George Eastham dead: England 1966 World Cup winner passes away at 88 as tributes pour in
George Eastham, a celebrated member of England's triumphant 1966 World Cup squad, has passed away at the age of 88.
Although Eastham did not feature in the matches of the 1966 tournament, he was an integral part of Sir Alf Ramsey's team that remains the only English side to have won the World Cup.
Born in Blackpool, Eastham carved out a distinguished career with Newcastle, Arsenal, and Stoke, and is also remembered for his pivotal role in challenging restrictive 'slavery contracts' in football. His landmark legal case in 1963 led to significant reforms in the British transfer system.
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"George was signed by the Potters for a £35,000 fee shortly after being part of England’s 1966 World Cup winning squad.
"He went on to represent the club for eight seasons in the top division of the English game and was a two-time FA Cup semi-finalist in red and white. He is perhaps best remembered as the man whose goal secured the 1972 League Cup in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Wembley."
George Eastham (right) scores Stoke’s winner in the 1972 League Cup final against Chelsea. (Image: PA)In honour of Eastham, Stoke players will don black armbands in their match against Sheffield Wednesday this weekend: "The Potters will wear black armbands for the fixture against Sheffield Wednesday (on Saturday) as a mark of respect. Our thoughts are with George’s family and friends at this difficult time."
Eastham's father, George Senior, also donned the England jersey, earning one cap. Between 1963 and 1966, Eastham himself would go on to win 19 caps for his country.
After a stint with Ards in Northern Ireland, he made 124 and 207 league appearances for Newcastle and Arsenal respectively before heading to Stoke. At Stoke, Eastham made 194 league appearances and was honoured with an OBE for his contributions to football shortly before hanging up his boots in 1974.
Trending window.topArticlesScript="https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/js/dist/article-top-articles20241219.min.js"George Eastham (right) is awarded a Stoke shirt in honour of his career at the club. (Image: PA) SUBSCRIBE Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
He later took on the role of assistant to Tony Waddington, eventually becoming Stoke manager himself from March 1977 to January 1978. Eastham then moved to South Africa where he coached local black children in football.
He was also a vocal critic of apartheid, the racial segregation system prevalent in the country at that time.
George Eastham dead: England 1966 World Cup winner passes away at 88 as tributes pour in
George Eastham dead: England 1966 World Cup winner passes away at 88 as tributes pour in
George Eastham dead: England 1966 World Cup winner passes away at 88 as tributes pour in
George Eastham dead: England 1966 World Cup winner passes away at 88 as tributes pour in
George Eastham dead: England 1966 World Cup winner passes away at 88 as tributes pour in
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