Freddy Eastwood
Encyclopedia
Freddy Eastwood is an English-born
footballer, currently playing for Coventry City
. He is a Welsh
International, eligible to play for the Wales national football team
as his maternal grandfather was born in Llanelli
, Wales
. He is an active member of the Romani community.
Academy player after turning down an offer of a scholarship at Southend where he had been a promising youth player. At West Ham, Eastwood played in the same youth team as Jermain Defoe
, Anton Ferdinand
and Glen Johnson but was not considered good enough by the then manager Glenn Roeder
and was released by the Hammers in May 2003. After being released, he considered quitting football altogether and worked briefly as a car salesman.
side Grays Athletic
in August 2003 He scored 37 league and cup goals in his first season, winning the Grays' Golden Boot and prompting attention from a number of professional clubs including Northampton Town
, Swindon Town
and Charlton Athletic
as well as Southend United.
4–2. Eastwood joined Southend on a permanent basis in November 2004 for an undisclosed fee in a three-year deal from Grays. He finished the 2004–05
season with 24 goals from 42 appearances in all competitions and scored the opening goal in his club's 2–0 win over Lincoln City
in the League Two Play-off Final at the Millennium Stadium
in Cardiff
in May 2005 that resulted in promotion for Southend United.
Eastwood scored Southend United's 5,000th League goal on 2 January 2006 when he smashed home the late winner against Blackpool
at Bloomfield Road as the Shrimpers went to the top of League One. He scored twice at Swansea City on 29 April 2006 to earn Southend United a 2–2 draw, a result which sealed promotion to the Football League Championship
. By the end of the 2005–06
season, Eastwood was joint 18th in Southend's all-time leading goalscorers list with 49 goals, 45 of which were in the league, two in the FA Cup
and two in the Football League Trophy
. He was also joint top scorer with Billy Sharp
in League One in 2005–06 with 23 goals.
The following season, Eastwood scored his 50th goal for the club in the Championship opener game against Stoke City
. It would prove to be a difficult season for the striker and despite scoring 11 goal in the Championship, Eastwood was unable to prevent relegation back to League One, however the highlight of the Shrimpers season came when Eastwood scored the only goal, a spectacular 30-yard free kick in front of the away fans in the North Stand, during the Football League Cup
fourth round win against Manchester United
on 7 November 2006 to put the holders out of the competition.
impressively, scoring his first goal for Wolves on his full debut in the League Cup
first round win over Bradford City
, and finishing the month with 4 goals to his name. This prolific start earned him the Championship
Player of the Month Award for August. However, his goals dried up in the following months and he was often on the substitutes' bench or left out of the squad completely, with Andy Keogh
, Jay Bothroyd
, Kevin Kyle
and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
now ahead of him in the pecking order.
He was close to a move away from Molineux
to Coventry City
in March 2008, but this collapsed at the last minute. He remained popular with many Wolves fans, who believed he had not been given a fair run of games, which caused a split between the fans towards the end of the season. He finished the campaign with just 3 goals in 10 league starts (35 appearances in total), prompting him to leave the club, with manager Mick McCarthy
explaining, "It's nothing personal, but it hasn't worked out how either of us would have liked. He hasn't fitted into my team but he wants to play and will do well elsewhere. We wish him luck."
club Coventry City
in a four-year deal for a reported £1.2million fee.
Eastwood made his Coventry City debut against Norwich City
on 9 August 2008, Coventry won the game 2–0. Eastwood scored his first goal for the Sky Blues a week later against Barnsley in a 2–1 win for Coventry. Goals against Blackpool, Ipswich and Watford followed but it was to be another frustrating season in front of goal for the striker who towards the latter stage of the campaign was used in a left midfield role.
On 31 October 2009 he scored a hat-trick against Peterborough where the game finished 3–2. He was the first and remains the only player to score a hat-trick at the Ricoh Arena.
Eastwood scored a brace against Portsmouth on 7 August 2010 in the first game of the 2010–2011 season. Eastwood suffered a knee injury which kept him out until November, in his first start since the opening day Eastwood scored the equiliser in a 1–1 draw against Ipswich Town
on 1 January 2011.
in June, however an existing back injury did not heal as quickly as hoped and Eastwood was forced to withdraw from the squad.
He was selected for the squad to play Bulgaria
and went on to score his debut international goal in the first half of their 1–0 victory on August 22, 2007. John Toshack
, the Wales manager, said, "It was a really special goal [...] Now we have got a player up front who knows his business. We have been aware of his goalscoring exploits and have worked hard to make sure he became a Wales international."
Despite being out of favour at Wolves during the 2007–08 season, Eastwood continued to be selected for the Welsh national team and scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Luxembourg
in March 2008. He has scored four goals in ten international appearances. However despite having a very successful start to his International career – and a promising partnership with Craig Bellamy up-front, Wales Manager John Toshack has since ignored Eastwood and has not selected him for Wales since Wales' 2010 World Cup Qualifying Match against Azerbaijan in Cardiff. In September 2008 however, he was unable to take any part due to injury. His most recent appearance for Wales came in February 2011 in Wales' Nations Cup match with Republic of Ireland
at the Aviva Stadium
in Dublin.
on the A127 road
in Essex on the morning of a match day when playing for Southend United
.
He is married with two children – Freddy Jr and Chardonnay.
He appealed to the British Government in August 2006 to keep his home on a travellers' site in Basildon
after Basildon Council refused planning permission. Eastwood and his family were told in November 2006 that the decision of Basildon Council would not be upheld by the Government and he was free to stay there for at least the next five years.
Eastwood was fined by magistrate
s in July 2009, after he had been caught fly-tipping
rubbish of which included an electricity bill
and bank statement
s with his name on.
2006 : League One Champions with Southend
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer, currently playing for Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
. He is a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
International, eligible to play for the Wales national football team
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
as his maternal grandfather was born in Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He is an active member of the Romani community.
West Ham United
Eastwood began his career as a West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
Academy player after turning down an offer of a scholarship at Southend where he had been a promising youth player. At West Ham, Eastwood played in the same youth team as Jermain Defoe
Jermain Defoe
Jermain Colin Defoe is an English footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national football team....
, Anton Ferdinand
Anton Ferdinand
Anton Julian Ferdinand is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as a defender. He is the brother of Manchester United and England centre-back Rio Ferdinand and the cousin of former England striker Les Ferdinand and Southend United defender Kane Ferdinand. Like his brother, Anton...
and Glen Johnson but was not considered good enough by the then manager Glenn Roeder
Glenn Roeder
Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions...
and was released by the Hammers in May 2003. After being released, he considered quitting football altogether and worked briefly as a car salesman.
Grays Athletic
Eastwood joined Conference SouthConference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
side Grays Athletic
Grays Athletic F.C.
Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season...
in August 2003 He scored 37 league and cup goals in his first season, winning the Grays' Golden Boot and prompting attention from a number of professional clubs including Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
and Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
as well as Southend United.
Southend United
Eastwood joined Southend United in October 2004, initially on loan. He made his debut for the club in spectacular style, scoring the opener after 7.7 seconds, an English league record for a debut, and going on to score two more to record his first of three hat-tricks for the club as Southend beat top of the table Swansea CitySwansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
4–2. Eastwood joined Southend on a permanent basis in November 2004 for an undisclosed fee in a three-year deal from Grays. He finished the 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season with 24 goals from 42 appearances in all competitions and scored the opening goal in his club's 2–0 win over Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
in the League Two Play-off Final at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in May 2005 that resulted in promotion for Southend United.
Eastwood scored Southend United's 5,000th League goal on 2 January 2006 when he smashed home the late winner against Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
at Bloomfield Road as the Shrimpers went to the top of League One. He scored twice at Swansea City on 29 April 2006 to earn Southend United a 2–2 draw, a result which sealed promotion to the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. By the end of the 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season, Eastwood was joint 18th in Southend's all-time leading goalscorers list with 49 goals, 45 of which were in the league, two in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and two in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
. He was also joint top scorer with Billy Sharp
Billy Sharp
William Louis "Billy" Sharp is an English professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Doncaster Rovers. He is now widely known for playing in a game for Doncaster Rovers against Middlesbrough two days after his two-day-old son's death...
in League One in 2005–06 with 23 goals.
The following season, Eastwood scored his 50th goal for the club in the Championship opener game against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
. It would prove to be a difficult season for the striker and despite scoring 11 goal in the Championship, Eastwood was unable to prevent relegation back to League One, however the highlight of the Shrimpers season came when Eastwood scored the only goal, a spectacular 30-yard free kick in front of the away fans in the North Stand, during the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
fourth round win against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 7 November 2006 to put the holders out of the competition.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Eastwood signed a four-year deal with Wolves in July 2007 after completing a £1.5m move from Southend. The striker started the 2007–08 season2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
impressively, scoring his first goal for Wolves on his full debut in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
first round win over Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
, and finishing the month with 4 goals to his name. This prolific start earned him the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
Player of the Month Award for August. However, his goals dried up in the following months and he was often on the substitutes' bench or left out of the squad completely, with Andy Keogh
Andy Keogh
Andrew Declan "Andy" Keogh is a Republic of Ireland International footballer who plays as a striker. He can also play as a winger. He is currently on loan at Championship side Leeds United from Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers...
, Jay Bothroyd
Jay Bothroyd
Jay Bothroyd is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as a striker. He has also played for the England national team. He was a product of the Arsenal Academy and came to prominence during the 1999–2000 FA Youth Cup Final win against Coventry City...
, Kevin Kyle
Kevin Kyle
Kevin Alistair Kyle is a Scottish footballer who plays as a centre forward for SPL club Hearts.- Early life :...
and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
Sylvan Agustus Ebanks-Blake is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays as a striker for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
now ahead of him in the pecking order.
He was close to a move away from Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
to Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
in March 2008, but this collapsed at the last minute. He remained popular with many Wolves fans, who believed he had not been given a fair run of games, which caused a split between the fans towards the end of the season. He finished the campaign with just 3 goals in 10 league starts (35 appearances in total), prompting him to leave the club, with manager Mick McCarthy
Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph "Mick" McCarthy is an English-born former Irish international footballer who is currently the manager of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he has been in charge since July 2006....
explaining, "It's nothing personal, but it hasn't worked out how either of us would have liked. He hasn't fitted into my team but he wants to play and will do well elsewhere. We wish him luck."
Coventry City
In July 2008, he joined fellow ChampionshipFootball League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
club Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
in a four-year deal for a reported £1.2million fee.
Eastwood made his Coventry City debut against Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
on 9 August 2008, Coventry won the game 2–0. Eastwood scored his first goal for the Sky Blues a week later against Barnsley in a 2–1 win for Coventry. Goals against Blackpool, Ipswich and Watford followed but it was to be another frustrating season in front of goal for the striker who towards the latter stage of the campaign was used in a left midfield role.
On 31 October 2009 he scored a hat-trick against Peterborough where the game finished 3–2. He was the first and remains the only player to score a hat-trick at the Ricoh Arena.
Eastwood scored a brace against Portsmouth on 7 August 2010 in the first game of the 2010–2011 season. Eastwood suffered a knee injury which kept him out until November, in his first start since the opening day Eastwood scored the equiliser in a 1–1 draw against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
on 1 January 2011.
International career
As his paternal grandmother was born in Wales, Eastwood is eligible to play for Wales. He was selected for the squad for the international friendly against New Zealand in May 2007 and the crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Czech RepublicCzech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
in June, however an existing back injury did not heal as quickly as hoped and Eastwood was forced to withdraw from the squad.
He was selected for the squad to play Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
and went on to score his debut international goal in the first half of their 1–0 victory on August 22, 2007. John Toshack
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the...
, the Wales manager, said, "It was a really special goal [...] Now we have got a player up front who knows his business. We have been aware of his goalscoring exploits and have worked hard to make sure he became a Wales international."
Despite being out of favour at Wolves during the 2007–08 season, Eastwood continued to be selected for the Welsh national team and scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
in March 2008. He has scored four goals in ten international appearances. However despite having a very successful start to his International career – and a promising partnership with Craig Bellamy up-front, Wales Manager John Toshack has since ignored Eastwood and has not selected him for Wales since Wales' 2010 World Cup Qualifying Match against Azerbaijan in Cardiff. In September 2008 however, he was unable to take any part due to injury. His most recent appearance for Wales came in February 2011 in Wales' Nations Cup match with Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
at the Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...
in Dublin.
Personal life
Eastwood was born in Basildon, Essex and was often seen exercising his horseHorse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
on the A127 road
A127 road
The A127, also known as the Southend Arterial Road, is one of the trunk roads in England linking London with Southend-on-Sea, the other being the A13. It is a dual carriageway for its entire length, rare on a trunk road since the only others are the A14 and the A282, and is known as the Southend...
in Essex on the morning of a match day when playing for Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
.
He is married with two children – Freddy Jr and Chardonnay.
He appealed to the British Government in August 2006 to keep his home on a travellers' site in Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
after Basildon Council refused planning permission. Eastwood and his family were told in November 2006 that the decision of Basildon Council would not be upheld by the Government and he was free to stay there for at least the next five years.
Eastwood was fined by magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
s in July 2009, after he had been caught fly-tipping
Fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is a British term for dumping waste illegally instead of in an authorised rubbish dump. It is the illegal deposit of any waste onto land, i.e...
rubbish of which included an electricity bill
Electricity billing in the UK
In the UK, an electricity supplier is a retailer of electricity. For each supply point the supplier has to pay the various costs of transmission, distribution, meter operation, data collection, tax etc. The supplier then adds in energy costs and the supplier's own charge.- The bill :The end...
and bank statement
Bank statement
An account statement or a bank statement is a summary of all financial transactions occurring over a given period of time on a deposit account, a credit card, or any other type of account offered by a financial institution....
s with his name on.
Honours
2005 : League Two Play-Off Winner with Southend2006 : League One Champions with Southend