Lucy Munro

Photo from The Daily Mirror, 4 March 1926.

A black-and-white photograph of a group of Clapton Orient players and trainers, showing 16 white men, some young and some middle-aged, dressed in 1920s styles, some of them carrying golfing equipment. A caption reads: “CUP-TIE PREPARATIONS. — Members of the Clapton Orient football team on golf links yesterday at Chertsey, where they are training for their Cup-tie on Saturday with Manchester City on the Millfields ground.”

Cup-fever, 1920s-style, as the Orient apparently prepare to play Manchester City by taking to the golf course. (This may go some way to explain their eventual 1-6 loss...) #lofc #lofcpress #20s30s

Others have probably already seen this, but there's a splendid bit of Pathé News footage of the game here: cutt.ly/jtRjBoUG #lofc

A clipping from Athletic Chat, 3 March 1909, reading: The Orient and the Stadium. Great satisfaction has been expressed among all classes of the club’s supporters at the decided action taken by the club directors in regard to the invitation to transfer the Orient to the Stadium. After reading Mr. Imre Kiralfy’s disclaimer, which appeared in several newspapers, one wonders whether or not the whole thing was a hoax. In any case, it has produced a great deal of talk, and has provided plenty of discussion. The wisdom from the Chelsea and Fulham directors is also worthy of mention, if only to state how it was received round and about Millfields Road. It would be interesting to know the names of the other two metropolitan League clubs who have been invited to go to the Stadium. Was it Chelsea and Fulham? The suggestion has appeared in print that these two West London clubs should come forward with financial assistance for the Orient sounds all right, but speaking for the Orient I can assure those who will dabble in business which is not their concern, that the Orient directors are quite capable of doing what they think is right. They prefer to be quite independent of outside aid. The Orient have had a hard struggle for their existence, but now that things are improving, the future is by no means dark. It has been arranged to send a team to Salisbury on March 10th, to play a friendly game with Salisbury City, in view of the fact that Parker and Candy both came from that club free of expense. SCRIBBLER

... and equally alleged "financial assistance" for Orient from Chelsea and Fulham. "Scribbler" condemns "those who will dabble in business which is not their concern ... The Orient have had a hard struggle for their existence, but now that things are improving, the future is by no means dark." (3/3)

"...his pitiably comic look for his position in the mud to appeal to the referee seemed to cause endless amusement to the crowd, although Parker took it very seriously himself." In other news, rumours are continuing to spread about an alleged invitation to the Orient to move to the Stadium... (2/3)

A clipping from Athletic Chat, 3 March 1909, reading: CLAPTON ORIENT. CONSCIOUS OF MUCH TALK ABOUT THEM AND THE STADIUM. The visit of Birmingham to Millfields Road did not create a very favourable impression so far as the tactics of the Midlanders were concerned. Presumably, it being their first visit, they thought to meet with a rather rough reception, not knowing the change for the better which has taken place, and that the old name had been outlived and was dead and done with. There was nothing dangerous or very serious about the many fouls given against Birmingham, but finding they were being beaten by fair and clever footwork, it was a mistake to retaliate by repeatedly bringing the Orient men down. Parker and Scott came in for a lot of attention in this way. Scott, for his continuous and determined efforts to score, and Parker for his tricky play on the wing, where he surpassed himself for extraordinary and eccentric movements to outwit the defence. When brought down, his pitiably comic look for his position in the mud to appeal to the referee seemed to cause endless amusement to the crowd, although Parker took it very seriously himself.

Writing in Athletic Chat on 3 March 1909, "Scribbler" lauds Fred Parker's "tricky play on the wing" against Birmingham, "where he surpassed himself for extraordinary and eccentric movements to outwit the defence. When brought down..." (1/3) #lofc #lofcpress

Green-blue-grey blocky soundwaves on background. Centred in black serif lettering “Sonance”, with “journal of early modern sound studies” underneath.

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A clipping from The Hackney Standard, 2 March 1906, reading: Hackney Standard, 2 March 1906 LOCAL NEWS. CLAPTON ORIENT FOOTBALL CLUB. In view of the general state of the funds, the officials of the Orient Football Club have decided to hold a grand ball at the King’s Hall, Hackney Baths, on Thursday, March 8th. A good muster is anticipated, especially as a great effort is being made to put the finances of the club on a sound footing. Those who are at the head of affairs look to the general public to assist them in their praiseworthy attempt to keep the old club going.

The struggle on the pitch appears to be matched by financial pressures off it: "In view of the general state of the funds, the officials of the Orient Football Club have decided to hold a grand ball at the King’s Hall, Hackney Baths, on Thursday, March 8th."

A clipping from The Hackney Standard, 2 March 1906, reading: The O’s kept up the pressure, and from a free-kick Boden nearly put on antother. Many times the locals were within an ace of scoring but the Burnley defence was very sound. Half-time arrived with the Orient leading by 1-0. On resuming Haig-Brown put in a beauty which the goalie cleared at the expense of a corner which proved abortive. Keeping up the pressure, Dougall, Bourne, and Codling had tries but could not find the net. Burnley then had a go, but Redding rose to the occasion, and on the pressure being relieved by Boden, Leigh raced down, and whipping the ball to Kingaby the latter scored with a clinking shot. Almost immediately Haigh-Brown ran down the line, and beating the half and back, sent the ball to Kingaby who put the finishing touch to an excellent bit of play, by chalking up number three. Nothing further was scored, and amidst a scene of delirious excitement the O’s retired, winners of a splendid game by three goals to nil. Under the text is an advert for “THE GEORGE. Glyn Road, Clapton Park”, described as “Nearest Fully Licensed House to the Clapton Orient Football Ground”.

After a first-half opener, Kingaby puts on two on the second half: a "clinking shot" followed by fine finish after a run down the line from Haig-Brown. "Nothing further was scored, and amidst a scene of delirious excitement the O’s retired, winners of a splendid game by three goals to nil."

A clipping from The Hackney Standard, 2 March 1906, reading: CLAPTON ORIENT FOOTBALL CLUB. ORIENT V. BURNLEY. The tide turned with a vengeance last week. Following the rout at Swindon came the demolishing of Burnley. Given form like that displayed by the O’s last Saturday, they will not be at the bottom of the League at the close of the season, and given play of the same type there will soon be an improvement in the gates. The game was noteworthy by the inclusion of the amateur Mr. A. Haig-Brown, and the Corinthian played a splendid game. There was a gate of about 4,000, when the teams turned out the players being in the following positions. Orient: — Redding; Reason, Holmes; Proudfoot, Boden, Codling; A. Haig-Brown, Kingaby, Leigh, Dougall, Brown. Burnley: — Green; Greenwood, Moffatt; Barron, Crebney, Taylor; Davidson, Wood, Marshall, Smith, Walders. Burnley kicked off and made the first attack, but being repulsed the home forwards got going, and Leigh made two attempts at goal. Temporary relief came, but not to be denied the O’s front line went down and after about twelve minutes play Haig-Brown got possession, and from a difficult position shot straight into goal, thus putting the O’s one up.

Multiple stories of Orient doings in The Hackney Standard, 2 March 1906. On the pitch, a struggling O's side have mustered a 3-0 win against Burnley: "the game was noteworthy by the inclusion of the amateur Mr. A. Haig-Brown, and the Corinthian played a splendid game". (1/3) #lofc #lofcpress

Trolling before trolling.

A black-and-white photograph published in The Daily Mirror on 1 March 1920, showing two footballers with a goal-post and part of a net to the left, and a blurred crowd in the background. In the foreground is the West Ham goalkeeper in a tangle of limbs that make it difficult to work out precisely where his head is. A Clapton Orient player in a white shirt with a dark chevron and dark shorts runs towards him. The caption reads: “West Ham goalie makes a remarkable save and concedes a corner to Clapton Orient.”

Photographic evidence appears in The Daily Mirror, featuring the West Ham goalie doing a remarkable set of contortions, as a (disturbed? concerned?) Clapton Orient player rushes in.

A clipping from The Daily Express, 1 March 1920: West Ham without Puddlefoot are like Hamlet without the Prince, and Hugall had an easy time in the Clapton Orient goal. Although much the better side, the Orient could not score until four minutes from the end, and this goal gave them victory.

1 March 1920: the Orient have beaten West Ham, and The Daily Express reaches for a Shakespeare allusion. (1/2) #lofc #lofcpress

1 March 1583: One year of live-tweeting completed! In the Stationers' Register today, appropriately for Bluesky, is a book complaining about literally everything: Philip Stubbs's 'Anatomie of Abuses', a moralistic catalogue of the sinfulness of Elizabethan society: pride ... 1/
#earlymodern

Well, quite, though it seems to have circulated a bit around that time.

A black-and-white photograph, published in the Liverpool Weekly Courier on 28 February 1914, showing a small child in a knee-length coat and shoes, holding a large umbrella over her head and the lead of a large, dark-coloured dog with white feet. The dog has an umbrella over its head and holds the handles of a large bag in its mouth. The headline reads: “DOG AND HIS UMBRELLA”; a caption reads: “PHOTO-PHOTO PRESS. “Jack,” a well-known dog at Horsenden Hill, does not like rain, and refuses to go out when it is wet without an umbrella, which his owner has had specially made for him.”

“DOG AND HIS UMBRELLA": “‘Jack,’ a well-known dog at Horsenden Hill, does not like rain, and refuses to go out when it is wet without an umbrella, which his owner has had specially made for him” (Liverpool Weekly Courier, 28 February 1914).

A clipping from The Weekly Dispatch, 28 February 1909, reading: There have been serious suggestions made that Clapton Orient should be renamed London City. The only real objection to the change is that the name has already been adopted in a slightly different form. A junior club in the Hammersmith League is named City of London.

Shocking news from The Weekly Dispatch, 28 February 1909, of "serious suggestions made that Clapton Orient should be renamed London City". #lofc #lofcpress

Further evidence of Clapton Orient's 1926 cup victory against Newcastle, from the splendidly named Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 27 February 1926. I like the way in which they contrive to commemorate an Orient victory without showing a single Os player... #lofc #lofcpress

A high-contrast black-and-white photo of two footballers going for a ball that is rolling away from them on the ground. The one of the left wears a light shirt and dark shorts; the one on the right a striped shirt and dark shorts. The caption reads: “A long stride. Sage, Clapton Orient, just clears, with Wilson, Stoke City, in attendance”.

An atmospheric photo accompanies the report, showing Orient's Billy Sage in action.

Reynolds’ Newspaper, 26 February 1928: ORIENT’S NEW MEN Play Big Part in Well-Earned Win Over Stoke. By SOUTHERNER. CLAPTON ORIENT 3, STOKE 2. The supporters of Clapton Orient have sound reasons for feeling optimistic with regard to the dangers of relegation after the Orient’s showing at Lea Bridge yesterday. Although one could discern faults from a methodical viewpoint, there was, nevertheless, the important factor of finishing that stood them in good stead. Stoke, especially in the first half, was the better team so far as the constructive idea was concerned, but they failed on the while simply because they lacked thrust in the goal area. Naturally a deal of interest centred in the appearance of Turnbull as leader of the attack, and he scored the first goal - a rather simple affair - from a pass of Galbraith’s, but in addition he was as alert as ever. It is true that Turnbull is not so quick in accepting opportunities, but on this game’s showing he should prove a useful member in the Orient’s attack. Batten partnered Williams in place of Broadbent, and he certainly did his share towards the Orient’s success. The Orient were particularly sprightly at the outset, and it was not at all surprising when Turnbull registered the opening goal in ten minutes. The methods of Stoke, however, always commended respect, and, always working to a purpose, the Orient defence were caught in two moods, when Sellars let drive straight at Wood’s charge to equalise matters. Orient again got going, and Whipp, profiting by a bad piece of judgement on the part of Dixon, scored a rather easy goal. It was a neat move on the part of Williams that improved the position, for, racing away on his own, he scored a clever goal, but before the interval Wilson accepted a copy-book centre from Cull to beat Wood all ends up. The play on the whole fell away in the second half, and despite the fact that the Orient had by far more of the game, they gave scanty hopes of adding to their score.

New recruits perform well for the Orient against Stoke, reported in Reynolds' Newspaper on 26 February 1928. Despite the Os' "faults from a methodical viewpoint" and Stoke being "the better team so far as the constructive idea was concerned", the match at Lea Bridge ends 3-2. (1/2) #lofc #lofcpress

Shades of Josh Coulson...

A clipping from Athletic Chat, 25 February 1908, reading: worked overtime against Goffin, Parker, and J. Whittaker, who always seemed in communication with the big Luton goalkeeper, who was beaten by Martin, after Parker and J. Whittaker had centred and returned the ball into the Luton goal mouth. J. Whittaker secured the second point from another of Parker’s centres, and Goffin registered the third from the newly-married winger’s pass. Against the wind in the second half Goffin scored the fourth from one of J. Whittaker’s beset middles, after Greechan had made the opening, but the goal of the match was Parker’s fifth. He got in a tangle near the corner flag, extricated himself, and shot the ball with magnificent coolness into the far corner of the net. With to-morrow’s game with Fulham postponed, the Orient will not make a further attempt to gain League points till next Saturday, when they will be very unwise if they do not beat Barnsley and move to twelfth position in the table. Barnsley want some beating, and only by one of their best exhibitions can Clapton Orient expect to secure two valuable and much-needed points. The format is a bit eccentric, as the words "Worked Overtime" and 'Beat Barnsley" are treated as sub-heads and printed in large, bold type, even though they run on within the text.

Parker's goal is the pick: "He got in a tangle near the corner flag, extricated himself, and shot the ball with magnificent coolness into the far corner of the net". "C.O." also opines that the Os "will be very unwise if they do not beat Barnsley" in their next game. (2/2)

A clipping from Athletic Chat, 25 February 1908, reading: CLAPTON ORIENT DOINGS. BY “C.O.” The 3,000 who braved a drenching gale and saw Clapton Orient beat Luton by five goals to nil were rewarded by witnessing a rather striking exhibition by the home forwards that outclassed the Luton defenders. A particularly bright feature of a capital entertainment, considering the wicked conditions, was the sparkling ability Parker and Goffin betrayed in controlling a wind-swept, greasy ball, and the tricky coolness Liddell displayed at left-half. Luton’s weakness was at half-back and forward. Ranking and his colleagues were clever enough, but they had no shooting powers, and near the finish, when Whittaker fell in saving from Pearson and pushed the ball invitingly to Rankin, the outside-right could do nothing better than direct the ball across an open goal. Whittaker made a few respectable clearances in a generally one-sided game, but Platt, in the opposite goal,

25 February 1908, and The Athletic Chat’s headline, “CLAPTON ORIENT DOINGS” does scant justice to a 5-0 win against Luton marked by “the sparkling ability Parker and Goffin betrayed in controlling a wind-swept, greasy ball” and the “tricksy coolness” of Liddell at left-half. (1/2) #lofc #lofpress

Further important Fred Bevan news, courtesy of The Staffordshire Sentinel, 25 February 1911: the Orient's captain is "one of the best billiard players among our professional footballers". #lofc #lofcpress

Side wall of a pub covered in graffiti and posters. At the top is a stylised representation of Romeo and Juliet entwined and possibly not clothed.

I’ve never read or seen Romeo and Juliet, but I’m really not sure this (top centre) is how William S. imagined his teenage protagonists. As always, though, when it comes to matters Shakespearean, I will defer to @lucycmunro.bsky.social (bottom right).

#Shakespeare #Shoreditch

A companion to this used copy of The Merchant of Venice.

Poster in shop window saying: “Jack the Chipper. Fish and chips restaurant. Opening Soon.”

Cod and chips twice, one mushy peas, and a portion of femicidal misogyny, please.

#ElephantAndCastle #Elephant&Castle #SE17 #SE11 #SE1

But perhaps avoid the same era’s caricature personifications of football teams, some of which have not dated well…

"... as 'the poor men' of London." Nonetheless the Os "think they have a chance even this season, and they will keep on trying to tear holes in every team that opposes them". Bevan is key: "'Doctor' Holmes, the manager of the club, describes him as the captain of the side both on and off the field."