Ten things...
Leyton Orient
1 A cricket club in the Hackney area of London's suburban east-end started a football team. They called it Orient - some believed after a popular takeaway, somewhere between Lea Bridge Road and Dalston Lane.
2 Initially they played in Clapton and believe it or not, were accepted into the expanding Football League with fellow new-comers Chelsea in 1905. Woolwich were their only established London club - or the aforesaid aka, Royal Armaments Factory actually.
3 Meanwhile Southern League side Leyton FC were all along playing at Brisbane Road but ended up heavily in debt. Clapton Orient dropped eventually to a lower division and also got to be broke. Thus; two be skint or not to be skint, that is the question they knew well - so off to Leyton they went.
4 Ironically original Orient had become a nursery club for that long relocated, now mighty Arsenal. Proving it's sometimes a much better move merely to up-sticks and er, move.
5 Leyton Orient were a Third Division South outfit after WW2 and aiming for greater heights. Back in div3 in the sixties, they became plain Orient again but permanently remained just the other side - of those massive marshes and a little bit hackneyed.
6 In the seventies buoyant Orient were in div2 and actually reached an FA Cup semi-final in 1978. They lost 3-0 to, as fate would have it giants Arsenal at - yes that's right, Chelsea's super big ground.
7 In the eighties O's went through div2 yet again - down to div4! Arsenal and Chelsea weren't all that bothered, even though they became LO once more.
8 1994 saw a major financial crisis in London E10 5NF - standing for an east-end fiver is next to no funds. Barry Hearn bought the club exceedingly cheap but with huge debts.
9 So began Orient 2000, a redevelopment plan for the 21st century at Matchroom Stadium - except you need planning permission from local authorities etc. etc. etc.
10 League2 deserve a representative from London, like the power hungry FL acquired over 100 years ago. Who's your money on?
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