Dawson makes Barnsley move (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Leyton Orient captain Stephen Dawson joins Barnsley

5:52pm Tuesday 31st January 2012 in Leyton Orient By Matt Bass

Orient skipper Stephen Dawson has completed his move to Championship side Barnsley.

The Tykes had an earlier bid for the Irishman rejected but came back with an improved offer which the O’s accepted this morning.

Dawson arrived in E10 from Bury in the summer of 2010 and was made captain after putting pen-to-paper on a deal with Orient.

He was offered a new deal by Russell Slade but has opted to move on.

The 26-year-old has inked a two-and-a-half-year contract with Keith Hill’s side and can now look forward to Championship football.

Slade told the club’s website: “We did everything in our power for Stephen to stay and he was offered an excellent deal.

“He has been a very influential player for us and we didn’t want to lose him.”