Former England winger Eastham dies aged 88

George Eastham, a member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad, has died at the age of 88, his former club Stoke City announced on their website on Saturday.

Eastham, whose father also named George once played for England, won 19 caps for his country between 1963 and 1966.

He did not play in England’s 1966 campaign on home soil but the Blackpool-born winger was part of Alf Ramsey’s squad that lifted the World Cup.

Eastham made 124 and 207 league appearances for Newcastle and Arsenal respectively before moving to Stoke in 1966.

Three years earlier he had been involved in a court case against the so-called ‘slavery contracts’ which improved players’ freedom to move between clubs and duly reformed the British transfer market.

“The Stoke City Football Club family is immensely saddened by the passing of club legend George Eastham OBE at the age of 88,” his former club said.

Eastham represented the club for eight seasons in the top division of the English game.

“He is perhaps best remembered as the man whose goal secured the 1972 League Cup in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Wembley,” said Stoke.

After retiring, Eastham tried his hand at management, taking charge of Stoke for a short spell in the late 1970s. 

He later emigrated to South Africa where he was a football coach for local black children.