Orients 1976 5 a side win subject to a bung?

[The Orient Hour]

Stan Bowles claimed he took a bung to play poorly in the final for QPR against Orient

1976 5 A Side Final
Stan recalled one year which seemed to sum up his life and career, when in 1976, QPR reached the final against second division Leyton Orient. Stan said ‘I had a good mate who was an Orient supporter – Jewish Dennis he was called … he’d backed them (Orient) to win the thing, £1,000 at 8-1. He said to me, ‘If I was to go hooky in the final he would see me right for a grand (£1,000). Well, I only stood to get £200 if we won the final, so was rather reluctant to turn him down.I scored a goal but we lost 5-1, Gerry Francis (QPR player & England captain at the time), said to me afterwards, ‘I don’t understand it Stan, you played brilliantly all night apart from the last game, I suppose you must have been tired’.

Bung
Bowles (who actually played for Orient & Brentford in this event in the later years of his career) did state ‘As far as league football was concerned I was never, ever approached to throw a game or even heard of anyone who had been. I would never consider taking a bung even if I had been approached. The five-a-side competition was a bit of friendly fun while the football league was all important.’ Well it certainly mattered to a lot of other players, particularly the smaller clubs who had the chance to pit their skills against the capitals best players, with Wycombe Wanderers managed by Martin O’Neil winning the last two years of the tournament (94 & 95).

[slacker]

Lol.

I wonder if any of our current players like a flutter? [not on -any?- football, of course, because that’s not allowed]. Guess they don’t have nip off down the High Rd to the bookies these days, so they wont be spotted like Stanley was.

[Lovejoy]

Alabi backs himself not to score every week with dodgy Indian bookmakers. He will be a millionaire before he is thirty.

[BIGRON]

I used to see Gary Alexander in Ladbrokes sometimes on a Saturday before travelling to away games , i believe he stuck to betting on the nags

[Oforever]

I saw us win that 5 a side, Laurie Cunningham played for us, unless my memory is playing tricks.

[ContrifibulatoryFred]

Shame its not on youtube
Would be nice to see Cunningham et al playing for us in that tournament - I remember watching it on TV

[Article_50]

Sadly I doubt if Stan can remember something that happened 45 years ago