LOFT recently ran a survey of members and recently-lapsed members, to gauge their thoughts and feelings on a number of subjects. Around 200 responses were received, with a particularly strong response rate among current members.

The results reveal first and foremost that supporters want the club to be more open in its communications and to consult with them if any changes to the club's identity are envisaged; 86% believe that there is insufficient communication from the Board to the supporters. We will continue to press the club to be more open in its dealings with fans.

Unsurprisingly, nearly 98% of responses said that any changes in club identity – everything from colours and badge to the walk out music – should only be changed after widespread consultation with the supporters. This is no real surprise to those who have been involved in British football for any length of time. The strong reactions of Cardiff City and Hull City supporters to changes imposed or planned by their owners demonstrate the feeling that supporters have for the history and traditions of their club.

In response to the questions around the club's location, almost 85% of responses indicated a strong preference to remain at Brisbane Road, with roughly the same proportion saying that we should only consider a move if our crowd outgrows Brisbane Road. Only 2.6% believe that we should move to the Olympic Stadium 'as soon as possible'.

While only 20% are concerned that any move should be within the London Borough of Waltham Forest, almost 80% said that any move should stay within east London. Interestingly, despite the preferences for location, over 95% of fans say they would not attend more matches wherever the location, while any move at all would result in supporters attending fewer home matches.

In light of these answers, LOFT has a clear mandate to continue with our policy of not supporting a move away from Brisbane Road until such time as it clearly represents a constraint on the club's development.

71% of responses indicated concern over the future financial stability of the club. It's interesting that this response is so overwhelming, considering that the club is ostensibly having more money spent on it than at any time in living memory. However, anecdotally, the concerns are based around whether or not the current owner has a long-term commitment to the club, or whether he may be tempted to walk away if his targets (eg for promotion) aren't met. The danger perceived by many is that, if he does walk away (and there's no indication at present that he has any intention of doing so), then we will be in an unsustainable financial position given the size of the staff and the wage bill as it stands.

Almost 92% of responses are in favour of having a supporter elected to the Board. How much power they would have is, of course, open to discussion – but most people think it would be a good thing (and is so widely supported now that it is even finding its way on to political manifestos).

Finally, the open question on comments and concerns revealed 4 key topics:

1. Current ownership, their abilities, intentions etc. This area includes disquiet about the number of 'backroom' appointments and the sustainability of the structure introduced during the current ownership. There is also widely expressed concern about the owner’s TV channel and its effects on the football club – one member asked which was driving which.
2. Communications from and with the club – including a desire for a meeting with the owner along the lines of the meetings with the CEO and former Sporting Director, as well as the Meet the Manager night.
3. The ‘ethos’ of the club; there is a clear view that Orient’s recent success was based on teamwork throughout the organisation, and a strong spirit of belonging. It is felt that this has been destroyed by the new owner’s team, which has led to the wholesale changes at the club.
4. Finally, a compliment – members welcomed the survey and were glad to see LOFT taking a lead in trying to move things forward for supporters.

In summary, LOFT welcomes the interest the supporters are showing in the club, beyond the on-pitch performances and results. It is clear that the key concerns at the moment revolve around two things: ownership and structure, and communications. These are issues on which LOFT will concentrate in the months ahead and will attempt to reach agreement with other supporter representatives on how best to address these areas.

In light of the strong response rate among members to the survey, we do not now plan to hold a members' meeting to discuss views as originally planned. We will of course revisit this if the situation at the club warrants a meeting, and we are always open to discussing matters informally with members and to receiving comments via email and social media (Twitter and Facebook). We also plan to run further surveys of both members and non-members.