are fourth and pushing for promotion so it looks tough for the hosts who last won the Trophy in 1985. Tickets

FA Vase Quarter-Final
This national knockout competition for clubs in the ninth and 10th tiers, which has its final at Wembley, is down to its last eight. We've got one of the four ties in the capital:

North Greenford United v Romford @3pm - if I wasn't working then this is probably where I'd be spending my Saturday afternoon. NGU are having a great season, pushing for a play-off place in the CCL Premier North and 90 minutes away from a place in the Vase semis. They've gone a whole three rounds further in the competition than they ever have before and impressively won at Essex Senior League leaders Tilbury in the last round. Next up they face another side from the ESL who've also never been this far before. Currently second to Tilbury, they should pose a very similar challenge to the one offered by the Dockers in the last round. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Sunday 10 March

Premier League
West Ham United v Burnley @2pm - David Moyes' tenure as Hammers manager looked like it was coming to an end but the board stuck with him and they enjoyed back-to-back wins over Brentford and Everton. However, this was followed by a 1-0 loss to Freiburg in Germany in the first leg of their Europa League tie on Thursday. The doubters at the London Stadium are still many in number and nothing less than a win against relegation certainties Burnley will do. Tickets

Women's FA Cup Quarter-Final
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City @3pm - featuring two of the WSL's top six, this would appear to be the tie of the round. Unlike the men's side, Spurs women have very little pedigree in this competition with investment into the side being a relatively new thing. Having already lost to them in the WSL and League Cup, City were probably the last team Robert Vilahamn's side wanted to see come out of the hat. However, after defending well against Arsenal at the Emirates and only losing 1-0, they should be able to give the visitors, who played in midweek, a good game. This is being played at Leyton Orient. Tickets should be available on arrival

Women's Championship
Crystal Palace v Sheffield United @12pm - the Eagles are second but only on goal difference from Southampton and local rivals Charlton Athletic. They have two games in hand on leaders Sunderland who are four points clear. The Blades are eighth and still need some wins to guarantee staying up. This match is notable for being played at Selhurst Park. Tickets

FAWNL Division 1 South East
QPR v Cambridge United @2pm - why not celebrate Mothers' Day at Loftus Road where the R's are throwing open the turnstiles and letting everyone in for free. The match itself should be closely contested with the sides three points apart in the top six

Normally I would write more previews for the weekend's games but I've simply run out of time - apologies


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!

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

Has this blog been helpful? Donate to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund here 

Sunday 25 February 2024

TLFG: 26 February - 3 March 2024

Greetings and welcome to the Leap Year edition of TLFG.

Yes, the quadrennial occurrence that is 29 February takes place on Thursday.

And does it bring us anything special I hear you ask? 

Well, not really - unless you're into youth and development football in which case there's a few things going on.

After having last week off and getting to see a few games, this week has seen me at work every day and I'm here right now at Waterloo station writing this.

This year's Non-League Day is now less than a month away

The most interesting work-related thing I did was get trained on the new trains which South Western Railway are bringing in and which have caused quite a bit of controversy over the last few years.

I won't go into that here as I'll probably say something inappropriate and get sacked but it was an eye-opening day and my current role will change considerably.

Anyway, enough of the railway chat.

How has your football week been? 

With all the work, I saw nothing live but Non-League Day preparations have continued - it's now less than a month away!

There's still plenty to do and hopefully some big announcements to make but things seem to be shaping up well.

The celebrations of our 10-year partnership with Prostate Cancer UK officially launched on Friday and we're really hoping we can add to the £250,000 we've raised over that time.

Our merchandise is now back online with all the classic designs and some new ones - we've got t-shirts, hoodies and badges so please take a look and see if there's anything you fancy.

One other thing I did this week was buy tickets for my first ever Women's Super League game - yes, you read that right.

Despite going on and on about women's football on here and having been to England matches, European Championship, FA Cup and League Cup Finals, I've never seen a top-flight game.

Arsenal play Spurs in the WSL at the Emirates on Sunday - tickets

With Actonians having a break this weekend, I've taken the plunge and bought some tickets for the North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners sold out when they played Manchester United there in their last game earlier this month and I seem to have got some of the few remaining ones for this.

In a sign of the times, I'm going on a lads' trip to the game without any women or children joining me.

My eldest daughter, who is otherwise engaged, is an Arsenal fan and isn't overly impressed that I'm going without her as she's never been to the stadium.

At £15 a ticket, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to sit on the Clock End and enjoy one of the biggest games of the year.

PS - if you read the blog last week, the mystery WSL manager who's volunteered to help out with some junior coaching at Actonians will be involved in this match. 

I've also got a couple of days off during the week so I'm hoping I'll be able to use the impending Non-League Day as an excuse to get to a game or two.

Before I sign off, it would be remiss of me as a QPR fan not to mention the passing of arguably the club's greatest ever player Stan Bowles.

A legend of '70s football in England, the maverick attacking player thrilled the Loftus Road crowd for seven years and was part of the team that fell just a point short of winning the league title during that time - something that seems unthinkable now.

Although I did exist during most of those years, I never saw him play so I've always experienced a bit of a detachment compared to some of my slightly older friends who utterly revere him.

Sadly Alzheimer's caught up with him on Saturday, just after the R's had won their huge game against Rotherham.

He was 75.

Lastly this week, many thanks to Ge W from Deptford for donating to TLFG's coffee-drinking fund - it's really appreciated.

THE WEEK AHEAD

This week we've got matches in the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL, National League and Women's Super League as well as all the other non-league and women's competitions which our local clubs compete in.

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 26 February

Premier League
West Ham United v Brentford @8pm - the Hammers ended 2023 with back-to-back wins over Manchester United and Arsenal but they haven't won in any competition since and fans are calling for manager David Moyes to go. The last three games have seen them score none and concede 11 - it's looking pretty grim. Next up they face a tricky derby against the Bees who have won all five of the league games they've played against the east London club since joining the top flight in 2021. Tickets

Premier League International Cup Quarter-Final
Crystal Palace v Wolverhampton Wanderers @7pm - the Eagles made it to the final of this U21 competition last season and they're well on course to do it again. They lost to PSV Eindhoven in that final and the Dutch side have already made it through to the last four this year, beating Chelsea in the process. Wolves finished top of Group A ahead of PSV so they clearly mean business. This match is being played at Sutton United. Tickets will be available on the gate

Premier League Cup
Chelsea v Norwich City @7pm - they might be out of the competition above but the Blues are still in contention for this other U21 trophy. Having come top of their group ahead of Leeds, Colchester and Luton, they're now into the knockout stage. The Canaries were runners-up in their group and finished ahead of Wolves and Charlton. This is being played at Kingsmeadow and tickets will be available on the gate

ECL Division 1 South
Barkingside v May & Baker @745pm - the only non-league option I'm aware of is this match in Ilford between two east London clubs. Both are out of promotion contention in midtable but could do with a win or two to get well clear of the relegation zone. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Tuesday 27 February

Professional Development League
Millwall v Ipswich Town @2pm - get your day of football watching underway with a lunchtime trip to The Den for this U21 game. The Lions won the PDL last season, beating Sheffield United in the final. Currently just a point behind leaders QPR but with a game in hand, they're very well placed to top Group South again. Ipswich are fifth so should be no pushovers. Tickets

League One
Leyton Orient v Blackpool @745pm - the O's closed the gap on the play-off places to six points with a hugely important 2-1 win at Oxford United on Saturday. Next up they face another crucial game against the side just above them in the table. If they beat the Seasiders, then they'll have to be classed as promotion contenders. Tickets

National League
Barnet v Chesterfield @745pm - the big games seem to be coming thick and fast in the fifth tier right now. Last week, Bromley were second when they took on leaders Chesterfield. Since then, they've been replaced by the Bees so this has become a top-of-the-table clash. The Spireites dropped some more points on Saturday with their draw against Rochdale but their lead is still a massive 20 points. Barnet's record against the visitors is also poor - they lost 4-2 in the reverse fixture earlier in the season and have only won two of their last 10 games against them. Tickets

National League South
Welling United v Truro City @745pm - there are three games in the sixth tier on Tuesday but I'm going for this one as my pick of the night. The Wings remain unbeaten since new boss Rod Stringer took over with their draw against promotion-chasing St Albans leaving them just one point adrift of safety. Cornish club Truro are two points above them so if the London club win, they will finally break free of the relegation zone. Tickets

Middlesex Senior Cup Semi-Final
Hendon v Hayes & Yeading United @745pm - these two local rivals meet at Silver Jubilee Park for a place in the county cup final. Both play in the seventh tier Southern League Premier South and are in midtable so it should be close. Interestingly, the hosts are the most successful club in the competition's long history, winning it 15 times since it began in 1888. H&YU, on the other hand, are the reigning champions. Rayners Lane await the winners in the final. Tickets will be available on the gate

Essex Senior Cup Semi-Final
Redbridge v Maldon & Tiptree @745pm - two clubs from the eighth tier Isthmian League North contest the other county cup semi-final of the night. Neither side have won this title before and on this season's performance, you'd expect the visitors to progress. Whoever makes it through will play Colchester United in the final. Tickets will be available on the gate

SCEFL Challenge Cup Semi-Final Second Legs
Erith Town v Deal Town @745pm - sitting just outside the play-off places with a couple of games in hand, the Dockers are well placed for a promotion tilt. One of their main rivals for promotion are Deal who are in great form. The Kent seaside club are having a season to remember. Not only are they in the semi-finals of this competition with a 2-1 lead from the first leg, they're also in the quarter-finals of the FA Vase and have eight games in hand on the leaders which if won would put them 13 points clear at the top. Tickets will be available on the gate
AFC Whyteleafe v Corinthian @745pm - in the other tie, First Division leaders Whyteleafe entertain another one of the league's top clubs. Their chances of progressing look slim though as they lost the first leg 3-0. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Wednesday 28 February

FA Cup Fifth Round
Chelsea v Leeds United @730pm - after suffering the disappointment of an extra-time defeat to Liverpool in the EFL Cup Final on Sunday, the Blues have to quickly pick themselves up for this. The FA Cup now represents their only chance of winning some silverware and salvaging their otherwise poor season. In recent years, you'd expect the Stamford Bridge club to get through a tie like this but Leeds are in fantastic form as they push hard for the Championship title and could well cause an upset. Tickets are only available to members

Isthmian League Premier
Kingstonian v Cheshunt @745pm - the top non-league match of the night is this relegation six-pointer in the seventh tier. The bottom four go down in this division and both are in the bottom four. The visitors are only two points from safety whilst the K's are propping everyone else up and really can't afford to lose many more games. Tickets will be available on the gate

Essex Senior League
Sporting Bengal United v Athletic Newham @745pm - in the ninth tier, two of the division's top six meet at Mile End Stadium which is one of the capital's most centrally located grounds. The teams in second to fifth make the play-offs so there's plenty to play for. Tickets will be available on the gate
Woodford Town v Buckhurst Hill @745pm - we've also got the Roding Valley Derby to look forward to on Wednesday. This is quite a new rivalry but it still generates quite a bit of interest and should draw a decent crowd. The hosts are second and will start as favourites. Tickets will be available on the gate for £7. UPDATE - the club have now decided to make it free entry for everyone so don't miss out!
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Thursday 29 February

Youth & Development matches
It's a leap year but nothing particularly special is happening today. The two highest level matches are a couple of U23 games in the Suburban League at Abbey Rangers and Molesey. At U18 level, the Middlesex Youth Cup Semi-Final between Northwood and Bedfont Sports tops the bill

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Friday 1 March

Premier League 2
Chelsea v Arsenal @7pm - there are a trio of games in this U21 competition on Friday but this one clearly stands out. Currently fourth and third respectively, it should be a great game. FYI - Tottenham and West Ham are the top two with Spurs seven points ahead of the third-place Gunners. Tickets will be available on the gate

Essex Senior League
Woodford Town v Frenford @745pm - there are also some non-league games too with our friends at Ashtons swiftly back in action after their Wednesday night derby. With the visitors in the bottom five, the smart money would appear to be on a home win. Tickets will be available on the gate

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Saturday 2 March

Premier League
Brentford v Chelsea @3pm - since joining the top flight in 2021, the Bees have made a habit of humiliating the Blues in derbies between the two. The smaller club have won all three of their away games at Stamford Bridge including the one earlier this season. A lot has been made of Chelsea's poor from this season but it's currently significantly better than Brentford's so they should still start as favourites here. Tickets are not available
Fulham v Brighton & Hove Albion @3pm - the Cottagers recorded their first win at Old Trafford since 2003 last weekend, a result which should go a long way towards securing a comfortable midtable finish - a fine achievement for a club more used to yo-yoing between the top two divisions. Here they face a tricky Brighton side who haven't dazzled quite as much as last season but are still in the top seven. Talking of seven, that's how long Fulham's unbeaten record is against the Seagulls with their last loss to them coming in 2017. Tickets are only available to members
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace @3pm - there's another derby at the THS too. When Spurs opened their new ground five years ago, they played the Eagles in the first competitive match and won 2-0. Since then they've won all four of the following games between them at the venue and most of the matches at Selhurst Park too. New Palace boss Oliver Glasner won his first match in charge against Burnley last week so he'll be looking for another positive performance here. Tickets are only available to members

Championship
Millwall v Watford @3pm - the Lions appeared to be sinking like stones prior to last week's incredibly tough looking trip Southampton. However, they pulled off a fine 2-1 win to keep themselves out of the bottom three. Next up they face a derby of sorts against the Hornets. The Hertfordshire club are in the top half but have lost four of their last five games so there's definitely the potential for some more points here. Tickets

League One
Leyton Orient v Bristol Rovers @3pm - whether the O's make it into the play-offs or not, Richie Wellens' side have given their fans some special moments this season. With wins over leaders Portsmouth and promotion contenders Bolton and draws against several of the other leading clubs, they've more than proved themselves in this division following promotion. Over the last week they've enjoyed back-to-back wins over Oxford and Blackpool who were both above them. Now they find themselves in eighth, five points adrift of the play-off places and another promotion is starting to appear feasible. Rovers are eight points behind them in midtable and it ended 1-1 in the reverse fixture. Tickets

League Two
AFC Wimbledon v MK Dons @1230pm - one of the games of the day in London is this huge grudge match at Plough Lane. I won't go into the full history of the rivalry, as most of you know it, but the visitors came into being after Wimbledon's highly controversial move to Milton Keynes. This was driven by Pete Winkelman who is still MK Dons' chairman to this day. The League Two table is tight so even though a four game winless run has seen the hosts slip to 13th, they're still only four points shy of a play-off place. The visitors are fifth and are still very much in the hunt for automatic promotion. They are also unbeaten in nine against AFC Wimbledon, so if the hosts do win the celebrations could be notable. Tickets are only available to members

National League
Boreham Wood v Gateshead @3pm - the Wood's fine run to the play-offs last season and has felt like a distant dream for much of this campaign. Hovering around the lower reaches of the table for most of it, they've enjoyed an uplift in form recently with three wins from five pushing them up to 14th. However, one of the most notable things about this division is how congested the bottom half is with the club in 11th only six points clear of the relegation zone. The pressure on clubs is massive with a couple of bad results potentially landing them in real trouble. Gateshead, on the other hand, are fifth and are having a good year. Although the race to go up isn't quite as tight, clubs like Halifax are starting to emerge from the chasing pack and could break into the play-off places very soon. Tickets
Bromley v FC Halifax Town @3pm - with the Ravens in second and the Shaymen on a great run, this is my pick of the action in the fifth tier in London on Saturday. The hosts went back up to second in midweek, despite not playing, because Barnet used up their game in hand with defeat to leaders Chesterfield which made their goal difference worse than Bromley's. As mentioned above, last season's FA Trophy winners Halifax are on the verge of breaking into the play-off places after winning four on the bounce. They also beat Bromley 2-0 back in August when they met at The Shay so this should be some game. Tickets
Dagenham & Redbridge v Altrincham @3pm - the Daggers are a point behind Boreham Wood in 15th so could really do with a win or two to relieve their own relegation fears. Altrincham were right up in the top four earlier in the season but four straight defeats have seen them slip to ninth. The hosts are capable of beating pretty much anyone in this division on their day and I've got a feeling they could do well here. Tickets

National League South
Dartford v Worthing @3pm - the Darts appointed former Bournemouth player Adrian Pennock as their new manager on Friday. His first game in charge is a very tough one as third placed Worthing pay a visit to Princes Park. Only four points above the relegation zone, local rivals Welling United are catching up and could leapfrog them depending on Saturday's results. Tickets
Welling United v Braintree Town @3pm - if the Wings are to move above Dartford, they'll also have to pull off an impressive win as they're entertaining one of the division's top clubs too. Since new boss Rod Stringer took over in January, Welling have gone six games unbeaten in the league to climb out of the bottom four which looked unlikely before his arrival. Braintree are the division's most in-form club with seven straight wins so it's going to be tough. Tickets

Isthmian League Premier Division
Wingate & Finchley v Hastings United @3pm - despite drawing three games in a row, minnows W&F have kept their place in the top four as their amazing season continues. On Saturday they welcome one of the biggest clubs in the division who should bring a sizeable following to Summers Lane. The Sussex club missed a play-off spot by three points last season and could move into the top five with a win here. Tickets

Southern League Premier South
Hendon v Chesham United @3pm - the Greens suffered the disappointment of losing their Middlesex Senior Cup Semi-Final to Hayes & Yeading on Tuesday and next up they face a visit from league leaders Chesham. The Buckinghamshire club are now 12 points clear at the top and increasingly looking like champions. The hosts are nine points from the play-offs and 10 points clear of the relegation zone so they're about as midtable as it's possible to be. The reverse fixture ended in a 2-1 win for the Generals. As a showbiz side note, Taskmaster's Alex Horne is a director of Chesham, a big fan of non-league and will quite possibly be found somewhere in the crowd. Tickets will be available on the gate

Isthmian League South Central
Chertsey Town v Marlow @3pm - in the eighth tier it doesn't get much bigger than this top-two clash at Alwyns Lane. The hosts are eight points clear with a game in hand so if Marlow lose, it looks very close to being game over for everyone else as far as the title's concerned. A pitch inspection has been scheduled for 1000. Tickets

Essex Senior League
Barking v Romford @3pm - in the ninth tier, two of the top four go head-to-head. These clubs were groundsharing earlier in the season but following the sad demise of East Thurrock United in September, Romford moved into Rookery Hill and took themselves out of TLFG's catchment area in the process. With Woodford Town seeing their Friday night game postponed, the visitors only need to draw to go second. Tickets will be available on the gate

SCEFL Division 1
AFC Whyteleafe v K Sports @3pm - there aren't really any standout fixtures in the tenth tier - no top of the table clashes, derbies or big relegation six-pointers so my default position is always to recommend going to watch the best. The Leafe are currently 12 points clear at the top of the division and have won their last four. The rest of the top five have games in hand on them but they'll still be six points clear in the worst-case scenario. K Sports are winless in five, in midtable and should be beaten. Tickets will be available on the gate
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Sunday 3 March

Women's Super League
Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur @1230pm - one of the biggest crowds of the weekend will be at the Emirates Stadium which looks to have pretty much sold out for the second WSL game in a row. Last time out, the Gunners comfortably beat Manchester United 3-1 to leave themselves just three points behind co-leaders Chelsea and Manchester City. Spurs are sixth and are the type of side Arsenal would normally beat but under new boss Robert Vilahamn, they did the unthinkable and won the North London Derby for the first time just before Christmas. Tickets are almost gone but there are a few left so don't delay
West Ham United v Manchester United @3pm - having pushed Chelsea close in the FA Cup and beaten Arsenal in the league, this new improved Hammers side are capable of giving anyone in this division a game on their day. Still a disappointing 10th out of 12, they could do with a win to push them well clear of bottom club Bristol City. Manchester United are in very unconvincing form and are now playing simply to hold on to fourth - this could go either way. This match is being played at Dagenham & Redbridge. Tickets

Women's Championship
Crystal Palace v Birmingham City @2pm - with only five points separating the leaders from the club in fifth and with some clubs in that group having a game in hand, the title race in this division is wide open. Both of these sides are in the leading pack but the Blues could effectively drop out if they lose here as it could leave them eight points adrift of top spot. The Eagles will go top if they win and Sunderland drop any points against Southampton. This match is being played at Sutton United. Tickets
Watford v Charlton Athletic @2pm - there's a match affecting both ends of the table at Wealdstone's ground where an improving Hornets side are now just a draw away from moving out of the relegation zone. The Addicks are going in the other direction and are another side who could potentially go top with a win. Tickets

Capital Senior Cup Quarter-Final
Ashford Town (Middlesex) v London Seaward @2pm - having seen the original tie postponed, these two midtable fourth-tier clubs meet at the Robert Parker Stadium with a semi-final place against favourites AFC Wimbledon up for grabs. Tickets will be available on the gate


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