When I was given the job of covering Leyton Orient last May, I thought ‘great’. They are the one club regardless of where they are in the English league you had heard of, even all the way from the north east of Scotland.

I thought they would easily be fighting for a promotion or a play-off spot at the start of pre-season with the signings of Robbie Weir, Gavin Massey and Liam Kelly.

But 18 league losses by the end of the season on home turf led to the campaign turning out very differently.

Within my first two weeks I managed to make owner Francesco Becchetti unhappy with one of my headlines as the players were still unaware of when they were due to return for pre-season training - they were, as I put it, in ‘limbo’.

Pre-season came and went with Andy Hessenthaler in charge and things still looked promising; the team looked as though it was beginning to gel.

Then the League Two season started, a 1-1 draw away at Cheltenham Town got the campaign underway.

Hessenthaler knew that game was always going to be difficult as the Robins were promoted from the National League and were looking to make their mark.

But it was not the away form that Orient had to worry about; Brisbane Road leaked goals and losses like nowhere else during 2016/17.

Their first home loss came against relegation strugglers Newport County, a 1-0 defeat which was not expected by many as the O’s went into the match as favourites.

You could say this is where the problems began for the O’s in what would culminate in their relegation into the National League for the first time in 112 years.

Then the absolute shocker occurred. One day after the transfer window closed, fans’ favourite Dean Cox left and could not play for a League Two club until after the January transfer window.

The east London club released a very brief statement about the midfielder, who had been at Brisbane Road for six years. To say it was uncalled for would be an understatement.

Later in September, manager number one of five this season, Hessenthaler was shown the door after his side lost 3-1 away at Notts County.

In came Alberto Cavasin, who had not been in charge of a club since 2011.

Former manager Ian Hendon spoke out over Becchetti’s interference in team affairs, not the only one to do so as Kevin Nolan also claimed the same thing.

October was also the last month we saw the Italian president at the Matchroom Stadium.

Leyton Orient Fan’s Trust (LOFT) held a protest calling for the board of directors to be more transparent.

Cavasin was a nice man but that does not transcend into being a good manager and he only managed two wins out of 10 games, losing eight, before he was sacked.

Andy Edwards was appointed and this gave a little respite as the O’s went through the whole of December unbeaten at home, winning twice and drawing once, a welcome change at E10.

By January though, things were to get progressively worse as senior players were transfer listed and told to fight for their places.

Jay Simpson, Orient’s 25-goal-a-season forward, left for Philadelphia Union with Jordan Bowery and Ollie Palmer being loaned out to League Two rivals Luton Town and Crewe Alexandra.

Chief executive Alessandro Angelieri also released the now infamous statement criticising former and current players and fans.

The most memorable lines concerned Mr Becchetti ‘not playing’ on a Saturday and the reason results had fallen away was because the players missed his charisma.

Before Edwards quit for a job at the FA, he claimed he was told he would have to work from within and no new signings would be made. Danny Webb then became the fourth manager of the season.

March was one of the toughest months; Orient, being a family club, reminds everyone of their own club, as any involvement brings you into the community and part of an adopted O’s family.

Orient received a winding-up order from HMRC over an unpaid tax bill, and further creditors soon surfaced before the arranged court date.

These included the club photographer, programme producers Alchemy Creations and stewarding company Centre Circle Events Management, who revealed this week they are yet to be paid by the club.

The O’s were given a stay of execution by the High Court until June 12 to pay-off their debts or for the club to be sold.

Webb then quit as he tried to secure a future for himself and the club and Omer Riza took his place in the hot seat.

But at the end of March, staff and players did not receive their wages and had to wait almost a month before they finally arrived.

Orient fought off relegation in two games, but their inevitable fate arrived following a 3-0 defeat to Crewe Alexandra.

Two pitch invasions occurred at Brisbane Road, which were backed by other clubs’ supporters and covered by many media outlets, something which needed to happen to make more people aware of the club’s plight.

The upcoming June court date looms nearer and the O’s future remains unclear. It is uncertain what plans Becchetti has for the club, and pre-season arrangements need to be confirmed sooner rather than later.

It has been a year of an unpredictable owner, five managers, protests, relegation and court dates; and it has been interesting to stay the least in what was my first season as a full-time sports reporter.