The English Football League Two team Leyton Orient F.C. aim to build a new “world-class” stadium as part of a multisport campus in East London (UK) which the club said will be a “zero carbon, energy-efficient” development.
‘BBC SPORT’ stated that the club said the stadium will have a capacity “to support Leyton Orient’s ambitions to compete in the Championship” and they hope to remain in the Leyton area.
Preston (UK)-based the English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales (UK). Founded in 1888 as the Football League it is the oldest football league in the world and was the top-level football league in England from its foundation until 1992 when the top 22 clubs split from it to form the Premier League, the top tier of England’s football pyramid. The Football League was rebranded as the ‘English Football League’ (EFL) starting with the 2016-2017 seasons.
The Leyton Orient F.C. is a professional football club based in Leyton, East London, England (UK). Founded in 1881, the club competes in the fourth tier of English football, EFL League Two, and is known by the fans as ‘The O’s’.
The 9,271-capacity Brisbane Road, currently known as the BetWright Stadium for sponsorship reasons and originally known as the Osborne Road, is a football stadium in Leyton, East London, England (UK). It serves as the home facility of the Leyton Orient F.C.
‘BBC SPORT’ further stated that ‘The O’s’ current Brisbane Road stadium has a capacity of 9,271 and has been their home since 1937.
The head honcho of Leyton Orient F.C. Mark Devlin said it had become clear to the club that it was not possible to increase the current site to a feasible size given its proximity to the surrounding residences.
Maintained Devlin, “With a bit of creative thinking we might have been able to creep up to 12, 13, maybe even the 14,000 capacity – it was more likely to be around the 13,000 mark. It was clear that to achieve our aspirations, we couldn’t achieve it, sadly, on the current site. That was always our first wish.”
Both the club and the London Borough of Waltham Forest (Municipality in England) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) relating to the project.
‘We Want to Stay Close to our Heart’
Devlin said talks between the club and the Council had been positive and the authority was keen for the new stadium to be built in the area.
He added, “They’ve made it very clear they would like us to stay in the borough and at this moment in time we’ve only really looked at sites within Waltham Forest. In an ideal world we want to stay close to our heart which is Leyton.”
The David Gandler-led GSG LOFC Limited consortium (a new UK-based holding company) took control of the club in April shortly before Richie Wellens’ (Head Coach of Leyton Orient F.C.) side were beaten in the League One Play-Off Final held at the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in London.
Averred Gandler, “We are committed to building upon the club’s inspiring history and its legacy as a beacon of hope in our diverse and vibrant community.”
Orient said sustainability would be at the heart of the project.
The club sent out a statement which read, “Another key element of the vision is sustainability: A zero-carbon development that is energy-efficient and committed to Urban Greening and biodiversity net gain. A new campus may include publicly accessible green spaces and pedestrian/cycle links to the wider area in line with the Council’s ambitions. This focus ensures the project will be both resilient and welcoming for all.”
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