2012 a year in the life of a Leyton Orient supporter. Other years: 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 A History of Leyton Orient FC 1965-1974 2017 2018 2019 We started the year a place lower than last years 16th. Not sure of Slade’s game plan with his selection at Stevenage but it worked. Smith played no part in the match, Chicksen made his debut. Butcher; Forbes, Cuthbert, Chorley, Chicksen; McSweeney, Spring, Dawson, Cook (Lisbie 62); Laird; Mooney (Porter 88) Unused subs: Cox, Cureton, Cestor. Cook put us one up after 15 minutes but Chorley managed to get himself sent off just before half time. He reminds me of an albatross, fine in the air but not so good on land. But their sub Aneke lasted only ten minutes before he got sent off. Stevenage have a reputation as a bunch of thugs and their 14 fouls to our eight seems to prove that. Spring appeared to be their main target. They failed to have one shot on target according to the BBC. Up to 15th in the table. Whatever Slade got right in Stevenage he got wrong in Carlisle. Fielding: 12. Lee Butcher, 5. Scott Cuthbert, 6. Terrell Forbes, 8. Stephen Dawson (capt), 9. Kevin Lisbie, 11. Adam Chicksen, 14. Leon McSweeney, 16. Matthew Spring, 17. Marc Laird, 21. Lee Cook, 39. David Mooney, Subs: 7. Dean Cox, 10. Jamie Cureton, 15. George Porter, 19. Mike Cestor, 20. JImmy Smith we went one down in a minute, then Cuthbert handled the ball (he was booked for descent) on 30 minutes and went two down from the free kick and three down seven minutes later from the inevitable long kick. Dawson was replaced by Smith after 20 minutes which may not have helped. We drew the second half 1-1 with Cureton (on for Mooney on 77) breaking his scoring duck with a header. Cox came on for Laird to give him 28 minutes of match practice. We dropped a place to 16th, ten points from a playoff place. Slade called the first half disgusting. We only had one shot on target. How would we fare in the next game, at home to bottom of the division Chesterfield? Odubajo joined Sutton on loan whilst Cestor went back to Woking. Lovelock joined Farnborough now that Jones was nearing fitness. Slade got busy by getting two defenders on contracts till the end of the season. Former Derby County defender Dean Leacock who had not played for the Rams this season plus Syam Ben Youssef. Yousseff a Marseille-born centre back spent the last two seasons with Tunis-based side Espérance where he won the league title twice as well as the CAF African Champions League. This because Dawson would be out for six weeks and Chorley for another two matches. Slade chose Cox over Laird as the only change. Butcher; McSweeney, Forbes, Cuthbert, Chicksen; Spring; Smith, Cox, Cook (Laird 68); Mooney (Cureton 84), Lisbie (Téhoué 75) Subs: Ben Youssef, Porter. Mooney found Cook on the wing and poked home his cross on 42 mins but the Spirities got one for the draw. Up a place to 15th. Next match is at Preston who have a new manager and are three points above us. It was due to be Cook’s last game for us on loan but though he had been thinking about extending his loan he now had a new manager at QPR following the sacking of Warnock. Slade played the same team but with Leacock replacing Chicksen and Laird for the injured Cook. Butcher; McSweeney, Forbes, Cuthbert, Spring; Smith, Cox, Laird, Leacock, Mooney, Lisbie (Téhoué 89). Subs: Jones, Ben Youssef, Porter, Cureton and Téhoué. The first half was goalless but on 67 minutes Marc Laird curled a shot past Thorsten Stuckmann from 20 yards. Ten minutes from time Jimmy Smith added the visitors' second from close range after collecting Dean Cox's looping cross. Twelve from top on 35 points with a play off place seven points away. Colchester at home were next. They had 33 points having just been turned over by Chesterfield. Billy Lobjoit joined Boreham Wood and scored two goals on his debut against Weston-Super-Mare. John Martin joined Harlow Town. We turned down a bid for Dawson from Barnsley. Slade reportedly had meetings with those players who were out of contract that he wanted to keep. They were reported to be Cox, Porter and Dawson. Cox duly signed a three and a half extension. Dawson, out injured must have fancied his chances elsewhere as Slade got Soloman Taiwo on loan till the end of the season from Cardiff. He had been signed from Dagenham in August 2009 for an estimated £250,000 but only started three games for them. Taiwo, who started his career at Millwall, struggled in his first few games for Dagenham and Redbridge as he was sent-off in successive games during the 2007/08 season. Against Colchester Slade fielded the same team but a Forbes own goal after 28 minutes was enough to give the U’s all the points. Butcher; Forbes, Cuthbert, Leacock, McSweeney; Smith (Porter 64), Laird, Spring, Cox; Lisbie (Téhoué 78), Mooney (Cureton 64). Subs: Chorley, Chicksen. Dawson signed for Barnsley after they improved their offer to a six figure fee. Away to Oldham who are three points below us next. Tommy Carroll went to Derby on loan. Luke Gutteridge left Aldershot for bottom team Northampton. Darren Purse is now playing for Plymouth. We were unable to extend Chicksen’s loan from MK Dons. 16 parties registered interest in the Olympic Stadium. The Oldham game was postponed due to a frozen pitch. Ex O Harry Baker joined Welling from Dover whist Welling also signed O’s goalkeeper Yilmaz Aksoy. Welling are third in their Blue Square South league where Locke Pires has scored nine goals. They are 14 points below top team Working who have Mike Cestor, Derek Duncan and Wayne Gray (8 goals) helping them to be there. The home match to Huddersfield was also postponed due to a frozen pitch. Inspected on Friday night when most of the pitch was playable a second inspection at 9.30 Saturday it was deemed unplayable due no doubt to -10 temperatures during the night. Certainly my milk delivered at 4am had escaped and was frozen to the outside of the bottle. Maybe more luck at Bournemouth on Tuesday/? Slade solved his left back problem for the rest of the season by signing Southampton’s Ryan Dickson on loan. Cestor extended his stay at Woking. Team against the Cherries:12. Lee Butcher, 3. Ryan Dickson, 5. Scott Cuthbert, 6. Terrell Forbes, 7. Dean Cox, 9. Kevin Lisbie, 16. Matthew Spring (capt), 17. Marc Laird, 18. Jonathan Téhoué, 20. Jimmy Smith, 26. Dean Leacock. Subs: 4. Ben Chorley, 10. Jamie Cureton, 14. Leon McSweeney, 15. George Porter, 21. Solomon Taiwo. Mooney was injured. Lisbie put us one up on 17 minutes only for Pugh to pull one back on 34. On 74 minutes Téhoué crossed the ball for Smith to score a headed goal from close in. Subs Tehoue (Porter - 82' ) Spring (Chorley - 87' ) Porter had already been fouled twice. Butcher, Forbes, Cuthbert, Laird and Spring all picked up bookings. Still 15th in the table on 38 points with Hartlepool. Ten point from a play off place and 12 from a relegation spot which are currently occupied by Wycombe, Walsall, Chesterfield and Rochdale. Next up is home to Scunthorpe who have just beaten bottom placed Rochdale. But it still makes them five from bottom. More clubs in trouble. Glasgow Rangers went into administration owing the taxman £50m. Portsmouth owed them £1.9m Martin Ling was made manger of the month for League Two after seven successive wins to take Torquay third in the table. Never change a winning team. Slade did swapping Forbes and Laird for McSweeney and Taiwo. Subs Chorley 90 for Butcher, Forbes, Porter 67 for Taiwo, Laird, Mooney 82 for Lisbie. Though Téhoué put us in the lead from a cross by Cox we lost by our favourite margin 3-1. Butcher was the fourth goalkeeper injured this season and will miss the rest of the season. Cuthbert took over between the sticks but the damage had already been done. I thought McSweeney was at fault for their first two goals. Butcher dropped the ball for the third. Slade took full responsibility for the defeat. Still 15th in the table but 10 points from a relegation place and ten from a play off place. Bury, a point above us were our next opponents in Lancashire. In the managerial merry go round Hudderfield sacked manager Lee Clarke and replaced him with Grayson who had just been sacked at Leeds whilst Notts County sacked Martin Allen and replaced him with Keith Curle who was sacked along with manager Warnock (now with Leeds) at QPR. Also appointed at County was Colin West as a coach. Jones must have failed a fitness test on his wrist as Slade got Czech (nine caps at U21) goalie Marek Štěch from West Ham. Slade put McSweeney and Taiwo back on the bench and bought in Chorley and Forbes. Štěch; Forbes, Chorley, Cuthbert, Dickson; Smith, Leacock, Spring, Cox; Lisbie, Téhoué (Porter 74) Subs: McSweeney, Laird, Taiwo, Mooney. Spring scored from outside the box to put us in the lead on 27 minutes but the pressure was too great to maintain and Bury got the draw. Poor defending from Dickson from what I saw from the BBC. MOSES ODUBAJO made his debut for new loan club Bishop's Stortford in their 1-0 victory over Altrincham. Odubajo, who recently returned from a loan at Sutton United, has linked up with Stortford for a month. Mike Cestor has been named in the Democratic Republic of Congo Under-19s squad for the Tournoi International de Rezé in France later this week. Next up is home to Walsall. Slade allowed Cureton to go back to Exeter for the remainder of the season and to sort out his admitted goal scoring problem signed 25 year-old Calvin Andrew from Palace on loan for the season. But according to soccerbase.com his goal rate in 0.07goals per game i.e. in 62(80) appearances he has scored 11 goals. What makes Slade thinks he can get him to score more? The Yeovil website announced the death of Stan Earl who made 33 appearances for us to November 1956. Hopeless is what we were against Walsall. Team:Štěch, Forbes, Cuthbert, Chorley, Dickson (Taiwo 7); Smith, Leacock, Spring, Cox; Téhoué (Laird 46), Lisbie (Andrew 66). Subs: Porter, Mooney. Dickson went off injured which didn’t help. Cox put us in front after Lisbie lay on their goalie but Taiwo (hopeless) got sent off five minutes later. Smith contrived to shoot straight at their goalie when it was easier to score. Five minutes into added time they equalised. What Štěch (hopeless) was doing coming out from a corner when he could have saved the header. I was not happy with him. His distribution was hopeless with balls going out of played and kicked far to hard beyond the forwards. Throwing the ball out is not a skill he has yet acquired. Don’t know why Slade got Taiwo as he has only played 66(17) league game scoring four goals at 0.04 a game. Slade was to appeal against the red card, good luck with that! Referee Andy D’Urso? Hopeless. No Ryan Jarvis for Walsall, he was on loan with Martin Ling’s Torquay and came on after 23 mins. Chambers injured? Two points from three games is not play off place form and we are now 16th in the table, 12 from sixth place but more worrying seven from relegation. Wycombe is next on Tuesday night and they are bottom. On the manager merry go round Chelsea sacked their manager so did Tranmere and Sheffield Wednesday. Wycombe were beaten 4-1 at the weekend so shouldn’t be that hard should it? Dickson was out injured, Taiwo suspended and Štěch was also injured. We loaned Paul Rachubka from Leeds for a month. Allegedly Téhoué had a bust up with Slade after the Bury match and so did not play. He was reported to linked with a move to Swindon. He would be out of contract in the summer. We lost the first half 4-0 but won the second half 0-2 thanks to Spring and Laird. Team: Rachukba; Forbes, Leacock (Ben Youssef 31), Chorley, McSweeney; Smith, Spring (Porter 68), Laird, Cox; Andrew, Lisbie. Subs: Lobjoit, Lovelock (GK) Mooney. Leacock did not look happy at his substitution. and the new goalie at fault for some of the goals (first through his hands from a cross from full back Forbe’s side of the park). Despite needing a set of backs Slade signed three midfield players on loan for the rest of the season and Téhoué joined Swindon on loan. Jamal Campbell-Ryce played for us nine years ago. Adam Reed joins us from Sunderland and Jamie Smith is a free transfer from Brighton where he was released and where Slade knew him from. Campbell- Ryce’s league career 235 (48)apps 18 goals. Adam Reed 12 (3) apps (on loan to Brentford and Bradford and never played in a Sunderland first team match) no goals and his four appearances this season for Bradford has yielded two yellow cards. Jamie Smith never made it with Crystal Palace (where he had been since nine) and only played 4(6) apps for Brighton before being released in January. Not liable to be fit then? So between them no solution to our goal scoring nor our full back problem? Facts: Chorley has featured in the last four games and we have only picked up two points. The last time Andrew scored a goal was 20 th September last year and he played on loan for Slade at Grimsby and Brighton. Ryce-Campbell’s last goal was 7 th May 2011. We cannot beat the bottom placed club how about a club five from bottom who have just sacked their manager? We are 16 th and five points from Tranmere. No. We lost 2-0. Rachukba flapped at another cross to give away the first goal and McSweeney tackled thin air to allow a cross to the far post for the forward to waltz past the defence. Rachubka; Ben Youssef, Forbes, Chorley, McSweeney; Jimmy Smith (Laird 77); Mooney, Spring, Reed, Campbell-Ryce (Porter 46); Andrew Subs: Cestor, Lovelock (GK), Jamie Smith. We were still 6 points from a relegation place but now 19th. Could we win our first match of the year against Brentford? One player we didn’t want to turn out was Gary Alexander whose 14 goals had helped the Bees into tenth place. Luckily he was on loan to Crawley. Fielding Rachubka; Forbes, Cuthbert, Chorley, McSweeney; Reed, Spring; Jimmy Smith, Campbell-Ryce (Mooney 73), Cox; Lisbie (Ben Youssef 89). Subs: Laird, Lovelock (GK), Jamie Smith we beat them 2-0. A goal identical to that scored by Téhoué against Scunthorpe put us in the lead on the half hour, for Téhoué read Lisbie. Jimmy Smith scored his seventh goal of the season to seal the three points though Rachubka did his best to give the Bees a point allowing a soft ball to hit his chest but the Brentford forward inexplicably shot wide of the open goal. Back up to 15th. Alexander scored two goals for Crawley. Back up to 15 th . MK Dons away was next and they were fifth in the table and likely to be at least to be in the playoffs. Above them were Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United and Huddersfield. Contending the last place nine points behind the Dons on 57 points were Carlisle, with Stevenage and Notts County both on 56 with Colchester on 51. We lost by our favourite away score 4-1. Lisbie got the goal and Jabbo scored one of theirs. Team: 28. Paul Rachubka, 4. Ben Chorley, 5. Scott Cuthbert, 6. Terrell Forbes, 7. Dean Cox, 8. Adam Reed, 9. Kevin Lisbie, 14. Leon McSweeney, 16. Matthew Spring (capt), 20. Jimmy Smith, 29. Jamal Campbell-Ryce. Subs: 2. Syam Ben Youssef, 11. Calvin Andrew, 17. Marc Laird, 21. Solomon Taiwo, 39. David Mooney. Down to 17 th but more alarmingly on four points from a relegation place and we have some tough games left. Next up was Sheffield Wednesday (H), Oldham (A) Charlton (A) Huddersfield (H), Notts County (H) Exeter (A) Sheffield United (A) Yeovil (H) Hartlepool (A) Rochdale (H). The East London Advertiser diplomatically said Rachubka would have been disappointed with two of the goals whilst someone in the clubroom said he was a fault for three. So if we cannot beat the teams at the top or those at the bottom i.e. beneath us in the table, Bury, Wycombe, Walsall, Rochdale, Exeter and Chesterfield then maybe we can beat Oldham, Yeovil and Hartlepool? We lost 0-1 to Wednesday fielding the same team as at Milton Keynes except Leacock replaced Spring. Subs were the same except Porter replaced Taiwo and came on for Reed on 66, Laird for Leacock on 79 and Andrew for Campbell-Ryce on 87. Wednesday had 60% of the play and 20 shots at goal to our six according to the BBC website. Next were Oldham on Tuesday night. Jarvis came off the bench to score the winner for Torquay whilst Alexander got a penalty for Crawley in their win. Cox, Campbell-Ryce, Cuthbert and McSweeney were out through injury/illness but Dickson and Spring returned. Rachubka; Forbes, Chorley, Leacock, Dickson; Mooney, Spring, Reed, Smith, Porter; Lisbie were picked to play with Subs: Ben Youssef, Andrew, Laird, Taiwo, Lovelock. We won 0-1 thanks to a 70 th goal from Mooney who heaped praise on Porter for all his hard work. Back to 17 th with six points between us and a relegation place. Teams at the top continued to flounder as Charlton’s 17 point lead was now down to nine, MK Dons lost to Carlisle and Stevenage could only draw against Bournemouth. “I knew this team was going places” said Daniels after a few games for the Cherries. Possibly so Charlie but not this season and not with the manager that signed you because he has just been sacked. One player who would not be turning out at the Valley on Saturday was Dickson who was sent off for a second bookable offence at Oldham. QPR had loaned Cook to Charlton. Cestor was loaned out to Woking again. Téhoué was told he had no future at Swindon. Carlisle looked like securing the last play off place being four points ahead of Notts County. Orient withdrew their bid for the Olympic Stadium. Fielding Rachubka; Cuthbert (Ben Youssef 32), Chorley, Leacock, Forbes; Jimmy Smith; Porter (Andrew 82), Spring, Reed, Mooney (Cox 71); Lisbie, subs: Laird, Taiwo, we went one down after seven minutes and another eight minutes from time. Booked: Ben Youssef, Smith, Leacock, Forbes, Reed. Cuthbert went off with a hamstring injury. Huddersfield are in fourth place. Team 28. Paul Rachubka, 3. Ryan Dickson, 4. Ben Chorley, 6. Terrell Forbes, 7. Dean Cox, 15. George Porter, 16. Matthew Spring (capt), 17. Marc Laird, 20. Jimmy Smith, 26. Dean Leacock, 39. David Mooney. Subs: 2. Syam Ben Youssef, 8. Adam Reed, 9. Kevin Lisbie, 11. Calvin Andrew, 21. Solomon Taiwo. We went a goal up on 14 minutes from Spring but four minutes later Smith put through his own net. Rhodes is the divisions top scorer and he got another two. Lisbie replaced Laird on 57 and Andrew Mooney on 83. If we started the season without a win in ten could we do the same with the last ten games? Notts County were next and they were in seventh place but four points behind a play off place which Carlisle are currently in. We were now in 19 th place five points from relegation. For me Chesterfield, Rochdale and Exeter are down because there are six points between them and the last place currently held by Wycombe on 41 points. Walsall are above them on 43 then us on 46. Cuthbert (hamstring) would be out for the rest of the season along with Butcher (knee). Campbell-Ryce (ankle) and McSweeney (calf) are still injured. I can only assume that Marek Štěch has returned to West Ham as there is no mention of him on the Orient website. Jones returned for the visit of Notts County making it eight players behind the sticks for the season. We lost 0-3. His other team mates were Leacock, Chorley, Forbes, Dickson; Jimmy Smith (Taiwo 71), Spring, Reed, Cox (Porter 78); Mooney, Lisbie. Subs: Ben Youssef, Andrew, Rachubka (GK). We lost by the same margin at Exeter where the culprits were Jones; Ben Youssef, Chorley, Leacock, Dickson; Spring; Mooney (Jamie Smith 85), Reed, Laird (Porter 64), Cox; Lisbie (Andrew 74). Subs: Taiwo, Rachubka (GK). Forbes was injured. Smith had an operation on his cheekbone and would miss the trip to Sheffield United who were second in the table. Campbell-Ryce returned to training and Rachubka had his loan extended to the end of the season. Of the teams around us Wycombe had the hardest fixtures for the four remaining games against three top of the table teams whilst the rest (including us) had only one. Andy Scott was sacked and replaced with Crawley’s Steve Evans who took ex O Paul Raynor with him. Players leaving the O’s have not had any luck with their new managers. Scott McGleish lost his manager in early January (Paul Buckle is now at Luton and Scott is on loan at Barnet). Daniels (Bournemouth, Revell (Rotherham) and now Alexander (Crawley) have all signed for managers that have been sacked/left. What chance of Hill at Dawson’s Barnsley? We lost 3-1 at Sheffield despite going a goal up through Lisbie. Dickson was sent off on 60 mins but we were 2-1 down by then. 1. Jamie Jones, 2. Syam Ben Youssef, 3. Ryan Dickson, 4. Ben Chorley, 6. Terrell Forbes, 7. Dean Cox, 9. Kevin Lisbie, 16. Matthew Spring (capt Reed 81), 21. Solomon Taiwo (Campbell-Ryce 58), 26. Dean Leacock, 39. David Mooney (Porter 81). Subs: 8. Adam Reed, 11. Calvin Andrew, 15. George Porter, 17. Marc Laird, 29. Jamal Campbell-Ryce. Wycombe got a point to close the gap to three points but Walsall also failed to get any points at home to Tranmere. We both had 16 points. Our next game was at home to Yeovil who had just lost 0-6 at home to Stevenage whilst Walsall were away at Exeter who lost at Rochdale. Against Yeovil Slade fielded 1. Jamie Jones, 2. Syam Ben Youssef, 4. Ben Chorley, 6. Terrell Forbes, 7. Dean Cox, 8. Adam Reed, 9. Kevin Lisbie, 14. Leon McSweeney, 16. Matthew Spring (capt), 26. Dean Leacock, 29. Jamal Campbell-Ryce. Subs: 11. Calvin Andrew, 15. George Porter, 20. Jimmy Smith, 21. Solomon Taiwo, 39. David Mooney. Lisbie scored our first following a cross from Cox and got another in the second half thanks to some good work by Campbell-Ryce but with eight minutes left we let in two goals. Some woeful defending and any one of three unmarked players could have scored their equaliser. Chorley spent some effort on appealing for non existent offsides. We went to Hartlepool wanting something from the game just in case Wycombe got something from their home match against Notts County. We got nothing but neither did they though they only lost the match in extra time. We stayed up, they went down along with Exeter, Chesterfield and Rochdale, our last opponents for the season. Campbell-Ryce gave us the equaliser but their winner came after 73 minutes. The team was 1. Jamie Jones, 2. Syam Ben Youssef, 4. Ben Chorley, 6. Terrell Forbes, 7. Dean Cox, 8. Adam Reed, 9. Kevin Lisbie, 14. Leon McSweeney, 16. Matthew Spring (capt), 19. Jimmy Smith. 29 Jamal Campbell-Ryce. Subs: 11. Calvin Andrew, 15. George Porter (Cox 76), 20 . Mike Cestor, 19. Solomon Taiwo, 39. David Mooney (Smith 87). Our problem has been the lack of recognised full backs. Omozusi only played 11 games so we were without a back for 35. Daniels played 18 with another 16 played by left backs Chicksen, Dickson and Craig so again the back position was unfilled in 12 matches. Has every player had a fair crack of the whip? Don’t think that Porter has or Cestor, Laird?. Mooney has been played out of position yet still managed to get a few goals. Out of contract are Spring, Porter, Cestor and Forbes. Of the loanees most are forgettable. I didn’t rate any of the goalies so why wasn’t Lovelock on the bench just it case. If Dickson was hoping for a contract from Slade I suspect he has blown it. Apart from Cook, Chicksen, Campbell-Ryce(?) and Craig much of the rest were no hopers without much in the way of league games and some (Clarke, Richardson and Reed) may never play much for their clubs. Of the short term contract players, Leacock may be offered something but seems a bit slow and injury prone. He has played 14 but missed 4? and picked up five yellow cards. Ben Youssef could be offered something though not as a fullback. Can’t see Jamie Smith staying. Don’t really see any of the loanees being offered a contract should they be available. Chorley is the one that worries me. Of the 31 games he played we only picked up 23 points. I can see that Slade’s problem is the same for most managers in Leagues One and Two, not a big squad and the only players they can afford are players without much league experience and it is not likely that teams in these leagues have players available because of their small squads. Swindon and Shrewsbury were promoted to League One and Portsmouth, Coventry and Doncaster demoted to League One. Other places were between Crawley, Torquay and Southend for automatic promotion and the same three plus Cheltenham and Crewe with Oxford an outside chance if they win and Crewe loose in the final games. Billy Lobjoit was offered a year’s contract as a professional but all the other youth players were released. Campbell- Ryce was to be released by Bristol City so we were told. See above, from 31 games Chorley helped us win 23 points. Cuthbert gave us 41 points from 33 whilst Forbes 45 from 38 games. If Slade is looking for a scapegoat then I have one. The last game of a long and trying season against relegated Rochdale. Orient: Jones; Ben Youssef, Chorley, Leacock, McSweeney, Odubajo, Jimmy Smith, Spring, Cox; Campbell-Ryce, Lisbie. Subs: Forbes, Porter, Laird, Lobjoit, Obafemi. On 32 minutes Cox put us into the lead and nine minutes later Odubajo playing at right back took the ball forward 20 yards before unleashing a left foot shot high into the net. He had tried it ten minutes earlier without success. Lobjoit replaced Campbell-Ryce on 69 minutes to make it 39 players for the season. Forbes replaced Obefemi to rapturous applause on 85. Lisbie was replaced a minute later by the youth teams Obafemi to make it 40 players for the season to rival 1999/2000 (Tommy Taylor) and 1996/1997 (Pat Holland/Tommy Cunningham and Glen Cockerill plus Tommy Taylor). Can you name them? 1999/2000 Ansah, Arnott, Atkin, Ayorinde, Baker, Caldwell, Castle, Channing, Chapman, Clapham, Fortune-West, Garland, Griffiths, Hanson, Heidenstrom, Hendon, Hodges, Howes, Hyde, Inglethorpe, Joseph, Kelly, Ling, Martin, Martin, McCarthy, McGleish, Morrison, Naylor, Riches, Sealey, Shearer, Shilton, Timons, Warren, Weaver, West, Whyte, Wilkins, Winston. 1996/7 Ampadu, Barrett, Bayes, Bealle, Berkovic, Canham, Carter, Christie, Clark, Curran, Downer, Gough, Gould, Griffiths, Harris, Hicks, Hockton, Holligan, Ibehre, Inglethorpe, Joseph Matt, Joseph Roger, Ling, Lockwood, Low, Martin, McElholm, McGhee, Mclean, Morrision, Murray, Parsons, Richards, Rowbotham,Shorey, Simba, Smith, Walschaerts, Watts,Webb. Sheffield Wednesday were promoted to leave Sheffield United, MK Dons, Huddersfield and Stevenage to fight for the last place. Below us Crawley took the last automatic promotion place. Torquay, Southend, Cheltenham and Crewe were up for the last place. Hereford and Macclesfield left the league. The Orient website mourned the passing of supporter Graham Ballard. I knew him and his brother Ron. Leeds United placed Paul Rachubka on the transfer list. No surprise there then. Daryl McMahon was at Boreham wood before signing for Eastleigh in Jan 2012. Northampton have told Jason Crowe that he has no future there. Craig Easton is on trial at Torquay. Paul Connor is now at Gainsborough Trinity. Scott Fitzgerald plays for Hemel Hempstead Town. Joe Dolan was relishing the challenge of keeping Havant & Waterlooville in the Blue Square Bet South. The central defender had no hesitation in making the move to Westleigh Park from rivals Staines. First team coach Barry Lakin has called time on his job at Ryman League Division One North side Heybridge Swifts. Blue Square Bet North club Boston United have parted company with experienced striker Leon Constantine. None of my predictions for relegation last season were right and I only got one right for promotion. Last year we were in seventh place those below use were Exeter and Rochdale who were both relegated and we were serious contenders! The only two teams with a worse goal difference than us were relegated! Martin Ling thought many had got Barry Hearn wrong. The BBC had a 50 minute programme about him narrated by Sir David Jason tonight (May 6) on BB2. BBC’s The Football League Show commented that we had used ten left backs through injury. Not true. We may well have used ten players at left back but not ten left backs, and few through injury. Slade didn’t replace Daniels when he was suspended for three matches. He replaced him with Craig for three matches when Daniels left then Chicksen for four matches although Slade left him on the bench against Colchester. For the rest of the season he got Dickson but lost him through injury for five and red cards for another four. Timetable MAY 8 th Slade did not offer Leacock a further contract said an unofficial Tweet. Stuart Nelson was released by Notts County. 12 th Finally we signed a left back. Gary Sawyer joined the club from Bristol Rovers on a two year deal. Sawyer has played most of his games in the West Country having played for Bristol City, Exeter and Plymouth. The 26 year-old has started 203 league games scoring seven goals. Scott Cuthbert was named as Player of the Year. 14 th Lovelock, Cestor and Jamie Smith were told they would not be offered new contracts. We were reported to be interested in Anthony Griffth a 25 year-old midfielder out of contract at Port Vale. But so were Shrewsbury, Northampton and Bradford. He has started 217 league games after being at Doncaster, Stafford, Darlington, Oxford and Halifax. He was away on holiday and Port Vale are keen to keep him. Mark Stimson is the new manager at Thurrock. Barry Lakin is AFC Sudbury's first team assistant manager, as well as their coach. 19 th Forbes, Cureton and Tehoue were told they would not be offered new contracts. Odubajo was offered a year- long contract. We awaited news on Leacock, Spring and Ben Youssef whilst Porter was still to decide whether to sign his contract. Away friendlies have been arranged against Sutton United on Wednesday July 18 - and that’s followed by matches at Ebbsfleet on Saturday July 21 and Maidstone United on Wednesday August 8. Slade wants his team back in training by the first week in July, seven weeks before the season starts. We signed Griffith on a two year deal with another year option. Russ, do us a favour and sign a right back. If you are thinking of playing McSweeney or Moses in that position then don’t. Neither are good enough and neither are right backs. In the fight to get out of/into League One Sheffield United will play Huddersfield and Cheltenham will play Crewe. The distances between the top club and those in seventh place are high to say the least. In the Premier it’s 33 and the rest of the league 19, 28 and 21 points, Fleetwood and York were promoted to the League they were 22 points apart. Scott McGleish was released by Bristol Rovers. Cook was not offered another contract at QPR. 27 th Slade targeted a striker with Revell, Cureton and Tehoue no longer at the club. He’d forgot Porter who had refused to sign a contract. Maybe someone should remind Porter and his agent that Orient is the last stop hotel. Not many players go on to have a successful career once leaving. I remember Christie and Minton refusing to sign contracts but neither realised the O’s were one of the leagues top payers. Christie went to Mansfield whilst Minton never played league football again. Also players have to realise there is a wage cap as all League One clubs can only spend 65% of their turnover on wages. Watch those teams with sugar daddies get around that one. We were to play Crewe next year after they beat Cheltenham whilst we said farewell to Huddersfield who beat Sheffield United on penalties. JUNE 13 th Not much news on the Orient front but plenty on old players. Forbes joined Chesterfield on a year deal and we were linked with yet another midfielder in the form of 22 year-old Arnaud Mendy from Macclesfield. Mark Stimson is at Thurrock, Scott Barrett is his assistant. Simon Clark has been Worksop Town manager since October 2011. Luke Ashworth has left Blue Square Bet North club FC Halifax Town. Josh Low was released by Cheltenham and has joined Bath. James Scowcroft has agreed to join the coaching staff at Ryman League Premier Division club Bury Town as first team coach for the forthcoming season. Nicky Adams joined Crawley. JUNE 18 th Out came the fixtures and our first game was at Tranmere. Fixtures for the Championship and leagues One and Two are here. In the League Cup we are away to Charlton on 14 th August. JUNE 29 th Slade was reported to be close to two signings. Seems lots of players (including Leacock, Spring and Ben Youseff) had contracts until 30 th June. Leacock joined Notts County whilst Moses Odubajo signed a new one-year deal with the club. Martin Ling signed Easton for Torquay. He was released from Dunfermline in January. The two signings were Bournemouth’s Mathieu Baudry and Michael Symes on two year deals. French born Baudry has only played 17 league games at centre back. Six for the Cherries and 11 on loan at Dagenham scoring one goal while Symes has amassed 135(65) scoring 48 goals for Rochdale, Bournemouth, Accrington, Macclesfield, Shrewsbury, Stockport (no goals for them), Bradford, Crewe. Looks like another season without a recognised right back. JULY 3 rd Spring joined Wycombe and Porter Burnley whilst Campbell-Ryce went to Notts County. JULY 23 rd The twenty day gap is not because nothing is happening but because I went on holiday to Benidorm. Last time I was there was in the 1970’s when the O’s played there. 60.8% of adults in the UK are obese but take away anyone up to the age of 22 and I reckon it would be nearer 90% judging from what I saw. I have never seen so many fat people in my life. Heart attacks on legs. It did not help that it was an all inclusive hotel. Chips available at every meal including breakfast. The gluttons could not even wait to return to their table before helping themselves and their children followed their parents lead. One woman (her daughter was a dead ringer for mum) reminded me of Disney’s Madam Mim (from TH White’s Sword in the Stone). Tattoos. Hundreds of them and none a pretty site. Remember ladies that the sleek tiger tattooed on your back when you was 22 and 9st will look like a Cheshire Cat in ten years time. Manners? Did not seem to exist. Boys as well as their fathers (who should know better) sat at the dining table in their caps. Anyway goalkeeper Ryan Allsop signed a six month deal as cover for Butcher. The 20-year- old spent last season at Millwall joining them from WBA a year ago and has also represented England Under-17s. Another Ryan, Brunt was signed from Stoke City on a loan to January 5 th . The 19-year-old forward spent last season loaned to Tranmere and was also loaned to Luton and Nantwich. Centre back Nathan Clark (28) signed a two year deal from Huddersfield and his brother Tom was with us last season. Midfielder Lloyd James also signed a two year deal from Colchester. The 24-year-old started his career with Southampton and is a former Wales Under-21 international. We beat Sutton 3-5 for whom Tom Lovelock turned out but lost 1-0 at Ebbsfleet. Jason Crowe signed for Corby Town. August 6 th We lost friendlies at Dartford and Luton 1-0 but managed to beat QPR thanks to a penalty from Mooney and a goal from Cox. Slade said he was “over the moon” that we could now have seven substitutes again. Don’t know why he barely used the young players though to be honest we were struggling for most of the season. Slade also commented that there was unlikely to be any further signings. Since July last year we have lost 11 players in Omozusi, Revell, Daniels, Dawson, Cureton, Tehoue, Lovelock, Cestor, Spring, Porter and Forbes and signed only eight, seven if you count the two players (Brunt and Allsop) on six month contracts. This is no doubt to make up the reported £400,000 shortfall because of the 65% cap on wages? Ex O’s in the news at Woking were Loick Pires who joined them. Wayne Gray has left them. Derek Duncan joined Maidenhead United from Woking. James Walker after playing for Woking and Dover Athletic has joined Eastbourne Borough. Elsewhere Geraint Williams was named as the Wales U-21 manager. Kane Shepherd a former trainee signed a one year contract for Braintree having scored five times in three friendlies. Nicky Shorey rejoined for Reading. Stuart Nelson joined Gillingham. Lee Barnard and Ryan Dickson were told they were no longer wanted at Southampton. Barnsley have signed former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Ben Alnwick on a two-year deal. Alnwick, was released by Spurs at the end of last season after five and a half years at White Hart Lane where he only started one match. Clubs in trouble? Port Vale are still in administration, Portsmouth need to rid themselves of all their players and Glasgow Rangers owe £40-90m. August 8 th We lost 2-1 at Maidenhead where in a young side (Jon Miles; Leon McSweeney, Johannes Ertl, Sean Grace, Joe Foley; Harrison Georgiou (Kevin Kwartang 71), Marc Laird, Moses Odubajo, Elyon Egbeku (Rob Nash 71); Affy Obafemi, Billy Lobjoit) Affy Obafemi scored our goal. Things I missed earlier. In Benidorm the use of Madge mobiles was not exculsively for the use of the infirm or lame but more a method of getting the fat and lazy down to the beach. The death was announced of Eddie Brown. He scored 29 goals for use between 1959-61. The number of players joining since last July was eight not seven as I had forgotten Lisbie though I have to say that if the lost of three players makes up the shortfall of £400,000 then the players are vastly overpaid if they are on anything like £100,000 pa. August 14 th The season started with the league cup match at Charlton. We went a go down after 28 minutes before Baudry headed us level on 45 minutes. Chorley was the man I loved to hate last season and he may well take on the same mantel again. But he had not been picked to start. Team: 16. Ryan Allsop, 3. Gary Sawyer, 5. Scott Cuthbert, 6. Mathieu Baudry, 7. Dean Cox, 8. Anthony Griffith, 9. Kevin Lisbie (Brunt 83) , 11. Jimmy Smith, 15. Nathan Clarke (capt), 23. Lloyd James, 39. David Mooney. Subs: 2. Leon McSweeney, 4. Ben Chorley, 10. Michael Symes, 14. Marc Laird, 17. Moses Odubajo, 19. Charlie Grainger (GK), 26. Ryan Brunt. It went to extra time and Chorley joined fray on 96 minutes replacing Clarke and was booked eight minutes later for unsporting behaviour. Also booked were Sawyer, James and Symes who had replaced Mooney on 64 after he had missed a penalty. It went to penalties and Chorley duly missed. Luckily so did Charlton and we went through 3-4. Everon away in the next round. Elsewhere, Dawson did not figure in Barnsley’s (neither did Cureton for Exeter, Porter for Burnley or Leacock and Campbell-Ryce for Notts) 3-4 defeat of Rochdale and Alnwick was sent off for head butting. And so to the league where our first match is away to Tranmere who had just dumped Chesterfield out of the cup. What of my predictions for the season? I won’t let my poor selection last season deter me. MK Dons and Sheffield United have the money. Not sure about Notts County and their new management team though they seem to have spent lots of money on wages. Leacock and Campbell-Ryce won’t have come cheap. Relegated teams rarely bounce back in one season and I don’t see Coventry, Scunthorpe, Doncaster and I see Portsmouth in my relegation section along with Shrewsbury, Walsall and Yeovil. It is hard to see who other two promotion places go to so I will pick Preston and Swindon. Glen Morris joined Aldershot on a six month contract. Kane Shepherd joined Histon. First game away to Tranmere told the same story as last year. We went 3-0 down before Symes scored a penalty. Jones replaced Allsop and Allsop Grainger on the bench. Cuthbert went on injured. How many games are we going to go before a win this season? A tribunal set the fee for Porter. We will receive an initial £90,000 compensation from Burnley. The Championship club will also have to pay a combined total of £70,000 for the midfielder once he makes 60 appearances. The O's could also gain another £100,000 if Burnley win promotion during the next three seasons assuming Porter plays at least 23 games during that particular campaign. Orient will also take 16.5 per cent of any profit made by Burnley if Porter is sold in the future. How would we do at home to Stevenage? Without Lisbie and Cuthbert we lost 0-1. Jamie Jones; Gary Sawyer, Lloyd James, Ben Chorley, Nathan Clarke; Mathieu Baudry, Anthony Griffith, Jimmy Smith (Moses Odubajo), Dean Cox; Michael Symes, David Mooney (Affy Obafemi). We failed to clear a free kick given away by Griffith and only looked anywhere near dangerous when Obafemi and Odubajo came on. My impression of the new guys? Clarke looked like he was incapable of jumping. Sawyer lacked pace and was constantly out manoeuvred. Baudry seemed out of his depth. Griffith? Not sure of his roll, neither was he. Symes looked like the only battle he knew about was in an atlas, a town near Hastings. Mooney missed a handful of chances. The Boro still had their share of thugs, notably number seven Grant who jumped up and down on the spot when he was adjudged to have fouled Odubajo, Hartlepool at home were next. Could we beat them? We could have done if they showed up. They was stuck on the motorway following an accident. Someone who could have played was Lee Cook . Released by QPR he was without a club and signed a contract until January. Next game was in the cup away to Everton then away matches at Crawley and Swindon. August 28 th Charlton signed Button from Spurs. We signed Martin Rowlands on a month long contract. He was previously with QPR. Affy Obafemi joined Bishops Stortford on loan and scored the only goal of the match against Boston. Kane Shepherd (ex trainee) joined Histon. August 29 th There was to be no dream result against Everton. Fielding Jamie Jones; Gary Sawyer, Lloyd James, Ben Chorley, Nathan Clarke; Mathieu Baudry, Anthony Griffith, Jimmy Smith, Dean Cox; Moses Odubajo, Kevin Lisbie, subs Ryan Allsopp, Michael Symes, David Mooney, Leon McSweeney, Lee Cook, Martin Rowlands and Brunt we went two down after 22 minutes and four down after 35. Statistics from the BBC gave our possession at 30% with only one, off target shot on goal. We fared better the second half letting in only one goal without reply but we did gain another 12% possession! Probably because McSweeney replaced the injured James - 47', Cook took over from Odubajo - 74' and Rowlands Griffith on - 56'. The postponed Hartlepool match is to be played on 16 th October. James may be unavailable for the trip to Crawley now home to Gary Alexander. Over 75 players are reported to be out of contract but according to the PFA website there are 11pages of players with 30 to a page. Amongst those listed were Scott McGleish, Dean Morgan and Adam Boyd. September 1 st In the hope of a win or a goal Slade shuffled the team against Crawley. He failed on both counts. Team: Ryan Allsopp, Gary Sawyer, Leon McSweeney, Ben Chorley, Nathan Clarke; Anthony Griffith, Lee Cook Mooney - 65' ), Dean Cox, Martin Rowlands (Smith - 80' ), Moses Odubajo (Lisbie - 73' ), Michael Symes, subs Grainger, Laird, David Mooney, Brunt, Mathieu Baudry, Kevin Lisbie, Jimmy Smith, The goal came from the right side of the pitch where we don’t have a recognised right back. Surprisingly Slade has not tried Brunt yet though one goal in 11 matches is not the sort of form that would make me pick him. Bottom were Scunthorpe on goal difference. Elsewhere Forbes cleared from the goal line to help Chesterfield get a point whereas Spring did the same for Wycombe but no point. Cureton scored for Exeter, Daniels gave away a penalty and Saah scored an own goal for Torquay. Mangers lost their jobs at Chesterfield (the ex- o’s vudoo strikes again) and Coventry. Dawson turned out for Barnsley but they lost and so did Porter’s Burnley but he didn’t even warm the sub bench. The Hartlepool chairman gave his backing to the wages capping but stated his club has now reached the percent allowed to spend on players. If Hartlepool now requires loan or permanent players it has to seek FL approval and must increase its income or reduce costs. Slade gave a trial to Jamie Peters who formerly played for Ipswich. Jones would be out with his should injury for 4-6 weeks. Let’s hope he comes back though Allsopp looks competant. Cuthbert, James and Butcher were still injured. September 8 th Swindon were struggling with injuries and Slade fielded Allsopp; McSweeney, Chorley, Clarke, Sawyer; Cox, Griffith, Cook (Odubajo - 86' ), Rowlands; Lisbie, Symes (Brunt - 79' ). Subs: Grainger, Baudry, Smith, Laird, Odubajo, Obafemi, Brunt. Cook scored the only goal of the game on the 59’ following a cross from McSweeney (not a right back) helped on by Cox. Chorley, my man-of-the-match against Stevenage reverted to his ball chasing like a headless chicken from what I saw on the BBC who no longer show any goals on the web. Cureton scored twice for Exeter to make it five for the season. Porter has still not made an apperance for Burnley. Brentford at home next. September 13 th Slade decided to keep the same team for the visit of Brentford on a Thursday night. They were very fast but their shooting was woeful. Cook had a furst half stinker. Maybe the narrower pitch did not help him? McSweeney had no control over his clearences, two went off the pitch (too narrow?) and one over his head and back into our penalty area. Allsopp kept his second proffesional clean sheet. On 61’ Brunt replaced Symes who seemed ineffective. Cook made way for Odubajo - 75' and the effect was immediate. Not that Moses touched the ball as Clark took a long throw in and the ball was cleared as far as Rowlands who lobbed the ball back into the penalty area. It bounced off Brunt’s right knee and he kicked the goal with his left. Calls for offside went on the deaf ears of the overweight and hopeless referee a Mr Dowd who gave 26 fouls, 16 against us and booked four players. Smith for Rowlands 85' was the last substitution. Elsewhere on Saturday Revel scored the only goal against Martin Ling’s Torquay and Crawley’s captain Gary Alexander scored both goals in their win away at Preston. Donny Barnard is playing for Harlow Town. Did you know that Afolabi Obafem is also a talented sprinter, running the 100 metres in the 2009 London Youth Games in a respectable 11.6 seconds. Yeovil next at home. September 19 th Slade may have liked an unchanged team against Yeovil but Rowlands was sick and Symes had a hamstring problem. In their places came Smith and Brunt with only six subs; Allsopp; McSweeney, Chorley, Clarke, Sawyer; Cox, Griffith, Cook (Odubajo - 87'), Smith; Lisbie (Obafemi - 86' ), Brunt (Mooney - 87' ). Subs: Grainger, Mooney. Baudry, Laird, Odubajo, Obafemi. It worked a treat though as a Clarke long throw was met by the head of Chorley after three minutes. A Brunt head made it two before Yeovil pulled one back ten minutes into the second half but Smith got onto the score sheet after 71 and Lisbie eight minutes. BBC no longer show the goals on the web but Sky do. September 22 nd Could we make it four in a row away at Crewe? No. We went a goal down after two minutes following a cross from the right. McSweeney is not a right back Russell. Have I mentioned that before? A cross from Cox was partly cleared but only as far as Rowlands who volleyed it into the net for a draw. Allsopp; McSweeney, Chorley, Clarke, Sawyer; Cox, Griffith, Cook (Odubajo - 83'), Rowlands (Smith - 46’); Lisbie, Brunt (Symes - 65' ). Subs: Grainger, Mooney. Baudry, Laird, Odubajo, Smith, Obafemi. Griffith was sent off for two bookable offences and will miss the next game at home to Doncaster. The “Sign a Leyton Orient player and get the sack vudoo” was in action as Gary Waddock got the tin tack at Spring’s Wycombe. Also sacked was Colchester’s Ward. They were in the bottom four along with Bury, Coventry and Portsmouth. In the division about Peterborough were without a point after seven games and were bottom with Ipswich and Millwall above them. Rowland picked up a hamstring injury and I make that three players with hamstring injuries. There is a new health team at the O’s so maybe things will change? It was Rowlands last game as his month long contract is now up but they need another midfielder as Griffith is out as well. Did we make a offer for Bury Town’s Connor Hall? Also sent off was Revell. September 29 th It is a long time since Doncaster were a Brisbane Road and they must have wished they came every week as they won 0-2. Griffith was suspended and Rowlands injured having extended his contract until lat January. In came Baudry and Smith. Team: Allsopp; McSweeney, Chorley, Clarke, Sawyer; Cox, Baudry (Laird 60’), Cook (Odubajo - 68'), Smith, Lisbie, Brunt (Mooney - 67' ). Subs: Grainger, Mooney. Laird, Odubajo, James, Symes, Obafemi. Away at Dean Smith’s Walsall are next. October 2 nd Cook mesmerised Walsall’s defence before hitting an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net on eleven minutes. On 29’ and a yard inside his own half Cox hits the back of the net! At half time were were holding our own in terms of possession but by full time we only had 38% of it. Sawyer fouled in the box on 58’ to give the Saddlers hope but we held on to the three points. Up to 12th in the table. Team: Allsopp; McSweeney, Chorley, Clarke, Sawyer; Cox (Baudry - 70'), Griffith, Cook (Odubajo - 62'), Rowlands (Brunt - 62’); Lisbie, Smith. Subs: Grainger, Mooney. Baudry, Laird, Odubajo, Brunt, Symes. Sheffield United are 6th in the table and they are next in E10. Cureton scored another two goals for Exeter to make it nine so far this season. Truro City are the latest club to be in financial trouble. Harry Beautyman's solitary 8th-minute deflected goal proved sufficient to earn Sutton United their first win of the season. Adam Boyd has quit Ebac Northern League Division One outfit Celtic Nation. October 6 th A bad pass in his own half by (I think Lisbie) towards Griffith allowed Sheffield United to cross the ball and their Blackman hit an unstoppable shot into the to lefthand side of the net to settle the points. Team: Allsopp; McSweeney, Chorley, Clarke, Sawyer; Cox, Griffith, Cook, Rowlands (James - 81’), Lisbie (Brunt - 78' ), Smith (Symes - 46' ) . Subs: James, Mooney. Baudry, Laird, Odubajo, Brunt, Symes. Lisbie limped off with a hamstring (another one) injury. This meant he would be out for a month but what persuaded Slade to sign Charlton’s Wagstaff on a 28 day loan? For them last season the scored five goals from 34 matches, hardly a replacement fo Lisbie? Soccerbase and Sky see him as a midfielder whilst shows others as a winger. In 71(50) league apperances he has scored 17 goals. Replacement for Lisbie, having a laugh Russ? No faith in Mooney or Brunt? October 9 th We got a bye in the first round of the JP Cup and now faced Barnet at home. They were bottom of League two. Russell decided to play those players he had ignored for most of the season and fielded Allsopp, James, Baudry, Clarke, Sawyer, Odubajo, Smith, Griffith, Cox, Symes, Mooney. Subs: McSweeney, Laird, Obafemi, Lee, Vanderhyde. Our goal came after 25 minutes when David Mooney and Dean Cox combined down the left to set up 19 year-old Odubajo, who raced into the box and stabbed the ball home from 10 yards for his first of the season. October 13 th At Bournemouth was lost 2-0. Second was a farce as Allsopp underarmed a throw to Clarke who failed to control it and gave it away to Pugh to round Allsopp. Team: Allsopp; McSweeney, Chorley, Clarke, Sawyer; Cox, Griffith, Cook (Odubajo - 68' ), Rowlands, Wagstaff (Mooney - 81' ), Symes Brunt - 68' ) . Subs: James, Mooney. Baudry, Laird, Odubajo, Brunt, Smith. October 16 th Home to Hartlepool who were bottom but one. Slade dropped Giriffth, Cook and Symes to the bench and replaced them with Odubajo, Smith and Brunt. And it worked after 46 minutes as Brunt headed home his third of the season from Odubajo’s cross. Team: Allsopp; McSweeney, Chorley, Clarke, Sawyer; Cox, Smith, Odubajo (Griffith 90’) , Rowlands, Wagstaff, Brunt . Subs: James, Mooney. Baudry, Grittith, Laird, Cook, Symes. October 16 thH Never change a winning team. Slade did, into a losing team at Oldham where we went two down without reply in the last 13 minutes. Team: Allsopp; McSweeney, Chorley, Clarke, Sawyer; Smith, Griffith, Odubajo (Cox 67’), Rowlands, Wagstaff, Brunt(Symes - 73' ) . Subs: Jones, James, Mooney. Baudry, Laird, Cook, Symes. October 23 rd Home to Colchester we lost 0-2 with a goal in either half. For some unknown reason Slade played three wingers. Don’t know what makes him think that Cox is a midfileder as he is not that good. He then took off Cox and replaced him with another winger, Cook. Plan seemd to be to pump free kicks and corner kicks to the far post. Sawyer’s first five attempts found touch. Cook and Cox failed to find an O’s head. Team: Allsopp; Sawyer, Chorley, Clarke, McSweeney, Cox(Cook - 62’), Smith, Odubajo, Rowlands, Wagstaff, Brunt(Mooney - 61' ), Mooney. Subs: Jones, James, Smith, Laird, Cook, Symes. Jabbo played for the U’s and although he did not score he didn’t put a foot wrong. Laird was loaned to Southend for two months. October 27 th Home to Coventry. Allsopp dropped a shot and we lost one nil. Team: Allsopp; Sawyer, Chorley, Clarke, Cox(Cook 68’), Griffith, Odubajo, Rowlands, Wagstaff, Brunt(Symes - 73' ), Mooney. Subs: Jones, James, McSweeney, Smith, Bauldry, Cook, Symes. Odubajo played at right back, that worked didn’t it Russ? November 3 rd H FA Cup. Away to Gloucester City. Heavy rain got the match posponed. Ex O’s on the FA Cup score sheet were, Gutteridge (Shrewsbury), Spring (Wycombe), Forbes (Chesterfield) and Laird (Southend). Adam Boyd is on trial at Lincoln. Away at MK Dons next then home to Shrewsbury. Is it my imagination or are some players not getting a fair crack of the whip. Last year it was Cureton and Laird and some extent Mooney. This season it is the last two plus Bauldry and Symes. We lost our top scorer (Lisbie) and then failed to play Mooney who scored 14 goals for Colchest not so long ago. The decision to who took over the Olympic Park was put back and nobody would take it on until the start of the 2015 season. I have no idea why Barry Hearn who two years back said that the stadium was unfit for use as a football venue still thinks could be our saviour. This is how we would view matches as it currently stands. November 7 th Away to MK Dons we lost 1-0. That’s seven games, one win, six loses and one goal. Relegation form unless there are four clubs out there worse than us? Team: Allsopp; Sawyer, Chorley, Clarke, Cook, Griffith(Cox- 74), Odubajo, Rowlands (Smith - 81’), Wagstaff(Lisbie - 65'), James, Mooney. Subs: Jones, McSweeney, Smith, Bauldry, Cox, Brunt. Next page

Right back 22 nd Oct Omozusi plays his last game. He played 14 in all competitions with three of them as a substitute. He missed the three games from 1 st Oct to the 15 th

Left back 22 nd Oct. Daniels red carded, misses three matches. Not replaced. 19 th Nov. Daniels last match. 26 th Nov. Tony Craig loaned from Millwall returns early. 26 th Craig’s last game. 2 nd Jan. Chicksen’s first game. 14 th Jan. Chicksen’s last game as he did not play at Preston and was a non playing sub against Colchester. 14 th Feb. Dicksen’s first game. He did not appear in five matches through injury. 6-24 th March. 27 th March. Red carded. 14 th April. Red carded.