Previous page Next page Monday 19 September a friendly at home to Hapoel Petach Tikva from Israel. The whole programme was devoted to the visitors, six of whom played for the Israel national side. Team in the pro- gramme: George, Wright, Lewis, Facey, Bishop, Lea, Waites, Foster, Johnston, Graham and Elwood. Club Historian Davis Watson reports that: Due to heavy rain the match was abandoned at half- time with the O's losing 2-1. Orient's goal was scored by Tommy Johnston. 10 November Derek Gibbs was signed from Chelsea. 12 November home to Huddersfield. The programme showed an ariel view of the ground which was repeated several times in the sea- son. We were 12th in the table with Town two places below us. Forrester commented on the away match at Portsmouth putting paid to their unbeaten home record thought the were five places below us. After going a goal down “Phil White, full of enterprise, scored an equaliser, banging in a shot from an acute angle fol- lowing a corner by Terry McDonald. Fifteen minutes from time Tome Johnston stabbed home the winning goal. Orient’s two outstanding forwards were the wingers”. The state of the pitch came in for criticism following the match against Lincoln when we lost 1-2. “This match should never have been played”. A poor crowd turned up to watch and the following three matches were postponed due to the unplayable surface. Team in the programme: George, Eagles, Charlton, Facey, Bishop, Sorrell, White, Brown, Johnston, Foster and McDonald. Johnston was still top scorer with 10 followed by Brown on 6, Graham 3, Facey 2 and Bishop, Waites, Elwood, Foster, McDonald and White on one. 23 December home to Middlesbrough. This match was postponed and replayed 14 March 1961. Terry McDonald featured on the front cover. The previous week we had lost 6-2 at third placed Ipswich. With Sid Bishop out with a puled muscle Trefor Owen was drafted in. On the transfer list at his own request he did himself no favours by scoring an own goal. Johnston and McDonald were our scorers. McDonald was replacing Graham who had pulled a muscle against Charlton. A run of bad results put us three from bottom after picking up a win and a draw in the last six matches. The reserves were doing better at fourth in their league. Team in the programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Gibson, Bishop, Lea, Waites, Brown, Johnston, Gibbs and McDonald. Monday 26 December away to Middlesbrough. Brian Clough was named in the line-up in both these matches. Lots of local ads in the programme includ- ing one for Vaux Samson Ale. Team in the programme: George, Charlton, Eagles, Gibson, Owen, Lea, Waites, Gibbs, Johnston, McDonald and Elwood. We lost this one 2-0. 31 December home to Scunthorpe. The front cover was the ariel view of the ground. A page was dedicated to the arrival of Derek Gibbs. The retirement of Dave Groombridge was announce following a close season knee operation. He had played 133 matches in goal after signing in 1951. He later became coach at Leyton. Team in the programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Gibson, Bishop, Lea, Waites, Elwood, Gibbs, Foster and McDonald. 6 January 1961 we signed Errol Crossan in exchange for George Waites from Norwich. The Canadian had also played for Gillingham and Southend. And Ron Newman from Portsmouth. 28 January away to Southampton FA Cup 4th Round. The Saints were in fourth in the table and we were one from bottom. The new signings played on both wings and we won this one 1-0. They replace McDonald and Waites. Team in the programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Lea, Bishop, Facey, Newman, Gibbs, Johnston, Elwood and Crossan. Watneys Ales and Stouts was the back page advert. Home to Sheffield Wednesday FA Cup 5th Round 18-02-61 Video. Saturday 18 March away to Charlton Athletic. John Sewell and Eddie Werge got mentions in the programme. The south London club fancied John Courage to build up the inner man. This is my first programme with Bill Robertson and Alan Sealey in the line-up. Team in the pro- gramme: Robertson, Wright, Charlton, Facey, Bishop, Lea, White, Sealey, Johnston, Graham and McDonald. We lost this one 2-0. 25 March home to Portsmouth. Syd Bishop featured on the front cover. Forrester welcomed Dave Dunmore, 27 to the club. He joined us from West Ham in exchange for Alan Sealey. Originally the Hammers wanted £12,000. When Les Gore offered Sealey in exchange they wanted £6,000 but that was still too much for us but later that day they agreed a straight swap. What a deal that turned out to be for both clubs. Dunmore had joined the Hammers from Spurs in an exchange deal taking Johnny Smith the other way, both were rated at £25,000. This was the second of three home matches on the bounce. The first we beat Huddersfield 2-0 to haul ourselves away from the relegation zone and this one won 2-1. Team in the programme: Robertson, Wright, Charlton, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Dunmore, Johnston, Graham and McDonald. The reserves recorded a 5-2 win over Bristol City with a hat-trick from Bill Taylor and goals from Gibbs who was fit again after an ankle injury and Lucas from 30 yards. Team:Cochrane, Gibson, Bellett, Lucas, Owen, Sorrel, Crossan, Taylor, Gibbs, Elwood, and Len Chessewright (an Orient Junior). Souvenir programmes and advertising space could be obtained from Cheapside Office Supplies at 14 Mumford Court EC2. 3 April away to Southampton. The programme was nearly identical to the January down to the Our Visitors and Player’s Autographs page. Team in the programme: Robertson, Wright, Charlton, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Dunmore, Johnston, Graham and McDonald. We drew 1-1 with a goal from Dunmore, his third since joining us. 10 April home to Stoke City. Front cover was the ariel view of the ground. Postponed from the 25 February. By this time we had travelled further up the table to seventh from bottom but we had only drawn two and lost one of the last three matches. Team in the programme: Robertson, Wright, Charlton, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Dunmore, Johnston, Gibbs and McDonald. We won this one 3-1, lost 1-0 at Huddersfield, beat Norwich at home 1-0 and lost at Lincoln 2-0 to finish the season in 19th place three points from safety. Nothing suggested the season we were about to have. This was my final programme for the season and we would start a momentous season with a new manager. Leyton Orient Division II 1961-1962 PROMOTION AT LAST Two books have been written on the following two seasons. "Leyton Orient: A Season in the Sun 1962-63" by Kevin Palmer is available from Rakuten Kobo. Leyton Orient: The Untold Story of the O's Best-ever Team by Tony McDonald. Saturday 19 August away to newly relegated Newcastle. They wanted a speedy re- turn to Division One but they would have a four year wait. They had new sign- ing Ken Leek in their side signed from Leicester after scoring 19 goals for them. He cost £25,000. We drew 0-0 and there were no new signings in the line- up in the programme: George, Lewis, Charlton, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Foster, Dunmore, Graham and McDonald. Beer of the programme was Newcastle Brown Ale. No surprise there then. 30 August away at Southampton. As well as Watneys there was also an ad for Strong & Co of Romsey and their Rumsey Brown Ale. We reversed the home defeat with a 2-1 win to take us to seventh in the table. Team in the programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Foster, Dunmore, Graham and McDonald. Saturday 26 August home to Middlesbrough. I didn’t have the programme for the opening game of the season but if I did it would have wel- comed Johnny Carey as the new manager. Carey signed Johnston for Blackburn when he was in charge there but had recently left Everton. Fielding the same team as the Newcastle match we had lost 3-1 at home to Southampton. Ronnie Foster equalised but the Saints scored another two. Team in the programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Foster, Dunmore, Graham and McDonald. The new look pro- gramme was small in size but boasted pictures of the Southampton game featuring Foster and Graham plus a Meet The Players page which featured Stan Charlton. The cover showed the East Stand We won 2-0. Annoyingly our opponents did not appear on the cover and rarely did a date anywhere. 2 September away to Walsall. They were third in the table after four games. Liverpool top and Bury second. The pen pictures listed the same names as the Southampton one with no mention of Robertson despite his signing a year back. They also printed the Orient players’ autographs. Beer of the programme was Butlers Wolverhampton Bitter. Team in the programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Foster, Dunmore, Graham and McDonald. We replaced them in third after a 1-5 win. 16 September away to Bristol Rovers. After beating Derby 2-0 (Dunmore p, own goal) at home we were second in the table and earlier in the week had beaten Stockport away 0-1 (McDonald) to pro- gress into round two of the FL Cup. But we came a cropper losing 2-1 (Dunmore) to the bottom placed Pirates who had no points from seven games. Team in the programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Foster, Dunmore, Graham and McDonald. 20 September home to Huddersfield. Cover shows Dunmore scoring the penalty against Derby. The programme shows us in fourth place and the Terriers sixth. Pictures inside of Lucas and Graham, White and the “Meet The Player” was Graham. Ray Wilson played at 3 but it did not stop us winning 3-0. Same team in the programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Foster, Dunmore, Graham and McDonald. 23 September away to Preston North End. They were bot- tom of the table having won one of their opening seven games. But they managed to beat us 3-2. Same team in the programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Foster, Dunmore, Graham and McDonald. In the “Meet the Opposition” section they had Bill Robertson as signing for us on 19 October 1960. History says he made his début on the 24th September that year? 27 September away to Huddersfield. Seven days earlier they had lost 3-0 at Brisbane Road. Southampton’s George O’Brien was the divi- sions leading goalscorer with 11. Hammonds was the beer for this part of Yorkshire. No change in the team line up and we drew 1-1 (White) with the Terriers equalising three minutes from time. 4 October home to Blackpool in the FL Cup. Pictures of Ronnie Foster (Meet The Player) and Stanley Matthews were inside and mention was made of the transferring of Tommy Johnston to Gillingham. The previous home match to Plymouth was lost 1-2 with Dunmore the scorer in front of the biggest crowd of the season 13,398. It was a Friday evening kick off. Programme cover shows a team picture. 2 October home to Stoke City. Front cover showed Ronnie Foster and Mal Graham in action against Plymouth and inside one with Dunmore in the same match. Syd Bishop was the subject of “Meet the Players” No change in the programme line up. 21 October home to Rotherham. McDonald and Graham were on the front cover in the Blackpool match. McDonald was the “Meet The Player” subject and inside there were pictures of Foster scoring against Stoke and an offside “goal” by Eddie Lewis. No change in the line up. In the FA Youth Cup we beat Crittal Athletic 14-2 with goals from Wedge 4, Gregory 3, Lampshire 2, Price 2, Sykes 2 and Fitter 1. 30 October away to Blackpool FL Cup replay. Team in the one sheet 1d programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Foster, Dunmore, Graham, Newman. We went out 5- 1. 4 November home to bottom of the table Charlton. Dunmore and Graham were on the front cover whilst in- side was Roger Hunt’s goal for Liverpool against us last week in which we drew three all. Dunmore 2 and Foster were our scorers. No change in the line up. 18 November home to Brighton. Front cover shows Dunmore’s spot kick. Elwood played in the side the pre- vious week at Leeds when Foster got a groin injury. Team in the programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Foster, Dunmore, Graham, McDonald. 2 December home to Norwich. Front cover shows Frank George in action against Scunthorpe whilst inside we “met” Joe Elwood, a team photo and Terry McDonald in action against Brighton. Forester in “Oriental Chatter” remarked that seven points from their last four matches (winning 2-1 at home to Charlton, 0-0 away to Leeds, 4-1 at home to Brighton and 2-0 away at Scunthorpe) branded Orient as a side bent on promotion. Mal Lucas had been called up to the Wales U23 International against Scotland at Wrexham. 9 December away to Bury was postponed. 23 December away to Middlesbrough. Cliff Mitchell writing in their programme commen- ted that we had won 11 games drawn five and lost five. Last Saturday at Newcastle they won 0-2 thanks to goals from White after 32’ and Elwood on 57’. Boro were three from bottom and had ap- proached 22 clubs in the hope of recruitment but failed. Team in the programme: George, Charlton, Lewis, Lucas, Bishop, Lea, White, Foster, Dunmore, Elwood and McDonald. 26 December home to Swansea. Front cover showed Ron Foster in action against Norwich with Bill Robertson the “Meet The Player” profile. A familiar subject was raised by Forester, that of low attendances. Public transport, or the lack of it was highlighted. The average gate was 11,000 “which was not sufficient to pay their way.” They were losing £300 a week. The reserves were doing well, beating Southend 7-0 with goals from Gibbs 3, Newman, Graham 2, and Mike Hollow at centre-forward. 0-0 after an hour. Dunmore’s was the only goal of the match. Unchanged team from the Middlesbrough game. 30 December away to Swansea. Again an unchanged team. Mitchells & Butlers were advertising “Good Honest Ales”. Previous page Next page Previous page Next page