Jeff Astle

Jeffrey "Jeff" Astle (13 May 1942 – 19 January 2002) was an English footballer. Nicknamed "the King" by fans, he played 361 games for West Bromwich Albion and scored 174 goals. He also won five caps for England, but without scoring. After his retirement Astle launched an industrial cleaning business, working around the Burton upon Trent area; later he also made TV comedy appearances with Frank Skinner and David Baddiel on Fantasy Football League.
== Links To Peel ==
Peel played a West Bromwich Albion football song called Albion Days from the Flair 1989 football compilation on his 08 November 1989 show, the lyrics of the song featured the name Jeff Astle, who scored the lone goal for West Bromwich Albion in their 1968 FA Cup victory. After the song was played, Peel mentioned that Jeff Astle released a record of his own called 'Sweetwater', which he thought in football standards was a good record.At the time, football records didn't appeal to everyone. In Record Mirror of 20 November 1971 (p.9) Peter Jones wrote: 
"My latest excruciatingly boring link between pop music and soccer is that Jaff Astle, of West Bromwich Albion and England, has made a record for RCA Victor. Ex -Move singer Carl Wayne is to praise (or possibly blame) for the emergence of 'Sweet Water', written by Guy Fletcher and Doug Flett. That much is fact. But one wonders what Manchester United's Willie Morgan was doing in the B&C offices recently. And what would happen if George Best decided to make a single? Incidentally, the latter bit is included on the grounds of very strong rumour."
As a keen football follower, the DJ would most probably have seen Jeff Astle's appearances - which included singing - on the popular TV show Fantasy Football League during the 1990s and early 2000s. After Jeff Astle's death, Peel paid tribute to the man on his 22 January 2002 show by playing his single "Sweet Water", and described Astle as one of the few footballers who had made a half-decent record.
== Shows Played ==
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2002
* 22 January 2002: Sweet Water (7") RCA
== External Links ==
* Wikipedia
* 45cat
* 'Jeff Astle Sings' in footballandmusic.co.uk - Jan 3, 2019.
== References ==
Category:Artists
Category:People
Category:Football