England’s 1966 World Cup winning team member George Eastham passed away at the age of 88, Stoke City, his former team, said on Friday.
Midfielder and inside forward Eastham, the son of England international George Senior, spent twenty years as a professional, earning 19 caps for his country while playing for Newcastle United, Arsenal, and Stoke City in the English Premier League.

Eastham, a star at Stoke, is renowned for his inventiveness and deadly left foot. He helped the team win its first major trophy in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the 1972 League Cup final by scoring the game-winning goal.
Eastham managed Stoke from 1977 to 1978 after playing 194 league games for the team over eight seasons.

The player, who was born in Blackpool, is also known for his opposition to the previous “retain and transfer” system, which gave clubs the power to retain a player’s registration in order to compel them to stay.
Eastham went on strike for eight months in 1959 to get Newcastle to allow him to join Arsenal after his contract with the team expired.

A court ruled that the “retain and transfer” system was unreasonable after Eastham challenged it in the High Court. This decision resulted in significant changes to the British transfer market and the creation of a tribunal to handle disagreements.
In 1973, he was named a “Officer of the Order of the British Empire” (OBE) in recognition of his contributions to football.

Stoke City players will wear a black band to show their respect for Eastham when they visit Sheffield Wednesday for a Championship game on Saturday, according to the club.
“The Stoke City Football Club family is immensely saddened by the passing of club legend George Eastham, our thoughts are with George’s family and friends at this difficult time,” said a press release.
On Boxing Day, the club will pay tribute to Eastham at home against Leeds United.