Fans, teammates, and football icons will gather at Stoke Minster to celebrate the life of Stoke City legend George Eastham.
George Eastham’s former Stoke City teammates will gather today at Stoke Minster to celebrate the life of a football legend who transformed the game.
A memorial service will honour the former England, Newcastle United, Arsenal, and Stoke midfielder, who passed away in South Africa in December at the age of 88. Eastham is fondly remembered for his key role in one of Stoke’s greatest-ever teams, including scoring the winning goal in the 1972 League Cup. He was also part of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad and played a pivotal role in changing the retain-and-transfer system and abolishing the maximum wage, revolutionizing modern football.
Stoke issued a statement saying: “Supporters who applied to attend the service via a ballot have secured their spot, however, those who make the late decision to attend will, of course, be welcome.”
Eastham made 194 league appearances for Stoke before becoming Tony Waddington’s assistant and later serving as the club’s manager from March 1977 to January 1978.
The service, hosted by the Stoke City Old Boys Association and led by Reverend Geoff Eze, will begin at 12:30 pm. Dignitaries from Premier League and EFL clubs are expected to attend, with Stoke’s chief operating officer Simon King delivering the welcome address.
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