On the 23rdApril 1919, the Daily Herald reports that Clapton Orient has begun the process of rebuilding its squad for the new season, signing five players who had become associated with the club since the end of the war.
In these difficult times the papers didn’t always have their facts right. 24 year old Scottish full-back Sam Tonner is signing from Hearts, says the Herald, although Neil Kaufman has his previous club down as East Fife. It makes a difference: Hearts is one of the great old Scottish Division 1 clubs, whereas East Fife are members of the Scottish Central League. Tonner is one who continues the O’s great tradition of signing players from Scotland and the North-East, where the club scouted conscientiously. The club seems to have particularly liked players from mining areas, presumably because they were tough and also keen to pursue a more congenial career outside the pit, even if it meant locating to London. Tonner, however, has been a professional footballer since he was a teenager.
Another full-back announced is Joe Nicholls, Bilston raised, a former Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserve and capable of playing down the left side. Joe’s age isn’t recorded. He played some games for the club last season and the Herald says ‘served excellently’.
Alf Worboys is a centre half and a more local lad, from Barnet. According to the records Worboys is only 19 years of age but he has won several decorations in the conflict and the paper says he served latterly as a Sergeant Major. He would have been a young NCO, but the rate of attrition on the front did thrust very young men early into positions of responsibility and some rose to it. Worboys seems to have been one such, and just the sort of young signing Orient should be making, but if he is chosen as first choice centre-half this will also be a responsible role for a young man.
A few days after his signing is announced, the O’s play a final friendly rounding off the 1918/19 season and Alf Worboys’s brother ‘W.E.Worboys’ is given a trial. He seems not to have impressed because he wasn’t signed. For the record the match ends 6-1 to the O’s.
Two forwards have also signed. Harry Smith from Walthamstow, another youngster, is only 17 years old but he too is a veteran, having served in the Middlesex Regiment. Finally Tommy Bowyer from Stoke on Trent was a Midland League player before the war. Tommy is around 23 years of age (Note 1) and an inside forward.
In further good news, the Herald reports that most of the O’s pre-war players are expected to sign on again, although it reminds readers of the great sacrifice of McFadden, Jonas and Scott and also reports that the leg wound sustained by full-back Nolan Evans in the war will prevent him ever playing again. Evans played over 100 times for the O’s from 1912 after signing from Exeter, but he would not be part of the 1919/20 squad. Better news is that Fred ‘Spider’ Parker, the Orient captain, is reported to be out of hospital in France where he has been detained due to ill health and is on his way home.
(1) Neil Kaufman and Alan Ravenhill have Tommy down as having been born in 1895. Wikipedia has 1902. It seems more likely he was older.
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