Like Birmingham’s Penguin or Middlesbrough’s chest band, for me Orient’s ‘braces’ kits are distinctive and iconic and I believe they should always play in them! Introduced in 1977 by Admiral the design was updated nicely by adidas in 1980 complete with large wing collar. The club’s first sponsor, Everard Ovenden, (Epping-based paper merchants) appeared on the jerseys in 1981. The kit was produced in a simple reversed version for the away kit and also in blue and white for a third kit. At the time Orient (the ‘Leyton’ wasn’t reintroduced until 1985) were struggling in the old Division 2 and were eventually relegated at the end of 81-82.
Worn in: A superb 4-0 win over fellow Londoners QPR but also a 2-0 defeat to West Ham in an East End local derby (both 80-81).
Worn by: Stan Bowles, Ralph Coates and a young John Chiedozie.
Orient made the braces famous before Gordon Gecko did, a real classic!
I like the continuation of the ‘braces’ down the shorts too. Was looking through Homes of Football yesterday and found a pic of Brighton where the shorts had all the stripes of the shirt…looked a tad crazy, but cool.
I remember that Brighton kit, one of the few truly original kits. Can’t remember who made it though. Anyone?
Ribero made Brighton’s kits with the striped shorts, used between 1991 and 1993. Their away kit at the time was even more dramatic, a rather dramatic red and white concoction with matching shorts, often regarded as the blood slasher kit!
I remember that Brighton kit well. It has to be something special to carry off continuing the shirt design onto the shorts – I think the Orient braces styling does it very well, not too sure about the Brighton one…might try and dig it out for a new kit cupboard feature.
That Orient kit is best remembered for their 1977-8 FA Cup run where they reached the Semi-Final. When they won a replay away at Chelsea they wore the white home shirts & shorts along with the red away socks.
Hello Roy – thanks for the comment, that would have been the Admiral version of this kit I think? I’d like to see Orient go back to the braces though.