Ex-Chelsea star bought by Geoff Hurst after feud makes admission about World Cup hero
A former Chelsea star once fell out with Sir Geoff Hurst and was subsequently sold by the then-Stamford Bridge boss, but he admits he has a different perspective now.
John Sitton came through the Chelsea academy after rejecting Arsenal and Manchester United to make the grade in west London and progress into the first team. But after three years at the club, and as many managers, Sitton was shown the door to join third-tier Millwall.
Sitton, who is most remembered by football fans around the country today for his viral half-time “bring your dinner” rant when manager of Leyton Orient, revealed that he left Chelsea after a feud with then-manager and 1966 World Cup hero Hurst.
John Sitton started his playing career at Chelsea(Image: Getty Images)
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However, speaking exclusively to the Daily Star Sport, Sitton admitted that his view on the whole dispute has changed over the years, acknowledging that Hurst’s standpoint was correct.
Sitton explained how major personal issues in his private life had meant he had taken his eye off the ball on the pitch, and in his lifestyle.
He said: “Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, the reason for our fallout, I’ve got to concede he was 100% right.
“He was often demanding of me that I changed my lifestyle and I think that the commute started to get to me and then I had a lot of off the field goings on because I was in a mixed race relationship.
John Sitton left Chelsea to join Millwall in 1980(Image: Colorsport/Shutterstock)
Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup final(Image: Getty Images)
“I’m still with the same lady now, 50 years later, we got together in the summer of ’76, but we both put up with a lot of stuff from English and me from the Greek Cypriots who marry among their own community. I was a bit of an outsider. It was sort of frowned upon.
“So I had all that going on off the field, my mum was terminally ill. I had all that going on off the field, my dad had a failing business. I’m not making excuses, I’m just saying the circumstances because I’ve been accused of having that.
“I had a persecution complex where all I’ve done is list what I had to confront or what was in front of me and then I’ve just basically got up and dealt with it, and got on with it.
“But I had all this stuff going on off the field and then I got in the wrong company socially and he (Hurst) just said he was very adamant that I had some disciplinary problems off the field.
John Sitton went viral for a half-time rant as Leyton Orient boss
“I was at loggerheads with the reserve team coach Brian Eastick. Bobby Gould was proved right, Geoff Hurst was proved right. Brian was proved right.
“It was the circumstances and I was probably too outspoken, too opinionated, and then we ended up parting company.
“He just said, you’re going to train on your own at the main ground until I can get you out of the club. Within a few days I’d left.”
Sitton went to Millwall but remained in south London for only a year before joining Gillingham and later Leyton Orient before ending his playing career at Slough Town.
In October 2016, he released his autobiography ‘A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing – A Life In Football’, which offers more insight behind the scenes of how football clubs operate as well as his fascinating career. The book is available to buy on Amazon.
Sitton also hosts the ‘John Sitton Podcast: Football Uncensored’ featuring Rob Kirton on YouTube.
