Over-60s Division Two, Matchday 1 - Billericay, Tuesday 10 March.

Football returned beneath a brooding Essex sky, though the opening moments carried a deeper note. Players from every side gathered respectfully around the centre circle to mark the passing of a Romford regular during the off-season. A minute's applause - a celebration of a life - a reminder that, beyond the competitiveness and camaraderie, simply to play the game that we love into our sixties and beyond is a privilege not to be taken lightly.

With new recruit Mike Freeman between the sticks and newly minted sexagenarian Andrew Coyle making his debut, Orient arrived in Billericay carrying quiet belief. Last season had ended in disappointment, but there was a sense this campaign might unfold differently. Still, the fixture list held intrigue: two relegated sides to open, newcomers Heybridge Swifts to close, and plenty of unknowns in between.

First up were familiar adversaries Eastwood Falcon Blue, newly relegated from Division One. Orient seized control early. The midfield trio of Weston, Coyle and Pillay dictated the rhythm, moving the ball with craft and purpose. Burns marshalled the defence with intelligence, stepping out when needed to join the build-up. The pressure mounted relentlessly. Pillay struck the post. Okocha twisted and turned through defenders with mischievous ease, only to find the Eastwood (and Essex County) keeper - and the woodwork - stubborn obstacles. Cox replaced Coyle after the interval and the pattern continued: Okocha rattled the bar, Cox clipped the post, the goalkeeper repelled everything else. Then came the moment that seemed to break the spell. Forced to the byline, Okocha scuffed an effort goalwards, the spin deceiving the keeper. Somehow it crept in - but, to the surprise of both sides, the referee ruled it out judging the striker to have encroached the area. After total dominance and more than ten attempts on target, the Reds left the pitch frustrated rather than fulfilled.
Final Score: Eastwood Falcon Blue 0 v 0 Leyton Orient

For their remaining fixtures, Orient moved to a tighter pitch outside the stadium where Harlow Pirates were docked. This time the breakthrough arrived quickly. Within minutes, Okocha shrugged off muscular attention, spun sharply and smashed a shot into the roof of the net. Frustration released. Arrgh! Intercepting well and patient with the ball, the Reds imposed their game. As Okocha bore down on goal, a Pirate swung in from the side to deny a goalscoring opportunity. Okocha buried the resulting penalty. The Reds continued the second half where they had left off - a fine team move rounded off with a trademark Okocha finish to complete a fine hattrick to exorcise any ghosts from the previous match. Yo-ho-ho! The striker left early to protect a sore knee, applauded warmly by the watching crowd - one man and a keen pair of eyes, Tim Conlan - as the Reds cruised home. A swashbuckling performance.
Harlow Pirates 0 v 3 Leyton Orient (Okocha 3)

Next came Billericay White, never shy of physicality. But by now Orient were in rhythm - passing, moving, giving and going with purpose. Okocha, brimming with confidence, darted this way and that, scoring twice in quick succession. After the interval, Cox delayed then slipped a neat pass to Coyle on the right. The debutant cut inside and curled beautifully into the near post. But, with the game won, Freeman’s hopes of a third clean sheet were dashed when a flurry of running offences conceded a needless penalty, rifled in off the bar. Otherwise, the Reds remained in command.
Billericay White 1 v 3 Leyton Orient (Okocha 2, Coyle)

League newcomers, Heybridge Swifts, were by their own admission not having a good afternoon - a single point from three outings. Mind games or not, Orient found it hard to get going - the Swifts keeping good possession of the ball with the Reds trying too hard to force play when they got it back. But patience and discipline eventually paid off. Taking a pass from Weston, Pillay surged forward. As Coyle’s clever movement dragged defenders to the right, Pillay slipped left and finished calmly beneath the keeper. It remained tight until early in the second half when Weston threaded a sumptuous through ball - “pass of the day,” the referee declared - for Okocha to convert. Late on, Weston again turned provider, releasing Coyle to finish crisply high into the corner.
Final score: Heybridge Swifts 0 v 3 Leyton Orient (Pillay, Okocha, Coyle)

Captain Nad Pillay reflected afterwards:
“A fantastic start. The team played with tremendous discipline and purpose from start to finish, front to back. The spirit across all the teams was excellent - it made for a really enjoyable afternoon. And thank you to Tim for coming along to support.”

Unbeaten, nine goals for, one against. Ten points but feeling a little robbed of twelve. Yet the broader picture was encouraging: organised, composed and full of defensive solidity and attacking verve. One referee even ventured that this might finally be Leyton Orient’s year. Early days, certainly - but if this opening chapter is any guide, the Reds have begun their campaign with conviction and promise.

As the afternoon drew to a close and boots were unlaced, thoughts inevitably returned to that solemn circle before the first kick. The goals, saves and league table all mattered, but the deeper thread ran through the day itself. Football beyond sixty is competition, yes, but also friendship, resilience and gratitude for still being able to play the game. Beginning with remembrance and ending with a flourish, Leyton Orient’s opening afternoon felt like a fitting tribute - the best way to honour the past, perhaps, is simply to keep playing.

Leyton Orient squad: Mike Freeman (Gk), Neil Burns, Paul Weston, Nad Pillay (Cpt), Andrew Coyle, Andrew Okocha, Alan Cox.

Goalscorers: Okocha 6, Coyle 2, Pillay.

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Location

Billericay Town FC, Blunts Wall Road, Billericay, UK