Billericay – 1 November: EWFL Saturday 60s League

The autumn sun broke through over Billericay, as if it too recognised the significance of the occasion – the curtain call of the inaugural Saturday 60s League. The competition had taken the long road to its finale. Back in June, the players had trudged away in frustration, denied their contest by double-booked pitches. On this All Saints’ Day, though, order was restored. And while no silverware awaited Leyton Orient’s veterans, there was still pride – and pleasure – to be played for.

Leyton Orient arrived as a team perennially unsettled, their campaign shaped by shifting availabilities and absent strikers. Yet their bond, forged in shared effort rather than shared selection, was evident from the first whistle. But as Halloween rolled into November, the Reds, outsiders for second spot, traded tricks and treats for pinches and punches; twice conceding from winning positions to finish comfortably mid-table. But the true victory was in the camaraderie.

Kotonou and Baker, deputising up front, shared the burden selflessly, each leading the line with graft and heart. Against Billericay Town Blue, Orient began brightly before being forced to dig deep. The home side’s forward – a bundle of elbows and invention – forced a sharp stop from Freeman early on. Burns, though, grew into the duel, matching wiles with wisdom, and it was that battle which shaped the game’s rhythm. Mullins, Pillay and Birnbaum knitted play neatly but without too much incision. Kotonou’s clever second-half runs hinted at breakthroughs that never came. Billericay’s frustration finally boiled over when their striker’s vocabulary crossed the acceptable line; a red card followed for “continental language”. The Reds pressed, but the Blues sat deep and disciplined. Final score: Billericay Town Blue 0 v 0 Leyton Orient.

A week earlier, Clacton Knights had claimed a 2-0 win; revenge now simmered beneath the surface. The early exchanges were physical, Pillay repeatedly clattered as the Knights sought to impose their will. But football, as ever, rewards precision over power as the game’s set-piece renaissance continued. From a short-corner routine straight out of the Nicholas Jover playbook, Mullins combined with Kotonou before arrowing the ball across goal for Baker to finish low and true into the bottom corner. Goal of the season. The Reds roared; the Knights faltered, a blue card leaving them a man light. But the desire for redemption became their undoing. Too open, too eager to put these knights to the sword, Orient overcommitted and were caught cold on the counter (1 – 1). Freeman’s late heroics preserved the draw. A disappointing lapse but getting burnt was to teach the Reds nothing about playing with fire. Final score: Clacton Knights 1 v 1 Leyton Orient (Baker).

The finale came against Stanway Rovers, always sturdy, always stubborn. The tone was set early when Pillay lost his footing to gift the striker a path to goal. Freeman stood tall – again. After the interval, Kotonou entered, his strained calf rested and ready. A neat interchange with Pillay found him ghosting to the box, finishing with calm precision. In a composed display of game management, the Reds passed with assurance, content to control both ball and tempo. Yet, with only minutes remaining, their own Capstan non-filter smoking Saturday kid – immaculate until then – was betrayed by a flicker of overconfidence. A careless pass just outside the box was seized upon by the tireless Stanway forward, who needed no second invitation. Freeman was powerless to prevent the equaliser (1 – 1) but responded superbly moments later to deny what might have been a last-minute winner. Afterwards, the complimentary Stanway captain suggested an off-season friendly. Final score: Stanway Rovers 1 – 1 Leyton Orient (Kotonou).

No early fireworks – the fuse was lit but ultimately fizzled out. But three contests played in the right spirit – competitive yet kind, serious yet suffused with joy.

Captain Nad Pillay summed up the afternoon, “An enjoyable, if mildly disappointing, set of matches. The team played with cohesion and encouragement. Some errors proved more costly than others but that’s how it goes. There were excellent performances all round – and two wonderful goals. A good way to sign off.”

In truth, that was the essence of the day – and of the league itself. These were players who have long since played their share of football, yet still find beauty in the game’s small battles. The Saturday 60s League offered no medals of gold, only moments of grace – a flash of skill, a shared laugh, a rediscovered rhythm. And in football, as in life, that’s often worth far more than the result. So what the team was scratch? Such days restore a youthful glow to the complexion, if only temporarily, offering a value that is way more than skin deep.

Leyton Orient squad: Mike Freeman (Gk), Neil Burns, Nad Pillay (Cpt), Mick Mullins, Jack Kotonou, Simon Baker, Maurice Birnbaum.

Goal scorers: Baker, Kotonou.

© Copyright 2025 Leyton Orient Walking FC
Image used © 2025 Trevor Ridley