Leyton Orient.......A message from the chairman

A great example of how a club should connect with their fan's



I write to you on an exciting day for our football club as we welcome David Gandler to Leyton Orient as our new majority shareholder.
Today signals the beginning of Leyton Orient’s next chapter. You, as fans, should be extremely proud of what you have helped us to accomplish since 2017. We achieved our goal of returning to League One within six years in 2023, and since then, we have continued to progress.
Every player and member of staff who has contributed to our on-pitch success in recent years deserves immense credit and, in particular, I would like to thank Head Coach Richie Wellens and Director of Football Martin Ling for creating a truly special culture which has driven that progress.
We are now a highly competitive League One outfit, and I believe that with the support of David, we have the required tools to keep growing.
Leyton Orient means an incredible amount to me, my family, the Board of Directors and the other investors who have served us since 2017. We are all driven individuals who have had a collective ambition to see Leyton Orient reach heights that haven’t been reached for generations.
Some of our directors and minority investors will be stepping away from their duties at the club, as part of this investment process. Marshall Taylor, David Travis, Coley Parry and Nick Semaca will depart from the Leyton Orient Board of Directors and minority investors, James Fenton, Joe Cugine, and David Buckley will be selling their shares.
I want to remind everyone that Marshall did a stellar job as our first CEO back in 2017 and really helped stabilise the club after the previous ownership departed. David has been the mastermind behind our very successful streaming operation, while Coley and Nick have been valuable board members, particularly on the football committee.
Also, David Buckley will be staying on and financially supporting the academy. I want to thank all of the departing directors and investors for their support, and they know that they’re welcome at Brisbane Road any time.
In February 2024, we declared that our new mission was to see Leyton Orient grow into a club that can compete sustainably at Championship level. We also recognised that for this ambition to be achievable, we may require additional financial resources. This is when our search for new investment began, and, as I have said previously, this has been a detailed and thorough process.
There was plenty of interest and, from the outset, the Board and I were clear that any potential new investor would have to share the same values that have brought us success since 2017.
I believe we have found that in David. Since he established himself as the front runner to join us, David and I have been in constant dialogue via calls, messages and in-person meetings. He has also met with our excellent Head Coach, Richie Wellens, and I know they have had some very positive conversations.
David has a determination to continue driving us forward through considered and sensible decision making, and I am very excited about that. As well as continued on-pitch progression, we intend to improve our training facilities in the next few years, which will be so important in attracting the best possible talent to Leyton Orient.
As you know, I believe that we have outgrown Brisbane Road and finding a site for a new stadium within the borough of Waltham Forest is something that we are already working on. Any new stadium will be designed to maximise the club’s revenue opportunities, which will in turn support our playing budget, and I can assure all of our supporters that its primary function will be as a football stadium for Leyton Orient. We will keep fans informed of the latest updates as and when they happen.
I am very much looking forward to introducing you all to David. He is very knowledgeable about the game, having worked previously at Paris FC, and he is a personable and warm character. I’m sure that fans who meet him will enjoy his company but also recognise his steely determination to help Leyton Orient succeed.
David is looking to back the winning team we have at the club, and I am pleased to say that I am staying on as Chairman.
I have full confidence in David to take our club forward, but, given our past, I hope that my continued presence will give some reassurances to any of you who understandably remember some of our darker times.
Although I am 75 years old, I remain Chairman of six companies, and one of my key principles in running businesses is transparency. I hope you’d agree that we have been very open with supporters since 2017 and this will continue with David now on the Board. Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have, and we will always give you an honest answer.
To conclude, my message is this: this is a new chapter for Leyton Orient, but it will not change our identity. We will continue to be the underdog on the pitch, will continue to serve our local community off it and will continue to aspire to make you all proud.
We have been clear in declaring our wish to see Leyton Orient become a Championship football club, and we plan to achieve our objective by making sensible and smart decisions and investments. Our playing budget will increase next season but careless spending will not happen and our decision-making will never jeopardise the future of Leyton Orient.
Reaching the Championship may not happen immediately, although it could, depending on the next few weeks, and we know that there will almost certainly be bumps in the road along the way. I ask that you enjoy the journey and simply keep supporting your team, as you have done so brilliantly for many years.
Your Chairman
Nigel Travis
Unsubscribe View Online

 

What a fantastically well run club. Fair play to them. Feel sorry for them that they might need a favour off us at Reading cos it’s not going to happen. Mind you, having seen our capitulation last week I reckon they probably know already.

 

They actually have a proper football man as Director of football, not some clown that's analysed abit of data.

Keep ploughing the money in.