George Eastham: Memorial service held for Stoke City legend
Former Stoke City players have paid tribute to club legend George Eastham at a memorial service to celebrate his life.Supporters and ex-players gathered at Stoke Minster to pay their respects to Eastham, who died in December at the age of 88.A member of England's victorious 1966 World Cup squad, the midfielder famously scored the winning goal in Stoke City's 2-1 League Cup final win over Chelsea in 1972.Eastham, who had also played for Newcastle United and Arsenal, made 194 appearances for The Potters before retiring in 1974.
Following the service, which was organised by the Stoke City Old Boys Association, people gathered in the Stanley Matthews Lounge at the Bet365 Stadium.Terry Conroy, who scored The Potters' other goal in the 1972 final, told BBC Radio Stoke: "I was absolutely thrilled with how that service went. It had everything."He said the fans' memories of Eastham was an example of a "special bond" between players and supporters."It's reminding people of the history and heritage of the club – it's so rich," he added.
Conroy said Eastham would be missed, describing him as a "nice and gentle man"."He never offended anybody and he was nice to be around," he said.Denis Smith, who was also a part of the 1972 League Cup-winning side, said Eastham was an "incredible" player."The fellow was an exceptional footballer. He had a brain which was way ahead of his time," he said.
Smith also spoke of Eastham's involvement in a landmark 1963 court case that improved players' freedom to move between clubs and reformed the transfer market."When you look at his history and what he did for professional footballers, every footballer now should be bowing down to George Eastham," he said."Absolutely incredible the man was, from the beginning to the end."
Ex-Stoke player Mark Stein said Eastham was "part of the Stoke folklore", adding that he "set the standard" for the game's future."That [1972] team was one of the legendary teams of the Stoke generation," he added.Under Alf Ramsey, Eastham made 19 appearances for England between 1963 and 1966, scoring twice. He was eventually awarded a World Cup winners medal in 2009 following a campaign to reward all members of the squad.Eastham was awarded an OBE for services to football in 1973, a year before he retired, and was Stoke's manager from March 1977 to January 1978.
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