The next stop on our 'Residence' series, where we explore characteristic homes of football across the world, sees us jump on the Central Line and into East London to have a nosey around Brisbane Road, the home of Leyton Orient Football Club. A unique ground that blends a modern touch with a charming history typical of English football stadia.
Not many cities in the world can compete with London when it comes to choices of games on a Saturday afternoon, and while some of the more mainstream Premier League venues have been knocked down and rebuilt in recent decades Brisbane Road retains a proud identity thanks to its visual representation of generations gone by. Three modern styled stands are off-set by the gloriously throwback grandstand that has housed the home faithful since it was knocked up in 1956. Wooden seats, retro typeface, and an architectural design that locks in memories of yesteryear. Yeah, you might complain if you're stuck behind a pillar but it's stands like these that celebrate English football's beautiful history, and preserve it.
There's a certain beauty to football stadiums packed into residential areas; that glimpse of a turnstile from down the end of a road, or a floodlight in between chimneys and trees and Leyton Orient have a home that is right in the heart of England's most iconic sporting region. Neighboured by the Olympic Park and Hackney Marshes, Brisbane Road shares ground with both ends of the amateur and elite performance spectrums, and quite often plays a part in both levels as Orient bounce between divisions to keep the locals on their toes.
The only place in central London to watch League Two football for the 2019/20 season, Leyton Orient gives Londoners and tourists the chance to experience 'proper football' that's affordable and in a setting drenched in history. The stadium's most unique feature comes in the form of residential flats erected in each corner of the ground. These are the result of the club selling part of the Brisbane Road site to a property developer in order to raise funds to build the three newer stands, and in turn provide the overall stadium feel with a more boxed in, compact aesthetic, which is most definitely a positive in our book.
For us, the best stadiums are unique, and Brisbane Road is most certainly that. These flats, with balconies that act as the occupants very own VIP section offer some of the best views of the ground from inside, whether that's a few beers on the balcony during the game, or a peaceful setting at sunset for a coffee when the groundsman is finishing off for the evening. Yeah, we want to live in one, and no we'd never move. Free football for life.
Brisbane Road has been home to Leyton Orient Football Club since 1937 and has a current capacity of 9,271.
It's the little things we lust for over football stadiums. Turnstiles on the pavement and a short walk from the pub. That's proper football.
Occupants of the flats, many of which were snapped up quickly by life-long Orient fans upon completion, are often seen hosting family and friends on match days.
A proper London club in a proper football stadium. Brisbane Road is well worth ticking off. View Leyton Orient's fixtures here.
