Peter Kitchen talks Orient Somme Memorial, what to expect in his updated book and the history of the Brisbane Road club

Leyton Orient’s legendary forward Peter Kitchen is releasing his book ‘The Goal Gourmet’ for a second time with a number of new features included and the 63-year-old believes it is important O’s supporters know about the clubs past with regard to the First World War.

The Orient Somme Memorial Fund is a poignant part of the Brisbane Road outfits history now and Kitchen, who had two spells with the club, discussed what else is going on involving that story.

He played for the O’s between 1977 and 1979, having a big part in the successful FA Cup run in the 1978/79 campaign where they reached the semi-finals.

Kitchen also represented Orient in the 1982/83 season and the following year too before departing again.

The Brisbane Road hitman explained what is in his new book, he said: “It should probably be released in the club shop soon. There are several new sections about various things that I have been involved in.

“There is a whole chapter devoted to the Orient Somme Memorial where we have been involved in raising money and we unveiled a memorial on the Somme battlefield and that is one of those really fascinating stories.

“Also there is a play being written about it which we are hoping to produce on the West End next year so that is in the pipeline at the moment and myself and Steve Jenkins and Michael, who wrote the play, we have been talking to some potential venues.

“We are looking at how we can get it on the stage and hopefully by November of next year it will be on. We have also been up to the National Memorial Arboretum to discuss the potential for an Orient Memorial to be there so we have had discussion there as well.

“There are quite a lot of things that are happening in the background involving the club and all these are brought together in a chapter.”

Also prominent in ‘The Goal Gourmet’ is the famous FA Cup run, which ended with Orient losing 3-0 to Arsenal.

Kitchen added: “Orient fans have not had a lot to celebrate over the years. They have had a couple of promotions as well as the cup run in the 70’s when we got to the semi-final.

“Anything that is major and has happened in the clubs history, they do like to celebrate that because it is a small club, but it has a real culture of its own.

“We are a friendly, homely club and tradition in terms of fathers and sons and grandfathers that go. Personally I think Leyton Orient are one of those clubs that sum everything up that is good about football.”