This post will cover my experience going to a Leyton Orient game in April of 2024. This was my first time going to a Leyton Orient game and also the first EFL League One match I went to. I enjoyed that experience so much that I have since gone to another Leyton Orient game. I’ll publish another blog post about that game soon.
- Background
- Teams involved
- How I got tickets
- How I got to the game
- The game
- Leaving the stadium
- Conclusion
Background
I went to this game during the April 2024 European trip that I used to also see Lazio vs. Salernitana and West Ham vs. Bayer Leverkusen. London was going to be the first city my family would visit on that trip and, as always, I checked the games calendar to see if there were any matches I could catch. There weren’t any Premier League games I could go to this time but a wonderful characteristic of London is that it is the home of many football clubs, not only in the Premier League but also in the EFL Championship (2nd division), and in the EFL League One (3rd division).
I did some research and learned that there would be a match between Leyton Orient and Exeter City on a Tuesday evening while I was in London, so I decided to get tickets for my dad and I.
Teams involved
Leyton Orient F.C. is a club based in Leyton, a town in East London. Their home stadium is Brisbane Road (Gaughan Group Stadium) and they have competed in the EFL League One since the 2023-24 season. They returned to League One after 8 years of absence. Many football fans around the world recently learned more about Leyton Orient because they played Manchester City in the 4th round of the FA Cup and came very close to advancing to the next round.
Exeter City F.C. is a club based in Exeter, South West England. They returned to League One in the 2022-23 season.
How I got tickets
I went to Leyton Orient’s ticketing website, clicked on the game I wanted to attend, and I could then choose from the available seats. Before completing the purchase I had to create an account. Since then, the account has become an OneOrient account, which can be used to purchase tickets, team merchandise, etc.
Before I chose a seat, I did some research on the different stands. I wanted to have a good view of the game and also wanted to sit with the home fans. I decided to purchase a ticket in the Justin Edinburgh Stand, which is named in honor of Justin Edinburgh, who was Leyton Orient’s head coach when he passed away in 2019.
Buying the tickets was really simple and I had the option of printing paper versions or adding them to a digital wallet. I printed physical copies of the tickets for that game.
How I got to the game
During that trip my family and I stayed near Paddington Station. My dad and I took the London Underground’s Central Line to the Layton station. From there we walked for about 10 minutes on High Road and took a left once we got to the Coronation Gardens. As we approached the stadium we saw a statue in honor of Laurie Cunningham, an English footballer who began his professional career at Leyton Orient and became the first English player to join Real Madrid.
Once we got to the stadium, we were checked by security, then got our tickets scanned, and went through the turnstiles. We got there about 30 minutes before kick off and had time to take pictures, enjoy the pre-game atmosphere, and find our seats. The stadium has a classic look, which was also very cool for us to see and experience.
The game
The match was very entertaining with both teams playing attacking football. The game even featured an Olympic goal (a goal scored from a corner kick without touching any players). Leyton Orient led the game with a 2-0 score until the 88th minute. Then Exeter City managed to tie the game in stoppage time.
Overall my dad and I had a great experience at the game. Both teams played entertaining football and the fans at the stadium supported their teams throughout the game (there was a sizable contingent of Exeter City fans too!).
You can watch the game highlights below.
The local fans were very welcoming and we celebrated the Leyton Orient goals with the people seated next to us. It was such a great experience that I have since gone to another Leyton Orient game (in January 2025). I’ll write a post about that game soon.
Leaving the stadium
We left the stadium and walked back to the Leyton tube station. From there we took the Central line back to central London. Getting back to where we were staying was very easy.
Conclusion
Leyton Orient is a great team to see in London if you have the opportunity to do it. They have great fans, a very cool stadium, and it’s easy to get there with London’s Underground. This was my first Leyton Orient game and I plan to go to more in the future!