Monday 24 April 2017 12:11, UK
Barry Hearn has resigned from his position as Leyton Orient honorary life president, citing current owner Francesco Becchetti as the reason why.
Orient dropped out of the Football League after 112 years on Saturday, a 3-0 defeat away at Crewe consigning them to relegation.
Hearn sold his majority stake in Orient to Italian businessman Becchetti in July 2014 and has since seen his old team slide from Sky Bet League One to the National League.
Players and staff at the east London club are yet to receive their wages for the month of March, with Becchetti AWOL and not attending matches, leaving them to seek assurances from other club directors.
"I've written to Leyton Orient this morning, to Mr Becchetti and his lieutenant, to say I cannot possibly be associated with any business, and in particular Leyton Orient Football Club, that doesn't pay its staff and doesn't pay the wages in the normal course of business," Hearn told Sky Sports News HQ.
"It's a sad day for me, it was only an honorary role and a non-executive role, but I don't want my name linked to the club under the current ownership."
Hearn also urged Becchetti to sell Orient and hinted that he would be willing to help any proposed takeover of the club in the future.
"This owner has got to go, he's made a terrible mess of the club and he's lost a lot of his own money," he said.
"I am not happy to be associated with anyone who treats his staff and players like that- they've got their own lives, mortgages, kids etc.
"From today I am no longer the president of Leyton Orient Football Club, that doesn't mean I will not be there to help in the future but clearly something drastic has got to happen and it's got to happen very quickly."
