Leyton Orient president Barry Hearn quits role


Barry Hearn has quit as Leyton Orient's honorary life president in protest at the club's failure to meet last month's payroll.

Hearn's announcement follows calls by the Sky Bet League Two club's players and staff for the game's authorities to intervene "without delay" as chairman Francesco Becchetti and his directors appear to be in hiding.

The O's are in turmoil on and off the field as relegation from the English Football League was confirmed on Saturday and former owner Hearn has severed all ties with the London club.

"It is with sadness that I have decided to resign my honorary role as Life President of Leyton Orient FC with immediate effect," Hearn said in a statement on his official Matchroom website.

"I cannot be associated in any way with a club/business that does not pay the wages and salaries of its hard working staff, players and officials.

"I hope for everyone's sake that the stewardship of the club is resolved as quickly as possible and everyone will be repaid all that they are owed."

The O's staff and players released a statement last week seeking assurances they will be paid this month and have now urged the EFL and Football Association to take immediate action after the club's failure to respond.

"Further to our previous statement dated April 19, where we appealed to the club's board of directors, we have been met with a wall of silence," read the latest statement.

"Chief operating officer Vito Miceli had no answers to questions posed by a Waltham Forest Guardian journalist following Saturday's fixture in which the club's relegation was confirmed.

"We are now on the 24th day of the month and are yet to receive a payment of wages for March, with April due in only four days' time.

"We are extremely concerned about the ongoing situation given the effect of non-payment of mortgages and rent are already resulting in staff having to relocate.

"Due to this we appeal to the English Football League (EFL) and the Football Association to intervene on our behalf as the regulatory bodies in the sport and demand substantive answers from the club's board."

The club survived a winding-up order last month over unpaid taxes, reported to be £250,000 with Becchetti given until June 12 by the High Court to pay off debts or sell up.

O's boss Omer Riza, who has demanded a meeting with Becchetti this week, admitted after Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Crewe that his players had been left demoralised by not being paid.

That loss confirmed the club's relegation and ended their 112-year stay in the Football League.

Hearn, who spent 19 years as O's chairman, revealed in an interview with the BBC last month that he regretted his decision to sell the club to Becchetti for £4million in July 2014.

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