LOFT held a Special General Meeting pre-match on Saturday 12 February, to discuss the news that West Ham United has been given preferred bidder status for the Olympic Stadium post-2012.

Addressing a packed room at the Birkbeck Tavern, LOFT chair Doug Harper opened the meeting by setting out the lines of communication and advice LOFT has with Supporters Direct, the Football Supporters' Federation, West Ham's MYWHU, the BBC, Waltham Forest council, as well as the club and the Supporters Club. A key point is that Leyton Orient does not stand alone in its fears over West Ham potentially moving to the Olympic Stadium.

The LOFT committee set out its intention to contact the following:

• the Premier League, in relation to the consideration has been given to Leyton Orient FC regarding its criteria for allowing a ground move
• the Football League, in relation to the consideration it would give to Leyton Orient were West Ham relegated from the Premier League, and how it intends to protect Leyton Orient against any adverse effects from a ground move
• the FA, as the custodians of the game, for its view of the situation
• the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee inquiry into the governance of football, in relation to what appears to be the unwillingness of the Premier League to enforce its own criteria that exist to protect the rest of football.

The meeting approved this approach unanimously. A number of other lines of enquiry were also suggested, including the role of Newham Council in lending public money to a private company at a time of public spending cuts; LOFT's committee will consider these and pursue them as appropriate.

We were joined at the meeting by Supporters Club committee member - and LOFT member - Tony Roome, who welcomed LOFT's reaction so far and set out the Supporters Club's view. He expressed the view - which LOFT agrees with - that all Leyton Orient supporters must stand together in this situation.

The key message coming out of the meeting is that LOFT is ready to play its part in ensuring that Leyton Orient is not forgotten about, and that all Orient fans can play their part too in keeping our club in football's Olympic agenda. A number of supporters have already been in contact with various individuals and organisations in the past few weeks, and going forward this website will set out those points that fans can usefully make individually to add to the pressure that we will bring to bear. Our collective voice must be heard, and in a way that those who make football's decisions cannot ignore.