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Robs Column Reprise from August

Courtesy of the Lincolnshire Echo

There’s an interesting interview with Mark Devlin, Orient CEO, on the latest Business of Sport podcast. It’s interesting in itself, but also because the challenges facing his club are strikingly similar to those at Lincoln City. 
 I make no excuses in revealing what these challenges mostly comprise. The financial circumstances at League One level are all-consuming for those owners, board members, and senior staff who have the responsibility of overseeing that aspect of their business. 
 Orient are not unlike the Imps as a club. Their ground holds around 9,000 fans – not  huge therefore – and, after Barry Hearn departed and a very bad time ensued, they have had an exciting rise from non-league to League One. Their current joint owners are responsible people who recognise sustainability, however, difficult, has to be the aim.
 They lost £4m last year amongst average losses of £5 to 6m in our division. The mean losses in the Championship were £15m to £20m per club but most Orient supporters, and indeed the owners, want the upward trajectory to continue. They’d love to rise still further and enjoy life in the second tier. As would we of course. 
 There’s a trend now that sees promoted clubs looking likely to be the ones relegated next time round. That’s applicable to the Premier League and the Championship too, such is the massive step up in what it all costs.
 That then sums up what we’re up against. Losing money in League One, owners covering it, getting promoted, losing way more, and owners covering that, is not how sustainability works by any stretch of the financial imagination.
 Mr Devlin says Orient have really good owners but they need new investors alongside them, or completely replacing them, if their ambitions and their fans’ wishes might come true. We’ll no doubt hear from the admirable people at the LNER that that’s what’s needed at our club too over the next few years, despite the hugely generous measures they’ve personally overseen.
 The only alternative of course is to enjoy those young players who emerge on the scene and not be too dismayed when they get sold. That’s what’s happened here recently, and, if that helps relieve the massive dilemma I describe above if only a bit, then very well done to the people who made that happen.