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Darren Pratley (Page 25 - Detailed interview with the SLP pre Leyton Orient match )

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Comments

  • killerjerrylee
    killerjerrylee Posts: 731
    With both Pratley and Hylton teaching the dark arts, our young players would be unstoppable.
  • aliwibble
    aliwibble Posts: 26,501
    killerjerrylee said:
    With both Pratley and Hylton teaching the dark arts, our young players would be unstoppable.
    But the number of yellow cards would probably increase exponentially :)
  • thenewbie
    thenewbie Posts: 11,028
    killerjerrylee said:
    With both Pratley and Hylton teaching the dark arts, our young players would be unstoppable.
    Pearce teaching the defenders, Pratley the midfielders and Hylton the forwards would mean we'd have Darker Arts than Voldemort....
  • Bod
    Bod Posts: 188
    I was very discombobulated when he left. Absolutely ridiculous decision. Maximum respect to him.
  • IR94
    IR94 Posts: 795
    still awful to watch, credit to him for carving out a career with his level of ability 
  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,890
    edited March 1
    Credit to him as an individual, two huge games for Leyton Orient in the space of a few days, and he's just played the full match in both of them!!

    Maybe its something that cost them today, a younger version of Pratley would have managed, and should have been replaced before FT
  • Talal
    Talal Posts: 11,520
    Will always think fondly of him 
  • Chunes
    Chunes Posts: 17,416
    edited March 1
    A top pro and someone who always gives 100%. But not a player I have ever enjoyed watching. 
  • IdleHans
    IdleHans Posts: 10,997
    Chunes said:
    A top pro and someone who always gives 100%. But not a player I have ever enjoyed watching. 
    except against Doncaster Rovers


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  • se9addick
    se9addick Posts: 32,083
    killerandflash said:
    After the game he clapped our supporters, a top pro.
    Yep, very classy guy. He’s had a great career, he must have looked after his fitness to a level that others wouldn’t given he’s still playing 90 mins in professional football at his age. 

    One we let go too early. 
  • Bostonaddick
    Bostonaddick Posts: 831
    Seeing him accidentally head it backward off the post was just like old times.
  • EugenesAxe
    EugenesAxe Posts: 3,379
    Bostonaddick said:
    Seeing him accidentally head it backward off the post was just like old times.
    Yeah the old fellas still got it 😂
  • JustFloydRoad
    JustFloydRoad Posts: 1,670
    Hopefully he gave Anderson some lessons today (Anderson looked out of place).
  • thenewbie
    thenewbie Posts: 11,028
    se9addick said:
    killerandflash said:
    After the game he clapped our supporters, a top pro.
    Yep, very classy guy. He’s had a great career, he must have looked after his fitness to a level that others wouldn’t given he’s still playing 90 mins in professional football at his age. 

    One we let go too early. 
    I don't think we did honestly. Great guy, decent player but I genuinely don't think he's what we needed then or now. He does what he does extremely well but pure athleticism while very useful can only take you so far.

    That said he's definitely one I can see ending up on the coaching side one day and if he did end up back at The Valley in that capacity I'd be pretty happy.
  • clive
    clive Posts: 19,570

    Leyton Orient are delighted to confirm that Darren Pratley has taken up a new role as PDP Coach, which will see him lead the U21 group.

    This will be the midfielder’s first venture into full-time coaching and sees him call time on a more than 20-year playing career.

    https://www.leytonorient.com/news/2025/july/03/darren-pratley-named-as-u21-coach/

  • se9addick
    se9addick Posts: 32,083
    Congratulations to him on a wonderful playing career. 20 years & 734 appearances is a testament to how fit he must have kept himself. 
  • clive
    clive Posts: 19,570
    https://x.com/CAFCofficial/status/1940778411129295080
  • AndyG
    AndyG Posts: 5,938
    Would love to welcome him back one day in some capacity a true professional 
  • Rob7Lee
    Rob7Lee Posts: 9,621
    What an amazing professional and career. I was gutted when he left.

    Think in some areas he was hugely underrated, I still believe we wouldn't have got to Wembley and past Doncaster without him and not just because of his goal. He's done a cracking job for Orient.

    To between age 35-40 to still play best part of 40 games a season is incredible, thought it was a shame for him he didn't bow out at Wembley (although in the lead up to the game I did fear he'd be on the bench and come on and play a blinder!).

    If he takes that same mentality into the next stage of his career he'll be equally as successful. All the very best Prats, lived every boys dream.

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  • killerandflash
    killerandflash Posts: 70,014
    clive said:

    Leyton Orient are delighted to confirm that Darren Pratley has taken up a new role as PDP Coach, which will see him lead the U21 group.

    This will be the midfielder’s first venture into full-time coaching and sees him call time on a more than 20-year playing career.

    https://www.leytonorient.com/news/2025/july/03/darren-pratley-named-as-u21-coach/

    That's a newly formed U21 team too. I recall us taking players off them as they had no academy team higher than U18.
  • Diebythesword
    Diebythesword Posts: 354
    Great pro, gave 100% and never ever hid. Wish him a long and happy retirement!

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