Previous page. Next page This from club historian Davis Watson “ In May 1933, Orient finished 20th in Division Three South, missing out on re-election on goal difference, with manager Jimmy Seed resigning soon after. The club were then hit with a suspension by the Football League for failing to pay a £2,000 debt. A series of fundraisers were organised, including many at The George in Glyn Road, which was owned by club director George Harris - only £500 of the required £2,000 was raised. Then, a £2,000 cheque was sent to the club by the Prince of Wales, who would become King Edward VIII (famous for his abdication) in two and a half years. The Prince had a long association with the club due to his being the first member of the royal family to attend a Football League match when he watched Orient face Notts County in April 2021. His visit was down to his admiration for the club's involvement in World War One; they were the first club to fully enlist and lost three players in the Battle of the Somme. As well as donations from Millwall and Charlton Athletic, a £400 donation was sent in from Arthur Phillips, a director of the Godfrey Phillips Tobacco Company, who had supported the club since his youth. The club's debts were duly paid with money left over. Thanks to the generosity of the Prince of Wales and Arthur Phillips the club survived and remains as strong as ever today under the watch of Chairman Nigel Travis, who's 2017 purchase of club saved them from the same fate they nearly succumbed to in 1933.” Ted Crawford 1933-1939 https://www.lfchistory.net/Players/Player/Profile/588 Leyton Orient Division III (South) 1947-48 My oldest programme is this one from Friday March 26 1948 at home to Ipswich Town KO 3.30 and priced at 2d. Basically a piece of landscape A4 paper folded in half, prin- ted by Fox 637 Forest Road E17. The cover was begging for clothing coupons to renew the training kit. On the board were GS Harris (Chairman), HF Robertson (Vice- Chairman), EW Girt, GS Kenure, HE Lea, AE PAge, and FW Snewin. Manager Charles Hewitt and Assistant Manager Neil McBain. Want to ring the club? LEYtonstone 1368 would find them. Club gossip by Onlooker. Team on the back page is shown as:Tolliday, Banner, Ritson, Bacon, Sales, Stroud, Chapman, Richardson, Neary, Naylor and Pullen. History shows we drew 1-1 with a goal from Neary. 24,864 watched the match which was a record for the time. We were 16th in the table. QPR and Bournemouth were top, Norwich and Brighton bottom. The size and shape of the programme I image stayed the same all season and cer- tainly for my one for 1st May 1948 at home against Torquay, the last match of the season. Between programmes we had drew away at Brighton 0-0, lost away to Ipswich 0-1, home to Watford 0-2, beat eventual champions QPR away 2-1 thanks to a brace from Neary, drew 0-0 at home to Port Vale and beat Swindon away 1-0 with another Neary goal. Somewhere in those games was the departure of manager Charles Hewitt, Neil McBain became Secretary-Manager for the rest of the season and the following one. The club received a total of 140 clothing coupons for their training kit. A Supporter Club do was announced at Grove House with buffet and variety show it would set you back 4/6d. We started this game four from bottom but playing the same team as vs Ipswich we ran out 4-1 winners, Neary scoring a hat trick with the help of a penalty and Naylor scoring the other. This enabled us to finish the season in 17th. Leyton Orient Division III (South) 1948-1949 Still a single sheet but smaller and blue was the programme of Millwall. We played them the following season on Monday 30th August 1948. Managing them was Charles Hewitt. They had started the season by drawing 0-0 at Port Vale in front of 31,990 spectators paying £2,240/16/3d. They (Mr Hewitt) liked quoting money and continued with 8,025 paying £384/19/4d at their combination match against Arsenal. The team printed on the back page was Tolliday, Banner, Ritson, Bacon, Davidson, Stroud, Chapman, Taylor, Neary, Connelly and McGeachy. History shows that Deverall, Dryden and Pullen played instead of Connelly, Chapman and Stroud. The game ended without score. No change in our programme the following year if my one for a Combination Club match against QPR Reserves February 12th 1949 is anything to go by except that our league tables were now on the front cover (we were eight from bottom) and the teams from the back page to the middle which hosted something new, adverts. The Granada Walthamstow, Bick’s a sports outfitters in Hoe Street, the Eastern Mercury, WT Williamson builders of Sturge Avenue were all advertising their wares. The printed team was Gerula, Haslam, Walton, Lucas, Sales, Stroud, Dryden, Fletcher H, Johnson, Naylor and Brinton though Dryden was replaced by Chapman and Fletcher H with Dryden. Found nothing on a Fletcher H. On the back page were Supporters Club News and an- other advert, this time for Leyton Corporation Entertainments who were showing a comedy at the Harrow Green Theatre (Cathall Road Baths) and Ronnie Munroe & His Orchestra at the Leyton Super Baths E10. Reserve Team Scorers were Johnson 12, Taylor 5, Brinton 5, Pullen 4, Naylor 3, Gray 2, Rooney 2, Stroud 2 with Banner, Chapman, Fletcher H and Lucas getting one apiece. Not a clue of the score. Leyton Orient Division III (South) 1949-1950 October 15th 1949. Home to Notts Forest. Alec Stock had replaced McBain after he left for a coaching post in Argentina. Our top scorer from last season with 25 goals had been allowed to move to QPR and this was to be his penultimate game and his last goal for the club. Later he was signed again by Hewitt for Millwall. The programme now consisted of two folded pages, but no staple for 3d. Front page showed artists impressions of players. A new name was on the list of directors, Harry S Zussman was our chairman. On a middle page was an advert for Tailored Shoes Ltd of 107-8-9 Shoreditch High Street. Could that have been his? We had shipped 25 goals (21 away from home but Newport had let in 24)in the first 11 games which left us ten from bottom. By the end of the season it was 85 (98 for Newport)shared between Gerula, Welton and, who was Hobbins? Neary scored the goal in a 1-1 draw. Team as printed:Gerula, Banner, Walton, Bacon, Rooney, Trailor, Neary, Taylor, Sherratt, Pullen and Wood. Oriental Chatter by Forrester included reports that: the Juniors were unbeaten and George Pope had scored six goals in three matches. Jackie Deverall had un- dergone a cartilage operation. Full-back Haslam had been transferred to Guildford after being with us for 2 1 / 2 years. Fox Printing had moved to Maybank Road South Woodford. With the departure of one manager and the arrival of another and with players out of contract the following left the club (I think) in the summer: Tolliday, Chapman, Newton, Sales, Gray and Brinton. Under Stock the following appear to have joined the club: Trailor, Sutherland, Smith, Welton, Wood, Sherratt, Campbell, Hobbins, Blair, Skivington, McEwan, Pattison, Higgins and Adams. Lots of Jocks there. The Millwall programme of December 3rd 1949 had grown to three pages folded with a staple in the middle. Gone had the blue paper but retaining the blue print. Charles Hewitt was still the manager. Millwall were struggling with injuries to amongst others, the goalie and centre forward and Hewitt wrote “We have had a lad of casual- ties to date - very disturbing but misfortune cannot go on indefinitely, our luck is sure to return - sooner the better. When theses notes went to the printers we hadn’t a clue as to the composition of the team to oppose Leyton Orient this afternoon” At 9 their teamsheet read Constantine or Simmonds. They beat us 3-1 with McGeachy scoring for us. Team: Welton, Banner, Davidson, Taylor, Rooney, Stroud, Dryden, Trailor, Sherratt, Wood and McGeachey. They were four from bottom and we three above them. Adverts for trains to Sheffield would cost 19/6d as long as you went on Sunday 18th December at 09.30. My next programme is for the home match against Southend May 6th 1950 with different artwork on the cover with still two pages for your 3d but no staple. Tailored Shoes, WT Williamson builders and Bick’s were still advertising as was Perryvale guest house in Clacton. This was the last match of the season and Forrester in Oriental Chatter was indebted to the Supporters Club for the donation of £1000 towards resurfacing the pitch which would start “Almost as soon as this afternoon’s game is over”. We started the match six from bottom but results had gone well beating Walsall 2-1 (Pullen, Blair), Swindon 1-0 (Blair) and drawing at home to bottom placed Millwal1-1 (Sutherland). Southend were four from top. Notts County were top. The reserves were not faring much better being bottom of the Football Combination Section A. The printed team was: Welton, Walton, Banner, Rooney, Taylor, Trailor, Blair, Deverall, McEwan, Sutherland, Pattison but Pullen played in place of Sutherland. Just as well as he scored as did McEwan to get us a draw. We finished the sea- son in 18th place with an average gate of 12,585. Previous page. Next page
1932-1933. Back (left to right): Walter Keen, David Owen 'Dai' Jones, John 'Jack' Bruce, Frederick Ellis, Saunders. Front: William Hales, Wilf J. Phillips, Reginald Tricker, James 'Tommy' Mills, Charlie Fletcher, Alf Vango. 4th December 1934: Clapton Orient at Lea Bridge - From the back row, and from left to right are : Smith, Taylor, Robertson, Mann, W Crompton, D Haliday, R Mayson, W Fogg, W Fellowes, E Ware and E Crawford. 1934-1935
Leyton Orient 1949 Back row, left to right, H. Trim (Trainer), Bacon, Banner, Newton, Sales, Davidson. Front Row, Dryden, Deverall, Connolly, Neary, Naylor, McGeachy. Although I bought this picture dated 1949 the above team played 16 September 1948 against Swansea and continued for 10 games in succession but never in 1949. 1948-1949 reserves Players 1948-49: Bacon, Cyril, Banner, Arthur, Brinton, Jack, Case, Norman, Chapman, Vernon, Connelly, Eddie, Davidson, Dave, Deverall, Jackie, Dryden, Jackie, Gerula, Stan, Gray, Billy, Haslam, Harry, Johnson, Ralph, Lucas, Oliver, McGeachie, George, McGeachy, Joe, Naylor, Bill, Neary, Frank, Newton, Reg, Pullen, Wally, Ritson, Ledger, Rooney, Bob, Russell, Bobby, Sales, Ronnie, Stroud, Billy, Taylor, Archie, Tolliday, Stan, Walton, Dick.
Les Blizzard 1950-1957 222 league apps 12 goals. Billy Rees 1950-1956 184 league apps 58 goals. Jackie Deverall 1948-1953 115 league apps 2 goals. Pat Welton 1949-1958 263 league appearances in goal. Stan Aldous 1950-1958 302 league apps 3 goals. Sid Hobbins 1949-50 11 league apps in goal. 1946-1947 1948-49 maybe March 1937 vs Millwall at Lea Bridge Road
1947
Team photo for 1949-1950 needs to be found for here. The ENFA site shows the following players turning out 1949-50. According to the ENFA website the following appeared in this season:Adams, George Wing Half Bacon, Cyril Wing Half Banner, Arthur Full Back Belcher, Jimmy Inside Forward Blair, Jimmy Inside Forward Campbell, Joe Inside Forward Connelly, Eddie Inside Forward Davidson, Dave Full Back Deverall, Jackie Wing Half Dryden, Jackie Winger Facey, Ken Wing Half Gerula, Stan Goalkeeper Harper, Ivor Inside Forward Herbert, Trevor Centre Forward Higgins, Ronnie Centre Forward Hobbins, Syd Goalkeeper Lucas, Oliver Full Back McEwan, Billy Winger McGeachy, Joe Winger Murray, John Full Back Naylor, Bill Inside Forward Neary, Frank Centre Forward Pattison, Johnny Winger Pullen, Wally Inside Forward Rooney, Bob Central Defender Sherratt, Jimmy Full Back Skivington, Mike Central Defender Smith, Alan Winger Stroud, Billy Wing Half Sutherland, George Centre Forward Taylor, Archie Wing Half Trailor, Cyril Wing Half Walton, Dick Full Back Welton, Pat Goalkeeper Wood, Jackie Inside Forward. Stan Gerula: 1948-1951 (30 Appearances) Played 30 times for the O's, lost his place to Pat Welton. Both he and Reginald Newton left the same sort of time. He appeared at Wembley for Walthamstow Avenue beating Leyton in front of 100,000. Stanislaw was born in Poland and died in 1979. He was taken home to be buried.
1948-1949
1936-1937. Back row: E. Coakley, D. Murray, V. Farrell, F. Searle, B. Herod, Third row: P. Proudfoot(manager), T. Wells, G. Heinemann, A. Rossiter, J. Iceton, H. Watson, C. Hillam, D. Affleck, C. Brooks,T. Halsey(secretary). Second row: S. White(trainer), A. Banfield, F. Fisher, V. Hammond, R. Quinn, E. Crawford, J. Fletcher, H. Smith, H. Taylor, W. Wright (assistant trainer). Seated on ground: J. McCombe, A. Mulraney, I. Miles, A Codling. 1936-1937. Back row: E. Coakley, D. Murray, F. Farrell, F. Searle, B. Herod. Third row: S. White (trainer), T. Wells, G. Heinemann, A. Rossiter, J. Igeton, H. Watson, C. Hillam, D. Affleck, C. Brooks, W. Wright(assistant trainer), Second row: P. Proudfoot(manager) A. Banfield, F. Fisher, V. Hammond, R. Quinn, E. Crawford, J. Fletcher, H. Smith, H. Taylor, T. W. Halsey(secretary). Front row: J McComber, A. Mulraney, I. Miles, A. Codling. The two pictures above appear identical except for musical chairs by the officials.