London has much more on offer than Premier League clubs, so that’s why we decided to pay a visit to League One side Leyton Orient.

We arrived well in advance using the London Overground, despite a 10-minute walk from the station to the stadium. We found the ticket office in the West Stand and queued for 2 minutes before we could buy tickets. If you plan early, you can save yourself a few £ by buying in advance. We paid £20.00 for a seat at the West Stand, though a £5.00 promotion applied. Still not cheap though.

The Matchroom Stadium definitely has character with its old main stand, new West Stand, and two smaller stands behind the goal. The apartment blocks in the corners give it even more edge. The view was good from the West Stand, though we were fortunate to be high up as the rain reached the lower rows of the stand.

The away fans were seated in the old main (East) stand and made a reasonable amount of noise. The home fans were a bit quieter, with most of the noise coming from the south stand. Apart from the away fans, there were hardly any home fans seated in the remaining parts of the East Stand. The other three stands were well-filled.

The concessions (and toilets) were housed in a rather cramped area underneath the stand, and queuing was significant during the break. If you are among the last to arrive, you’ll be lucky to be back before the start of the second half.

Getting out of the ground after the match went quickly, and we followed the crowds to Leyton tube station this time. We had expected a bit of queuing at the entrance, but none whatsoever and we could get on the first train arriving.