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Post by dohnut on Oct 21, 2021 19:02:57 GMT
On my Facebook page, old football papers on times gone by get posted. Always an interesting read. One just posted from 1st December 62.
Div 1 (Prem) we enjoyed a 1-1 draw away at Blackburn Rovers. Others in the top flight included Bolton, who got tanked 5-0 by Villa, Blackpool who drew with Birmingham whilst Ipswich beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0
Div 2 (championship) saw Newcastle drawing 0-0 with Bury, and included Leeds United, Chelsea, Norwich, Southampton and Grimsby Town.
Div 3 (League 1). Included Brighton, Crystal Palace, Watford and Southend.
Div 4 (league 2), included Brentford.
We really were a big club in them there days.
Notable drop outs include Workington, Southport, Darlington, Chester, Torquay, York City, Notts County, Halifax, Bury, Southend, Grimsby, Wrexham, Aldershot. Maybe others who didn’t play that day.
I count myself very lucky to have been a fan in those great days when I took big games from granted and rarely looked further than the top two divisions, or maybe the top of the third in anticipation of next seasons fixtures. The ups and downs to tier 2.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2021 21:34:12 GMT
We were a bigger club than now but not a big club. We got a surprise promotion to Div 1 but were immediately relegated. No way can Div 1 then be compared to the Prem. We were a notable dropout very recently.
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Post by dohnut on Oct 22, 2021 8:48:03 GMT
We were a bigger club than now but not a big club. We got a surprise promotion to Div 1 but were immediately relegated. No way can Div 1 then be compared to the Prem. We were a notable dropout very recently. Fair comment. Certainly not bigger than Chelsea, Leeds etc despite being in a higher division, albeit briefly. But in comparison to all 92 to clubs maybe a different view can be taken. And interestingly we went through a recent phase of new players saying we are a big club when joining. So it all depends on how you define big. It’s a very subjective word. Compared to Spurs we are small, compared to St Albans we are big. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2021 9:17:14 GMT
We were a bigger club than now but not a big club. We got a surprise promotion to Div 1 but were immediately relegated. No way can Div 1 then be compared to the Prem. We were a notable dropout very recently. Fair comment. Certainly not bigger than Chelsea, Leeds etc despite being in a higher division, albeit briefly. But in comparison to all 92 to clubs maybe a different view can be taken. And interestingly we went through a recent phase of new players saying we are a big club when joining. So it all depends on how you define big. It’s a very subjective word. Compared to Spurs we are small, compared to St Albans we are big. I remember some of those days,I can go back to the mid 60’s but for me we have always been in a bad place geographically,stuck between West Ham and Spuds and not being able to expand the ground. Of course BH put pay to that by building all the flats around the ground but that’s a different argument altogether. But when I look at teams like Brighton,Brentford and even Wimbledon it makes me wonder. All those clubs were in the same if not a worse position than us just a few years ago and yet here we are and there they are,a lot higher than us💁🙈 |
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Post by MungO on Oct 22, 2021 10:21:13 GMT
Love to have been at some of the games mentioned. My earliest memories of consistently going Orient were from the mid-80's as a 5/6/7 year old and swinging on the bars of the North Terrace.
What's the biggest attendance you've all been part of at Brisbane Road?
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Post by dohnut on Oct 22, 2021 11:13:51 GMT
34,345. Vs West Ham I think. Easy number to remember. Away from home the Arsenal FA Cup semi-Final at Stamford Bridge probably the biggest, though I don’t recall our Play-off finals numbers or Division 1 numbers.
14k+ crowds were the norm when I started watching. I can still recall when we dropped below 10k on a regular basis.
When we look at clubs “size” there was a time when we consistently were up there with Fulham and Brentford, plus Swansea amongst others. And of course Bournemouth, who are now bigger than us in attendance and league position. Though I remind myself other clubs over time, like Bury, have not fared so well.
I think history plays a big part in how we look at the club today. If it’s been generally tiers 3 and 4, then today we pretty much where we have always been. But for some, like me, who witnessed 12 consecutive seasons (a record for its time) in the now Championship and a brief flirtation with the old Division 1, there remains a deep rooted desire to see those days again. Realistically we will never be a top flight club, but a brief flirtation, albeit one where we get beat on a regular basis, would be nice. If Bournemouth can do it, why can’t we.
First we have to get into League 1. Maybe why I get hugely irritated when we toss away points needlessly. I want the dream. I want it now. Whilst I’m still fit enough to travel to games.
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Post by redshank on Oct 22, 2021 11:34:05 GMT
I was at that match.Always special when the ground is full.I used to spend some of the time looking at the crowd and feeling a kind of pride.I still do when we have big attendances.
I have only been locked out of a ground once.It was at White Hart Lane on a tuesday night.Spurs were playing Arsenal and if Arsenal won,which they did,they were the league champions.I was hoping so much they would lose.
Has anyone else been locked out of a football match.
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Post by redshank on Oct 22, 2021 11:37:16 GMT
On another thought I would love to see York City back in the football league.I have had a spot for the ever since their 1956 cup run to the semi finals.
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Post by dohnut on Oct 22, 2021 11:41:21 GMT
I was at that match.Always special when the ground is full.I used to spend some of the time looking at the crowd and feeling a kind of pride.I still do when we have big attendances. I have only been locked out of a ground once.It was at White Hart Lane on a tuesday night.Spurs were playing Arsenal and if Arsenal won,which they did,they were the league champions.I was hoping so much they would lose. Has anyone else been locked out of a football match. I remember the Spurs-Arsenal game. Wasn’t there but Mrs DOh and her family lived the other side of Bruce Castle park and we could hear the noise of the crowd. I seem to recall a lockout at Brisbane Road when Birmingham played, they needed a win to go up. I got in, many didn’t. Recall people climbing over the walls to get in. Memories fade but I think Trevor Francis played for them, they won. |
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Post by BasOfromthatLondon on Oct 22, 2021 12:07:10 GMT
The biggest crowds I can remember being part of at home was Villa in the 70's (around 30K) and Birmingham City in the 80's or 90's (about 15K) in a mickey mouse semi final or something .
No doubt I was at the West Ham game but was too young to remember.
Anything over 5K is good for me.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2021 12:29:07 GMT
Remember the Birmingham and Villa games well. Won’t forget the bomb going off after the Birmingham game. The Villa game was possibly apart from the playoff game against Rotherham the biggest disappointment ever. Never forget Villa having nothing to play for played like there life depended on it and in the last half hour we through everything at them but to no avail 😢🙈
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Post by redshank on Oct 22, 2021 12:34:33 GMT
I was at that match.Always special when the ground is full.I used to spend some of the time looking at the crowd and feeling a kind of pride.I still do when we have big attendances. I have only been locked out of a ground once.It was at White Hart Lane on a tuesday night.Spurs were playing Arsenal and if Arsenal won,which they did,they were the league champions.I was hoping so much they would lose. Has anyone else been locked out of a football match. I remember the Spurs-Arsenal game. Wasn’t there but Mrs DOh and her family lived the other side of Bruce Castle park and we could hear the noise of the crowd. I seem to recall a lockout at Brisbane Road when Birmingham played, they needed a win to go up. I got in, many didn’t. Recall people climbing over the walls to get in. Memories fade but I think Trevor Francis played for them, they won. Lots of Milwall fans at that match.I remember when I was going into the ground a huge brummie saying look at em effing cockney ....s.Also their song,keep right on till the end of the road. |
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Post by redshank on Oct 22, 2021 12:41:13 GMT
Remember the Birmingham and Villa games well. Won’t forget the bomb going off after the Birmingham game. The Villa game was possibly apart from the playoff game against Rotherham the biggest disappointment ever. Never forget Villa having nothing to play for played like there life depended on it and in the last half hour we through everything at them but to no avail 😢🙈 The Villa goalie,Coomes I think played a blinder.On the way home I let a tramp with his world in a pram cross in front of me.It put what I was feeling into perspective. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2021 13:09:38 GMT
I remember the Spurs-Arsenal game. Wasn’t there but Mrs DOh and her family lived the other side of Bruce Castle park and we could hear the noise of the crowd. I seem to recall a lockout at Brisbane Road when Birmingham played, they needed a win to go up. I got in, many didn’t. Recall people climbing over the walls to get in. Memories fade but I think Trevor Francis played for them, they won. Lots of Milwall fans at that match.I remember when I was going into the ground a huge brummie saying look at em effing cockney ....s.Also their song,keep right on till the end of the road. Was in the west stand at the time,if memory serves me right all the milwall supporters were taking all the bricks off the toilet behind the goal and throwing them at the Birmingham supporters. Good times. Not🙈 |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2021 13:12:29 GMT
Remember the Birmingham and Villa games well. Won’t forget the bomb going off after the Birmingham game. The Villa game was possibly apart from the playoff game against Rotherham the biggest disappointment ever. Never forget Villa having nothing to play for played like there life depended on it and in the last half hour we through everything at them but to no avail 😢🙈 The Villa goalie,Coomes I think played a blinder.On the way home I let a tramp with his world in a pram cross in front of me.It put what I was feeling into perspective. Think that may of been me crossing the road 🙈 understand the perspective 🙈 |
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Post by alfresco on Oct 22, 2021 14:12:09 GMT
Its been criminal IMO, the way this club has been allowed to slip down the leagues, from being in the old 1st division in 1962.
I remember crowds of 12/13,000 at the O's for regular league games. We go ape if we touch 6,000 now.
Its such a shame
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Post by MungO on Oct 22, 2021 14:17:38 GMT
The biggest crowds I can remember being part of at home was Villa in the 70's (around 30K) and Birmingham City in the 80's or 90's (about 15K) in a mickey mouse semi final or something . No doubt I was at the West Ham game but was too young to remember. Anything over 5K is good for me. I was at the Birmingham game in the 90's. They brought on Jose Dominguez who was just another level. |
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Post by dohnut on Oct 22, 2021 15:58:37 GMT
Lots of Milwall fans at that match.I remember when I was going into the ground a huge brummie saying look at em effing cockney ....s.Also their song,keep right on till the end of the road. Was in the west stand at the time,if memory serves me right all the milwall supporters were taking all the bricks off the toilet behind the goal and throwing them at the Birmingham supporters. Good times. Not🙈 I think there are a few of us who remember the “troubled times”. In my younger, foolish days after a Chelsea game that we lost at home I invited a bunch of gloating Chelsea fans to “discuss” the merits of their victory. My mate, a Chelsea fan himself, dragged me back and suggested it wasn’t the best decision of my life. He was right. The red mist. It happens. The passion remains but the common sense grows. |
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Post by redshank on Oct 22, 2021 16:10:41 GMT
All still here though despite all that has gone before.Would not change a day of it.Would not be me,would not be the O's.
On a second thought we could of as fans done more to stop the flats being built.My futile gesture of staying away from the ground for three years started in 2013.
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Post by billericayo on Oct 22, 2021 19:12:47 GMT
I'm a boring big'ead, since our 69-70 championship-winning days hasn't been a game of any importance I've failed to get to see
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