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Leytoners – the O’s are moving home. In fact, they could be building an entirely new home. Leyton Orient has signed a memorandum of understanding with Waltham Forest Council to create a new ‘state-of-the-art’ stadium as part of a huge new multi-sports campus.
Announcing the news, LOFC said the planned campus represents ‘a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a world-class destination for English football, global sport, innovation and entertainment’.
The club has called Brisbane Road Stadium its home since 1937. But with a capacity of just over 9,000, Orient (currently in League One) said that the venue can’t support its goal of competing in the Championship.
Plans are still in the very, very early stages, but both the club and the council want the stadium to stay within Waltham Forest. Orient has promised that sustainability will be central to the development, with potential public green spaces and pedestrian/cycle links to the wider area. It’s also been suggested that once the club has left its current site, it can be used for a new housing development and ‘address the borough’s pressing need for more affordable homes’.
Mark Devlin, Orient CEO, said: ‘While Brisbane Road holds a special place in our history, its current limitations prevent us from achieving our full potential both on and off the pitch.
‘A move is a necessary evolution to help us achieve our ambition of one day competing in the Championship and to create a financially sustainable future for the club, our supporters and our community.’
Grace Williams, leader of Waltham Forest Council, added: ‘Leyton Orient FC is an important local institution that is hugely valued by residents and the council. We have been delighted with the recent successes of both the men’s and women’s teams on the pitch, and we are determined to do all we can to support our local club continue its exciting journey and, at the same time, create opportunities for the area of Leyton.
‘The club’s vision for a new stadium aligns with our aim to bring more jobs and training opportunities to local people, build much-needed homes and increase the money flowing into the local economy. We will do whatever we can to support the O’s.’
Did you see that this massive north London football stadium could be getting even bigger – with 20,000 more seats?
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