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40 Yrs

Forty Years of the Leyton Orientear

On 13th September 1986, a group of Orient fans launched their home-made, heartfelt, humble fanzine. Four decades on, a new exhibition in the Club museum looks back over its legacy.

13.09.26, 14:30 Updated 14.09.26, 18:10 5 Minute Read

This coming Saturday, for a couple of hours before the game against Stevenage, we're inviting you all to get deep in the culture. For the past few weeks, we've been working with Club historian Davis Watson, the Leyton Orient Trust, and various other friends of the 'Ear to put together an exhibition in the Club's Museum - and we're excited to show you all!

If you've not been before, then this is also a great opportunity to explore the Museum, which is set inside the old changing rooms under the East Stand, and still includes the showers, team bath, and even the sauna that the likes of Bobby Fisher and Laurie Cunningham used back in the old Division Two days.

The museum is next to the Trust's offices on Brisbane Road, and can be accessed via the red doors under the "Only One Orient" sign. It was formally opened on the occasion of Laurie's 70th birthday in March this year.

2026 03 08 LEYTON ORIENT LAURIE CUNNINGHAM 70 TH BIRTHDAY NEAL JACKSON V1 A0411
this is where you need to go! Neal Jackson

Our exhibition will feature back issues going all the way back to the 80s, loads of our favourite artwork, some match photography that hasn't been seen in public for decades, items from last year's Home Team exhibition, memorabilia from the Orientear's Football team, various bits of merchandise we've dished out through the years, and some of the original music given away to celebrate our 1989 and 2006 promotions!

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they don't make 'em like this anymore

Doors will be open from 12:30pm to 2:30pm, and entry is free - so please do drop by any time for a butcher's, we'd love to see you there!

Immense gratitude is due to Davis, who curates the space and has helped us so much with this exhibition. He's also running a programme of "Orient Memories" events, which includes:

  • Wednesday 23rd September: 1994/95 In Focus - "Club For A Fiver" featuring our Editor from the time Tom Davies, special guest Barry Lakin, and more to follow. Venue - West Stand 5th Floor, from 6pm to 8pm. Book here.
  • Wednesday 28th October: Orient's First XI Black Players - in partnership with Show Racism The Red Card and The Leyton Orientear, honouring and featuring the first Black professionals to represent the Os. Booking details TBC.
  • Wednesday 18th November: Forty Years of the The Leyton Orientear - panel session and refreshments, likely in the South Stand Bar, booking details TBC.
  • Wednesday 16th December: Remembering Justin Edinburgh, details TBC.

For more on the long history of England's second oldest fanzine, including our 30th anniversary retrospective and a eulogy to our founder Dave Knight, you can also check out our old website.

Hope to see you next week. Up the Os!

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and of course this will be here too!
Aynsley Taylor

Editor of the Ear since 2021, and proud to take it into its fifth decade. Was singularly unqualified for the job, but no-one else wanted to do it. Sees Orient with the zeal of the adult convert rather than someone who was dragged to church every weekend from childhood.

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