London Orient ?????

[Cantona's Flying Dropkick]

London Orient name proposed by Leyton Orient owner Barry Hearn

Leyton Orient owner Barry Hearn plans to change the club's name to London Orient if its bid to ground-share the Olympic Stadium with West Ham succeeds.
He said changing the League One club's name would be part of a "rebranding exercise" to link it with the city.
"When you are looking for a new future, you need a new title," Hearn told BBC Sport.
A decision on the successful Olympic Stadium tenants from four bidders is expected later this month.
Orient and West Ham face competition from Intelligent Transport Services in association with Formula One, and UCFB College of Football Business.
Hearn said Orient had undergone several name changes down the years, but admitted a switch would not be popular with all supporters.
"There will always be opposition. You can't expect everyone to agree with us in a democracy," he said.
"There isn't a team that's named after the capital. It's unique, the same as our little football club. It's a stepping stone to great things.
"We need a new branding exercise. Leyton Orient has been there, Clapton Orient, Orient, there has been a few changes over the 130-year history."
The owner believes the east London club, which had average attendances of 4,298 at Brisbane Road last season, could attract crowds of up to 27,000 at the Olympic Stadium through a series of ticket offers.
"I think we have got to look at changing the face of Leyton Orient. The first thing is to change the name to London Orient, the second thing is to look at giving free season tickets to the under-18s in London and members of the armed forces," said Hearn.
"Any new family that moves in to the area should get a free introductory season ticket for the whole family.
"The lower tier capacity would be 27,000 and we are quite confident we can sell that out with our ticket incentive schemes and hopefully by then, a more successful team.
"We need to appeal to a wider audience, we need to put a lot of money in to strengthen the squad which hopefully we will do to move up at least one division.
"We need a new atmosphere about the place. We are little Leyton Orient, we don't want to miss out on our community service and renaming the club is the beginning of changing the whole attitude."
Hearn has previously been critical of West Ham's plans, and the Hammers have indicated they do not want to ground-share with Orient.
"West Ham would prefer to have the stadium on their own but that means one match a fortnight, and it needs to be busy. Orient playing alternate Saturdays just creates the vibrancy the Olympic Park needs," he said.
He said the London Orient name is only likely to be used if the club moves to the Olympic Stadium.
"If West Ham moved in there and we didn't, we're pretty sure we would go out of business so it could be called whatever if you like," he said.

Good idea?

 

[GYM]

In theory I think this is a good idea to rebrand the club. But it does seem a little tin pot.

I really can't take the name London Orient Seriously.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

London Orient name proposed by Leyton Orient owner Barry Hearn



Good idea?

Yes, I think so. London Orient sounds interesting and if marketed correctly they could attract a lot of tourists and paying customers are paying customers. Longer term, I think it would be fantastic. But will he really invest the numbers needed? Remains to be seen.

I wouldn't be suprised if he wanted a colour change, ala Cardiff.

 

[Commander]

I don't see why Orient would go out of business if West Ham moved to the Olympic stadium. What difference would it make?

 

[shaolinpunk]

London Orient sounds like a nightclub

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I can see why he wants to do it, but realistically, Orient are a team of third division strugglers whose natural position is somewhere between there and the fourth tier.

Tourists aren't going to come to London and think "let's go and watch Orient, because they're called London". They're going to try and get tickets for Arsenal, Chelsea or Spurs, like they've always done. Kids in China won't be buying Orient shirts any more than they go after Hertha Berlin ones.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

London Orient sounds like a nightclub

Or a knocking shop.

 

[Butch Willykins]

I'm sure when I was growing up the were always just called "The Orient". Wasn't the Leyton bit added in the early '90s?

 

[ali jenkins]

If the albion started giving out free season tickets to new families in the area and other people I would be rather pissed off. I dont mind the odd game, I think thats a good idea, but a whole season ticket for free wouldn't be good with me.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I assume this is a wind up

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

London OLYMPIC? SHIRLEY!!!!!??

 

[ditchy]

I'm sure when I was growing up the were always just called "The Orient". Wasn't the Leyton bit added in the early '90s?

They were called Clapton Orient at one point

 

[seagullondon]

London OLYMPIC? SHIRLEY!!!!!??

Thats what I thought

 

[Brovion]

I'm sure when I was growing up the were always just called "The Orient". Wasn't the Leyton bit added in the early '90s?

Partly right. Without googling it they were originally called Clapton Orient. They moved to Leyton and changed their name, then at some stage the place 'Leyton' ceased to exist (the borough got absorbed or something) so they just called themselves 'Orient'. I think it was the fans who wanted the word 'Leyton' re-introduced at some time in the late 1980s. But yeah, for about 20 years they were just known as 'Orient'.

 

[Titus]

Football clubs, like pubs, should never have name changes.

 

[Hamilton]

Why not go the whole hog, capitalise fully on the 2012 feel good fact and add a strapline as well...

London's Orient
"Inspiring generations"

With a name like that there's a whole host of brand-endorsed curry houses they can open around East London to give tourists the 'true taste of football.'

 

[catfish]

Confirms my opinion that Hearn is a dickhead.

 

[cloud]

They are hoping that by calling it London Orient, some rich Malaysian will come in and buy the club for mega zillions

Whereas with West Ham, not only does it represent "western civilisation" but also "ham", a meat which many Asians won't eat anyway.They are clearly doomed.

 

[brakespear]

London OLYMPIC? SHIRLEY!!!!!??

I like that Also like London Orient, I think it would be nice for at least one club to have the capital city in their name for reasons I cannot properly describe

 

[8ace]

Normally I'd say a club should never change their name, but Orient have changed their's so much already I say go for it.