George Eastham facts for kids

George Edward Eastham, also known as George Eastham OBE, was an English footballer born on September 23, 1936. He played as a midfielder or inside forward for famous clubs like Newcastle United, Arsenal, and Stoke City. He was also part of the England squad that won the World Cup in 1966. Eastham is also remembered for a very important court case in 1963. This case changed football rules, giving players more freedom to move between clubs. He passed away on December 21, 2024, at the age of 88.

Quick facts for kids
George Eastham
OBE

Eastham in 1973
Personal information
Date of birth	(1936-09-23)23 September 1936
Place of birth	Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Date of death	21 December 2024(2024-12-21) (aged 88)
Height	1.70 m
Playing position	Midfielder, inside forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1953–1956	Ards	51	(13)
1956–1960	Newcastle United	124	(29)
1960–1966	Arsenal	207	(41)
1966–1973	Stoke City	194	(4)
1967	→ Cleveland Stokers (loan)	11	(1)
1970	→ Cape Town City (loan)	17	(1)
1971	→ Hellenic (loan)	26	(2)
1972	→ Hellenic (loan)
1975	East London United
Total		536	(75)
National team
1959–1960	England U23	6	(3)
1963–1966	England	19	(2)
Teams managed
1977–1978	Stoke City
Honours Men's football Representing  England FIFA World Cup Winner 1966 England
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

George Eastham's Football Journey

George Eastham came from a family of footballers. His father, George Eastham Sr., played for England and clubs like Bolton Wanderers. His uncle, Harry Eastham, played for Liverpool. George Eastham Jr. also played cricket when he was young.

Early Career and Newcastle United

George Eastham started his football career in Northern Ireland with Ards. His father was the player-manager there, and they even played on the same team! In 1956, George moved back to England to play for Newcastle United. He was a very skilled midfielder and inside forward. He played 125 games for Newcastle and scored 34 goals. During this time, he also played for the Football League team and the England U23 side.

Fighting for Player Rights

While at Newcastle, George Eastham had some disagreements with the club. He was unhappy with the house they provided and the extra job they arranged for him. At that time, there were rules about how much clubs could pay players. Eastham wanted to leave Newcastle, but the club refused to let him go. This was because of an old rule called the "retain-and-transfer" system. It meant clubs could keep a player's registration, stopping them from moving to another team, even if they didn't pay them.

Eastham felt this system was unfair. He said:

Our contract could bind us to a club for life. Most people called it the "slavery contract". We had virtually no rights at all. It was often the case that the guy on the terrace not only earned more than us – though there's nothing wrong with that – he had more freedom of movement than us. People in business or teaching were able to hand in their notice and move on. We weren't. That was wrong.

To fight this, Eastham stopped playing for Newcastle in 1959. He moved south and started working selling cork, which actually paid him more than his football contract! In October 1960, Newcastle finally agreed to sell him to Arsenal for £47,500.

But Eastham didn't stop there. With help from the Professional Footballers' Association, he took Newcastle United to the High Court in 1963. The judge agreed that the "retain" part of the system was unfair. This court case was a huge step forward. It led to new rules that gave players more freedom and fairer terms when they wanted to move clubs.

Time at Arsenal

George Eastham joined Arsenal in December 1960 and scored two goals in his first game! When he played against his old club, Newcastle, fans called him "Judas" and threw apples at him.

During his six years at Arsenal, Eastham was a regular player. He was one of the most talented players on the team, even though Arsenal wasn't winning many trophies at the time. He scored 41 goals in 223 matches for the "Gunners." He even served as Arsenal's captain from 1963 to 1966.

Winning the World Cup Medal

While at Arsenal, George Eastham also became an England international. He was part of the England squad for the 1962 FIFA World Cup, but he didn't play in any games. His first game for England was in May 1963 against Brazil. His last game was in July 1966, just before the 1966 FIFA World Cup, where he scored in a 2-0 win against Denmark.

Eastham was also part of the England squad that won the World Cup! However, only the 11 players who were on the field at the end of the final match received medals at the time. Years later, after a campaign by the Football Association, FIFA decided to give medals to all squad members. So, in 2009, George Eastham finally received his World Cup winner's medal at a special ceremony.

Success with Stoke City

In August 1966, George Eastham joined Stoke City for £35,000. He played for Stoke for eight seasons, helping them stay in the top division. His experience was very important for the team.

One of his biggest achievements with Stoke was winning the League Cup in 1972. Eastham scored the winning goal in the final against Chelsea, making the score 2-1. At 35 years old, he became the oldest player to win a League Cup medal. He also helped Stoke reach the FA Cup semi-finals twice, but they lost both times to his former club, Arsenal. Eastham also played for Stoke in the UEFA Cup, which was the first time the club had played in a European competition.

In 1971, Eastham took a short break from playing to learn more about coaching. He went to South Africa and played on loan for Cape Town City. He also had a short time as player-manager for Hellenic, a club his father had also managed. He returned to Stoke later that year to continue playing.

George Eastham played 194 league games for Stoke City, scoring four goals. He retired from playing in 1974. The year before, he was honored with an OBE for his contributions to football.

Coaching and Management

After retiring as a player, George Eastham became an assistant manager at Stoke City. In March 1977, he became the main manager. The team was struggling at the time, and many of their best players had been sold. Stoke was relegated from the top division that season. Eastham stayed as manager for only ten months, leaving in January 1978 after the team didn't manage to get promoted back to the top division.

Life After Football

After leaving Stoke City, George Eastham moved to South Africa in 1978. He started his own sportswear business and also coached local black children. He was known for being against apartheid, which was a system of racial segregation in South Africa. He was also the chairman of the Arsenal Supporters' Club in South Africa.

George Eastham passed away on December 21, 2024, at the age of 88.

Career Statistics

Here are George Eastham's playing statistics for his different clubs and for the England national team.

Club

International

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Achievements

Stoke City

• Football League Cup: 1971–72

England

• World Cup: 1966

Individual

• United Soccer Association All-Star Team: 1967
• PFA Merit Award 1976
• Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): 1973

Images for kids

• 

  Newcastle United F.C. in 1960 with these players – from the left, standing: James "Jimmy" Scoular, Richard Matthewson "Dick" Keith, Bryan Harvey (goalkeeper), Bob Stokoe, Alf McMichael and George Eastham; seated: "Terry" W. L. Marshall, Ivor J. Allchurch, Leonard Roy "Len" White, John McGuigan and Liam Tuohy.

• 

  George Eastham (right)

See also

In Spanish: George Eastham para niños