Independent Leyton Orient Forum

Fascinating article on Burnley v Orient on 10th May, 1987

https://www.uptheclarets.com/the-orient ... onal-press

Fascinating articles and good to read something penned by Ian Wooldridge, what a journalist

Great day for the home fans but the most intimidating atmosphere I have ever experienced at a a game. On the outskirts of Burnley our coach was pulled over by the police who told us if we continued on to a Turf Moor they could not Gaurentee our safety if we won (later discovered the team were given the same "message" in the dressing room just before the game)

We chose to carry on to the game and to be fair the Os played OK and were unlucky to lose, after the game both sets of fans applauded each other and We all got home safe and sound, I still have the Burnley scarf that a fan gave me on the way out.
If we had won that day we would have been lucky to escape Burnley in one piece the police were sh*tting themselves.

Ironically my only other visit to Burnley some years later was staying in a hotel in the city centre as I had visited a customer in Nelson in the late afternoon, Nelson is just on the other side of the motorway and about 10 minutes drive away.

That evening saw serious disturbances and race riots about half a mile from where we were staying, we had a police escort out of town at 10:00 the following morning.

Not been back since...

I was probably on that coach.i remember police stopping us and advising us to turn back.brilliant atmosphere but at times a tad worrying lol

One of the very few games I’ve been too when I was happy Orient lost, despite us having something riding on the result. Didn’t have a problem with the home fans I met before the match (and I had a drink and chat in a “home” pub too), but I wouldn’t have fancied getting out of town on the train without trouble if they’d lost.

I still think PC Plod tried to make the threat of safety more than it was.
The only thing i saw was 1 guy trying to scale the metal work holding up the roof , trying to get in our little corner

He got a bit scared falling on to the concrete 50 ft though & got down.

If only Lino hadnt hit the post we might have gone onto win

Indeed an interesting day out. 5 or 6 coaches i think and the police checking for booze and weapons at that roundabout was quite odd.
Similar to Rotherham play-off game as our seated fans sought sanctuary with those standing.
I do feel however it would have been a tad nasty if they had gone down that day.

yumyumO wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 10:23 pm Indeed an interesting day out. 5 or 6 coaches i think and the police checking for booze and weapons at that roundabout was quite odd.
Similar to Rotherham play-off game as our seated fans sought sanctuary with those standing.
I do feel however it would have been a tad nasty if they had gone down that day.

South Yorkshire Police doing what they do best - Causing crowd control issues.I was really angry that day seeing women, children and older O's fans chased out of seats they had paid for because the police gave the home fans carte blanche to run amok through that area.

Also a far better exam of true Orient supporting ,
unlike the Bradford thing.

Never been so frightened in all my life. Four of us, including my fifteen year old son, drove up to the game. We were sitting
in a pub having a drink, when over a dozen Burnley supporters steamed in. Just by looking at us four they knew we were from
the opposition, and we went very quiet.
Thank goodness they won the game and staved off relegation. I was never more pleased that Orient lost a game.

Burnley - never been so happy to have the Wife with me - thought I could blend in better after the game - never should have lost but always felt it was destined to end that way.

Rotherham not really a patch on Burnley. By the time we got out of the ground it was pretty quite. Pretty amusing seeing the Rotherham fans running across the pitch - were outnumbered by the police. Great night - totally overshadowed by 2014