OBITUARY
Another World Cup final player dies
After the death of Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer in January this year, another FIFA World Cup-winning player, George Eastham of England has died.
This brings to three, the number of FIFA World Cup finalist players who passed on in the year. Johan Neesken who played in the final match for Holland against Franz Beckenbauer’s West Germany had also died in October.
The latest death is that of George Eastham, a member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad. He was 88. His former club, Stoke City announced his death on Friday.
Son of England international George Senior, midfielder and inside forward Eastham played for Newcastle United, Arsenal and Stoke City in the English top-flight league in a professional career spanning two decades, and earned 19 international caps.
Known for his lethal left foot and creativity, Eastham is a legend at Stoke, famously scoring the winner in the 1972 League Cup final, helping the club win their first major trophy in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
Eastham made 194 league appearances for Stoke over eight seasons, and went on to manage the club between 1977-78.
The Blackpool-born player is also remembered for his crusade against the old ‘retain and transfer’ system which allowed a club to keep a player’s registration as a means to force them to stay.
When Eastham’s contract with Newcastle expired in 1959, he went on a strike for eight months to force the club to let him join Arsenal.
Eastham also moved the High Court against the ‘retain and transfer’ system, where a judge found it to be unreasonable, leading to major reforms in the British transfer market and the establishment of a tribunal to deal with disputes.
He received the award of an ‘Officer of the Order of the British Empire’ (OBE) in 1973 for his services to football.
Stoke players will wear a black band as a mark of respect for Eastham when they visit Sheffield Wednesday for a Championship game on Saturday, the club said in a statement.
“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,” the statement added.
The club will also pay tribute to Eastham at the home game against Leeds United on Boxing Day.
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Spanish fifth-division goalkeeper Raul Ramirez has died at the age of 19 following a collision during a match for his club Colindres, the Cantabrian Football Federation (RFCF) said on Monday.
Ramirez sustained a head injury during Saturday’s game against Revilla, with Spanish media reporting that the impact led to multiple cardiac arrests and left him brain dead.
The RFCF announced three days of mourning and said a minute’s silence would be observed at all matches next week in his memory.
-Reuters
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Former Liverpool and Chelsea manager Matt Beard has died at the age of 47, the two Women’s Super League (WSL) clubs announced late on Saturday.
Beard led Liverpool to back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014 during his first stint at the club, before returning to the side in 2021 and guiding them back to the top-flight after two seasons in the second tier.
He left Liverpool in February, with his last coaching role coming in a brief spell in charge of Burnley between June and August.
“The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Matt’s family and friends at this devastating time,” Liverpool said in a statement.
“Matt was not only an extremely committed and successful manager, he was also a person of real integrity and warmth, who will always be remembered with genuine fondness by everyone he worked with at the club.”
Beard began his managerial career at Millwall before moving to Chelsea in 2009. He also coached West Ham United, Boston Breakers and Bristol City.
-Reuters
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OBITUARY
Grand master, Danladi Bako pays tribute to the late journalist and football agent, Chris Eseka
Nigerian broadcasting icon, Dr. Nasir Danladi Bako, who masterminded the television programme, Mastesports on the NTA network, has paid glowing tributes to one of the anchors of the programme, Chris Eseka, who was also a former sports journalist and football agent.
In the tribute titled:” A Master Departs for Home”, Dr Bako remarks:
In 1991, at the National Stadium Surulere, after watching a boxing event together, along with Group Captain Brai Ayonote, former Boxing Federation Chairman, I told Chris I wanted him to join Paul Bassey and Sam John as a presenter for my new programme, Mastersports”, scheduled for live transmission soon on NTA 2.
He looked at me and was quiet for a while. I said, “What do you think?”, he replied “But I am not a TV presenter nah”.
I said I will train you, besides even SJ (Sam John) of the Sunday Times is on the show and Paul Bassey.
He then said,”I will do it if you say so”.
“MasterSports” went on air one February Saturday, at noon on NTA 2 Channel 5. Chris became part of the success story.
Always ready to learn, always ready to improve and ever so humble, especially the way he handled fame. He mentored so many sportswriters as well as young footballers and advised even the established stars.
Before 1992, we had travelled severally times together to cover football matches all over Africa, like the Nigeria versus Cameroon World Cup qualifying in Yaounde in 1989.
Same with tournaments like the FIFA U-20 World Cup Saudi ’89 in Saudi Arabia and Algiers ’90 in Algeria.
Chris had the respect of such big-time coaches as Amodu Shaibu and Concord Publisher Bashorun MKO Abiola, and we regularly saw the Pillar of Sports together. Sometimes, without earlier plans, on a normal Saturday afternoon, we could hop into my car and drive to Abeokuta to watch Abiola Babes trade tackles with Leventis United just like that.
In 1994, I arrived in Tunis a day late for the opening ceremony of the CAF/AFCON tourney and couldn’t get a room at Hotel Diplomat, where the team was lodged, Chris opened his doors at room 108 for me to share with him.
I can go on and on about this very reliable friend and brother.
Chris was a committed sports journalist, refined, diligent and professional. When Tony Ubani and Frank Ilaboya of Sportsville gave me an award for Sports some years ago, I dedicated it to Chris.
Rest in peace, my brother. This was very hard to write. Good night, Chris Eseka, one of the Masters!
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