A fan’s guide – the club from early doors to today
There were mixed emotions for fans of Leyton Orient as the club regained Football League status from the National League in 2019 – only for young manager Justin Edinburgh to suffer a fatal heart attack soon after his achievement.
The new main stand at Brisbane Road was renamed in his honour, one of several sensible moves initiated by chairman Nigel Travis, who stepped in as chaos swirled around the club, dropping out of the league for the first time in 112 years.
The O’s have since found League Two heavy going. It seems a long time since the long seasons of third-tier football under former chairman, boxing promoter and snooker mogul Barry Hearn. While they failed in their bid to use the Olympic Stadium – four-figure crowds do not a national arena befit – the O’s can look back on near collapse in the mid 1990s, when Hearn took over the ailing operation.
Long named Clapton Orient (‘Leyton’ was only adopted in 1945, then re-adopted in 1987), Orient (as they are always referred to) enjoyed their best period with Jimmy Bloomfield. First a player, then a player-manager, Bloomfield led the club to a cup semi-final in 1978, six years after a famous 3-2 win over Chelsea in the quarter-final.
In the league, Orient have only spent one season in the top flight, 1962-63, perhaps never to be repeated. They did enjoy a long unbeaten spell in 2011, just missing out on a play-off spot. Barry Hearn left the club in 2014, the same year that a play-off shoot-out at Wembley barred the way to the Championship. What followed was instant relegation and chaos under incoming owner, Italian waste-management magnate Francesco Becchetti.
With players and taxes unpaid, Orient went through coaches in swift succession, and all but went out of business altogether. A pitch invasion protested Becchetti’s mismanagement and relegation from League Two in 2017. Lifelong fan Nigel Travis, who had made his fortune in the Dunkin’ franchise, stepped in. After a disappointing first season finding their feet in the National League, the O’s eventually won an almighty scrap at the top in 2018-19. Goalkeeper Dean Brill kept 24 clean sheets on the way to the title, impressive for someone actually hired as goalkeeping coach before savvy manager Justin Edinburgh redeployed him.
The sudden death of the former Spurs defender, who had engineered Orient’s return to the league, overshadowed the subsequent campaign, the Brisbane Road dug-out awash with club scarves and flowers.
Ground Guide
The field of dreams – and the stands around it
As Clapton Orient, the O’s moved to Brisbane Road (today aka Breyer Group Stadium) in 1937, but successive redevelopments have left little of the original venue intact. The most striking feature of today’s ground is the housing blocks built into each corner that funded the building of the new stands. Some balconies double up as handy vantage points to watch the match, as was particularly seen – and heard – during shutdown. Capacity is just over 9,000, with the newest West Stand containing the ticket office, shop and members’ bar.
With the exception of the Tommy Johnston Stand (South), named after the Second Divison’s top-scoring forward of the 1957-58 season, the other stands are named after the compass points. The south end of the East Stand hosts away fans. The East Stand also sports a rather handsome old gable-end sign.
Behind the Tommy Johnston Stand, in Coronation Gardens, a statue honours Laurie Cunningham, the England international who started his career at Orient, found fame at WBA then became the first British player to be signed by Real Madrid. He was killed in a car crash in 1989, at only 33.
GETTING THERE
Going to the ground – tips and timings
Take the Central line to Leyton Tube, 10mins/four stops from Liverpool Street. Turn right out of the station and keep walking up High Road Leyton (about 15mins) until you reach Coronation Gardens on your left. The stadium is just to the right of the park.
The sat nav code for Brisbane Road is E10 5NF. The nearby residential streets have permit-only parking, with few spaces available. The best option if you have to drive would be to park at the Westfield Centre (Mon-Fri £8 3-6hrs, Sat-Sun £10, cashless) at Stratford, one stop/3mins from Leyton by Tube, or 25mins walk.
getting in
Buying tickets – when, where, how and how much
Tickets can be bought online, by phone (020 926 1010) – £1 levy charged for each – or in person from the main reception (Mon-Fri 9.30am-4.30pm) in the West Stand, on Oliver Road. Buying on the day is £2 dearer for adults and seniors, and for under-18s and under-11s in the Tommy Johnston and Justin Edinburgh Stands.
Admission is £18-£20, seniors (over-65s) £18 across the board. Under-18s get in for £7 in the North and East Stands, £18 elsewhere. For under-11s, it’s £3/£7 and £18. There’s a £12 rate for 18-24s, students and the unemployed, also across the board.
what to buy
Shirts, kits, merchandise and gifts
For your replica kits, the Superstore (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm, and match days) is in the back of the West Stand, next to the ticket office windows. Signature red merchandise includes Leyton Orient beach towels, corner flag gnomes and toothbrushes. Second kit for 2020-21 is black, third choice white with two red stripes, straight out of the Peter Kitchen era.
Where to Drink
Pre-match beers for fans and casual visitors
Behind Leyton Tube – walk down the High Road away from the stadium, left down Calderon Road then left down Frith Road – the Birkbeck Tavern is old-school Leyton. A big TV over the fireplace shows match action while vintage photos of the East End cover the walls, in between old sporting items. There’s a beer garden, too. It’s 10mins from the station, so 20-25mins from the ground – allow time or head here after the game.
From the station halfway up towards the ground, amid the fast-food outlets of High Road Leyton, the former local town hall now houses Leyton Technical, an upscale gastrobar, popular on match days with home and away fans. DJs spin later on at weekends.
Further along, the nearest pub to the ground is the Coach & Horses, where High Road Leyton meets Balmoral Road. It’s a large corner pub, generally dotted with old regulars studying the racing form – historic prints of horsemanship cover the walls. There’s a pool table at the back. It’s no more than a 4min walk to the away entrance at Brisbane Road, but this one is O’s fans only.
At the ground, the Supporters’ Club built into the stadium to the right of the ticket office is well worth a look: its draught beers would put many pubs to shame, the half-dozen options always including at least one mild. Away fans are welcome, at the stewards’ discretion (it can get very busy on match days), but must pay £1 on the door.
