The abolition of slavery in football: George Eastham’s role in the fight for players’ rights

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George Eastham, who passed away on December 20, left a significant mark in the fight for footballers’ rights. For decades in British football, once a player signed a contract, they were required to register with the Football Association. This registration granted them the right to play, but it was their only right. All other terms of the agreement turned into obligations, giving clubs absolute control over their players.
When a contract expired, players would receive a letter outlining the terms of a new agreement, which often mirrored the previous conditions. The player had a choice: accept the offer or face the inability to play, as their registration remained with the club. If the club refused to sell the player, they had no right to transfer to another team, even after their contract ended. This put players in a difficult position, especially when clubs rejected new terms, leaving them without employment and often without housing.
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Challenges to the Transfer System
The player registration system was introduced in the late 19th century. Although the Association initially sought to prohibit professionalism, it quickly became the norm in many clubs. Footballers found ways to earn money outside official contracts, and clubs frequently devised formal loopholes to bypass the prohibition of professionalism.
The Association eventually accepted this reality but implemented several rules to maintain control over players. One such rule required the annual registration of every player. By the late 19th century, players were allowed to transfer freely to another team after the season ended. However, the situation changed in 1893 when the League decided to restrict players’ rights.
After the courts supported the transfer of player Campbell from Nottingham Forest to Blackburn in 1890, the League introduced new regulations to control transfers. From then on, if a club refused to release a player, the latter could not transfer freely to another team. Only after another club paid a transfer fee would the player receive a new registration.
Despite these changes, clubs continued to use the transfer system to control players. However, a turning point came in 1912 with the case of Herbert Kingaby. Kingaby, a player for Clapton Orient, was sold to Aston Villa. Yet, after a few months, the clubs could not agree on his transfer terms, and Kingaby returned to the Southern League. Following legal proceedings, he received compensation for the unfair transfer conditions, but the transfer system itself remained unchallenged.
George Eastham and the Dawn of a New Era
The transfer system continued to be a major issue for footballers until the 1960s. In 1960, George Eastham, after Newcastle refused to release him to Arsenal, left football and began working in another field. His actions marked the beginning of a new era, as the Professional Footballers’ Association began actively fighting for players’ rights, including the abolition of the maximum wage and the transfer system.
The situation fundamentally changed in 1963 when Justice Wilberforce ruled in the case of Eastham v. Newcastle, declaring the transfer system to be unfavorable to players’ rights. This marked the start of a new era, granting footballers greater freedom in their professional careers. However, this process did not result in the complete removal of restrictions. Over time, the football landscape evolved, and clubs lost much of their control over players.
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Im sorry but like the here in the US when something does not go your way people start crying “racism”. The real racists are the complainers.