Clapton Orient

[Stourbridge Lion]

Does anybody know where I can find any information on past players from this club. I have tried but found out little,I picked a sheet of autographs up recently which I guess are from the late 30's-early 40's, names I can decipher are Stan Barnes,Bartlett,B Bryant,Smith,Tennant,R Spence,Harris and am guessing the rest Hewitt? Allen? and a couple of others that I am struggling with. Any information would be much appreciated Thanks

[Auchinleckian]

Clapton Orient were Leyton Orient originally. They changed their name to start the 1946-7 season as Leyton Orient, so check up data on Leyton Orient in the first instance and you'll probably find what you need.

They were also, prolific producers of matchday programmes as Clapton Orient pre ww2, and these can still be picked up fairly cheaply.

[Stourbridge Lion]

Thanks for your reply Auchinleckian,yes have tried the Leyton Orient route via the excellent A-Z players database but only players who played post war are on there,may have to try and obtain a programme from that era as you suggest failing any other help!

[Auchinleckian]

Don't know if the copyright library at Collingdale is on line? That might be worth a shout as they should have copies of the local papers for reference.

Of the names you've given, Bartlett was a centre half, who didn't appear until 1937-8, when he made 20 appearances. There a couple of Smiths as well, but no mention of any of the others. You will probably have hold of a reserve autograph sheet by the look of it. BTW, Bill Dodgin played in that Clapton Orient side, a manager of Southampton, Brentford and Fulham later on in life.

[Stourbridge Lion]

Looks like autographs are from 1937-8 then with Bartlett just playing that season and reckon one of the others is a Jimmy Allen who also only played that season. Although sheet is headed Clapton Orient, autographs on reverse look like being Chelsea's, done a bit more digging R.Spence (Dick Spence) played for Chelsea 1934-48 also 2 appearances for England! Albert Tennant and Dickie Foss both played and coached them(the plot thickens) Found autographs to match on Ebay.

[martino]

From the Leyton Orient Complete Record the players who played for the first team in 37/8 were as follows:

Allen, Bartlett, Brooks, Codling, Crawford, Dodds, Dodgin, Fletcher, Graham, Hearty, Heinemann, Hillam, Iceton, Landells, Lane, Lawrence, McCombe, Rumbold, Searle, Shankly, Smith H, Smith M, Taylor, Tidman, Tully.

Hope this helps,

Martin

[Stourbridge Lion]

Hi Martin,Thanks for your input, have you got a Hewitt,Stan Barnes or Bryant from around that era because I am now wandering if season may be later possibly 1938/39?

[martino]

Stourbridge Lion wrote:

Hi Martin,Thanks for your input, have you got a Hewitt,Stan Barnes or Bryant from around that era because I am now wandering if season may be later possibly 1938/39?

Hi,

No Hewitt, Barnes or Bryant playing for Orient around that time.

From the ENFA website the only Hewitt listed playing first team football was J. J. (Joss) Hewitt who played for Northampton in those seasons.

No Stan Barnes is listed as playing first team foootball around that time

The only Bryant playing first team football around that time was C. S. A (Cliff) Barnes who played for Wrexham in 36/37 - his final club.

Perhaps they only played Reserve team football which is more difficult to track down.

Let me know if I can help further.

Happy New Year to all, Martin

[Stourbridge Lion]

Thanks once again for your help the ENFA website is a usual tool was unaware of that!

[slightfold]

Why not post a scan of the autographs? It is possible from what has already been gleaned that the names which are seemingly undecipherable could actually be different names than you thought.

[Stourbridge Lion]

Hi, yes would have posted a scan ideally but scanner/printer is down at present,hope to in the not too distant future as two of the "unknowns" have a picture pasted next to them.

[Ruud Van Driver]

I have a Clapton Orient v West Ham Res Combination programme from 27th November 1937, the Clapton line-up is as follows...

Iceton
Rossiter
Rumbold
Dodgin
M.Smith
Landells
McCombe
Fletcher
Shankly
Lane
Dodds

Other C.O. players that appear in the Combination goalscorers list are...

Graham
Tully
Farrell
H.Smith
C.S.Smith
G.Brown
Brooks

Other C.O. players that appear in the First Team goalscorers list are...

Crawford
Hearty
Codling

Hope this helps?
_________________
For a daily feed of football nostalgia please click on the link to view my Twitter page on your PC - https://twitter.com/MemorabiliaMal

[Stourbridge Lion]

Thanks for your help RVD,great list,think that C S Smith from the Combination is probably one of them,two of the others have been stuck on sheet so I am suspecting could be rugby!

[jinksy]

I am also looking for any information on my father who played for clapton orient then onto leyton orient when they moved his name was harry jenkins and his friend was stan smith always remember my father said he played his first game at fratton park and scored his first goal at wimbledon he was a right winger.Stan Smith as i understand also played for the orient.

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

jinksy wrote:

I am also looking for any information on my father who played for clapton orient then onto leyton orient when they moved his name was harry jenkins and his friend was stan smith always remember my father said he played his first game at fratton park and scored his first goal at wimbledon he was a right winger.Stan Smith as i understand also played for the orient.

I have some reference books:-

The Football Who's Who 1936 - no mention of either player
Soccer at War 1939-45 - no mention of either player
Rothmans Football League Players Records 1946-75 - no mention of either player

It could be they've slipped through the net date-wise or as has been mentioned above, may have been reserve players which wouldn't get a mention in these books.

I have a nice photo of Clapton Orient v Cardiff, 10.9.36, at Lea Bridge Road, the forward in hoops is Orient's Edmond Crawford, Bill Bassett is the Cardiff defender and Bill Fielding their keeper.

[seand]

jinksy wrote:

I am also looking for any information on my father who played for clapton orient then onto leyton orient when they moved his name was harry jenkins and his friend was stan smith always remember my father said he played his first game at fratton park and scored his first goal at wimbledon he was a right winger.Stan Smith as i understand also played for the orient.

Morning Jinksy
If your father scored his first goal against Wimbledon the chances are that this was not a first team game (Wimbledon were several decades away from joining the league at the time Orient changed from Clapton to Leyton, 1946)
Good luck in your search

[Fishy]

Hi Jinksy,
I have 2 CO programmes from January 1943:
23/1 v Watford - Smith is listed.
30/1 v Luton - neither listed.

On the back of the Watford issue: 'The introduction of two of our Third Division players, Harry Smith and Bob Shankly, did not bring us the victory against Southampton, but it reminded us of happier days, when Bob was top-scorer with 14 goals and Harry displayed brilliant control - and exasperated us with equally brilliant non-scoring "ballooners."' (The Southampton game was played on 6/1).

13/3/1937 CO v Millwall H.Smith listed
23/10/1937 CO v Millwall H.Smith is listed (he had scored 2 goals in the 1st team and in the Comb. team up to that point)
5/3/1938 Millwall v CO H.Smith is listed.
23/10/1943 CO v Millwall Smith is listed
1944/5 neither are mentioned in either the 1st team or combination sides.

Hope that this helps a bit.

[facup1939]

Jinksy

As you say your father made his debut at Fratton Park I have had a look through my Portsmouth programmes.

He is not listed in the line ups for the games at Fratton in Feb 1942, nor in Jan 1944, although for the Jan 44 game Smith is listed at no 11, and A N Other at no 7.

There is also no mention in the programme for the game at Orient in Dec 1944.

As Fishy has previously mentioned, it is more likely that he played in a Reserve or A team game.

I have the programme for the Reserve game at Fratton in Dec 1945 and neither is listed in that.

Once the Football Combination restarted in 1946/47 Portsmouth did not play Orient until 1949-50 in the Combination Cup. I don't have this issue, but I do have 1950-51 and 1951-52, and neither name appears in either of these line ups.

There is mention of a Mid Week League in 1949-50, where Pompey played Orient, but I don't have any programmes for this, and I don't know if this competition existed prior to 1949-50.

I would stress that the above relate only to the line ups in the programmes. The actual team may have been different.

Sorry I cannot bring you any positive news.

Paul

[PompeyPhil]

Unfortunately he doesn't feature either in the South Cup Competition 4th Round dated 24th February 1945 v Portsmouth.

[Goonerak]

B.Bryant was Bernard Bryant, an amateur centre-forward who played for Walthamstow Avenue. He guested fro Arsenal during WW2, playing 1 game in 1943-44.