SHOCKING NEWS: Fabrizo Romano Confirms Reading FC Hijack Deal Of €86,000k EPL ‘Out Of Favor Star- Medical Booked

SHOCKING NEWS: Fabrizo Romano Confirms Reading FC Hijack Deal Of €86,000k EPL ‘Out Of Favor Star- Medical Booked

For some fans, the opening remarks in Juliet’s speech from Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ that begins ‘What’s in a name?’ would have little significance.

Their club of choice has always carried the same moniker from being established to the present.

Reading are a case in point.  Since being founded, over 150 years ago, the club may have had a few changes of ground, particularly in the early years, but the Royals have always been Reading, bearer of the town’s name.

Indeed, this season’s League One line-up has a dozen other clubs with a similar history of ‘establish a club, choose a name, stick with it.’  Clubs from Wigan to Crawley, Wrexham to Charlton Athletic – a fan of those clubs in their formative years would recognise the name today.

Not so the other eleven of the ‘League One class of 2024/25.’  For a few, there is little indication, initially, of where they’re based and what the clubs morphed in to – Heaton Norris Rovers and then Heaton Norris being a case in point.  Step forward Stockport County, (Heaton Norris being a district of Stockport borough).

Small Heath, an area of Birmingham saw the ‘Second City’ club go through several name changes: Small HeathAlliance, Small Heath, Birmingham and, finally, Birmingham City.

For others, their origins can be traced to a local church or institution, for example.

Hence, Barnsley St Peter’s and Christ Church F.C. (the latter soon adopting their town name to become Bolton Wanderers) or how about Mansfield Wesleyans to Mansfield Wesley to Mansfield Town?

Aside from their original title of the Black Arabs, being based in the Eastville area of the city, gave rise to Eastville Rovers, Bristol Eastville Rovers and, subsequently, the dropping of ‘Eastville’ to leave us with Bristol Rovers, (interestingly, one of only four ‘Rovers’ currently in the Football League).  For Cambridge United too the former name of Abbey United relates to that area of the city.

A merging of clubs can produce a name-change too. St. Sidwell’s United and Exeter United giving rise to Exeter City; Thornhill F.C. then becoming Rotherham County who merged with Rotherham Town resulting in Rotherham United.

All of which leaves today’s visitors, Leyton Orient, which, when it comes to identity and reinvention leaves the others trailing in its wake. From the humble beginnings of the Glyn Cricket  and Football Club to a brief period, (two years), as ‘Eagle F.C.’, (take that Crystal Palace!), we then arrive at the more familiar Orient F.C. (for the first time).  Clapton Orient lasted almost 50 years before the adoption of Orient F.C.  (again) coinciding with, arguably, the club’s most successful period – Division 3 Champions in 1970 and F.A. Cup semi-finalists in 1978.  We’re talking pre-internet and sat navs here but, were it available back in the early ’80’s, inputting Orient into a sat nav could produce an interesting route to the game!  The name Leyton Orient was re-adopted almost 40 years ago and is retained to this day.

So, looking at today’s fixtures, do you fancy taking in:

Mansfield Wesleyans v Abbey United

Northampton Town v Wycombe Wanderers

Victoria F.C. v St Sidwell’s United

Christ Church F.C. v Huddersfield Town

Black Arabs v Wigan Athletic

Crawley Town v Heaton Norris Rovers

Peterborough United v Lincoln City

Reading v Glyn Cricket and Football Club

Thornhill Football Club v Burton Albion

Shrewsbury Town v Charlton Athletic

Stevenage Borough v Barnsley St Peter’s.