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George Eastham
Arsenal G. Eastham 001
Personal information
Full name: George Edward Eastham
Date of birth: 23 September 1936(1936-09-23)
Place of birth:    Blackpool, Flag of England England
Date of death:    20 December 2024(2024-12-20) (aged 88)
Place of death:    Flag of England England
Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Playing position: Inside forward, Midfielder
Senior clubs
Years Club App (Gls)
1953–1956
1956–1960
1960–1966
1966–1973
1974–1976
Total
Flag of Northern Ireland Ards
Flag of England Newcastle United
Flag of England Arsenal
Flag of England Stoke City
Flag of South Africa Hellenic
000 000
124 0(29)
207 0(41)
194 00(4)
000 000
525 0(74)   
National team
1963–1966 Flag of England England 019 00(2)
Teams managed
1977–1978 Flag of England Stoke City

George Edward Eastham, OBE (born 23 September 1936–20 December 2024) was an English former footballer. He is known for playing for Newcastle United, Arsenal and Stoke City, as well as a non-playing member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad. However, he is also notable for his involvement in a 1963 court case which proved a landmark in improving players' freedom to move between clubs.

Eastham began his career with Northern Irish side Ards before moving back to England with Newcastle United in 1956. He became a fine Inside forward for the "Magpies" but then shocked the club by demanding a move away which Newcastle rejected. Eastham took his case to the courts and won his case moving to Arsenal. Eastham spent six seasons at Highbury making 223 appearances scoring 41 goals for the "Gunners" before joining Stoke City in 1966. His experience helped Stoke enjoy a successful spell in the early 1970s and Eastham he scored the winning goal in the 1972 League Cup Final. He also spent time coaching in South Africa playing for Hellenic before returning to Stoke to become assistant manager to Tony Waddington. When Waddington resigned in March 1977 Eastham was appointed manager but was unable to prevent Stoke being relegated in 1976–77 and after failing to mount a promotion challenge the following season Eastham was sacked in January 1978. He then returned to coach in South Africa.

Honours[]

Clubs[]

Stoke City

Country[]

England

Individual[]

  • PFA Merit Award 1976
Stoke City Football Club - Managers

Slaney (1874–83) • Cox (1883–84) • Lockett (1884–90) • Bradshaw (1890–92) • Reeves (1892–95) • Rowley (1895–97) • Austerberry (1897–1908) • A. Barker (1908–14) • Hodge (1914–15) • Schofield (1915–19) • Shallcross (1919–23) • Rutherford (1923) • Mather (1923–35) • McGrory (1935–52) • Taylor (1952–60) • Waddington (1960–77) • Eastham (1977–78) • A'Court (1978) • Durban (1978–81) • R. Barker (1981–83) • Asprey (1983–85) • Lacey (1985) • Mills (1985–89) • Ball (1989–91) • Paddon (1991) • Macari (1991–93) • Jordan (1993–94) • Hartford (1994) • Macari (1994–97) • Bates (1997–98) • Kamara (1998) • Durban (1998) • Little (1998–99) • Megson (1999) • Thordarson (1999–2002) • Cotterill (2002) • Kevan (2002) • Pulis (2002–05) • Boskamp (2005–06) • Pulis (2006–13) • Hughes (2013–18) • Niedzwiecki (2018c) • Lambert (2018) • Rowett (2018–19) • Jones (2019) • Delapc (2019) • O'Neill (2019–22) • Holdenc (2022) • Neil (2022–23) • Schumacher (2023–24) • Morris & Shawcrossc (2024) • Pèlach (2024) • Shawcross c (2024–)

220px-England crest 2009.svg
Flag of England England
220px-England crest 2009.svg
England – 1962 FIFA World Cup

1. Springett 2. Armfield 3. Wilson 4. Robson 5. Swan 6. Flowers 7. Connelly 8. Greaves 9. Hitchens 10. Haynes 11. Charlton 12. Hodgkinson 13. Kevan 14. Anderson 15. Norman 16. Moore 17. Douglas 18. Hunt 19. Peacock 20. Eastham 21. Howe 22. Banks Manager:  Flag of England Winterbottom

220px-England crest 2009.svg
England – 1966 FIFA World Cup – Winners

1. Banks 2. Cohen 3. Wilson 4. Stiles 5. J. Charlton 6. Moore 7. Ball 8. Greaves 9. B. Charlton 10. Hurst 11. Connelly 12. Springett 13. Bonetti 14. Armfield 15. Byrne 16. Peters 17. Flowers 18. Hunter 19. Paine 20. Callaghan 21. Hunt 22. Eastham Manager:  Flag of England Ramsey

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