Greetings everyone and welcome to the first TLFG of December – it seems like no time since the season openers in August!
How was your week?
I have had quite an eventful period in terms of football.
On Monday my Non-League Day adventures took me to the prestigious Central St Martins art school, now located in Kings Cross in a very cool restored granary building – you’d expect nothing less.
I was invited by student Maxine R, who is making a film about the changing football culture in this country and wanted to hear my opinion from a non-competitive perspective.
Her story is very interesting. She’s moved from Singapore and really got into the North London non-league scene and regularly watches games at clubs like Enfield town, Haringey town And Walthamstow – I was looking forward to the finished piece.
| An award will be presented on Monday for Non-League Day |
On Tuesday I and members of the Non-League Day team had our first planning meeting of the campaign with our friends in the Premier League.
They came up with some very positive suggestions as we strive to make our 15th event the biggest yet.
Speaking of Non-League Day, we’re ready for a gong on the FSA Awards in London tonight (Monday).
Hosted by Victoria Derbyshire, there are many big names deserving of recognition in many categories, so there could be some very interesting people in attendance.
I’ll let you know next week how it goes.
When it came to actually watching a game, I went to Champion Hill on Sunday to see it Actonians achieve a 1-0 victory Dulwich Hamlet.
Now undefeated on five occasions, the A’s are in the top six for the first time this season.
Strangely enough, they have only managed one point at home in the league this season, despite all five wins coming.
Hopefully that first home win will come on Sunday when Cambridge United visit us.
THE WEEK IS OVER
The Premier League tops the list this week, but is closely followed by a number of ties in the second round of the FA Cup.
As well as a selection of games in the EFL, we also have the next round of the FA Vase and plenty of games in all the other non-league divisions that TLFG covers.
On the women’s side, the highlight looks set to be the Women’s Super League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon, giving you the chance to watch two matches that day.
As always, make sure you contact the clubs before traveling in case a match has been cancelled or the venue or kick-off time has changed – this is very possible for some of the lower non-league clubs and development fixtures. Also please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.
Even if you are not familiar with the English league structure, I indicate the level at which an individual league is in the national ‘pyramid’, with the Premier League at the top (level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (level 10). Normally a top level game will see an audience of somewhere between 20,000 and 60,000 people. These numbers will gradually decrease as you move up the leagues, until you reach levels 8-10, where attendances of 150 or less are most common.
MIDWEEK MATCH CARD
Monday matches – yellow pin
Tuesday program – green pin
Wednesday luminaires – turquoise pin
Thursday program – purple pin
Friday fixtures – black pin
WEEKEND MATCH CARD
Saturday program – blue pin
Sunday matches – orange pin
TLFG DAILY DIGEST
In the next section, I’ll list what I think are the standout games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. View the maps above for start times, ticket information and directions.
Monday December 1
Isthmian League Cup, fourth round
Aveley v Redbridge at 7.45pm – the Millers held Essex rivals Brentwood Town to a 3-3 draw on Friday to finish the weekend fifth in the seventh-tier Isthmian Premier. The Motormen play a level below the hosts but are in the top six of their division and are having a good season. On paper, Aveley should win, but will they field a full-strength squad? Admission is €10 at the gate
ECL Division 1 South
Lymore Gardens v AS London at 7.45pm – the home team plays in the tenth level for the first time after their promotion last season. They were top earlier in the campaign but are now sixth. However, they have the games in hand to potentially put them back on top. AS London challenged for promotion in 2024/25 but they have not yet recaptured that form and are in the bottom five. I haven’t seen entry fees but at this level they are usually around £7
——————————————————————
Tuesday December 2
Premier League
EFL Trophy, Second Round
U21 & Development Competitions
Several professional clubs have U21 teams in action in various competitions on Tuesday. Charlton Athletic play Preston North End at Dartford’s ground in the Premier League Cup at 7pm. Boreham wood welcome a young team from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the National League Cup, also at 7pm. Finally, QPR U21s travel to Cray Valley PM in the London Senior Cup at 7.45pm. Tickets vary in price, so contact each club for details
National League South
Southern League Premier South
——————————————————————–
Wednesday December 3
Premier League
Premier League International Cup
—————————————————————-
Friday December 5
Third round FA Youth Cup
Essex Senior League
Woodford Town v Great Wakering Rovers at 7.45pm – the best non-league option is this match at Ashtons in North East London. At the time of writing, the hosts are four points behind the leaders in third place but have played a game more. Up against them will be 2024 FA Vase finalists GWR, who are eighth and are capable of causing them some problems. Entry is £7
——————————————————————
Previews for December 6-7 will follow
Do you have questions about a visit to London? Don’t hesitate to ask questions, whether they are football questions or more general travel/tourism questions. I don’t charge for this advice like some other sites, so don’t hold back!
Did this blog help? Donate to TLFG’s coffee drinking fund here
#TLFG #December