Leyton Orient

As with so many football clubs in England, this one started within a cricket club. That was in 1881, and many of the founders were students at what is now called Homerton College; the club and college still play a friendly every season. They had some different names and locations, finally settling in Leyton and as Orient in the 1930s. Through all this time, they never got to even the second tier of the league pyramid.

As you might imagine, there is no real connection between this East London club and anything Oriental. Apparently this came from the fact that, in the club’s 19th-century early days, a player had a job at the Orient Shipping Company. Who knows how that led to the club’s name, but that is what the club historian says—and he wrote 12 books on the subject.

Their peak came in the 1960s and ’70s, when they actually made the First Division (now called the Premier League) for the 1962-63 season. They finished last, with only six wins and 21 points from 42 games—but they got there. In fact, they were in the second tier (now the Championship) from 1956 to 1982, but they haven’t been back since.

In 1978 they made the FA Cup semifinals, the only time they ever got that far, winning at Norwich and Chelsea along the way; they went out to Arsenal, 3-0, at Stamford Bridge. One nice bit of history for the club is Laurie Cunningham, who started his career at Orient in 1974 and later became the first black footballer to play for England at the senior level. He later played in Spain but was killed in a car crash in Madrid at age 33. As you walk over to the ground, you’ll pass his statue and plaque.

Another historical feature they share with many clubs: financial trouble. Orient were famously sold for £5 in 1995 to promoter Barry Hearn. This is after they went from October 1993 to September 1995 without winning an away game. There is a documentary on YouTube about this called “Club for a Fiver.”

More trouble came in 2014, when Hearn sold the club to an Italian, who got them relegated twice in three years and had 11 managers during the same stretch. Orient were relegated out of League Two—and therefore out of the Football League—in 2017, ending what was London’s second-longest run in the league after Fulham. They were in the fifth-tier National League for two seasons but won it in 2018-19. They also made the FA Trophy final, which they lost. So it was a magical year, but it ended in tragedy, as their 49-year-old manager, Justin Edinburgh, died of cardiac arrest just days after the 2018-19 season ended. They were a mid-table League Two club since then until the 2022-23 season when they were very successful and finished at the top of League Two, earning them a promotion back to League One. Last season they finished sixth there and made the promotion final, but lost it 1-0 to Charlton Athletic.

2024–25 SEASON: 6th in League One , 4th Round FA Cup, 3rd Round League Cup

2025–26 SEASON: League One (promoted in 2023)

Southend United, some 45 miles east on the coast, is a main rival but they are not in the same league this season. Dagenham and Redbridge, somewhat closer, are also considered rivals in the East London derby, but they are below Orient in the National League.

Leyton Orient WFC play in the Greater London Women’s Football League at tier 9. Home games are usually at Whitbreads Sports Ground, located in Woodford, but sometimes at the club’s home ground in Leyton. 

None that we noticed on our visit

Brisbane Road was essentially rebuilt starting in the 1990s, after the Taylor report required many safety upgrades in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster. That was accomplished by 2006, with some of the money raised by selling the corners of the property for residential flats. This leads to a rather unique situation in English football: some of the best seats in the house are people sitting on their private balconies!

Three of the stands are simply named for their location, but the old South Stand is now the Tommy Johnston Stand, named for the club’s all-time leading scorer. Away fans will be in the south end of the East Stand, with the rowdiest home folks in the Johnston Stand.

One odd feature is that the East Stand’s gable reading “Leyton Orient” isn’t centered on the pitch.

TOURS: None

GETTING THERE: Couldn’t be easier: Take the Central Line to Leyton, and when you come out of the station, turn right and cross the A12 highway. After a few minutes, cut left through Coronation Gardens, say hello to Laurie Cunningham, and you’re there.

PUBS: When you come out of the station, instead of going right for the ground, go left about three blocks to the Leyton Star, a friendly little boozer with burgers and wings. On the way to the ground, you’ll pass the bigger and impressive Leyton Engineer in the old town hall. The Coach and Horses at Coronation Gardens looks a nice proper pub.

GRUB: In addition to those pubs, along the high road you’ll find some chains like Pizza Hut and KFC plus the usual assortment of kebabs, pizza, and a peri peri chicken place called Five Lads. Not sure why U.S. burger joint Five Guys is putting up with that name, but locals said it was good.

AROUND THE GROUND: Honestly, unless you’re looking for a (barely) affordable place to live in a cool, rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, the football ground is probably the most interesting thing in Leyton. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is nearby, with gardens, playgrounds, wetlands, and walking paths-but much closer to West Ham’s ground.