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Clapton Orient 1913 © Hackney Archives

THEY TOOK THE LEAD

CLAPTON ORIENT AND THE GREAT WAR

Explore the history of

Clapton Orient

Clapton Orient and the Great War: They Took The Lead is a project dedicated to telling the story of the footballers, officials and fans of Orient who all contributed to the First World War effort. Building upon seventeen years of research conducted by Steve Jenkins for his book "They Took The Lead" this project has uncovered some previously untold stories of Clapton Orient Football Club, now known as Leyton Orient. A volunteer-led project, the stories of the men, the families and their lives have been uncovered. This project has been generously funded by Heritage Lottery Fund.

FIND OUT MORE about the brave men who fought for the war. Over 40 players, fans and officials are on the Roll of Honour in the Oriental Notes and we have dedicated this project to uncovering their hidden histories. Learn more about the lives of the men who signed up, what happened to them during the war and what happened to them after the war was over and they returned to their peace-time jobs and playing football. 

Find out more about those who served

More about football and sport, home and away

DISCOVER new research about the role of football, sport and exercise played in mainatining morale. Watch history come alive through audio-visual, oral history and pictures to take a peek into the lives of those on the home front. From the ladies in the munitions factories to amateur football, those on the home front played a vital role in the war effort at keeping up morale and keeping the British public fit and entertained.  â€‹

DOWNLOAD our education resource for teachers to get your school involved in the project. As part of They Took The Lead we have developed these resources free for schools and teachers to download and use in class. Find out more about the footballers, supporters and officials who signed up. Go to the education tab to download the educational resources  to use in your school. 

Download our educational materials

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