Leyton Orient matchday programme reduced to 16 pages as financial woes mount

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Tom Collomosse10 March 2017

Leyton Orient, facing a winding up order over unpaid tax, also owe money to other organisations, Standard Sport understands.

The League Two club are due in the High Court on March 20 following a petition by HMRC in relation to a bill thought to be £250,000.

It is believed the club’s financial difficulties mean the programme for tomorrow’s home game against Grimsby will contain only 16 pages — a reduction of 76 per cent from the usual 68.

The programme is designed by Alchemy Creations and it is understood there are monies outstanding to the Baldock company for their work.

There is also thought to be some debate about the status of the Score Centre, an “all-embracing sports club, community and health facility” complex in Leyton close to the Matchroom Stadium.

On its website, Score is described as “a partnership between Leyton Orient and the London Borough of Waltham Forest”.

Meanwhile, LOFT, the Orient Fans’ Trust, will hold a second meeting on Monday as they attempt to protect the club from an uncertain future.

Supporters have been invited to an open meeting at Walthamstow Assembly Hall and at the first meeting last week, a fighting fund was launched.

So far fans have raised £65,300 of their initial goal of £250,000 and there will be further collections at tomorrow’s game against Grimsby, while an auction is planned of a shirt signed by the last Orient team to win promotion – to League One in 2005-06.

Trust members are in contact with former Orient chairman Barry Hearn, the sports promoter who sold the club to Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti for £4million in 2014. Becchetti is willing to sell Orient but is reluctant to accept anything less than what he paid.

Standard Sport has contacted Orient for comment.

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