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Team 33: John Sitton on being ostracised after the Orient documentary

During the early to mid-1990s, Channel 4 broadcast some football documentaries that have rem...



Team 33: John Sitton on being...
Soccer

Team 33: John Sitton on being ostracised after the Orient documentary

During the early to mid-1990s, Channel 4 broadcast some football documentaries that have remained classics to this day.

There was one about Paul Gascoigne's time in Lazio during the heady Gazzetta Football Italia days and who could forget, An Impossible Job, which chronicled Graham Taylor's doomed reign as England manager.

Another that has also remained a cult documentary - thanks to the viral nature of YouTube which hadn't even been invented at the time - was Orient Club For A Fiver, which showed the behind-the-scenes troubles as London club Leyton Orient struggled to stay afloat during the 1994-95 season.

It became famous for co-manager John Sitton half time rants, including the uttering of the famous line to two of his players: "You, you little c***, when I tell you to do something, and you, you f**king big c***, when I tell you to do something, do it. And if you come back at me, we'll have a f**king right sort-out in here. All right? And you can pair up if you like, and you can f**king pick someone else to help you, and you can bring your f**king dinner. 'Cos by the time I've finished with you, you'll f**king need it."

Warning strong language:

Sitton was essentially doing half a dozen jobs at the club as well as co-managing the first team and towards the end of the season, he and his colleague were sacked.

Despite being a respected coach at the time, he has never worked in the Football League since the documentary aired in 1995 and now works as a taxi cab driver in his native London.

This week on Team 33, Sitton joined me for a chat about his career as a player (including with Arsenal and Chelsea as a youth player in the 1970s), why England 196 World Cup final legend Geoff Hurst was a poor manager, what it was like being in the eye of the storm as the documentary aired and the effect it had on his career and life. Plus, he also discussed how he recommended a young Tim Cahill and Frank Lampard to Manchester City when he went into scouting. 

You can listen to the full interview on the podcast player or stream/download on iTunes. 

Recent interviews on Team 33 include former Man United cult hero Andrei Kanchelskis, ex-England international Carlton Palmer, former Newcastle and Everton left back Alessandro Pistone, Chelsea legends Bobby Tambling and Paddy Mulligan, Dutch legend Johan Neeskens, ex-England striker Darius Vassell, Liverpool legend David Fairclough, former Ireland midfielder Mark Kinsella and former Everton forward Tomasz Radzinski. Plus our in-depth chats with Tony CotonPackie BonnerNobby SolanoRon Atkinson and Alan Curbishley are still available on iTunes. You can find them all in one place by subscribing to Team 33 on iTunes.

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