A once proud, noble and historic club could be set to close its doors forever after 20th March 2017. Leyton Orient are due to appear in court on March 20th after HM Revenue and Customs accused the club of having a tax bill in the region of £250,000. The club also owes a considerable amount of money to other organisations. These financial troubles could soon put an end to one of the oldest clubs in English footballing history.
Background
Leyton Orient was formed in 1881 by Glyn Cricket club at that time they were known as ‘Eagle Cricket Club’. By 1888 however, they became known as ‘Orient Football Club’ which has grown into the proud English football club we all know today. The East London Club has a very proud and long history. For example, during WWI, 41 members of the Orient team and staff joined up to fight in the war. This was the highest of any football club and the first team in the country to join up as a group. Orient have also been Division 3 South winners in 1955-56 and Division 3 Champions in 1969-70.
Orient’s most recent success has come in the 2013-14 season. This season saw the O’s finish 3rd in League One, their highest finish since the Football League became League’s One and Two in 2004-05.
However, Leyton Orient has begun to erode after they failed to clinch promotion to the Championship in their 2013-14 season.
Takeover leads to troubling times
After losing 4-3 on penalties to Rotherham United in the 2013-14 League One play-off final Leyton Orient felt crushed. However, nobody felt more crushed than long time owner and fan Barry Hearn. Hearn had bought the club in 1995 and brought the club back from financial ruin. Orient was owned by Tony Wood. However, Wood was dealt a financial blow when his coffee business in Rwanda was ruined due to the horrific Rwandan Genocide. Despite this Hearn managed to stabilise the club and with his support, they managed to go from League Two to being on the cusp of the Championship. But after the final defeat in 2014 Hearn decided to sell up to new owner Francesco Becchetti. Becchetti is an Italian millionaire who made his money in waste management. He purchased the club from Hearn for £4 million.
However, since Becchetti took over, the club has taken a significant fall from grace. In his three years of ownership, Becchetti has sacked eight managers and has overseen the club fall from the top of the pile in League One, all the way down into a relegation scrap in League Two. Orient currently sit 23rd in League Two and are five points away from safety.
Leyton Orient has fallen apart since Becchetti took over and the man himself has served a six-match stadium ban for kicking assistant manager at the time Andy Hessenthaler. To put that into perspective, just imagine Roman Abramovich coming down to the Chelsea dugout during a game and kicking Antonio Conte. The press would lose their minds and Abramovich would certainly have to sell the club. Nonetheless, Becchetti is continuing on. Becchetti has driven the club to such financial ruin that the Orient manager has stated some players are only on £150 a week as they are still on their youth contracts.
The club took a further turn for the worse in the January transfer window when Becchetti decided to sell top scorer, Jay Simpson and Dean Cox. The reason the chairman gave for the selling of these players was ludicrous. He stated they were not performing as they missed him being at the games. It is safe to say that Becchetti has driven the club to ruin. It is clear he has little knowledge of how to run a football club.
Leyton Orient’s financial problem has gotten so bad that for their game against Grimsby on the 11th March, their match programme will contain a measly 16 pages, as opposed to the regular 68.
Furthermore, ex-owner Barry Hearn has even stated he now regrets selling the club. ‘Looking where we are now, I would never have sold if I had thought this was going to happen’. This shows how bad Leyton Orient’s affairs are. It also shows what a terrible owner Becchetti is.
Is there a way out of this mess?
Despite the poor running of the club, many loyal fans are standing by Orient no matter what. However, even the loyalist supporters became tired of Becchetti’s ownership. They held protests in November of last year calling for the Italian to leave the club. Leyton Orient Fans Trust spokesperson Tom Davies stated that they do not see ‘sustainable success’ being achieved under Becchetti’s ownership.
Last week the Leyton Orient fans trust held a meeting in which they set up a fund to save the club. The fun total currently stands at just over £68,000. The initial goal is to reach £250,000. The LOFT has even contacted former owner Barry Hearn in the hopes of securing some support from him.
Current owner Francesco Becchetti is also willing to sell the club if the right offer comes in. According to Chief executive Alessandro Angelieri, an offer has come in but it was not good enough.
One small positive however was Leyton Orient recent 4-0 victory over Newport County. The players and the fans are fighting on and if they continue to get results like that they may stay in the Football League this year.
As for the financial situation, the fans are doing fantastic things having raised over £68,000 already. Their determination will surely attract a suitable owner who wants to save the club. However, the club must still appear in court on March 20th. The club will most likely have to pay the £250,000 tax bill. If Becchetti has any real love for the game and club, he will sell the club to an owner who will actually know how to save the club like Hearn did all those years ago.
Any club having to face this is a horrible thing to see. The footballing world will surely all be supporting Orient in their fight for survival.
Btw, before you go if you do want to help the fans of Leyton Orient, you can do so. Just click here and go to the Go Fund Me page of the Leyton Orient Regeneration Fund. Even if you are not able to donate, please do share and help spread the word around.
