BECCHETTI OUT

Leyton Orient fans protest on Brisbane Road pitch despite O’s picking up first home win since Boxing Day

Fans continue to protest against controversial chairman Francesco Becchetti

LEYTON ORIENT supporters stormed the pitch at the end of their win against Hartlepool United.

The angry fans were again vocal in their opposition of controversial owner Francesco Becchetti - despite watching their team win for the first time at home since Boxing Day.

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Leyton Orient fans stormed the pitch after their 2-1 win over HartlepoolCredit: Rex Features
Orient fans are furious at the ownership of Francesco BecchettiCredit: Reuters
The club are on the brink of relegation to non-League despite the winCredit: Reuters
Supporters aimed chants at the controversial Italian chairmanCredit: Reuters

Teenagers Victor Adeboyejo and Tristan Abrahams scored for the O's, who are on the brink of relegation to non-League.

Orient need to win all three of their remaining matches and hope that Hartlepool fail to pick up another point.

Becchetti, who has gone through a dozen managers and almost two relegations since taking over three years ago, is hated by the support.

Staff at the club have not been paid since FEBRUARY and the club faced a winding up order over unpaid tax last month.

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Previous manager Danny Webb also left because Becchetti kept trying to get involved with team selection.

A fan is collared after getting onto the pitchCredit: Rex Features
Furious Orient fans made their feelings known at full-timeCredit: Reuters
Anti-Becchetti songs could be heard throughout the gameCredit: Reuters
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Some fans staged a sit-in protestCredit: Reuters
Police filmed the fans who went onto the pitchCredit: Rex Features

Under previous chairman Barry Hearn the club were on the brink of promotion to the Championship, losing in the play-off final to Rotherham.

Since then, the O's have been relegated from League One and have sat bottom of League Two for almost the whole of this season.

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Omer Riza is their sixth manager of this campaign - and started the season as an assistant youth team coach.

Tristan Abrahams celebrates after scoring the winner for the O'sCredit: Reuters
Manager Omer Riza paid tribute to the unpaid staffCredit: Reuters

The win was just their third of 2017 and first at home since beating Crawley Town 3-2 on Boxing Day.

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Riza paid tribute to the unpaid staff after the win.

He said: "Staff have to decide whether to continue or not and I have total respect for all of them and the most important thing today was that we got the three points and we live to fight another day.

"I have maximum respect for all of them and not just the players, but the staff as well because they are having to make very tough decisions.

"I put a young team out, but I know there are players out there who want to prove themselves.

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"No matter what happens they are always going to do that and the senior players that have been out on the pitch have not stopped."

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