After their Carabao Cup tie was postponed last night, Leyton Orient faced the prospect of a significant financial blow.
After a number of positive coronavirus tests, their fixture against Tottenham was put on the back-burner, meaning any money they would have made from the televised game had vanished.
However Spurs fans stepped in to help out, making over £20k worth of purchases from The O’s club shop.
“The club shop has done over £20k of sales since yesterday morning!” the club wrote on Twitter.
“No words for your generosity, Spurs fans.”
? The club shop has done over £20k of sales since yesterday morning!
— Leyton Orient (@leytonorientfc) September 23, 2020
No words for your generosity, Spurs fans ?
You can still donate a child’s kit to our charity partners – read more below. #LOFC #THFC https://t.co/QPuMrv3OEE
Harry Kane, who got his first taste of professional football with Orient, is actually sponsoring their shirt this season, donating the space to three separate causes. The home shirt features a thank you message to frontline workers, the away shirt showing Haven House Children’s Hospice, and the third shirt dedicated to Mind, the mental health charity.
Rules state that if a club fail to fulfil a Carabao Cup fixture then the opposition gets a bye to the next round.
However chairman Nigel Travis is hoping that the circumstances will allow for the tie to be replayed.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Travis said: “We’re going to lose £2.5million this year, also anything that can help us reduce that loss is clearly important. We are struggling so games like this have to take place.
“We have a great relationship with Spurs, we’ve looked at their fixtures and this game can be played.
“There has to be a will, because this game is worth £150,000 profit to us, so we have to play this game.
“I recognise the guidelines and we have spoken to the league about extenuating circumstances.
“I can assure you, we will not be the first club facing this this year. Even Man City had a player [Ilkay Gundogan] test positive recently.
“We expect this game to be played and we will campaign very strongly for this game to be played. Clubs of our size depend on games like this.”
Featured image credit: Getty