Former Chelsea midfielder John Sitton has conceded that Sir Geoff Hurst was "100% right" in the dispute that led to his departure from the club in 1980. Sitton, who came through the Chelsea academy after rejecting Arsenal and Manchester United, was sold to third-tier Millwall after three years at Stamford Bridge.
Sitton Reflects on Fallout with Hurst
Speaking exclusively to Daily Star Sport, Sitton revealed that the feud with Hurst, the 1966 World Cup hero, stemmed from off-field issues. He explained that personal problems, including a mixed-race relationship and his mother's terminal illness, had affected his focus and lifestyle.
"Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, the reason for our fallout, I've got to concede he was 100% right," Sitton said. "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."
Personal Struggles and Disciplinary Issues
Sitton, who is now most remembered for his viral half-time "bring your dinner" rant as Leyton Orient manager, detailed the pressures he faced during his time at Chelsea. He noted that he and his partner, still together 50 years later, endured prejudice from both English and Greek Cypriot communities.
"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," he said. "I had all that going on off the field, my mum was terminally ill, my dad had a failing business. I'm not making excuses, I'm just saying the circumstances."
Departure and Later Career
Sitton admitted he was at loggerheads with reserve team coach Brian Eastick and that Hurst was proved right about his disciplinary problems. He recalled Hurst's ultimatum: "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."
After leaving Chelsea, Sitton spent a year at Millwall before joining Gillingham and later Leyton Orient, 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', and he also hosts the 'John Sitton Podcast: Football Uncensored' featuring Rob Kirton on YouTube.
