John Albert Sainty was a professional footballer in the 1960s and 1970s who went on to manage Chester City

Chester City F.C.

Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

.

Playing career

As a player, Sainty (a forward) progressed through the youth ranks at Tottenham Hotspur and represented England Schoolboys, but he left White Hart Lane

White Hart Lane

White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....

 in 1967 after failing to make a Football League appearance. Over the next nine years Sainty played for Reading

Reading F.C.

Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

, AFC Bournemouth, Mansfield Town

Mansfield Town F.C.

Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...

 and Aldershot

Aldershot F.C.

Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable...

. He ended his career with 221

221

Year 221 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gratus and Vitellius...

 Football League appearances and 39

39

Year 39 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Corbulo...

 goals to his name.

Coaching and Management

Sainty then began a coaching career under John Bond

John Bond (footballer)

John Frederick Bond is an English former professional football player and manager. His son Kevin Bond is also a former footballer.-Playing career:...

. The duo worked together at Norwich City

Norwich City F.C.

Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

 and Manchester City

Manchester City F.C.

Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

 before Sainty went alone by taking the Chester

Chester City F.C.

Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

 manager's job (initially on a caretaker basis) in November 1982 after Cliff Sear

Cliff Sear

Cliff Sear was a Welsh football left back who played for Manchester City between 1956 and 1967. During this time he made 250 appearances for the team and scored 1 goal....

 stepped down.

He led the club to a mid-table finish in Division Four in 1982-83

1982-83 in English football

The 1982–83 season was the 103rd season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Bob Paisley's last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Bob Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine years. His...

 and the semi-finals of the Football League Trophy

Football League Trophy

The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...

, but financial problems meant Sainty was told to halve the wage bill at the end of the season. Most of his signings were non-contract players such as Paul Manns

Paul Manns

Paul Manns was an English professional footballer who played in The Football League for Notts County and Chester City.-Playing career:...

, Paul Raynor, Trevor Phillips

Trevor Phillips (footballer)

Trevor Phillips was an English professional footballer who played in The Football League for four clubs between 1969 and 1984.Phillips was raised in the Oakwell area of Barnsley and attended Grove Street School...

, John Ryan

John Ryan (English footballer)

John Ryan is a former professional footballer who predominantly played as a full-back.Ryan had a professional career that lasted more than 20 years. He first joined Arsenal from non-league side Maidstone United in 1964, though he never played a first team game for Arsenal, instead playing in the...

 and Dennis Wann

Dennis Wann

Dennis Wann is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. He played in The Football League for seven clubs.-Playing career:...

, while youngsters including Peter Bulmer

Peter Bulmer (footballer)

Peter Bulmer was an English professional footballer who played in The Football League for Chester City and Preston North End. He played at both full back and winger.-Playing career:...

 and Phil Harrington

Phil Harrington

Philip "Phil" Harrington is a Welsh goalkeeper and current manager of Douglas Hall in the Munster Senior League....

 became regulars in the side. Chester endured a miserable start to 1983–84

1983-84 in English football

The 1983–84 season was the 104th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history...

 and had just one league win to their name when Sainty left the club in November 1983. They had though overturned a 3–0 first-leg deficit to knock Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers F.C.

Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

 out of the Milk Cup

Football League Cup

The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 in the first round.

Sainty teamed up again with Bond at Burnley

Burnley F.C.

Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

, before managing non-league sides Armthorpe Welfare

Armthorpe Welfare F.C.

Armthorpe Welfare F.C. are a football club based in Armthorpe, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.They were established in 1926 and played in the Doncaster Senior League before joining the Northern Counties East Football League Division Two North in 1983...

 and Mossley

Mossley A.F.C.

Mossley Association Football Club are an English football club from the town of Mossley, Greater Manchester, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were founded in 1903 and are nicknamed the Lilywhites, owing to their colours...

. He later became assistant manager to Danny Bergara at Stockport County and worked as academy director at Southampton

Southampton F.C.

Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

. He then became head coach at Bemerton Heath Hartlequins

Bemerton Heath Harlequins F.C.

Bemerton Heath Harlequins F.C. is an English football club based in Bemerton, in Salisbury, Wiltshire.They are currently members of the Wessex League Premier Division. The Reserves are member of the Wessex League combination division one...

.

Honours

AFC Bournemouth

• Football League Division Four runners-up: 1970–71
  1970-71 in English football
  The 1970–71 season was the 91st season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Arsenal won the league championship at the end of a season which would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool. Arsenal secured the league title at White Hart Lane, the home of bitter rivals...
  
  (44 apps, 5 goals).