13 minute read
Tonight’s Opposition: Leyton Orient
LEYTON ORIENT
LEYTON ORIENT were founded in 1881 by a group of boys who played under the guise of Glyn Cricket Club. In 1888, the club was re-named Orient FC after the Orient Steamship & Navigation Company who then player, Jack Dearing worked for. The club became professional in late 1903 and in 1905 were elected into the Second Division of the Football League along with Chelsea, Leeds City and Stockport County. The club won it’s first promotion in 1955-56 after topping the Division Three South with a club record 106 goals in 46 games. In April 1962 Orient won promotion to Division One, however their stay lasted just a year and the O’s were relegated with another relegation to Division Three following. Orient were Division Three Champions in 1970 and missed out on promotion back to Division One in 1974 by a point. 1982 saw a return to Division Three, and 1985 ended in relegation to Division Four. The mid-1990s were a period of financial difficulty with Barry Hearn taking ownership in March 1995 but he couldn’t prevent Orient being relegated to the fourth tier. In 1999 the O’s lost the playoff final to Scunthorpe United and again to Blackpool in 2001. Promotion was finally achieved in 2005-06 when Orient finished third. A period of near-success came under Russell Slade who led Orient to seventh in 2012-13, and third in 2013-14 to reach the play-offs but they lost the final to Rotherham United. Hearn sold the club in June 2014 to Francesco Becchetti, but Orient were relegated from League One in 2014-15 and even worse was to come when they were relegated from the Football League in 2016-17. With that Becchetti sold the club to Nigel Travis, but they stabilised and Justin Edinburgh led them back to the EFL in 2018-19 after winning the National League title, beating Town twice in the process. Summer 2019 was a very difficult time for the club with the passing of Justin Edinburgh, and so soon after them returning to the EFL, but the club continued remarkably. Ross Embleton who worked with the squad under Edinburgh took over and lead the O’s to a 17th-place finish in their first season back in the EFL last season. This season, the O’s have suffered from inconsistency, where runs of wins have often been followed by runs of losses. Following a dip in form and a run of seven games without a win in January and February, the club parted company with Embleton and placed Jobi McAnuff in interim charge feeling that the play-offs were still within reach. The change has had a positive effect with the O’s going unbeaten in seven including four wins on the bounce, a run which only came to an end on Saturday at Cheltenham and that has seen them close within four points of the play-offs.
FOUNDED 1881
NICKNAME The O’s
THE BREYER GROUP STADIUM Capacity 9,271
RECORD SCORER Tom Johnston - 121 (1956-61)
RECORD APPEARANCES Peter Allen - 432 (1965-78)
RECORD TRANSFER FEE PAID £175k Paul Beesley To Wigan Athletic Oct 1989 RECORD TRANSFER FEE RECEIVED £600K John Chiedozie From Notts County Aug 1981
THE O’s PLAYING SQUAD
BETWEEN THE STICKS
1. Sam Sargeant
A product of the O’s Academy, the 23-year-old signed pro terms with in June 2016. The ‘keeper had to be patient for opportunities as Dean Brill became an ever-present in Justin Edinburgh’s squad but last season, he made 15 League Two appearances.
22. Lawrence Vigouroux
Signing for the O’s in January 2020 from Chilean side, Everton de Viña, the 26-yearold spent his youth and early senior years at Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, before joining Swindon Town on loan in August 2016. The deal was made permanent in 2016 and he made 119 appearances over four years with the Robins. Before moving to Chile, he had a loan spell at Waterford in the Irish Premier Division and received his first international call-up for Chile in August 2018.
AT THE BACK
2. Sam Ling
Rejoining the O’s in February 2018 from Dagenham & Redbridge after 18 months with The Daggers, the 24-yearold progressed through the O’s Academy, captaining the Youth Team before making the move to Dagenham in July 2016 where he made 40 appearances over two seasons. Since returning to Orient, Ling has made over 50 appearances for the club after an injury impacted 2018/19 campaign.
3. Joe Widdowson
Signing for the O’s in July 2017 from Dagenham & Redbridge, the 30-year-old started his career with West Ham United before signing for Grimsby Town for the 2009-10 season after a successful loan spell. He made the switch to Rochdale the following season where he made 73 appearances, before two years at Northampton Town in which he played 75 times for the Cobblers. Following a short spell at Bury and loan at Morecambe, he signed for Dagenham & Redbridge on loan in November 2014 before making a permanent switch and going on to total 106 appearances for the Daggers.
Lawrence Vigouroux
5. Dan Happe
A product of the O’s Academy, the 22-year-old made his debut in February 2017 and was a key part of the O’s National League title winning side where his form earned him the Club’s Young Player of the Season. Now in his fourth season as a pro with the O’s, he has built up over 125 total appearances.
6. Josh Coulson
Prior to joining the O’s in January 2018, the 32-yearold had been a one-club man making over 300 appearances for Cambridge United, who he helped to promotion to the EFL in 2013-14 and then went on to feature for in League Two. Coulson signed for The O’s on loan in July 2017, but made that move permanent in the January and played a big part in the O’s promotion back to the EFL.
12. Jordan Thomas
Signing on a season long loan from Norwich City in September 2020, the 20-year-old, arrives from the Canaries academy – having made his Premier League debut from the bench against Manchester City in July 2020. His youth career started at Charlton Athletic at the age of 6 before joining Huddersfield Town on a scholarship at the age of 16 and then signing his first professional contract with Norwich City in January 2018.
16. James Brophy
Signing for The O’s in January 2018, the 26-year-old worked his way up through non-league with numerous clubs before joining Swindon Town in League One in the Summer of 2015 going on to make over 70 appearances for the Robins. In September 2017, Brophy joined Orient on a short loan deal until January 2018 but was recalled in November following injury
Dan Happe
problems at Swindon before rejoining the O’s permanently.
18. Tunji Akinola
Signing on a season long loan deal from West Ham in October, the 22-year-old has featured heavily for the Hammers U23’s side after joining their Academy at the age of 9 and progressing through the ranks.
23. Jamie Turley
Signing for the O’s in January 2019 from Notts County, the 30-year-old began his career at Wycombe Wanderers before joining Salisbury City in July 2009. In June 2011, he moved to Forest Green Rovers in the Conference Premier and made over 100 appearances in three seasons before joining Eastleigh in September 2014. In July 2016, he joined Newport County who loaned him to Boreham Wood for the 2017–18 season where he played 31 games in the National League. He signed for Notts at the start of the 2018–19 season, before heading to E10.
24. Jayden Sweeney
A product of the O’s Academy, the 19-year-old turned pro in June 2019 and joined Bishop’s Stortford of the Isthmian League Premier Division club Bishop’s Stortford on loan in November 2019, making seven appearances before returning to Orient in January.
29. Adam Thompson
Joining The O’s from Rotherham United last month, the 28-year-old is graduate of Watford’s Academy, making his pro debut for the Hornets in 2010. After a number of loan spells whilst at Vicarage Road he joined Southend United permanently after a loan in August 2013 and went on to make over 100 appearances for the Shrimpers before joining
Interim Manager Jobi McAnuff
Bury in June 2017. After 70 appearances for the Shakers, he moved to Rotherham United in August 2019 before being released and moving to E10.
THE ENGINE ROOM
4. Ousseynou Cissé
Signing for the O’s in July 2020 from Gillingham, the Malian international turned pro for French side in Amiens, after coming through the Paris Saint-Germain Academy. After 36 appearances for Amiens, he moved to Dijon, where he made 93 appearances before joining Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in 2015 who sent him on loan to Belgian team, WaaslandBeveren. He joined Tours in July 2016 before heading across the Channel to join MK Dons where he achieved promotion to League One in 2018/19 season After joining Gillingham in June 2019 and a loan spell with the O’s, the 29-year-old made the permanent switch to E10 ahead of this season.
7. Jobi McAnuff
Having returned to the O’s in July 2017, the 38-year old started his pro career at Wimbledon in 2000 before signing for West Ham United in January 2004 but then Hammers manager, Alan Pardew was forced to sell McAnuff to generate funds for future transfers and he joined Cardiff City in the August. Ever present for the Bluebirds that season, he moved to Crystal Palace in Summer 2015 where he spent two years before
Ouss Cissé
Craig Clay
moving to Watford in June 2017. He joined Reading in August 2009 where he spent five seasons. From there he joined Orient in July 2014 where he spent two years and played 57 times before heading to Stevenage. After one season, the Jamaican international returned to Orient in July 2017.
8. Craig Clay
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Signing for the O’s ahead of the 2017-18 season from Motherwell, the 28-year-old started out at Chesterfield turning pro in June 2010. Loan spells at Barrow and Alfreton Town followed, and after 23 appearances for Chesterfield during the 2012-13 season, he joined York City in May 2013. Following six months there, he had short spells at FC Halifax Town and Worksop Town before signing for Grimsby Town ahead of the 2014-15 season racking 91 total appearances for the Mariners in two seasons. In August 2016 he made the move to Motherwell before joining Orient where he has made around 150 appearances since signing.
11. James Dayton
Joining The O’s in August 2017, the 32-year-old graduated from the Crystal Palace academy. During his time at Palace he had loan spells at Yeovil Town and Crawley Town before signing for Kilmarnock in August 2010. He joined Oldham Athletic in May 2013 and after a loan spell at St Mirren in 2015 signed for Cheltenham Town where he spent two seasons before heading to E10.
15. Dan Kemp
Joining the O’s last month from West Ham, the 22-year-old started at Chelsea at the age of six and spent ten years with The Blues before his move across London to the Hammers in 2015. A regular with West Ham’s U23s side in recent seasons, Kemp spent the latter half of last season on loan at Stevenage, before joining Blackpool in September 2020 on a season-long loan deal from which he was recalled early to make the move to Orient.
21. Brendon Shabani
A product of the O’s Academy, the 19-year-old spent November on loan at Concord Rangers who Town will take on in the FA Trophy final with a date yet to be confirmed.
Conor Wilkinson
26. Hector Kyprianou
With a youth career that started at Tottenham Hotspur in 2011 before moving to the O’s Academy in 2015, the 19-yearold signed his first pro contract in July 2019 after loan spells at Harlow Town, Bishop’s Stortford and Hampton & Richmond. Since then, he has made 16 appearances for the first team including five this term.
28. Nick Freeman
Joining the O’s on loan from Wycombe Wanderers last month for the rest of the season, the 25-year-old, has over 120 total appearances for the Chairboys since joining them in 2016. Before that he played in non-league with Histon, Hemel Hempstead Town and Biggleswade Town.
UP TOP
9. Conor Wilkinson
Joining Orient in June 2019 from Dagenham & Redbridge where he bagged 12 goals in 23 games, the 26-year-old started his career at Bolton Wanderers featuring for The Whites 17 times in a four-year spell. While at Bolton, he had loan spells at Torquay United, Oldham Athletic, Newport County, and Chesterfield before moving to Gillingham in 2017 appearing 50 times for the Gills before signing for the Daggers.
17. Louis Dennis
Signing for the O’s in August 2019 from Portsmouth, the 28-year-old began his career at Dagenham & Redbridge and had a number of loan spells in non-league. He joined Bromley in 2014 and made 157 appearances for the London-side, scoring 47 goals before making the move to Portsmouth in May 2018.
19. Lee Angol
Joining the O’s in July 2019, from Shrewsbury Town, the 25-year-old began his career at Wycombe Wanderers. He had loan spells at Hendon, Maidenhead United and Boreham Wood, before signing for Luton Town in July 2014 and immediately returned to the Wood on loan netting 33 goals in 49 appearances. His next move was to Peterborough United in July 2015 where he made over 50 appearances before joining Mansfield Town in May 2017 and then the Shrews in August 2018.
Danny Johnson 20. Ruel Sotiriou
An O’s academy graduate, the 20-year-old made his debut for the O’s in 2017 before a flurry of non-league loan moves. In May 2018 he signed his first pro contract and has recently had a run of starts in the first team. He has also represented Cyprus at U19 and U21 level.
35. Tristan Abrahams
Signing on loan on deadline day from Newport County for the rest of the season, the 21-yearold began his career in the O’s Academy and after becoming pro in November 2016, moved on loan to Cambridge City. Upon his return to E10, Abrahams was put into the first-team and his performances led to Norwich City purchasing his services. Building up further experience with loans at Exeter City and Yeovil Town, the striker scored five times in 38 appearances across both spells before moving to South Wales in July 2019.
39. Danny Johnson
Joining the O’s in January 2020 from Scottish Championship side Dundee, the 26-yearold forward spent his youth career at Middlesbrough and Hartlepool United before a short spell in Spain with Real Murcia. On his return to England, Johnson joined Harrogate Town on trial in August 2012 in the Conference North but was released after just two substitute appearances and moved to Billingham Synthonia. He then joined Guisborough Town and after an impressive 51 goals in 48 games, secured a move to Cardiff City for the 2013-14 season. Whilst there he had loan spells at Tranmere Rovers in 2014 and at Stevenage in 2015 before joining Gateshead in the National League for the start of 2015-16, hitting double figures in three consecutive seasons. Danny spent 2018-19 in the Scottish Premiership with Motherwell, where he scored six goals in 22 appearances before moving to Dundee in July 2019.
RECENT LINE-UP
v Cheltenham Town (A) L0-1
Saturday, 10 April 2021
