Yes, somehow I managed to find the time and energy to write a few previews and I hope they will be useful.
Non-League Day The preparation has kept me busy again. The highlight of last week’s action was an interview with Paul Merson at Hanworth Villa for Sky Sports. Unfortunately I couldn’t go, but my team was proud of me.
We also heard from Italy how one of Serie A’s biggest clubs will be joining this year’s celebrations, bringing the total number of professional clubs from that country involved to three. I will reveal all the names in due course, just in case something goes wrong!
Together with Athletic Bilbao from La Liga, these demonstrate the growing presence and recognition across Europe, which is very pleasing for what is our 15th event.
I have also managed to gain the support of a senior politician in one of our main political parties here in Britain. They have committed to supporting the day, promoting it and attending a match at their local club.
| NLD will take place for the 15th time in 2026 |
I am also building up for a new episode of the AAA Actonians podcast on Tuesday.
This one took some planning, as it will star Camila Orozco Saenz, one of our former players who left last January to turn pro in her native Colombia. After an excellent first season at Once Caldas, she started this new campaign at Atletico Nacional in Medellin. They are one of the biggest clubs in the country and finished third in the Women’s Copa Libertadores in 2023 – a step up from Rectory Park on a cold Sunday afternoon!
Anyway, have a nice week. Hopefully I can go to a match on Sunday.
THE WEEK IS OVER
The Premier League tops the list this week, but there’s also a match in the UEFA Conference League and plenty of action in the EFL.
We also have matches in the National League and all our other local non-league competitions.
In the women’s side we have an FA Cup match on Monday before an international break. The top-level action will take place in the third tier on Sunday, with AFC Wimbledon playing a match at Plow Lane.
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.
Details of all this week’s matches can be found on the following match cards. If you’ve never used them before, keep in mind that if there is more than one match on a specific site, you can only see individual match pins if you zoom in all the way. If you don’t, the Pins will become invisible to each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll through the list of games in the drop-down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. The matches are listed from top to bottom in date order, so that Monday’s matches (yellow pin) appear first and Sunday’s (orange pin) appear last. Games are also ranked by status, so the higher the division, the higher on the list they appear on each day.
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. I no longer write previews for sell-out matches or matches where membership is a minimum requirement for tickets, so Premier League matches will rarely appear here – they are still on the match cards, however.
Monday February 23
Women’s FA Cup fifth round
Eredivisie 2
West Ham United vs Crystal Palace at 7pm – If you’re on the east side of the city, this U21 match will take place at the Hammers’ Rush Green training centre. Both sides are in the center of the table. Tickets cost €5 at the gate
Essex Senior League Cup, second round
Buckhurst Hill v Ilford at 7.45pm – in the selection of the non-competitive action, two of the eight best teams in this competition meet for a place in the quarter-finals of the cup. Although lower in the table, the hosts are in better form. However, this match has been moved to the neutral venue of Aveley, so home advantage is not on their side. Tickets cost €8 at the gate
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Tuesday February 24
Championship
National League
Prime Minister of the Isthmian League
CCL Premier North
Ashford Town (Middlesex) v Burnham at 7.45pm – it’s a big night in this division, with several title contenders all playing against each other. First we have a match between the third and the first. The Tangerines are five points behind Burnham but have three games in hand so there is a lot at stake. Tickets cost £10 at the gate.
North Greenford United v Windsor & Eton at 7.45pm – if the field holds, two other potential promotion candidates will meet at Berkeley Fields. Both teams are struggling to play competitive matches and have many games to catch up on. If won, Windsor will be some distance away at the top, despite currently being in fifth place. Tickets cost €9 at the gate
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Wednesday February 25
Championship
Hertfordshire Senior Cup semi-final
London Lions v Hitchin Town at 7.45pm – for me the non-league pick of the day is this important county cup match. Both sides play in the eighth tier of the Southern League Division 1 Central, with the visitors in second place in the table. If you’re new to football in this country, the hosts are known for being the highest-ranked club for Jewish players. Entry at this level is usually around £10
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Thursday February 26
UEFA Conference League knockout round play-off second leg
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Friday February 27
Eredivisie 2
There are a few matches in this U21 competition on Friday Arsenal entertaining Ipswich Town in Boreham Wood and Fulham take on Burnley at their training ground at Motspur Park. Entry varies but will not exceed £5. Both matches start at 7:00 PM
Essex Senior League
Sporting Bengal United vs Frenford at 7.45pm – there are three non-competition matches on Friday. The highest level game is this ninth level game. As I understand it, SBU have moved this match from their home in Mile End to Barking Stadium, which has an artificial pitch. Both teams are in the bottom four, but Frenford are six points behind at the bottom. Tickets should cost between £8-10
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Previews for next weekend 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!
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#TLFG #February #March