A big Bostik festive bonanza!

Between 22nd December and January 1st there are- weather permitting- 141 Bostik League fixtures to light up your holiday season. You can find details of each and every one on our fixtures tab here, but we thought we’d bring you a taster to whet your appetite for something other than turkey leftovers!

Friday 22nd December

Our Christmas weekend starts early- on Friday night, in fact- when Witham Town take on Aveley. If you can’t make it then the Back of the Net team will have commentary and- by Saturday- video highlights, but surely you’d want to go, even if just to give Witham Town superfan James Beardwell congratulations on his engagement. We’re hoping that his fiancé Claire will join his matchday choir!

The Millers won the previous fixture between the two sides back in August by two goals to one, breaking Town hearts with two goals in the last minute, so Witham will be out for revenge.

Saturday 23rd December

Saturday has a full set of fixtures, and a number of tantalising contests. Premier Division leaders Billericay Town head to Burgess Hill Town, so Sussex based Jake Robinson will be even fresher than usual as he takes the field- not something the Hillians will be pleased to hear given his current scoring record! The match of the day in the top flight is undoubtedly at Champion Hill, where second place Dulwich Hamlet will entertain a Leiston side who have shaken off their November blues and regained top form once more, whilst the Fetcham Grove derby between Leatherhead and Kingstonian will be our #bostikmatchday featured game- we’re looking forward to seeing how Andre McCollin fares on his return to the K’s. Two months undefeated Margate face Wingate and Finchley and are putting on a Christmas Extravaganza for their younger followers, whilst third place Staines Town will look to maintain their progress as they entertain Dorking Wanderers.

In the North Division AFC Hornchurch entertain draw specialists Bury Town but will be looking for something more than a point, whilst perhaps the prime fixtures sees second place Bowers and Pitsea travel to Coles Park to face a Haringey Borough side who fought Leyton Orient to a standstill in the FA trophy last weekend and will be looking to make some league progress. Heybridge Swifts have a rare league match- they currently have ten games in hand on the leaders due to their cup heroics- and Barking travel to Scraley Road looking to get back on track after their 4-0 loss to Bowers last weekend.

South Division leaders Lewes face a difficult away trip to Woodstock Park, where they will take on Sittingbourne. Rooks fans may be advised not to follow their satnav as they’ll end up on country roads which are so little used that grass grows down the middle (notes from painful experience), but instead to follow the instructions given on the Brickies website! Form side of the moment Cray Wanderers take on much-improved Molesey at Walton Road, whilst Greenwich Borough could go third if they defeat Guernsey in the early kick-off; although their stay in third place will be short lived if Corinthian Casuals or Carshalton Athletic get positive results in the matches at home to East Grinstead Town or away to Shoreham, respectively.

Tuesday 26th December

Boxing Day has a number of early kick-offs, so if you’re looking to be home early enough to eat a second Christmas lunch we’d recommend Billericay Town (12 noon), Brightlingsea Regent, Harrow Borough, Leiston, Barking, Bury Town, Cheshunt, Dereham Town, Mildenhall Town, Potters Bar Town, Waltham Abbey, Ashford United, Phoenix Sports, Walton Casuals (all 1300), or Worthing (1330). You could also choose Guernsey at 1400, but that probably only works if you live on the island!

There are a large collection of derby matches, as you might expect, and the pick of these are perhaps Tooting & Mitcham United v Dulwich Hamlet or Leiston v Lowestoft Town in the Premier Division, and Aveley v Grays Athletic and Maldon & Tiptree v Heybridge Swifts in the North Division. The South Division has a promotion clash (if it isn’t too early to use such a description) between Carshalton Athletic and Corinthian Casuals, Lewes take on Hastings United, and there are Kentish Derbies at Ashford United, Herne Bay and Ramsgate. Whyteleafe v Chipstead is always tasty, too!

Our #bostikmatchday will come from Walton Casuals v Molesey.

Wednesday 27th December

Christmas Wednesday (if such a thing exists) brings a derby between Metropolitan Police and Leatherhead, whilst in the North Division Brentwood Town entertain Tilbury in the company of the Back of the Net crew, whilst bottom face top as Romford take on AFC Hornchurch (although Romford might not be bottom by then!). East Grinstead Town entertain South Park, whilst Thamesmead Town invite VCD Athletic to Princes Park. All matches kick off at 7.45 PM.

Saturday 30th December

The last matchday of 2017 brings us the big one- Billericay Town v Dulwich Hamlet. The Back of the Net team will bring you live commentary of that one, as well as copious video highlights a day later. Also in the Premier Division there’s an ‘upon-Thames’ derby as Staines Town travel to Kingstonian, although sadly the nearest river to the ground will not be the Thames but the Mole, given that the K’s currently reside at Fetcham Grove. Leiston v Margate also looks rather attractive, or at least it will if both sides can continue their recent excellent form.

The North Division has Barking v AFC Hornchurch as its match of the day- a District Line derby, perhaps- whilst another game vying for attention is Maldon & Tiptree versus Haringey Borough. Dereham Town will be looking to regain their October form as they face promotion favourites Canvey Island, whilst at the wrong end of the table Romford entertain Norwich United.

The South Division has a titanic struggle at the bottom, Ashford United facing Shoreham, whilst at the other end Carshalton Athletic take on Horsham, Corinthian Casuals travel to Phoenix Sports, Lewes entertain South Park and Cray Wanderers bring Faversham Town to Bromley FC. Greenwich Borough have the long trip to Ramsgate.

The match between Cray Wanderers and Faversham Town will be our #bostikmatchday featured game.

Monday 1st January

2018 starts with a bang as Needham Market take on Leiston at 1 PM, before at the more traditional time of 3PM the rest of the programme sees Billericay Town travel to Tonbridge Angels, Hendon entertain Wingate and Finchley, Margate host Folkestone Invicta and Dulwich Hamlet take on Kingstonian.

In the North Division AFC Hornchurch face Brentwood Town, whilst Canvey Island host Aveley and Heybridge Swifts bring Bowers & Pitsea to Scraley Road. The other team in Maldon, the Jammers, are away to Witham Town. Soham Town Rangers v Dereham Town will be the Back of the Net featured match.

The South Division sees Chipstead take on Guernsey, and this will be our #bostikmatchday feature, whilst there are a number of mouth-watering matches to look forward to- Corinthian Casuals v Walton Casuals, Greenwich Borough v Cray Wanderers and Sittingbourne v Ramsgate looking like the pick of the bunch.

We hope you enjoy our festive programme. We will, of course, keep you up to date with news from across the League right here- and we also you enjoy our featured match articles during the holiday season. Look out for a round up of the season so far between Christmas and New Year.