Leyton Orient will play Bromley in the National League this weekend wearing their special commemorative kit
Justin Edinburgh knows Saturday will be a memorable occasion for Leyton Orient, but wants his players to treat the home fixture with Bromley like any other game in the National League this season.
The O’s will wear a commemorative kit, which features the iconic red chevron design with blue shorts and socks, this weekend in a nod to the club’s role in World War One where they were the first English club to sign up en masse.
Clapton Orient had 41 players and staff enlisted and three members of the squad – Richard McFadden, William Jonas and George Scott – didn’t return home after they were killed in action.
Saturday will see Orient honour them and everyone from the O’s who fought for King and Country with this match the nearest home fixture to Remembrance Sunday.
On top of this, the E10 outfit will have another bumper crowd with this game part of their ‘Football for a Fiver’ scheme, but Edinburgh has urged his players to focus on the task at hand – beating Bromley, who are 14th in the table after six wins from 19 games this term.
He said: “It will be a very special occasion with a big crowd present, the atmosphere, the fourth kit and the club’s history.
“Players and staff are starting to watch ‘The Greater Game’ play, so everyone is learning more about what it meant to Orient and their role in the war.
“Obviously it will be a huge occasion, but it is one we have to put aside and concentrate on the game because it is another game and it will be a difficult game.
“We are up against a team in decent form, but we are at home and we go into every game looking to win, although we know we have no divine right to win.
“We are also coming up to the halfway point now and our aim was to make sure we were in the mix and we are certainly in there.”
Orient last played on November 3 when they secured an impressive 3-1 win away to AFC Fylde, who had only lost once all campaign prior to the clash at Mill Farm.
The result moved O’s up one spot ahead of Salford City into second place and they trail league leaders Wrexham by a single point ahead of their meeting on November 24.
Edinburgh praised the excellent efforts of his group of players so far, adding: “For any team to finish 13th last season and to have started and put on the run we have is an incredible achievement by the players.
“They have been incredible with their consistency and you need to look at the other teams up there.
“Salford are used to winning and promotions, Harrogate are the same and Wrexham have been consistent over the last few years and have never really been in turmoil.
“These teams have a mentality of winning and our club had a mentality of losing. It was two relegations in three seasons and then a 15-game run without a league win, so it really is testament to this group of players to be in there and challenging.
“We are in with teams who have a mentality and a history over the last four years of winning and I think it is a credit to the players to be where we are.”
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