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The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:34 pm
by Thor
For me it’s Tommy Johnston. I would have loved to have seen him play as you don’t score the amount he scored unless you had something about you. He remains not only our individual seasons top scorer with 35 goals but is also the top goal scorer in the clubs history with 123. Not many people get a stand named after him, but he did and it’s said that he was possibly the best player never to have represented his country of birth Scotland.
Following on from Tommy, mainly due to the work that Steve Jenkins has put in publishing details of the Orient players involved in the battle of the Somme I’d have liked to have seen that team play. They certainly had something about them, before events took a terrible turn for the worse.
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:35 pm
by Greenwich Orient
Cunningham
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:45 pm
by Bergen
Spider Parker.
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:50 pm
by Sid Bishop
Thor wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:34 pm
For me it’s Tommy Johnston. I would have loved to have seen him play as you don’t score the amount he scored unless you had something about you. He remains not only our individual seasons top scorer with 35 goals but is also the top goal scorer in the clubs history with 123. Not many people get a stand named after him, but he did and it’s said that he was possibly the best player never to have represented his country of birth Scotland.
Following on from Tommy, mainly due to the work that Steve Jenkins has put in publishing details of the Orient players involved in the battle of the Somme I’d have liked to have seen that team play. They certainly had something about them, before events took a terrible turn for the worse.
Agree Tommy Johnston was a few years early, but all who saw him rate him very highly, as you say, what a goal scorer !
My father saw Richard McFadden and said he was a wonderful forward, one of the best he had ever seen at the Os ( they were Clapton Orient in those days ) he also saw the legendary goal keeper Arthur Wood, who played for Clapton Orient from 1921 to 1931.
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 11:49 pm
by banqo
Yep got to say Tommy Johnston.
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 1:58 am
by Adz
Cunningham and Chiedozie.
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 5:31 am
by The Mindsweep
I saw Laurie play, so I feel privileged enough.
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 6:54 am
by EliotNes
Tommy J
Late father-in-law used to rave about him
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 7:11 am
by Thor
When you think we had Cunningham and then chidders we were really blessed then.
When you look back we've always had decent wingers. To add to the 2 above.
Cox
Comfort
Braybrook although I never saw him play
White wasn't he a deadly winger?
Theres more for sure
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 7:18 am
by ContrifibulatoryFred
Doug Allder
Saw him about 30 times but he never really played
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:02 pm
by Redcard
I was fortunate to have grown up in The Johnston era , don’t forget his 35 goals were scored before Christmas when he left.
I guess having read about Richard McFadden I would have to name him.
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:04 pm
by Redcard
Thor, there is more. Johnny heartburn for a start, believe he got 22 goals from the wing one season, and that was the time when wingers stayed glued to the touch line,
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:25 pm
by Throoou The Netting!
The entire Clapton Orient team of 1913-14, who were set to achieve great things before war decimated the side. If I had to nominate one player, it would have been Richard McFadden. Snippets of him training with the Footballers' Battalion at the White City, alongside Fred Parker and William Jonas, can be found on YouTube
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 1:21 pm
by Thor
Throoou The Netting! wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:25 pm
The entire Clapton Orient team of 1913-14, who were set to achieve great things before war decimated the side. If I had to nominate one player, it would have been Richard McFadden. Snippets of him training with the Footballers' Battalion at the White City, alongside Fred Parker and William Jonas, can be found on YouTube
Any chance of a link please? I'd love to see that. Thanks
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 3:38 pm
by Article_50
Tommy Johnston
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 4:02 pm
by Throoou The Netting!
Thor wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 1:21 pm
Throoou The Netting! wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:25 pm
The entire Clapton Orient team of 1913-14, who were set to achieve great things before war decimated the side. If I had to nominate one player, it would have been Richard McFadden. Snippets of him training with the Footballers' Battalion at the White City, alongside Fred Parker and William Jonas, can be found on YouTube
Any chance of a link please? I'd love to see that. Thanks
here we are, try this -
https://Youtu.be/2QsRls.8bxM
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 4:06 pm
by Throoou The Netting!
Thor wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 1:21 pm
Throoou The Netting! wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:25 pm
The entire Clapton Orient team of 1913-14, who were set to achieve great things before war decimated the side. If I had to nominate one player, it would have been Richard McFadden. Snippets of him training with the Footballers' Battalion at the White City, alongside Fred Parker and William Jonas, can be found on YouTube
Any chance of a link please? I'd love to see that. Thanks
Thor wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 1:21 pm
Throoou The Netting! wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:25 pm
The entire Clapton Orient team of 1913-14, who were set to achieve great things before war decimated the side. If I had to nominate one player, it would have been Richard McFadden. Snippets of him training with the Footballers' Battalion at the White City, alongside Fred Parker and William Jonas, can be found on YouTube
Any chance of a link please? I'd love to see that. Thanks
sorry, I mistyped link - try this one:
https://Youtu.Be/2QsRls-8bxM
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 6:47 pm
by gshaw
Laurie Cunningham, only seen him in clips on YouTube but wow what a talent.
Re: The Orient Player you wished you’d seen play
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 7:11 pm
by BIGRON
Tommy Johnson for me also , alas I started attending in 63 after he had gone, i have had the joy of watching who was I reckon the best O's played I've seen by a long way , the late great Laurie Cunningham , he was a joy to watch
