Previous page 1971-1972. Next page.   ORIENT - THE PETCHEY YEARS 1972/3 SEASON The 1972 close season saw Dennis Rofe sign a contract for a further year with the club, having turned down a down a £112,000 move to QPR. Chelsea had their bid turned down and Ipswich were reported to be interested.   The team made a trip to Jersey where the local Oaklands team were beaten 8-0 by goals from Dyson 2, Lewis 2, Bullock, Fairbrother, Downing and an og. Spurs de- fender John Cutbush declined to join the Orient and decided to join Fulham in- stead. The South East Counties League matches were to be played at Woodford Town FC as the Southern League club had been disbanded. Bobby Moss and Martin Binks having failed to make an impact in the first team had joined former Orient manager Dick Graham at Fourth Division Colchester. John Sewell, Mark Lazarus and John South had yet to find new clubs. Tony Grealish and 16 year-old Laurie Cunningham had joined as apprentices. It was reported in the Evening Standard that Orient had been guaranteed £750,000 to completely modernise the ground. Chairman Page repor- ted that someone within the club was investing the money but it hinged on whether Orient could secure a 99 year lease from Waltham Forest Council. Crowd capacity would be increased by 10,000 to 45,000 and the stadium would comprise of a chil- dren's nursery, restaurant, squash courts, gym and offices. I wonder where it is. Israel World Cup star George Borba arrived at Orient in the hope of a job on the pro- fessional staff. He was out of luck.   29 September. Away in a friendly to Colchester (2-2 Bowyer 2). Among the U’s players it would appear the following ex O’s were in attend- ance: Cook, Binks, Hall and South. Team: Goddard, Hoadley, Role, Bennett, Harris, Allen, Downing, Brisley, Bullock, Dyson, Bowyer. No subs were named. 12 August. Home to Oxford (1-1 Bowyer). In the opening match of the season in E10 we drew 1-1. Ian Bowyer was the scorer. Programme news was that we had secured a new training ground at Lea Valley [Spring Hill], secondly new floodlights had been in- stalled, lastly the juniors would have the use of Woodford Town FC at Snakes Lane. First casualty of the season was Tom Walley who would be out six weeks after a cartilage operation. Programme team: Goddard, Hoadley, Role, Bennett, Harris, Allen, Downing, Brisley, Bullock, Dyson, Bowyer. Sub Un-named(Fairbrother).   16 August. Home to Watford in the League Cup (Bowyer, Downing). Orient won 2-0 thanks to Bowyer and a headed goal by Derrick Downing from Brisley's back header. Dennis Rofe was interesting Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Leicester. Team and sub were unchanged. We signed 18-year-old Ray Fulton from West Ham.   19 August. Away to Sunderland (1-0). In the League beat us 1-0 thanks to a Dennis Tueart goal.    Bennett and Harris were booked. Fairbrother replaced Brisley who was sub. Programme team: Goddard, Hoadley, Role, Bennett, Harris, Allen, Downing, Brisley(Fairbrother), Bullock, Dyson, Bowyer. Sub Un-named(Brisley). Beer of the programme was Vaux beers which included Norseman Lager. 26 August. Home to Luton (0-1). Dennis Rofe duly joined Leicester for £112,000 and O's promptly lost 1-0 at home. Bobby Arber replaced Rofe at full back. Barrie Fairbrother again asked for a transfer. Chairman Page again whinged about stay-away fans - hardly surprising if you keep selling your best players. Don’t have a programme for this match.   28 August. Home to Middlesbrough (2-0 Bullock, Allen). Goals from Bullock and Allen, who cleverly lobbed the ball over keeper Platt. Orient turned down bids of £400,000 for 4 play- ers and in bids to strengthen the squad George Petchey had 7 approaches to clubs for players turned down. Programme team: Goddard, Hoadley, Arber, Bennett, Harris, Allen, Downing, Brisley, Bullock, Dyson, Bowyer. Sub Fairbrother. 30 August. Home to Southend in the Mid-Week League (1-1 Fulton). Team: Bowtell, Fisher, Fulton, Kinnear, Linton, Riddick, Ian Filby, Lewis, Fairbrother, Sullivan, Johnson Sub Botham. Three defeats followed…   2 September. Away to Hull (2-0). Helped by a a goal by Ken Knighton. Programme team: Goddard, Hoadley, Arber, Bennett, Harris, Allen, Downing, Brisley, Bullock, Dyson, Bowyer. Sub Un-named(Fairbrother). 5 September. Away in the League Cup at Wolves (2-1 Downing). We were advised that Double Diamond works wonders and Brew XI was “For the men of the Midlands”. Programme team: Goddard, Arber, Hoadley, Bennett, Harris, Allen, Downing(Fairbrother), Brisley, Bullock, Dyson(Downing), Bowyer. Sub Un-named(Riddick). 9 September. At home to Bristol City (0-2). City were then bottom of the table with 2 points from 5 games, Orient being four places above them. Programme team: Goddard, Arber, Hoadley, Bennett, Harris, Allen, Downing, Brisley, Bullock, Dyson, Bowyer. Sub Fairbrother.   13 September. Away to Watford Mid-Week League (0--1 Dyson). Team, Bowtell, Fisher, Fulton, Kinnear, Linton, Walley, Fairbrother, Dyson, Riddick, Lewis, Johnson sub Filby. The next six games were all draws! 16 September. Away to Blackpool (1-1 Bullock), where four O's players were booked; Arber, Bennett, Bullock and Downing. Fairbrother was starting to play well in what was only his second match of the season. Bullock got the goal in the 88th minute against Bob Stokoe's Seasiders. Walley substituted for Bennett as Orient played in black and blue stripes! I have pictures to prove I was there but no programme.   18 September. Home to Burnley (1-1 Fairbrother). It was Fairbrother, described by the Daily Express as "Orients one constantly challenging forward" that scored the goal in the 1-1 draw with Burnley. Orient were without the injured Bowyer and Bennett. Walley and Dyson were the replacements. Programme team: Goddard, Arber, Hoadleu, Bennett(Walley), Harris, Allen, Downing(Fairbrother), Brisley, Bullock, Dyson(Downing), Bowyer(Dyson). Sub Faribrother(Riddick). 23 September. Home to QPR (2-2 Fairbrother, Downing). Stan Bowles signed for QPR from Carlisle for £110,000 and played against the O's in a 2-2 draw. Bowles scored but Gerry Queen, newly signed from Crystal Palace for £70,000 didn't. Queen re- placed Dyson who was the sub and Fairbrother and Downing got the goals. Programme team: Goddard, Arber, Hoadley, Bennett(Walley), Harris, Allen, Fairbrother, Brisley, Bullock, Downing(Queen), Bowyer(Dyson). Sub Un-named(Dyson).   Sir Alf Ramsey opened a £20,000 extension at Leyton stadium. 25 September. Away to Preston (0-0), A goalless draw, Preston fieled Ricky Heppolette. Programme team: Goddard, Arber, Hoadley, Walley, Harris, Allen, Downing, Brisley, Bullock, Dyson, Fairbrother. Sub Un-named. Cheap programme just one sheet of folded paper for 3d but it did include the Football League Review. It was followed by Queen's first goal for Orient. 30 September. Fulham (1-1 Queen), They were managed by Alec Stock and playing Paul Went. Arber, Downing, Queen and Allen were booked. Mark Lazarus announced his retire- ment from football - he was to have a testimonial in March. Programme team: Goddard, Arber, Hoadley, Walley, Harris, Allen, Fairbrother, Brisley(Downing), Bullock, Queen, Bowyer. Sub Un-named(Brisley).   7 October. Home to Cardiff (0-0). A goalless draw at home to Cardiff fol- lowed. Again no programme.   14 October. Away to Millwall (2-0). At the Den we got beat 2-0 with goal from Harry Cripps and new signing Alf Wood in a team sporting Allder, Bolland and Possee. Phil Hoadley had the hottest shot at Orient recording 69.8 Mph but not enough to beat Hazell and Clement at QPR with 71.3 and 70.3. Twelve Orient players reached 60 mph or more. Petchey revealed than Queen's fee was £50,000 and not the £70,000 reported. Orient were advertising for an experienced groundsman. Programme team: Goddard, Arber, Hoadley, Walley, Harris, Allen, Fairbrother, Downing, Bullock, Queen, Bowyer. Sub Dyson.   21 October. Home to Carlisle (2-1 Queen, Bennett). Goals from Queen and Bennett beat Carlisle 2-1. Brisley and Bowtell asked for transfers. John Boyle (Chelsea) and Phil Holder (Spurs) declined to join the club. Chairman Arthur Page had broken four ribs after slipping on the bathroom mat. Programme team: Goddard, Hoadley, Arber, Bennett, Harris, Allen, Downing, Brisley, Bullock, Queen, Bowyer. Sub Un-named. 28 October. Away to Huddersfield (1-1 Downing). A Downing goal against the Terriers was enough for the 8th draw of the season. Programme team: Goddard, Hoadley, Arber, Bennett, Harris, Allen, Downing, Brisley, Bullock(Fairbrother), Queen, Bowyer(Walley). Sub Un- named(Dyson). 3 November. Home to Preston (1-2 Fairbrother). We were 5th from bottom and stayed there when we were beaten 1-2 at home to Preston. The swapping of Fairbrother for Bullock did nothing for the result but it did for Barrie - he got the goal. Bennett had his leg in plaster due to a damaged leg. Programme team: Goddard, Hoadley, Arber, Bennett, Harris, Allen, Fairbrother, Brisley, Queen, Walley, Downing. Sub Un-named.   Bullock returned to the team (replacing the injured Walley) and Bowyer was 12th man for the second time in a row as Orient beat Burnley (11 November) 1-2 at Turf Moor. Harris and Queen scored.   An injury to Harris meant the début of Ray Fulton, a free transfer from West Ham, and a 3-1 (Brisley) defeat at Swindon (18 November) where Les Allen had taken over from Dave Mackay as manager. O's crashed out of the FA Youth Cup at the hands of Ipswich. The team included Fisher, Roeder, Mooney, Grealish and Cunningham.   Petchey reported an injury free squad to face Sheffield Wednesday (25 November) when the RAF dog dis- play were to be pre match entertainment. It was catching as the O's entertained the crowd with a 3-2 win thanks to goals from Bowyer, Hoadley and Queen. 35 year-old Brian Winston joined the Orient board. Dean Mooney netted five of Orient's six goals against Reading in the South East Counties League and followed it up with a hat trick against Crystal Place.   Downing bought his tally to six in the 2-1 defeat at Forest (2 December) and the winner against Brighton 9 December (1-0) who were bottom of the table.   With Harris suspended and Bennett having a dislocated toe Petchey got Peter Wall on loan from Crystal Palace. It was not enough to stop consecutive 1-0 defeats at Aston Villa (16 December) and Portsmouth (23 December) where Malcolm Linton made his début replacing Walley.   After the match Orient signed Ricky Heppolette from Preston for £60,000. This did nothing to help the results as QPR (26 December) beat us 3-1 (Brisley). Downing was sent off.   We drew with Luton (6 January) 1-1 with Brisley again getting the goal. Former O Vic Halom didn't score but former Busby Babe John Aston did.   There was to be no repeat cup run as Coventry (13 January) thrashed O's 1-4 at home. Bobby Arber scored from the penalty spot.   The goalless draw with Hull (20 January) saw the emergence of a hero. A supporter dashed onto the field, picked up the ball and crashed it into the net and 3,887 supporters chanted "We want two". Tom Walley (again) and Steve Bowtell underwent cartil- age operations. Only four players had been ever present in the team; Goddard, Hoadley, Allen and Downing, such were the injuries. Downing, 3 matches and Harris, 2 matches, started suspensions.   A 2-2 draw (Allen and Queen) at Bristol City (27 January) was followed by a two goal win  against fifth placed Blackpool (10 February) at home. Brisley and Queen were the scorers.   A public meeting was called for 25/2/73. Despite Fairbrother's fourth goal of the season O's went down 2-1 at Oxford (17 February). By now we were joint second from bottom, sharing that place with Cardiff and Swindon on 23 points.   So it was with impending doom that greeted the next home match against third placed Aston Villa (24 February). Against a line-up that included Brian Little, Alun Evans, Ray Graydon, Chris Nicholl, Bruce Rioch and with Jimmy Cumbes in goal were; Goddard, Hoadley, Wall, Bennett, Harris, Allen, Fairbrother, Brisley, Bowyer, Heppolette, sub Bullock. The Waltham Forest Guardian headline of "O's stun Villa - it's no fluke" said it all. Goals from Queen and Harris and two from Fairbrother, making it six from 13 matches, sealed a 4-0 victory. Substitute Mickey Bullock, on for the injured Wall, scored in the next match at Cardiff (3 March) as we lost 3-1.   It was not enough for manager Petchey, Bullock was again sub against Millwall (10 March) as Downing, Brisley and Bowyer scored for the O's and Bolland (penalty) replied for the Lions. A bad backpass by Allder lead to Bowyer's goal. Ricky Heppolette played in the number two shirt when Arber went down with stomach trouble in the match at Carlisle (17 March) but it made no difference as Joe Laidlaw scored an injury time goal. Ray Goddard was the Orient hero.   Mickey Bullock replaced Brisley for the Huddersfield match (24 March), John Lewis was made sub and Delia Zussman was the ball donor as O's recorded a 3-1 victory thanks to late goals from Allen and Hoadley. Orient took the lead just before half time when a long throw from Bowyer was played on by Bullock and Fairbrother touched the ball home from close range. Ray Goddard played despite a broken finger.  Orient were again advertising for a new groundsman as the one they appointed was involved in a car crash and was unable to accept the job. Petchey revealed he would not be applying for the vacant managers job at Crystal Palace.   Heppolette replaced Bullock for the match at Sheffield Wednesday (31 March) as O's crashed 2-0. Fairbrother had nine stitches in a cut shin so Bullock replaced him against Forest (7 April) as Orient won 3-0 with goals from Hoadley, Queen and Bullock.   Results at Brighton & Hove (7 April) have never favoured Orient and it was not to be this time as we lost 2-1 despite a Queen goal. Peter Johnson had been the substitute for the last two matches.   Manager Petchey's solution was to drop Bullock in favour of Fairbrother but we went down 1-0 to Pompey. An unchanged team, (by this time Downing was at full back replacing the injured Arber who had been carried off in the Forest match) were a 1-0 winners against Swindon thanks to Queen.   "I want three points from the last three matches" said Petchey "to stay in the second division". He got them. Two goals from Fairbrother against Fulham plus one from Bowyer (3-2), another two from Fairbrother were not enough against Middlesboro (2- 3) but a goal from Derrick Downing against Sunderland clinched it. Sunderland were applauded onto the field by the Orient team in recognition of them achieving reaching the cup final against Leeds. Peter Allen ended the season playing his 301st match for the club. VAT was introduced to football and the programme for next year was to cost 10p. Orient finished in 15th position, Fairbrother was top scorer with 11 goals from 24 games, Queen had 10 from 32 and Downing scored 8 plus 2 in the League Cup. Previous page. Next page.

Away at Blackpool.