Going down: Hearn tells Orient owner to quit club

Former Leyton Orient owner Barry Hearn concedes he made a mistake in selling the stricken club to Francesco Becchetti and has called on the Italian to sell up.

Hearn still retains the honorary presidency of the club he owned for 19 years but he has no day-to-day involvement and has watched the O’s endure a torrid season of managerial departures, imminent relegation from the Football League, an adjourned winding-up order and unpaid players. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live’s

he said: “Sadly, I sold to the wrong person.

“Everybody, including myself, thought it was wonderful, hoping to go to the next level with the investment these billionaires bring.

“Mr Becchetti hasn’t let anyone down with the amount of money he’s put in.

“What nobody could have envisaged or foreseen was the inordinately terrible management decisions and involvement Mr Becchetti has had. Ten managers in three seasons is unthinkable.

“The fact wages of both players and employees have not been paid, these people have mortgages, bills, children, that is where Becchetti’s ownership has moved to another level.

“That level is: this man has to go. If this is how he treats people he has to go.”

Hearn, who is 69 and chairman of World Snooker, has distanced himself from retaking control of Orient but said he would offer “background” assistance to any interested parties.

Orient, who have only won one of their last 11 games, need to beat fellow strugglers Hartlepool today or they will be relegated to the National League.

Plymouth Argyle need a point against Newport County to confirm their promotion.

The Welsh side, however, are fighting to beat the drop and despite having been 11 points adrift when caretaker manager Mike Flynn took charge, could move out of the bottom two for the first time since November with a victory.