The recent controversy about the Os shirt sponsor for next season got me thinking about the Orient (and other) football shirts that I own.
One of the things that I enjoy about going to Orient games (apart from the silky Samba football that is), is the diverse array of shirts from across the ages that are on display. I am sure that many Os fans are like me and can’t afford or don’t want to invest in the new shirt each season so rely on the old faithfuls to display their allegiance.
Old shirts also seem to spark interest in others. “What team’s that?” they ask. “What season?”. The sponsor’s logos are an important part of the design and are also a trigger of memories of a bygone era. Certainly some of the ones in my collection anyway.
So – here’s the top five favourite shirts in my collection. What’s in yours?
5. Leyton Orient (Home) - season 1995/96
The geometric pattern on the front of the shirt screams mid-90s to me. The shirt sponsor – Akklaim a games designer– brings back memories of spooking myself playing first person perspective “Aliens” on Playstation.
Football wise it wasn’t a great season – the Os finished 21stin Division 3 (formerly known as Division 4) and were knocked out in the first round of everything! But this was also the season when Orient finally ended their 2 year run of away games without a victory – finally beating Northampton 2-1.
Despite I thought we had some decent players at the time. Darren Purse was one of my favourites and this was his 2ndand last season at Brisbane Road before he went on to bigger and better things with Oxford, Birmingham and then Cardiff. I recall Alex Inglethorpe up front scoring a few crucial goals to keep us away from the trapdoor of the football league … oh that he was still around last season!
The material in the shirt is purest shiny polyester. But the deep red, combined with the black collar and the white checkerboard pattern on the front make it stand out in a crowd.
4. Leyton Orient (Home) – season 2002-03
This shirt always elicits the question “Is that a Croatia shirt?” the first time someone sees it. Then they notice the badge. This was the second time that the Os sported the Croatian checks.
I think it’s a smart kit and I really like the traditional V neck. It’s unusual not just because of its design – being manufactured as it was by the club’s own brand and sporting the legendary Matchroom Sport logo on the front. Clearly kit manufacturer and sponsorship deals were hard to come by in the early noughties!
This was the season after the Os play-off final defeat to Blackpool at the Millenium Stadium and despite many of the play-off final squad still being at the club – including 2 of my favourites – full backs Matt Lockwood and Matthew Joseph – we clearly suffered a hangover – ending 18thin Division 3 with a decidedly mixed bag of results. However, we enjoyed a good run in the FA Cup – beating Bristol City, Lincoln and then Division1 side Portsmouth (4-1 away) to reach the 4thround – where we were beaten 4-1 by Everton.
3. Leyton Orient (Trust) Training Shirt – season 2015-16?
Picked up off e-bay for a fiver this has become one of my go to shirts in recent times. I love the deep blue colours and the fit is surprisingly flattering for a middle-aged man with a penchant IPA!
The “Trust” embroidered below the club crest makes it for me though. It highlights the fantastic community club that the Os have become and the great work the Leyton Orient Trust do in the local area. But more than that, somehow it seems to me to embody the spirit of the Orient faithful throughout the last few years. Yes – what we’ve been through has been bloody awful and you wouldn’t wish it on anyone (Man Utd aside!) But throughout it all the Os fans showed resilience and fortitude – TRUSTing that one day, soon, things would be OK..
So yes – it has taken us our first ever relegation from the football league – but we’ve got our club back and so can hopefully look forward to a phoenix like revival back to where we belong … mid-table in League 1!
2. England (Away) – season 1989-90
Ah – Italia 90!
Gazza crying – Nessun Dorma – World in Motion – the John Barnes’ rap – Roger Milla’s samba by the corner flag – Rene Higuita’s dodgy perm – Ireland reaching the quarter finals … and an England team that looked like they actually knew what they were doing … up until the penalty shoot out anyway …
This was actually my first England shirt. The design of the red away shirt mirrors that of the white home shirt and the more famous blue 3rdshirt – as sported by Bernard Sumner in the World in Motion video.
I love the diamond design in the material and the Umbro branding on the sleeves. This one still gets a regular outing and is my go to shirt for 5 asides around the times of World Cups and European Championships.
1. Leyton Orient (Home) – season 1992-93
This is the absolute favourite shirt in my drawer. A 21st birthday present from my then girlfriend, now wife, this holds a special place in my heart.
Manufactured by the classic Bukta brand I love the bold black and white chevron design on the front and sleeves – guaranteed to make you stand out in a crowd! The sponsors logo is somehow iconic too – who on earth were Independent Transport? The logo itself appears to have been made from some sort of prototype Kevlar material! It’s incredibly thick and rigid and my best mate always jokes whenever I wear it that I’ve come in my stab-proof vest!
On the pitch it was a pretty decent season for the Os as we finished 7thin Division 2 under Peter Eustace – missing out on the play-offs by goal difference – in what was the first year of the new FA Premier League.
We had some good players then too – Terry Howard, Gary Bellamy, Adrian Whitbread and Warren Hackett in defence, whilst Ricky Otto and Mark Cooper intermittently banged the goals in up front.
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