An acclaimed photographer has gone back to his roots at the East End football club where he worked on the turnstiles as a teenager.  

Jake Green is leading a creative takeover of the high street next to Leyton Orient’s ground to celebrate the people who keep one of London’s oldest professional clubs at the heart of the community.  

He grew up so close to the stadium he could hear the roar of the crowd from his garden and worked on the turnstiles and as a steward. 

While Green still lives locally, he spent 20 years out of touch with the League One side until he set about capturing stills and audio connecting to ‘the O’s’ in what turned out to be a three-year project. 

He shot some of his first processed images at the ground before going on to win acclaim for projects including one focused on pie and mash shops in the East End and another featuring portraits of grime stars.  

Green’s next display space is in and among the cafes, hardware shops and pubs on Leyton High Road.

‘I’ve grown up in the area and the club has always been a bit of your life, supporting them is just like supporting your mum and dad, you’ve got no choice,’ he said.  

‘You could hear from the back garden when Leyton had scored a goal.  

‘As a teenager, me and a few friends worked there on the turnstiles and as stewards, so it’s always been part of the furniture.

‘Even though this is about Leyton Orient, I think this resonates with a lot of smaller clubs and their fans, they play an amazing role in the heart of their communities.

‘You can see the players and even the owners in the local shops, and they value us as much as we value them, you never see that in a Premier League club.

‘The accessibility at clubs like Orient is really interesting and special.’ 

The ‘Home Team’ exhibition is in the form of a trail across local stores and outdoor spaces including a pub, key shop, plumber’s, carpet shop and a Scottish street food cafe. 

The 43-year-old has teamed up with other contributors including printed textile designer Tamasyn Gambell, mural artist Woskerski and Leyton Orient winger Theo Archibald.  

Woskerski has depicted Professional Footballers’ Association chair Omar Beckles in a compassionate embrace.

Gambell worked with pieces of material from the carpet shop to make a tapestry emblazoned with Orient manager Richie Wellen’s quote that ‘this club has soul.’ The artwork will hang in the Flying Carpets store.

Green, who won a National Portrait Gallery prize in 2023, has also reconnected with club stalwarts who were there during his teens.

They include a long server named Harry who the visual artist describes as a ‘club legend’.

The customer services worker takes tea around for fans in the disabled area every game, rain or shine.

‘When I started the project I hadn’t been to Leyton Orient in 20 years,’ Green said.  

‘I went to live in Italy for a bit and for various other reasons I didn’t go back.

‘When I went back there were still people there who were stewards when I was there and are now helping to run the club.

‘I’ve also spoken to fans who first went there as a baby and have been going back ever since.

‘But it’s not just about being inside the ground, it’s as much about Leyton as it is about Leyton Orient.

‘I realised that I needed to be outside the ground as much as I was inside the ground shooting.’ 

Jake, who runs the Leyton of London production house, was supported by Waltham Forest Council in bringing together the window into a club which was founded almost 150 years ago.

The trail follows other collaborations between the creative industries and football including Jeremy Deller x Arsenal, Tottenham’s OOF contemporary art gallery in a Grade II-listed house close to the ground and a Walthamstow FC kit inspired by the textile designer William Morris.  

The exhibition launches on Saturday, when Orient play Charlton at home, and runs until April 4. A map can be found here

Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact josh.layton@metro.co.uk

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