Independent Leyton Orient Forum

Ok so as we look to the defence, who was your favourite defender during your time as a supporter?

I'm going to go for Glen Roeder, he just oozed class, calmness under pressure and a great reader of the game. He played at the top level as well, so he must have been alright.

Honourable mention to Lockwood, to me an orient legend who should have stepped up earlier to the next level to really have tested himself.

Stuart Hicks, pure passion and looked angrier than the angry man in the south stand.

Centre half Sid Bishop and Left back Dennis Rofe. Bill Shankly was so impressed with how Bishop played against Liverpool when both sides were in the old division 2, that he wanted Sid to join Liverpool FC, but Sid decided to stay with the Os. I suppose he was used to playing with the Os, a London club and not the massive wages paid nowadays, so not a great incentive to uproot himself to play for a Northern club. Unfortunately Sid sustained a bad injury when playing that one season in Division one and was never the same player again. Medical care for football injuries was nowhere as advanced in those days as it is now. Rofe was a brilliant attacking left back, came through via the youth team around the same time as Tommy Taylor and like Tommy, sold while still young.

Matthew Joseph was excellent!! So underrated

MrB wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:12 pm Matthew Joseph was excellent!! So underrated

Yup our family were big fans of him.

Tough call this one, overall probably Lockwood but very close with Daniels and Zakuani too

In my lifetime, Lockwood is the favourite, although I’d say the best I’ve seen was Charlie Daniels. The way he linked up with Coxy on the left was phenomenal.

Greenwich Orient wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:30 pm In my lifetime, Lockwood is the favourite, although I’d say the best I’ve seen was Charlie Daniels. The way he linked up with Coxy on the left was phenomenal.

An age divide here, being older, back in the early 60s, I saw the Os play against the very best English League teams of the day when playing in Division One and Division Two, now of course called the ''Premier League'' and ''Championship''

Kevin Hales

Tommy Taylor.

Bergen wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:45 pmTommy Taylor.

Two brilliant youngsters in the Os defence at that time, Tommy Taylor and Dennis Rofe.

Matt lockwood class act

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:52 pm

Bergen wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:45 pmTommy Taylor.

Two brilliant youngsters in the Os defence at that time, Tommy Taylor and Dennis Rofe.

Add Terry Mancini to those two and you’ve got the makings of a pretty fair defence!

redintheface wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:56 pm

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:52 pm

Bergen wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:45 pmTommy Taylor.

Two brilliant youngsters in the Os defence at that time, Tommy Taylor and Dennis Rofe.

Add Terry Mancini to those two and you’ve got the makings of a pretty fair defence!

And do not forget Mick Jones at right back, fast, good and hard fullback who was excellent at overlapping, really good crosser of the ball as well and had a shot in him. All four of those players in a different class to what we have now.

Terry Mancini

Hard to choose between Roffey & Roeder for very different reasons

Sam Ling

Matt lockwood. Would have been a premier league regular if not for the ruptured spleen at York.

Matthew Joseph, Dean Smith, Charlie Daniels, Matthew Lckwood ...

But Matthew Joseph is my favourite.

tuffers#1 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 9:28 pm Hard to choose between Roffey & Roeder for very different reasons

I guess you thinking he had a great left hook to boot as well?

Glenn Roeder was the master of the stepover bringing the ball out from the back.

Personal favourite though is undoubtedly Bill Roffey.

We had two great full backs in Roffey and Fisher at that time.

My two favourites are Dennis Rofe and Glen Roeder. Thought i would also mention as a centre back pairing Phil Hoadley and Tom Walley. Tom was left footed and hard as nails. ps Bill Roffey as minder, ask Wayne Entwistle 6'4" centre forward who would second that.

Roeder and Tom Walley, two completely different styles at centre back, Roeder as mentioned was a class act. Walley who often played in midfield was indeed "ard as nails" I can't remember him ever losing a tackle, he was scary.

Tamika Mkandawire

Phil Hoadley for me.