Readers may remember from the article in the Trade News section in the previous edition that Shepherd Neame are now the official providers of beer, cider and other drinks at Leyton Orient FC’s Gaughan Group Stadium. This led to Sheps recently contributing to the commemoration of part of Orient’s history. Orient have links to Edinburgh team Hearts of Midlothian. In the First World War, both were among the first football teams to heed Lord Kitchener’s call to volunteer to enlist. Their example inspired many supporters to do the same and greatly boosted recruitment. The Hearts players joined the 16th Royal Scots (McCrae’s Battalion) and the Orient players (then called Clapton Orient) joined 17th Middlesex Regiment to form what became known as the Footballers’ Battalion. Orient played Hearts in a friendly on 13 July as part of Hearts’ 150th anniversary celebrations (for the record Orient won 1-2). The event was marked by Sheps producing a special limited edition beer, styled a British Lager. Orient supporters were consulted about the design of the labels and the main label shows the squad in the kit of the time and the neck band gives the names of the players who volunteered. Only 240 bottles were produced and so it will already be a collector’s item.
The supply arrangement with Sheps covers the stadium only and does not include the award winning Supporters Club.