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1964-1965.
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A HISTORY OF LEYTON
ORIENT FC 1965-1974
As seen by supporter Keith
Emmerson
LEYTON ORIENT - THE MID
1960's
This History was produced
prior to my starting the
Leyton Orient Diary and ap-
peared in the Leyton
Orientear so the format dif-
fers from the diary. I added
dates and pictures when it
was put on the internet.
Following our brief spell in the
First Division (1962/3), manager Johnny Carey departed in the summer of '63
to Nottingham Forest. He was replaced by Benny Fenton but he didn't last much
more than a year. With the exception of the two managers mentioned above,
Orient managers for the next twenty years were always destined to be first
timers. Orient's failing over these years, has been that they have rarely
signed a football manager. They have given the job to ex-players with no pre-
vious managerial experience, Ken Knighton and Jimmy Bloomfield (the second
time) being the
exceptions. So,
on 14th January
1965 they did it
for the first
time. Dave
Sexton, a former
Orient player,
was made man-
ager. He had
been team coach
at Chelsea for
three years.
His first two
games in charge
both ended in 3-
2 defeats.
16 January. Home against
Swansea Town (2-3 Gregory
2), he fielded the fol-
lowing team despite his
name not appearing in the
programme: Pinner, Hollow, Webb, Ward, Nelson, Sorrell, Price, Gregory, Dunmore,
Metchick, McDonald.
'Harry' Gregory got both
goals. Phillips was out
through a leg injury.
Newcastle, Northampton
and our next opponents,
Norwich were the Division
Two leaders.
23 January away to
Rotherham was my next
programme but the match
was postponed. Rearranged
for 2 March it was post-
poned again and eventu-
ally played 3 April. We
lost 3-0.
6 February. Home to
Norwich 2-3 (Gregory,
Dunmore). Gordon
Bolland and Malcolm
Lucas lined up for
Norwich against their
former club, Colin
Worrell came in for
Webb, Jeff Harris for Ward and
Malcolm Musgrove for McDonald.
Gregory and Dunmore were our
scorers.
13 February. Away to Crystal
Palace. 1-0.George Ramage re-
placed England Amateur
International Pinner in goal and
Ted Phillips replaced Price in
the next match against Palace,
fielding Terry Long, Bert Howe,
Brian Whitehouse, Alan
Stephenson, Cliff Holton and Keith Smith.
20
February.
Home
to
Newcastle.
2-0
(Elwood
2)
.(
Four
halves
)
The
weather
was
to
play
havoc
with
the
fixture
list,
and
if
you
were
lucky
enough
to
receive
the
newly
launched
BBC2
see
links
above,
you
saw
top
of
the
table
Newcastle
beaten
2-0
by
goals
from
Joe
Elwood.
Team:Ramage,
Hollow,
Worrall,
Sorrell,
Nelson,
Harris,
Elwood,
Gregory,
Dunmore,
Metchick,
Musgrove.
Bloke
called Clark playing for them at three.
Video highlight
.
27 February. Away to Northampton. 2-0 defeat. We were two from bottom and the
Cobblers three from top. Team in the programme:Ramage, Hollow, Worrell,
Farrell [I suspect Sorrell], Nelson, Harris, Elwood, Gregory, Dunmore,
Metchick, Musgrove.
6 and 20 March home matches against Plymouth and Coventry were postponed. In
the Coventry programme we learnt the that Reg Davies had bee re-signed from
Port Vale in time to play at Huddersfield where Jimmy McGeorge had his first
league outing. We drew 2-2 with Southend reserves and playing is first game
for the O’s at inside-left was 17 year-old Lancing Grammar Schoolboy Peter
Allen (right). Showing much promise the article continued, Allen will benefit
by experience in this grade of football. In the match Gerry Ward was carried
off after giving the Orient the lead. McDonald equalised three minutes from
timse. Team:Ramage, Hollow, Clifton, Forsyth, Bishop, Carter, Price , Ward,
Dunmore, Allen, McDonald. Possible team against Coventry: Davies, Webb,
Worrall, Sorrell, Nelson, Harris,
Elwood, Metchick, Gregory, Scott,
Musgrove.
13 March. Away to Hudderfield 0-
0. Reg Davies had been re-gigned
from Port Vale.
16 March. Ted Phillips was trans-
ferred to Luton to enable Sexton to
sign Colin Shaw from Norwich only
two hours before the transfer dead-
line on March 16th. He scored the
winning goal against Birmingham in
the Football Combination but left
the field injured. Not sure the mer-
its of getting rid of an experienced
striker who this season has recorded
13 goals from 26 games and replacing him
with a young striker who made a single ap-
pearance for City last season, was then not
retained but re-signed back in July. His
league experience was one game for Chelsea,
three for Norwich scoring zero goals. He
did however play 28 Combination games scor-
ing 13 goals. Source: Norwich City pro-
gramme 6 Feb 1965. His Orient career was to
amount to seven games without scoring be-
fore he moved to South Africa and Arcadia
Shepherds.
27 March. Cardiff City were beaten at
Ninian Park thanks to goals from Elwood and
Gregory. Beer of their programme was
Rhymney Beers, The Best Round Here. Team in
the programme: Davies, Webb, Worrell, Sorrell, Nelson, Harris, Elwood, Metchick,
Gregory, Scott,
Musgrove. Paul Went
skippered the
England side against
Scotland in a
schoolboy interna-
tional at Wembley.
Some schoolboy, at
15 years old he was
weighing in at 12
stone.
Reg Davies was re-
signed from Port
Vale and played in
the match at Leyton
Stadium against
Plymouth. 31 March. 2-
0 (Elwood 2) The team:
Davies, Webb, Worrell,
Sorrell, Nelson,
Harris, McGeorge,
Elwood, Gregory, Scott
and Musgrove. Orient
beat Argyle, fielding
Tony Book and Mike Trebilcock. Both
goals came from Elwood. Leyton Orient
were now three from bottom with
Portsmouth and Swansea below them
when they faced middle of the table
Preston (3 April. 2-1 Gregory,
Sorrell). Fielding the same team that
beat Plymouth they won 2-1. Gregory
and Sorrell did the damage. The re-
serves beat Reading at Leyton 2-1.
Ronnie Wigg had signed as an appren-
tice Professional and following his
corner Terry Price put us in the
lead. Dave Dunmore scored a spectac-
tular goal to double the lead. Team:
Ramage, Hollow, Clifton, Ward,
Bishop, Carter, Wigg, Allen, Dunmore,
Price, McDonald.
A 3-0 defeat at Rotherham (6 April)
was followed by a 1-1 draw at Ipswich
(10 April. 1-1 Gregory), to where
British Rail were offering a fare of
17/6d. Journey time was an 1 hour and
12 minutes. Any improvement since BR?
Gregory scored our goal but a thigh
muscle injury to Harris and a groin
injury to Elwood meant a shuffle to
the line up. Which was: Davies,
Webb, Worrell, Sorrell, Nelson,
Scott, McGeorge, Gregory, Dunmore,
Metchick, Musgrove.
The other teams at the bottom of the table must have been worse than us bearing in
mind the remaining results against Middlesbrough at home (16 April. 1-1 Metchick)
Team in the programme: Davies, Webb, Worrell, Sorrell, Nelson, Harris, McGeorge,
Elwood, Gregory, Metchick, Musgrove. The reserves beat Notts County 4-0 in E10 with
goals from Shaw(2), Ward and Hollow. Team: Ramage, Hollow, Forsyth, Ward, Bishop,
Carter, Price, Allen, Butterfield, Shaw, McDonald.
A defeat against Middlesbrough away. (19 April 2-0) goalless draws home to
Southampton (17 April) which was my last home programme for the season and the editor
had a nightmare after reproducing the same information as the Middlesbrough one. Team
in the programme:
Davies, Webb, Worrell,
Sorrell, Nelson,
Harris, Elwood,
Gregory, Dunmore,
Metchick, Musgrove.
Away to Bolton (24
April) where the pro-
gramme team was
Davies, Webb, Worrell,
Sorrell, Nelson,
Harris, McGeorge,
Scott, Gregory,
Metchick, Musgrove. In
the last game of the
season a 3-1 defeat at
home to Coventry (28
April), Jimmy Scott
being the scorer. With
only 35 points we somehow kept in Division Two by two points,
but not for long.
Never sure why Sexton sold Ted Phillips in March. He was still
was top scorer at the end of the season. Then he released Dave
Dunmore. But I got this from my question on a forum "I can tell
you exactly why - according to Ted Phillips anyway! Phillips was
brought in at the start of the 64/65 season by Benny Fenton who
got sacked around December time. Sexton came in with his own ideas, one of which was
clearing out the senior players who were set in their ways. It didn’t work too well as
the following season Sexton was sacked and the O’s were relegated".
1965-66
Division II SEXTON
IN CHARGE - BUT NOT
FOR LONG
Sexton signed seven
players during the sum-
mer, Adrian Thorne
(Exeter), Vic Rouse
(Oxford), Tony Nicholas
(Chelmsford) and Gordon
Ferry (Arsenal) were all
on free transfers,
whilst Colin Flatt was
signed from Wisbech for
£1,000. Hendon amateur
centre-forward Dave Hyde
refused to sign profes-
sional forms for Orient.
Rouse had the distinc-
tion of playing for
Wales (April 59) whilst
with a fourth division
club (Crystal Palace).
With Paul Went and Peter
Allen becoming profes-
sionals former favour-
ites Syd Bishop, Stan
Charlton, Dave Dunmore, Mike Hollow, Terry McDonald, Mike
Pinner, George Ramage and Gerry Ward were told they were no
longer needed. Dunmore moved to York, Ward to Cambridge City,
Hollow to Peterborough whilst Syd Bishop become player manager
at Hastings and Stan Charlton got the same post at Weymouth.
McDonald joined Reading. See my cuttings for the time. And here.
Here and here. Fixture list plus Worrell, Flatt, Ferry + Rouse.
Sorrell, Ferry and Davies.
Of the signings Sexton was at Palace 59-60 so knew Rouse there
56-63. He knew Thorne at
Brighton 57-61 having been
there 57-59. Nicholas was
also at Brighton but 60-
62.
The cover of the programme
had not changed since last
season. Evening Standard
picture August 1965.
A later one with Smith in
the inset.
David Webb and Dennis
Sorrell told the Stratford
Express that they had never trained so hard.
Possibly too hard. They lost the opening two
matches. Fielding Davies, Forsyth, Worrell,
Webb, Nelson, Ferry, Nicholas, Elwood, Flatt,
Metchick and Thorne, with a new idea, that of a
substitute being filled by Jimmy Scott lost 2-0
at home to Huddersfield (21 August). A 2-1
(Flatt) defeat at Rotherham (24 August) was
followed by the same scoreline at Crystal
Palace (28 August) with Jimmy Scott this time
getting the goal. Programme team:Davies,
Forsyth, Worrell, Webb, Nelson, Ferry, Gregory,
Elwood, Flatt, Metchick, Thorne sub Scott.
Dick Graham was the Palace manager and his team
was: Jackson, Sewell, Howe, Yard, Stephenson, Payne, Woods, Whitehouse, Lawson, Kevan,
Kellard, and sub Keith Smith.
Orient paraded in white shorts, blue shirt with a white diagonal sash. In those days
home and away matches were played against the same team in a short space of time. Thus
after having lost at Rotherham a few weeks back we were now to lose to them 4-1 at
home (30 August). Jimmy Scott had put Orient into a 23rd minute lead.
The bottom three places in the table were held by Middlesbrough (2 points), Derby and
Leyton Orient, no points. Huddersfield, Manchester City and Southampton were at the
top.
The first points of the season were gained at home to Preston (4 September) 2-2 (Flatt
2). Four games - four defeats said the programme. The reserves beat Brentford 3-1 with
goals from Moss, McQuade and Price. Team: Rouse, Moss, Neale, Allen, Went, Carter,
Price, McGeorge, Shaw, Moss, McQuade. Team in the programme: Rouse,Forsyth, Worral,
Went, Webbb, Ferry,McGeorge, Shaw, Flatt, Scott, Metchick.
SPOTLIGHT ON DAVID WEBB
David Webb, crew-cut, quick-tackling Orient defender, will walk into the dressing room after to-day’s match, sit
down—and ask “How did West Ham get on.”
For Dave, as dedicated a 19-year-old as you'll find anywhere on the League front admits :“Secretly, I’m a bit of a West Ham fan. After all, I only live 100 yards from their
ground.“Not only that, after playing for West Ham and Essex Boys, I joined Hammers and was in their Junior side until I was 16,
“Then West Ham took on Bill Kitchener, and I couldn’t
see much future at Upton Park. Johnny Carey signed me
as an amateur for Orient in May, 1963, and it’s a move
I’ve never regretted.”
Versatile Dave was signed by Orient as a left half, made
his debut on the opening day of last season against
Portsmouth at centre half, switched to right back, then
left back—and started this season at right half:
But be says: “I suppose my real position is right back,
though I must admit I’ve got a liking for the centre half
spot.
Wherever Dave Sexton, our manager, wants me to play is
good enough, though.
“I feel really sorry for him over our poor start to the sea-
son. He’s worked tremendously hard, and I know how
badly he feels over it.”
Dave, in his own words, “thinks, eats, drinks and sleeps football”
Press him, and he will reveal: “Well, I do have an interest outside the game—Speedway. "
“ Most Tuesdays, during the season, you'll find me watching Wed Ham—that name again—and when I can I like
going to see Hackney Hawks on Fridays. “I like anything with an element of danger. Probably, that’s why I like
Speedway”
And away to Birmingham (8 September) 2-2 (Scott 2).
Programme team:Rouse, Forsyth, Worrall, Went, Webb,
Ferry, Price, Shaw, Flatt, Scott, Metchick sub Allen.
Their programme in-
cluded Soccer Review.
We lost 3-0 at
Charlton (11
September). Programme
team:Rouse, Forsyth,
Worrell, Went, Webb,
Ferry, Price, Shaw,
Flatt, Scott, Metchick
sub Allen.
'Orient flatten em'
was the Daily Mirror
headline that greeted the first win of the season against Birmingham (13 September) at home.
Bobby Thompson forced the Blues into the lead in the 42nd minute toe-ending the ball past Vic
Rouse. A Jimmy Scott free kick to Webb was headed across the goalmouth for Flatt to flick the
ball past the keeper. Four minutes later a long pass from Price found Flatt. Fighting off two
challenges, Flatt scored the winner. We signed 15 year-olds John O’Rouke, Mike James, Dennis
Rofe and Mike Vancoeverden as apprentice forwards.
They joined John Clifton, Larry Commons, Steve
Moss, Ronnie Wigg, and Paul Went as apprentices.
Sadly only Rofe and Went had a successful carer
with us though Wigg did so with Ipswich, Watford,
Rotherham, Grimsby, Barnsley and Scunthorpe amass-
ing 304(26) scoring 80 goals. McGeorge was out
with knee ligament so the programme team was :
Rouse, Forsyth, Worrall, Went, Webb, Ferry, Price,
Shaw, Flatt, Scott, Metchick. Nine of the players, we were told in the next pro-
gramme, were under 22. At 20 Jimmmy Scott was the youngest skipper in the 92
clubs. Match report.
SPOTLIGHT ON PAUL WENT
The boy who delayed, decided on Orient—then wondered whether he had made the right choice, got his answer
eleven days ago.
Manager Dave Sexton pinned up a team sheet that showed 15-year-old PAUL WENT at right half, and a story-
book Second Division debut was under way. Paul, Captain of England Schools last season, was wanted by a
number of top First Division Clubs before his name went on an Orient form to end the speculation.
And as he explained to us on the day of his debut :“I know, now, that I made the right choice in coming to the
Orient. I would never have been given a chance like this with a big First Division Club. But getting a chance in
the League side so soon was a real surprise. I expected to wait at least two years.”
Few people know how near Paul was to nursing a shattered dream rather than a burning ambition on the day
the season started.
He played in the South East Counties side against Brighton, took a nasty tumble, and was rushed to hospital
with a suspected broken leg. Fortunately, X-ray plates showed nothing more serious than severe bruising.
Hitting the headlines and selection for the League side have made no difference to Bow boy Paul’s status at the
Orient.
He is still a £7 a week apprentice professional, who is expected to help the other youngsters clean out the dress-
ing rooms on a Friday afternoon and sweep the terraces during the week. Secretary George Hicks says: “You
can’t take a boy away from the environment he understands. It would do more harm than good.”
And we know that modest Paul wouldn’t want it any other way. He says of his career at the Orient so far . . . .
and we hope it will be a long and happy one:
“It’s a great club — particularly for youngsters. Dave Sexton, our manager, is always encouraging and helping you. But that goes for everyone here.”
Norman Deeley was playing in the Southern League for Worcester City. Malcolm Musgrove was the Orient player-coach.
Two defeats followed, at home to Plymouth (18 September) 1-0 and the treatment table was busy with Paul Went (groin), Worrall
(ankle) McGeorge (ligaments) with Dennis Sorrell just returned to full training. The Supporters Club had been busy having
painted all 120 crash barriers. Programme team was : Rouse, Forsyth, Worrall, Went, Webb, Ferry, Price, Shaw, Flatt, Scott,
Metchick.
Talk to MALCOLM MUSGROVE about the status in society that the professional footballer now enjoys, and he’ll tell you : “The ‘ New Deal’, as the public likes to call it, has
put us on the same level as other professions. The era of the cloth cap and muffler has gone. But it hasn’t been easy achieving what we have. It’s meant a lot of hard work and
dedication to an ideal by men inside the game.”
Malcolm, Orient’s likeable player-coach, should know. He was a member of the Professional Footballers’ Association Committee that negotiated the now historic “ New Deal.”
For the past three years he has held the highest post in the Association—that of Chairman. It took courage for Newcastle-born Malcolm to play his part in soccer’s “
revolution.”
And it took courage, too, for the left winger with the lethal shot, to end a nine-year association with successful West Ham and agree to join Orient’s fight to stay in the First
Division three years ago. That was one battle Ma!co!m didn’t win.
During the close-season months he was appointed player-coach with the reserves. But Malcolm emphasises :“I don’t regard myself as a coach permanently relegated to the
reserves. If Dave Sexton calls on me to play in the first team I’m definitely ready.”
Malcolm says of his long spell with the Hammers :“ They were great years. For seven of them I formed the left wing with John Dick. We developed such an understanding
that | could almost read his thoughts.” Highlight of those years? ‘When we won the Second Division Championship. Il never forget the match that clinched it. It was the last
Saturday of the season. We won 3—1 at Middlesbrough and I scored a goal.” Malcolm, a fully qualified F.A. Coach for the past seven years, has firm and forthright views on
football and its future.
On part-timers .... “When I came into the game 12 years ago I had time for them—but not now. The rewards are so great these days that a professional footballer must dedic-
ate himself 100 per cent. to soccer.”
On training .... “In the old days it was dreary and monotonous. You lapped the pitch and were lucky to see a ball outside of match days. Now, it is made interesting. The play-
ers have to think about the game all the time.” On soccer’s future .... “The game has improved tremendously. But we have got to treat it as an entertainment as well as get res-
ults. The fans pay our wages—and they don’t come if they aren’t being entertained.”
The second defeat was away to Portsmouth (25 September) 4-1 (Flatt) as well as defeat in the League Cup 2-0 at home to Coventry
(22 September). The team was:Rouse, Webb, Worrell, Went, Ferry, Sorrell, McGeorge, Gregory, Flatt, Allen and Metchick. The pro-
gramme informed us the away strip reverted to the old Clapton Orient colours as an alternative strip, white with a red sash.
SPOTLIGHT ON VIC ROUSE
VIC ROUSE, the Welsh goalkeeper with the English accent, says simply of his step up to Orient’s Second Division side : “It’s nice to be back in the limelight.”
Vic, 28, doesn’t deny his future looked far from bright when Oxford United, rather surprisingly, decided to release him at the end of last season.
But Oxford’s loss was Orient’s gain. Vic was signed by Dave Sexton and has looked a very capable keeper since establishing himself in our first team.
Vic doesn’t deny either, that he is a much-travelled player. He had two years on Millwall’s books while still a National Serviceman. Dazzling ’em as a wing man in those days
was Johnny Hartburn, our Pools organiser. Six-footer Vic joined Crystal Palace in 1956, and he says of his days there: “They were certainly eventful. Dave Sexton, Orient’s
manager, was a player there at the time and during my seven years with the club we had four managers. I signed for Cyril Spiers. And after Cyril came Arthur Rowe, George
Smith and Dick Graham, Palace’s present boss.
“‘T also won my Welsh Cap as a Palace player—against Ireland in 1959. But the occasion I really remember is playing for the Welsh Under-23 team against Scotland in
Edinburgh one day, then flying back to play for Crystal Palace in a third round F.A. Cup replay against Shrewsbury 24 hours later.”
Vic moved on to Northampton from Palace, but had only five months with the “ Cobblers ” before Arthur Turner signed him for Oxford United. But Vic’s two years with the
League’s “ babes” included six months out of action with a broken leg — and those are times he prefers to forget.
Hobbies? Vic says: “I haven’t really got any. My two small kiddies take up most of my time away from football.”
John Smith, the West Ham forward who moved to Spurs in the exchange deal that took Dave Dunmore to Upton Park, was in the
Coventry side in the FL Cup. Nine days later he signed for Orient. Within 24 hours he scored the winner against Bolton (2
October) at home. Francis Lee and Wyn Davies were in their squad in our 1-0 win. New was the programme cover, blue with a diag-
onal white strip and and our coat of arms. Opponents were not featured on the front cover and nowhere did they show the date.
The reserves beat Charlton 3-1 with goals from Musgrove 2 (1 pen) and Elwood. Team: Davies, Forsyth, Neale, Carter, Nelson,
Scott, Price Elwood, Shaw, Musgrove, Thorne. They were second in the Combination table. Smith signs, Norwich match report.
At home to Wolves (9 October) we lost 3-0. A new name appeared in the programme line-up, Andy Nelson. Programme team: Rouse,
Webb, Worrall, Sorrell, Nelson, Smith, Price, Gregory, Flatt, Ferry, Metchick. The reserves managed a 1-1 draw at Aldershot
(Elwood). Team: Davies, Commons, Neale, Carter, Forsyth, Scott, Price, Elwood, Nicholas, Musgrove, Thorne. In the London
Challenge Cup at Barnet we won 3-4 with goals from Shaw (2), Price, Scott. Team: Davies, Commons, Neale, Carter, Went, Allen,
Price, Elwood, Shaw, Scott, Musgrove. SPOTLIGHT ON JOHN SMITH
The boy destined to play for Orient finally made it last Saturday .... three clubs and an Under-23 cap since the time he Set Out as a professional player.
JOHN SMITH, Shoreditch-born and 25 years old, is “ home.” And what a homecoming! That 87th minute winner against Bolton was a tonic to all of us.
Destined to play for Orient ? Let John explain .
“Well, it couldn't really be any other way. My dad has always been an Orient supporter. It runs in the family. Fact is, I followed him on to the terraces. As a kid I was an Orient
fanatic. I still remember those dazzling runs from Johnny Hartburn (our Pools organiser). He was quite a winger in his day.”
But the days of being a terrace type had to stop. The step towards stardom came when John joined West Ham’s
ground staff at 15—another discovery of ace talent spotter Wally St. Pier.
Now John takes up the story of his career : “They were great days with West Ham. I won a Second Division cham-
pionship medal, was capped by the Under-23 selectors, and sat on the bench as an England reserve on the day
that Ken Brown was in the side against Ireland. Then the chance came to join Spurs. At the time it looked a good
move, but it never worked out that way. I found myself in the shadows of Danny Blanchflower and Dave Mackay.
When it comes to wing half play, they were two of the best in the business. Coventry came along with the offer of
regular first team football again and I suppose I was glad to go. I helped them clinch promotion to the Second
Division and made a lot of friends there. Now it’s
nice to be back in London. From the way we played
last Saturaay, I think this Orient side could be a good
one.”
Family footnote: “John’s father, wife, son and two
brothers, cheered the Orient on to victory on John’s
debut day.
Away to Norwich (16 October) lost 2-1
Dennis Sorrell schemed and scored our
goal. Programme team:Rouse, Webb,
Worrell, Sorrell, Nelson, Ferry,
Price, Gregory, Nicholas, Smith,
Metchick sub Scott. In their programme
The Beers That Satisfy were Tolly
Export, the perfect pale ale and
Cobnut as sweet as a nut.
Bottom of the table Orient next played
Bury at home (23 October) who were
three points above them in the table.
Webb and Price scored in a 2-2 draw.
The Colts beat Luton 8-0 with a hat-
trick from Wigg, Commons 2, and one
each for Went, Ilot, and Rofe. Webb
and Flatt were on the treatment table.
Programme team:Rouse, Webb, Worrell,
Sorrell, Nelson, Ferry, Price, Smith,
Gregory, Nicholas, Metchick. SPOTLIGHT ON TERRY PRICE
The turning point in winger TERRY PRICE’S career came last Christmas—when he was DROPPED from Orient’s
first team. Terry, the fair-haired kid from Colchester, looks back on that day .... and says:“I realise now it was the
best thing that ever happened to me, I wasn’t playing well, but I was taking things for granted. It came as a bit of
a jolt to be told I wasn’t good enough. But much more important, it made me buckle down and try all all that
much harder.”
Terry — he is 20 now—joined Orient’s ground staff five years ago, after being spotted in a trial match by Eddie
Heath. Johnny Carey later signed him as an apprentice professional, aud Terry made his debut at the age of 18,
on the opening day of last season. Orient won 5—2 that day, and Terry marked his debut with one of the goals.
He says of his early months at Orient: “I found it all very strange, but exciting too. The older players were great,
though . .-. particularly Cyril Lea and Malcolm Lucas. They were always trying to help me.”
The game that gave Terry his biggest thrill? Last season’s 2—2 draw at Southampton. He recalls: “ We were los-
ing 2—0. and, frankly, it looked all over. But I scored twice and we came away with a vital point.”
Terry, naturally, is ambitious. He says: I would be wasting my time as a professional footballer if I wasn’t. More
than anything else, I would like to play for England. I suppose that is the pinacle in every player’s career. Terry
spends a lot of his spare time coaching schoolboys .... “I’m preparing to take my preliminary F.A. coaching exam-
ination at Christmas.”
He shares “ digs” in Hackney with Ronnie Wigg, one of our South East Counties side players, and plays as much
tennis as he can in the summer months.
George O'Brien scored Southampton's (30 October) goal in our defeat at the Dell.
Programme team: Rouse, Webb, Worrell, Sorrell, Ferry, Smith, Price, Shaw, Gregory,
Allen, Metchick sub West [Went]. That must have changed as Musgrove made his first
League outing of the season hitting the upright . Beers of the programme were
Watneys Red Barrel which we were told we could trust as it was Britain’s first and
most popular keg bitter, Always clear, always in perfect condition. Also Strongs
Foremost, four pints of the best draught bitter. Brewed to take home.
A goalless draw against Derby at home (6 November). followed. The Reserved lost to
Gillingham 3-4 ( Elwood, Scott, Shaw). Team: Davies, Moss, Neale, Carter, Leedham,
Scott, McGeorge, Shaw, Nicholas, Elwood, Thorne. But the Colts beat Watford 3-1
and are now five games without defeat. Scorers were right half Went, Centre for-
ward Wigg and inside forward Rofe. Programme team: Rouse, Webb, Worrell, Sorrell,
Ferry, Smith, Price, Allen, Gregory, Metchick. SPOTLIGHT ON COLIN FLATT
The faith of two men—Jesse Pye and Dave Sexton—brought COLIN FLATT into League soccer this season, at
the age of 23. Colin, after four years at Wisbech, had come to accept that he would see his playing days out in the
Southern League. This week, Colin—injured against Wolves three Saturdays back interrupted his fight to get fit
for today’s game to tell us:“Two years ago I reckoned my chances of breaking into League football had gone. I
said to myself Colin, you’ve left it too late. But Jesse Pye, the Wisbech manager, kept saying to me ‘You'll make
it, son. Don’t worry, youll make it. “ At the back of my mind was also the thought that at Wisbech I had security.
I was a part-timer, I had bought my own house at Woodford, and I had a good job as a shipping clerk.
“Northampton, Colchester and Luton had all been a bit interested in me while I was at Wisbech. But nothing
ever seemed to happen in the way of a firm offer.
“Then, soon after last season ended, Jesse Pye said Dave Sexton wanted me at the Orient. “Deep down it was what I always wanted. I couldn’t resist the chance to try my luck.
I told my wife and she agreed. “ It’s a move I haven't regretted.”
Orient are just as happy that Colin took the plunge. Before injuring his left knee against Wolves he had scored six goals in 11 games.
And that’s a good scoring rate by any standards. Centre forward Colin says of the switch from Southern League to Second Division: “It’s quicker, nat-
urally. But the big difference is in the build-up. And that only comes from the extra thought and effort that goes into your training.” Colin was 19
when he signed for Wisbech. Before that he played as an amateur for Ilford and Cambridge City . . . . and turned down the chance of a month’s trial
with Newcastle. Suffolk-born Colin says of the future: “I’m sure we won't go down. Not after all the effort that has gone into this season by everyone
in the club. Nothing has gone right so far. I didn’t think it was possible for a team to have so much bad luck. But our fortunes have got to change ....
and today’s game is as good a time as any.”
O's lost 3-1 away to Cardiff (13 November) where Peter Allen scored his first goal for the club. Team in the
programme: Rouse, Webb, Worrell, Sorrell, Ferry, Smith, Price, Musgrove, Gregory, Allen Metchick.
Colin Flatt, out of action for six weeks, returned in the match against at home to
Carlisle (20 November) and scored his 6th and 7th goals of the season in a 2-1 win. The
previous wek the Reserves drew 2-2 with Watford with Shaw and McGeorge scoring. The
Colt beat QPR to go second in the table. A 3-1 win with Moss scoring two penalties with
Jenkins getting the other. In the FA Youth Cup they beat Southend 5-2 thanks to a hat-
trick from Went one one from Commons. Team in the programme: Rouse, Webb, Worrell,
Sorrell, Ferry, Allen,
Musgrove, Gregory,
Flatt, Smith, Metchick.
INTRODUCING DENNIS
SORRELL
There aren’t many half backs
who can claim to have tamed
Dennis Law .... DENNIS
SORRELL is one of them.
Sorrell, the tenacious, talented
Stepney boy, did it so thor-
oughly that even Law admitted
later: “I didn’t get a kick.” Our
Dennis was 17 at the time. It was
eight years ago. He had played
half-a-dozen games in our
Second Division side. Law ar-
rived at Leyton three days after
getting rave notices as
Huddersfield’s star in a magnifi-
cent F.A. Cup win at West Ham.
Manchester City’s mammoth
bid for him was already under
way.
Now let “ Solly ” take
over....“It was a game I'll
never forget. I suppose
everything went right for me. I stuck tight to Law and it paid off. Mind you, it’s never dimmed my admiration for
him. I think he’s great .. . . easily the best inside forward in Britain. Yet I always seemed to play well against him.
That’s something I can’t say when I’ve come up against Jimmy Bloomfield. He always seems to get the better of
me.”
Dennis, 25, originally joined our ground-staff ten years ago, after playing for East London, Middlesex and
London Schoolboys. Four years ago we transferred him to Chelsea. And Dennis Says :“Tt seemed a great move at
the time. But I didn’t hit it off at all at Stamford Bridge. I was very disappointed. Fourteen months ago I was told
that Orient and Millwall were both interested in me. I chose to return here .. . and I haven’t regretted it. I had the
greatest admiration for manager Dave Sexton when he was coach at Chelsea. That hasn’t changed. He just isn’t
getting any luck at the moment. That’s something I hope will change. I’d run my legs off for the boss. If he told
me to play in goal, I would.”
Dennis, in his spare time, is one of several Orient players involved in coaching at the local schools. Much of his
time, in this direction, is devoted to St. Bernard’s, Bethnall Green . .. . where our own Paul Went was a pupil.
Four defeats followed. 4-0 at home to Bristol City (4 December). The reserves beat
QPR 6-0 with a hat-trick from Shaw and one each for Carter, Price and Scott. The
Colts beat Chelsea 6-3 with two goals a apiece from Wigg, O’Rouke and Jenkins. Team
in the programme: Rouse, Webb, Went, Sorrell, Ferry, Allen, Musgrove, Gregory,
Flatt, Smith, Metchick.
SPOTLIGHT ON PETER ALLEN
You could call him “the brains” of the side—the slim 19-year-old who has slotted in so well at wing half in our last two games. Certainly, fair-haired, quiet spoken, PETER
ALLEN has the sort of qualifications that will give him a flying start if he ever decides to seek a living outside soccer. But from what we’ve seen in the five months since he
signed the forms that made him a professional, we reckon it will be a long time before Peter has to think about earning his “ keep.” away from the game. Sussex boy Peter left
Hove Grammar School last summer—a sixth former with the G.C.E. at “A” level in History, Geography and English.
He recalls: “At 15 I was going to sign for Spurs. But I decided to stay on at school because I wanted to go to University. At that time Spurs were enjoying some great days.
They used to give the junior players tickets for all the big games .. . like the ones in European Competition against Benfica and Dukla. Danny Blanchflower was at his peak
then. And you could say I was among his greatest admirers. He was such a wonderful user of the ball.’
Peter says of the day he arrived at Orient : “I played six games at the tail-end of last season and it was a very pleasant surprise when I was offered professional terms during
the summer. It’s something I haven’t regretted. Manager Dave Sexton is a first-class coach and, among the players, David Webb in particular has given me a lot of help.”
Previous page Next page end of 1965-66.
John Smith. Taken from the postponed Coventry match 20 March.
Wing Half Back or inside-forward, Height 5 feet 7½ inches, weight
12stone 5½ Ibs. John was born in London and gained schoolboy
honours with East London Schools and London Schools. He joined
West Ham straight from school and was playing in their 1st team at
the age of seventeen, stayed with West Ham for a period of four
years during which time he was reserve for the full England side
and gained two Under-23 Caps against Hungary and France. He
was transferred to Spurs in 1960 and during his stay with them
made a number of appearances in the First Team. Came to
Coventry on March 6th for a fee of £9,000 and made his début for
the Club against Bournemouth. He made 9 appearances in the side
which won the Third Division Championship.