George Eastham, England 1966 World Cup squad member, dies aged 88

George Eastham, a member of England’s World Cup-winning squad, has died at the age of 88. Eastham did not play in England’s 1966 success on home soil, but the winger was part of Sir Alf Ramsey’s squad that lifted the trophy for the only time in the nation’s history.

Blackpool-born Eastham spent most of his career at Newcastle, Arsenal and Stoke; he also left a far-reaching legacy as the man who battled against so-called “slavery contracts”. Eastham’s involvement in a 1963 court case that improved players’ freedom to move between clubs ended up reforming the British transfer market.

He scored 29 goals in 124 league games for Newcastle before moving to Arsenal in 1960. His six years at Highbury featured 41 goals in 207 league appearances. It was in the Potteries where Eastham, whose uncle Harry Eastham was also a professional footballer with Liverpool and Tranmere, claimed his only piece of club silverware, scoring the winner in the 2-1 League Cup final victory over Chelsea in 1972 to give Stoke their first major trophy.

“The Stoke City family is immensely saddened by the passing of club legend George Eastham OBE at the age of 88,” his former club said upon announcing his death on their website. “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. 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 played for England, winning one cap. The younger Eastham would win 19 caps for his country between 1963 and 1966. After playing for Ards in Northern Ireland, he made 124 league appearances for Newcastle and 207 for Arsenal before moving to the Potteries.

Eastham turned out 194 times in the league for Stoke and was awarded an OBE for his services to football shortly before retiring in 1974. He went on to be appointed as assistant to Tony Waddington before becoming Stoke’s manager himself between March 1977 and January 1978.

Eastham later emigrated to South Africa where he was a football coach for local black children. He was an outspoken opponent of apartheid, the system of racial segregation that existed in the country at the time.