George Eastham obituary: One of England's boys of 1966 who ended football 'slavery' - today's players owe a debt of gratitude to former Arsenal, Newcastle and Stoke star

Big moments – they are what every footballer wants: to be part of glory and to leave fingerprints on the days that matter. With his short, blond hair and his slender shoulders, he was a beautiful player for Newcastle and Arsenal, one of the boys of that golden summer in 1966 who went onto score the goal at Wembley in 1972 that provided Stoke City with their greatest moment. George Eastham triggered a seismic overhaul in the transfer system by pushing to join Arsenal Eastham went to the High Court to push though a transfer from Newcastle to Arsenal in 1960 Eastham, who has died aged 88, was a little box of tricks and had a remarkable career Eastham refused to sign another contract and, though there was interest from Tottenham, wanted to move to Arsenal. He went on strike and moved to London, were he sold cork and was getting paid more doing that than he was for Newcastle; they eventually relented and sold him to Arsenal in October 1960 but Eastham felt there was a case worth fighting and took it all the way to High Court. That was it.’ It was deemed that Newcastle owed Eastham £400 in unpaid wages and £650 in bonuses; the Judge, Mr Justice Wilberforce, deemed the “retain-and-transfer” system was a restraint of trade.