Non-League and Academy football writer

On Friday night the new 2025/26 Thurlow Nunn League First Division South season got underway, with two league matches taking place. With the new Middlesex County Football League season starting on the 9th of August, I thought that I would write some league round-ups on other leagues that I follow, up until that particular league season starts. 

On Friday night league debutants Lymore Gardens started their non-League footballing journey at step 6, with a home league fixture against Hoddesdon Town. And Lymore Gardens got off to a sensational start, following promotion from the Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division, last season. Goals from Dylan Roberts, Munnir Saad, Gravlyn-Boss Kitondo, Wisley Baltazar and Callum Fisher, would see Lee Benjamin and Javel Green’s side win 5-1, against Hoddesdon. Lymore Gardens face Brimsdown tomorrow night, in their next league fixture.

Also on Friday night, goals from Mahein Zaman and Rio Mudhar-Hedley got Cannons Wood off to a good start, with a 2-1 home win over Brimsdown at Aveley FC. On to Saturday now, and a talented AS London side came from behind away to Southend Manor, to win 3-1. AS London’s goals came from Charles Opoku, Ishmael Saidy, and Juan Manuel Cardona Cuellar. In north London, at Coles Park, NW London lost 4-3 at home to Hutton, with the home side having two players sent off during that game. 

Stansted are a side who I think will be up there competing for the league title and a return to the Essex Senior League come the end of this season, and they started off well on Saturday, with a 4-2 away win over Newbury Forest. In east London the May & Baker versus Rayleigh Town match would finish 1-1. And in the game that I was in attendance for on Saturday afternoon (at Ware FC) FC Baresi lost 2-1 to Barkingside, despite going 1-0 up in the 11th minute of that game through Junior Appiah.

Goals from Todd Hollocks and James Long saw Coggeshall Town start the season with a win, as they won 2-0 at home to Enfield Borough. And finally, Burnham Ramblers won 4-1 at home to Basildon Town, yesterday. A busy week of Thurlow Nunn League First Division South action begins tomorrow, with the Lymore Gardens versus Brimsdown fixture. And, there are some great fixtures taking place in this quality step 6 league during the week. However, my game of the week takes place at the Old Spotted Dog Ground on Tuesday night, when Clapton Community face Basildon Town in east London. It should be a great game with it being Clapton Community’s first since their return to the league.

My match report from the FC Baresi versus Barkingside match: https://nonleagueandacademyfootballwriter.co.uk/2025/07/26/fc-baresi-1-2-barkingside-fc-my-match-report-from-wodson-park/