John Sitton
Encyclopedia
John Sitton is an English
former professional footballer and former manager of Leyton Orient
.
and included spells at Millwall
and Gillingham before signing for Leyton Orient
on a free transfer in July 1985. He was chosen as captain during the 1988–89 season, and made over 200 appearances for Orient in all competitions. After his release in May 1991, he turned to coaching, working for Orient's School of Excellence Academy while making a few appearances for Slough Town
.
, and helped the team avoid relegation from Division Two by earning four points from their last two matches. The duo were given the job permanently that summer, and continued throughout the difficult 1994–1995 season.
During this time, he became one of the few football managers to feature in a Channel 4
documentary, Orient: Club for a Fiver (sometimes known as Leyton Orient: Yours for a Fiver), made in 1995 by Open Media
. The programme highlighted Sitton's well-known passionate language and managerial style, and featured a half-time team talk given by Sitton on 7 February 1995, after Orient had fallen 1–0 down in a league match at home to Blackpool
. After sacking defender and fan favourite Terry Howard
on camera in the dressing room, Sitton addressed two other players and offered to fight them, shouting:
Orient went on to lose the match 1–0, and after winning only one of the next 15 games, both Sitton and Turner were sacked two months later. Orient won just seven of 47 games under the pair. After the pair left, the side lost the following three games and finished bottom of the table.
Speaking about the event later, Sitton said, "Terry's an ex-teammate of mine who I like very, very much. He's good company when you go for a night out – but as a manager and a coach, he's not what I'm looking for. I may have lost a friend, but by tomorrow I would have recovered."
After leaving Brisbane Road, Sitton managed Leyton
, Enfield
and then Leyton again. He later worked as a taxi driver, and he also works for the FA
Coaching Education Scheme, and the Press Association
, compiling statistics for the Actim Index.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former professional footballer and former manager of Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
.
Playing career
Sitton's playing career began at ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and included spells at Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
and Gillingham before signing for Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
on a free transfer in July 1985. He was chosen as captain during the 1988–89 season, and made over 200 appearances for Orient in all competitions. After his release in May 1991, he turned to coaching, working for Orient's School of Excellence Academy while making a few appearances for Slough Town
Slough Town F.C.
Slough Town F.C. is an English semi-professional football club. The club was officially founded in 1890 after the amalgamation of three local clubs, Swifts, Slough Albion and Young Men's Friendly Society, who between them forged a new club, Slough F.C....
.
Managerial career
Sitton was appointed joint caretaker manager at Leyton Orient with Chris Turner in April 1994, following the sacking of Peter EustacePeter Eustace
Peter Eustace is an English former football player and manager. As a player, he made 340 appearances in the Football League representing Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham United, Rotherham United and Peterborough United...
, and helped the team avoid relegation from Division Two by earning four points from their last two matches. The duo were given the job permanently that summer, and continued throughout the difficult 1994–1995 season.
During this time, he became one of the few football managers to feature in a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary, Orient: Club for a Fiver (sometimes known as Leyton Orient: Yours for a Fiver), made in 1995 by Open Media
Open Media
Open Media is a British television production company, best known for the discussion series After Dark, described by The Daily Mail as "the most intelligent, thought-provoking and interesting programme ever to have been on television"....
. The programme highlighted Sitton's well-known passionate language and managerial style, and featured a half-time team talk given by Sitton on 7 February 1995, after Orient had fallen 1–0 down in a league match at home to Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
. After sacking defender and fan favourite Terry Howard
Terry Howard
Terry Howard is a retired English footballer who played for Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Chester City, Leyton Orient, Wycombe Wanderers, Woking and Aldershot Town....
on camera in the dressing room, Sitton addressed two other players and offered to fight them, shouting:
- "You, you little cunt, when I tell you to do something, and you, you fucking big cunt, when I tell you to do something, do it. And if you come back at me, we'll have a fucking right sort-out in here. All right? And you can pair up if you like, and you can fucking pick someone else to help you, and you can bring your fucking dinner. 'Cos by the time I've finished with you, you'll fucking need it."
Orient went on to lose the match 1–0, and after winning only one of the next 15 games, both Sitton and Turner were sacked two months later. Orient won just seven of 47 games under the pair. After the pair left, the side lost the following three games and finished bottom of the table.
Speaking about the event later, Sitton said, "Terry's an ex-teammate of mine who I like very, very much. He's good company when you go for a night out – but as a manager and a coach, he's not what I'm looking for. I may have lost a friend, but by tomorrow I would have recovered."
After leaving Brisbane Road, Sitton managed Leyton
Leyton F.C.
Leyton Football Club are an English association football club based in Leyton, in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. As of January 2011, they are not in a senior league, after withdrawing from the Isthmian League Division One North...
, Enfield
Enfield F.C.
Enfield F.C. is a football club, formed in June 2007 after Enfield F.C. ceased to exist....
and then Leyton again. He later worked as a taxi driver, and he also works for the FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
Coaching Education Scheme, and the Press Association
Press Association
The Press Association is the national news agency of the United Kingdom and Ireland, supplying multimedia news content to almost all national and regional newspapers, television and radio news, as well as many websites with text, pictures, video and data content globally...
, compiling statistics for the Actim Index.