Stoke City preparing to say special farewell to all-time great..

George Eastham changed modern football and played a huge role in the history of Stoke City..

It will be an emotional day on Thursday when we say our goodbyes to one of the Stoke City all-time greats, George Eastham.

George was a player who never gave less than 100 per cent and he expected the same from everyone else. He was quiet and unassuming but when he spoke, you listened. He was an intelligent man who had been at the top and learned from it – how to get there and how to stay there.

He was big mates with Banksy and you could see why because they were operating on a supreme level together. It didn’t half set a high bar for us young lads to try to hit as we came through into the first team.

I always look back at that League Cup final and when he scored, where he was when that move started and where he was to supply the finishing touch. That spirit and work rate, commitment, passion, pride and quality is summed up in that moment.

He very rarely gave the ball away despite playing in one of the most explosive positions on the pitch at a time when there were as good as no rules. He had to compete with that, know what was coming next. He knew when to play simple and when to take a risk.

It was an honour to play with him and he is already greatly missed..

Tony Mowbray has say on Millwall draw..

Tony Mowbray admits Albion can be “slightly disappointed” with their performance at Millwall but also praised his players for “standing up” to their opponents’ physicality.

The Baggies came from behind to earn a share of the spoils in the capital city, with Joe Bryan’s own goal cancelling out Jake Cooper’s close-range header.

Mowbray’s men had to dig deep and battle away in the second period and the boss says they’ll put the point in the bag and move on.

Tony Mowbray on the side of the pitch at Millwall.

He said: “I think okay probably sums everything up. It’s okay that we fought our corner and stood up to a team that were very, very intense and physical.

“We need to be better with the ball though and we need to have more penetration and ask more questions.

“In the first minute Adam Armstrong has ran through and smashed one probably too close to the goalkeeper, but that could’ve flew into the bottom corner. We hit the underside of the bar too and the ball bounced on the line. We could’ve been stood here saying we’ve won three one.

“They had their chances too with their physicality. Jake Cooper was a problem for us all day. Listen, it’s hard to come to Millwall. After they lost in midweek they would’ve been massively up for this challenge and the fans seemed to be too.

“Let’s put the point in the bag. We’re allowed to be slightly disappointed with the performance in possession, but out of possession, we stood up to a team who are pretty strong and physical.

“We all want to win all our home games and Millwall wouldn’t have been any different today. They put us under pressure and their fans demand that.

Albion players in the pink kit in a pre-match huddle at Millwall with the away fans in the background
“I like the squad of players here. Semi Ajayi came back into the team today and produced a performance. In modern football you have to be able to match the attributes of the opposition.

“It’s down to me to pick the right players for the right games, so Ousmane Diakité got a start today because we knew the physicality of the opposition and we thought he’d relish that and want to get involved. He did pretty well for us.

“We know what Millwall do as a team They get the ball away from their goal and it’s not a team where you can nick it close to their goal and it’s a case of one pass and you’re in for a chance. You have to build up all the way through their team and it’s tough.

“They have experienced defenders and we knew it’d be tough. That’s why the game appears to be scrappy because they knock it long and they press the life out of you and they’re aggressive. It’s hard to get a foothold in the game where you’ve got the ball and you’re pushing them back.

“It was a game that we could’ve won, but we could’ve also lost it. We’ll take the point, put it in the bag and move on.”