Sitton had come through Chelsea’s academy, but his focus was being affected by problems away from the pitch. He has described a punishing commute, serious family pressures and hostility surrounding his relationship with the woman he later married.
He also accepts that he had fallen in with the wrong social circle and had become increasingly outspoken. Hurst’s response was direct.
“He just said, ‘You're going to train on your own at the main ground until I can get you out of the club’,” Sitton recalled. “Within a few days I'd left.”
The decision was painful at the time, but Sitton now says Hurst, Eastick and Bobby Gould reached the correct conclusion.
After three years at Chelsea, Sitton reportedly joined Millwall, remaining there for one season before moving to Gillingham. His playing career later included spells with Leyton Orient and Slough Town.
The setback did not end his involvement in football. Sitton went on to coach, becoming closely associated with an uncompromising style and a memorable half-time address at Orient, where his “bring your dinner” speech became part of his football folklore.
His reflections are notable because they combine accountability with context. “I'm not making excuses,” he explained. “I'm just saying the circumstances.”
Sitton’s story is less about a promising career that followed a straight line than about the value of perspective. He now presents the John Sitton Podcast: Football Uncensored with Rob Kirton and has also documented his life in football through his autobiography.
The next chapter of his story will continue to centre on those candid recollections, offering a reminder that football careers are often shaped as much by personal battles and hard lessons as by what happens on the pitch.