100 Years Ago - Orient in 1919

[Rambling Man]

If people are sufficiently interested I shall endeavour to continue this thread throughout the season.

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In the Summer of 1919, Clapton Orient was preparing for the start of the new Football League season, the first in four years. The rebuilding job required was every bit as profound as the one required in 2017, the difference being that every club was to some extent in the same predicament.
The Treaty of Versailles, signed in June, at last gave the government confidence that war was not about to break out again on the Western Front. The pace of demobilisation could therefore be stepped up, but nevertheless there were soldiers who were still unable to come home. Some were needed as an insurance policy in case war broke out with the new Bolshevik government in Russia. Others were still recovering in hospital, not least from the effects of influenza, of which there was a raging epidemic. Politicians were also reluctant to release men too quickly into the job market at home. The fear of unemployment added to concerns about political unrest. Would the Socialist revolution in Russia spread its contagion to other European countries, including Britain? In July, Peace Day- a national holiday intended as a set-piece celebration of victory – ended in riots in several towns and cities. In Luton, the town hall was burned down. In the end, the problem of worklessness was not as bad as some feared . This was helped by the sacking of most of the women workers who had been keeping industry going during the war to free up their jobs for returning men. There was also a brief economic boom as domestic consumption, which had been depressed by the uncertainty of the war, rapidly rose. When it came down to it, football was more popular than Bolshevism.

Clapton Orient had ended the war years in poor shape, finishing bottom of the London Combination by a large margin and only three wins out of 36- although they had beaten champions Brentford in their final game. The club had played a huge price for being in the vanguard of the war effort. Three stalwarts of the pre-war team, the two top-scorers from 1914/15, Dickie McFadden and William Jonas, and midfielder George Scott had all made the ultimate sacrifice. Tragic as this loss was, they were also among the very worst players to have lost – the main forward power of the squad plus the man who had made the key centre-half position his own. In the 2-3-5 formation that had been the basis of the game for the previous thirty years, the centre-half was the lynchpin of any team - the main play-maker as well as the man who dropped deep between the full backs when the opposition attacked. Other players had returned from the war with injuries and everyone must have been battle scarred. It is estimated that a quarter of all men returning had been physically injured in some way and nearly all who had been under fire, it is now believed, would have had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – neurasthenia or ‘shell shock’ as it was then known. At a time when most work was physically hard, you have to assume that men expected to perform as professional athletes would have found things particularly difficult.

The decision had been made that the new season would begin on 30th August 1919, so time was pressing, Both Division 1 and Division 2 of the Football League – the latter where the Orient competed- had been extended to 22 clubs, meaning 42 league games to complete before the following May. Coventry City, South Shields (later renamed Gateshead), Rotherham, Stoke and West Ham United had been elected to Division 2 and Glossop North End had dropped out. Controversially, Arsenal had been allowed to join Division 1 despite finishing only sixth in Division 2 in 1914/15, while Tottenham Hotspur had been relegated. This apparent injustice cemented Spurs’ grievance that Arsenal had been allowed to encroach onto its North London territory when it moved from Woolwich to Highbury in 1913. Leeds City was a club in crisis; it had been accused of paying players during the war and was now in conflict with the League over its failure to cooperate with the ensuing investigation. All of which would add spice to the new season. In the meantime there was the small matter of how to find a team.

[Real Al]

Nice one. Please do continue.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Very interesting. Looking forward to the next bit.

[Kent]

Fascinating. I'd like to read more

[Bergen]

I enjoyed that. Keep it up.

[point nine one eight]

Good read from start to end, keep up the good work well done

[Delamod]

Leeds didn’t change did they?
Good read, thanks RM.

[Orient Punxx]

Luv this type of stuff - cheers

[Buddy Manucci]

Woolich Arsenal getting bumped up and the move to North London had an effect on our long term future as well.

[Max B Gold]

"Would the Socialist revolution in Russia spread its contagion to other European countries, including Britain"

"The pace of demobilisation could therefore be stepped up, but nevertheless there were soldiers who were still unable to come home. Some were needed as an insurance policy in case war broke out with the new Bolshevik government in Russia."

If you are going to write like that and pretend to be some sort of historian at least drop the pejorative language and get your history right. It was the British Army and the armies of 16 other nations who invaded Russia, hardly an "insurance policy".

Also happening in nearby Germany was a soldiers, sailors and workers rebellion in 1918 that ended the German war effort and deposed the Kaiser. In 1919 there was a failed workers revolution in Germany, maybe that was what the "insurance policy" was for.

[Rambling Man]

Thanks Max. I'm using accounts written by historians as background material. The idea is to write it as it would have been seen in Britain at the time, to try and put the season on context and as it's a few hundred words it's going to be over-simplified.

[Max B Gold]

Thanks Max. I'm using accounts written by historians as background material. The idea is to write it as it would have been seen in Britain at the time, to try and put the season on context and as it's a few hundred words it's going to be over-simplified.

If by "over simplified" you mean factually incorrect then I suggest you revise that approach.

[Rambling Man]

I think I'll do a blog rather than use the message board. Will post the link when I have it for those people who are interested.

[Rambling Man]

Here's the blog (with apologies to Max B Gold), together with a further post containing news about some 1919 signings!!

https://claptonorient100.blogspot.com

I'm pulling this together from various sources, mainly contemporary press reports, but if anyone has other information, clarifications or corrections (of fact rather than interpretation), it would be great to make this collaborative and get as good a record as we can of 1919/20.

[point nine one eight]

I think I'll do a blog rather than use the message board. Will post the link when I have it for those people who are interested.

Your doing a good job mate, don't let Max B (Gold) Brass, bully you, or put it on the other board they would appreciate it more, don't let him ruin it for others

[Disoriented]

I think I'll do a blog rather than use the message board. Will post the link when I have it for those people who are interested.

Your doing a good job mate, don't let Max B (Gold) Brass, bully you, or put it on the other board they would appreciate it more, don't let him ruin it for others

Agreed. The man is a contrary plank with a wooden attitude.

[point nine one eight]

I think I'll do a blog rather than use the message board. Will post the link when I have it for those people who are interested.

Your doing a good job mate, don't let Max B (Gold) Brass, bully you, or put it on the other board they would appreciate it more, don't let him ruin it for others

Agreed. The man is a contrary plank with a wooden attitude.

That's the third time this week we're on the same wavelength, I'm gonna have to lye down in a dark room to recover

[tuffers#1]

Damn i just read this then looked at my clock & its 19.19

[Omygawd]

Good effort RM. would have preferred it to be continued on the Board as your blog link may be quickly "lost" in the daily maelstrom

[Rambling Man]

Here's the latest episode covering May 1919. When we get into the actual season there will hopefully be a report for every match and I will put those on the board as well as in the blog.

https://claptonorient100.blogspot.com/2 ... d-its.html

[F*ck The Poor & Fat]

Thanks Max. I'm using accounts written by historians as background material. The idea is to write it as it would have been seen in Britain at the time, to try and put the season on context and as it's a few hundred words it's going to be over-simplified.

If by "over simplified" you mean factually incorrect then I suggest you revise that approach.

You can be a real idiot sometimes Max. Even historians often disagree about history. How to spoil a good post. Well done.

[CreamofSumYungGai]

Missed this previously, what a great post.

Strange to read how the ruling powers were frightened of socialism even back then. And even strange how they’ve managed to hold onto power and prevent it from happening for so long.

[Thor]

It could be argued that socialism doesn't work and the people don't want it.

[CreamofSumYungGai]

Yes, that’s what they get us little people to think.

[Lucky7]

Good read thank you for your time and effort carry on the good work and please ignore Max he’s just a poor mans Janette Krankie