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Jeff Astle (born May 13 1942 - died January 19,
2002) was an England|English association
footballer.

Born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, Astle turned
professional with Notts County F.C. when he was
17, playing in the role of a classic centre
forward, a protegé of the great Tommy
Lawton. In 1965, he was bought for 25,000 Pound
Sterling by West Bromwich Albion F.C. for whom,
over the next decade, he was to play 361 games and
score 174 goals. His most notable strike was
probably the winning goal in the 1968 FA Cup
final, sealing the remarkable feat of scoring in
every round of the competition.

In 1970, Astle was called up to the England
national football team|England team for the
Football World Cup 1970|World Cup in Mexico. He
made his international debut as a substitute when
England were a goal down against eventual
champions Brazil national football team|Brazil.
Many English supporters will remember his missing
an open goal that could have turned the outcome of
the tournament. He went on to win four more cap
(football)|caps.

His fitness deteriorating through repeated
injuries, in 1974, he left Albion to end his
career with South African club Hellenic Football
Club|Hellenic.

After his retirement he launched an industrial
cleaning business but laterly also made
Television|TV comedy appearances with Frank
Skinner and David Baddiel on Fantasy Football
League.

Astle had been West Bromwich Albion's most iconic
player and the club was shocked by his early death
in Queen's Hospital Burton-upon-Trent of a
degenerative Human brain|brain disease. Failing
mental ability had first become apparent as early
as 1997. He had been an exceptional header of the
ball and the coroner found that the repeated minor
Physical trauma|trauma had been the cause of his
death. A verdict of death by industrial injury was
recorded.

The Midland Metro has a tram named after him.

==Bibliography==
*Astle, J (ed. Philip Osborn) (1970) Striker! ISBN
0720701066 
*Wilmore, G and Homer, J (2002) King of the
Hawthorns: The Jeff Astle Story ISBN 095346265X


==External links==
*http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604
,636739,00.html Obituary from The Guardian
*http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1257582002
Report on coroner's verdict
*http://observer.guardian.co.uk/worldcup2002/story
/0,11031,738570,00.html Brazil v. England
retrospective