LONDON — George Eastham, the former England midfielder who was part of the 1966 World Cup championship team and known for his commitment to social causes, has passed away at the age of 88.
His death was announced by Stoke City, the club where he became a key figure, expressing great sadness at the loss of a “club legend.” No details regarding the cause of his passing were provided.
Eastham represented England 19 times during his career, following in the footsteps of his father, George Eastham Sr. Notably, his last international appearance came prior to the 1966 World Cup, where he did not play, becoming the only Arsenal player in the winning squad.
In a significant turn of events, Eastham finally received a World Cup winner’s medal in 2007, thanks to a FIFA decision to award medals posthumously to non-playing squad members from earlier tournaments.
After the World Cup victory, Eastham joined Stoke City, where he spent eight seasons, including time on loan at other clubs. One of his most memorable moments at Stoke was scoring the decisive goal that secured a 2-1 win against Chelsea in the 1972 League Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
Eastham’s football journey began with a semi-professional team in Northern Ireland called Ards, where his father served as player-coach. Interestingly, both father and son made their debut for the club during the same match due to first-team injuries.
His career progressed as he moved from Newcastle United in 1956 to Arsenal in 1960 and later to Stoke in 1966, where he eventually took on a coaching role.
Eastham is also celebrated for his fight against the infamous “slavery rule,” which allowed clubs to block players’ transfers even after their contracts had expired. His campaign came to a head when Newcastle denied his transfer to Arsenal, ultimately contributing to changes in player rights and the retain-and-transfer regulations.
He concluded his playing days in South Africa, where he also took on a coaching position. During his time there, he became a staunch opponent of apartheid, the system of racial segregation prevalent in the country at that time.