View from the Opposition – Leyton Orient 10 January 2009:
A bit about you:
Name: Jonathan Kaye
Current hometown: Southend-on-Sea Birthplace: Walthamstow
How long have you supported your team? 31 years
Overview of your club:
Small East London club, forever in the shadow of larger neighbours whose fans tend to look upon us as their second club. Generally a friendly family club, where success is so rare that the fans' humour is what keeps us going!
Favourite thing about your home ground: Hearing Tijuana Taxi as the teams run out. It's been our theme off and on for the past 40 years, and long may it continue.
Favourite match played by your team & why: Oxford away, 2005/06. Automatic promotion for the first time in 36 years, secured only in the last minute of the last game of the season. Typical Orient to make us suffer for the previous 93 minutes!….
Favourite player of all time who played for your club: Peter Kitchen. Goal-scorer supreme of the late 70s, and the last Orient player to score 20 League goals in a season. Sadly I'm not old enough to have seen the late, great Tommy Johnston play for the O's, our all time leading goal-scorer.
About our forthcoming match against you:
Your favourite current player in your squad and why? Adam Chambers. The heart and engine of our midfield, who gives his all every game.
Player in your squad we should most fear and why? Sam Parkin. He hasn't scored for us yet, and by the law of averages he's got to start at some point!
Player in our squad you most fear and why? Matt Fryatt. 20 goals before Christmas. 'Nuff said.
Up and coming prospect in your squad? Tamika Mkandawire (centre back). Has gone from being a Conference player to comfortably playing in League One, could easily play at a higher level, and can also score goals.
Where do you think you'll finish this season? Martin Ling has steered us to improved League finishes in every season since he took over, so bearing in mind last season's 14th place finish and our current lowly position, I'm hoping for 13th!
How do you think you'll do against us? Our recent away form suggests we're capable of getting something out of the game, equally our appalling festive results suggest we're capable of being stuffed. 1-1 if we're lucky, 1-3 if we're not.
Any other comments? I had a nice curry in Leicester once; I remember it fondly!