Kintyre descendant is a world cup winner
A TEENAGE England footballer who recently lifted the U17s world cup in India says he was mentored by his Campbeltown Hearts grandfather.
George McEachran, 17, ran round the park kissing the trophy, after he helped his team beat Spain 5-2 in the final at Kolkata’s sold-out Salt Lake stadium.
George, who plays for English premiership side Chelsea, is one of a quartet of brothers – Josh, Zach and William – from the McEachran family who have glittering football careers.
They all say that their grandfather, John ‘Jonah’ McEachran, 81, whose nickname would usually herald bad luck, has been their major influence in the beautiful game.
Jonah, now from Long Hanborough in Oxfordshire, was on cloud nine as he saw his midfield-playing grandson in the final and the media storm which has accompanied the win, including appearances on all the major television channels.
Jonah said: ‘I met George’s grandmother Diana through playing football for Brigstock, which at that time was in the Kettering amateur league.
Teach
‘I played football with the boys when they were young. One time we were in Wales and a Chelsea coach was there, the boys were knocking about and the coaches saw them and said we could not teach them that – it all went from there really.
George has 18 caps for England U17s and last year signed a professional contract with Chelsea where he started when he was eight.
Jonah, who was born in Park Square, Campbeltown and attended Dalintober, Millknowe and Campbeltown Grammar schools, played football for Campbeltown Hearts in the 1950s until he was 18.
In 1954, he received call-up papers for National Service and left the Wee Toon for Shoeburyness in Essex and stayed in England after two years in the Royal Artillery.
Like many Campbeltonians in the 1950s he moved to Corby and even worked for a few weeks in the steel plants. This was followed by the Forestry Commission for a spell until he settled to life in the prison service for 30 years.
Jonah said: ‘We have not been back to Kintyre for years but hope to get there for a day next year. I have cousins Jimmy Donnegan and Kathleen Thomson in the town.’