Leyton Orient F.C.

Overview

Leyton Orient Football Club, commonly referred to as Orient, is a professional association football club based in Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, England. The team compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1881 as the Glyn Cricket Club, they began playing football as Orient in 1888 and joined the London League in 1896 after success in the Clapton & District League. The club adopted the name Clapton Orient two years later and were elected into the Football League in 1905. Relegated out of the Second Division in 1929, the club adopted the name Leyton Orient after World War II. They won the Third Division South title in 1955–56 and secured promotion out of the Second Division in 1961–62, though were relegated out of the First Division after just one season, and suffered a further relegation in 1966. That summer the club's name changed to Orient F.C. and they went on to win the Third Division under the stewardship of Jimmy Bloomfield in 1969–70. Orient spent the 1970s playing in the second tier, winning two London Challenge Cups and reaching the 1977 Anglo-Scottish Cup final and 1977–78 FA Cup semi-finals, before being relegated in 1982 and again in 1985. In 1987 the club reverted to being Leyton Orient again. They won promotion out of the Fourth Division via the play-offs in 1988–89, though were relegated again in 1995. Orient gained promotion out of League Two with Martin Ling in 2005–06, before Hearn sold the club to Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti, who presided over two relegations in three years under 11 managers, taking the club out of the Football League for the first time in 112 years. Nigel Travis took over running the club in 2017 and appointed Justin Edinburgh as manager, and under this stable leadership the club went on to reach the FA Trophy final and win promotion back into the Football League as champions of the National League in 2018–19. Under manager Richie Wellens, the club was crowned champions of League Two in the 2022–23 campaign. They are the second oldest football club in London to play at a professional level, and are known to their fans by their nickname "the O's". The club's current home colours are all red with white braces. They have played home matches at Brisbane Road since 1937, having previously played at Millfields and Lea Bridge Road. Leyton Orient Football Club Limited is owned by majority shareholders GSG LOFC Limited, headed by David Gandler.