George Eastham was a bright and talented footballer of the 60’s and one who was part of the most historical event in English football history, the 1966 World Cup winning triumph. He was never given an opportunity to play, as Sir Alf Ramsey, decided to use other men in his position.
He was a bright young footballer when his name forever got the headlines after he went on a strike to get the cap on footballers wages lifted. Being a bit of a rebel would work in favor for a great number of footballers as a court case was won.
His senior career started in Northern Ireland representing a club named Ards. His dad, George Snr, was the player manager. The two, father and son, played alongside each other, not often seen happening in first team football.
He joined Newcastle as a 20 year old and from that moment in life, he didn’t look back. After four years with the Magpies a move to Arsenal happened. The move was blocked by Newcastle, something that ment a non playing period for a young Eastham, but finally it all was sorted out, a fee of £47.000 were agreed. His days at Arsenal was great. He peaked and was selected for the 1962 World Cup. He was not playing in the tournament and had to wait for his full England debut to appear a year later in a game v. Brazil.
Strangely he was also selected in the World Cup squad four years later but never entered the field. He had to see everything from a spectators view at Wembley. He was involved in two World Cup’s without playing.
1966 was not just his final year as an England international, he also left Arsenal and joined Stoke City. Tony Waddington was known for signing experienced players to build his more and more successful team. Eastham became a key player as The Potters progressed.
After a long wait in a team that fought hard to win a trophy, George Eastham became a vitality on his own scoring the winner v. Chelsea in that memorable 1972 League Cup final, at the time being the oldest player ever to receive a winners medal in this tournament, 35 years and 161 days.
During his latter years at Stoke, Eastham took on a challenge to both coach and play in South Africa, first short stays and returning to England for the season, but from 1973 more or less being involved in the game down in the Apartheid country playing and coaching in the segregated all whites league, NFL.
His father George snr was in charge of Cape Town based Hellenic, and George jr joined and played for Hellenic during the early 70’s. He also had spells at other NFL sides such as Cape Town Spurs and East London United.
He later returned to England to become Tony Waddington’s assistant and was also taking full charge for a while, but his managerial records never hit the heights as he stepped down at Stoke City after a few months in charge, leaving in January 1978.
George Eastham returned to South Africa to set up his own sports business and coaching schools in the black community and been seen as a pioneer to bring the sports as a frontier against skin colour segregations in football. The NFL allowed black players to attend games in this league in the mid 70’s and long before Apartheid was stopped all together, bringing football to the masses as a competition for all colours together.
Eastham might be as known for his footballing skills as stanindg up for the little man against the bigger and better, which has paved the way for even more player power, as the years of the game have shown. The money in English top flight football today might over shadow the reality of professional football.
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