 He took over a side depleted of their best players who had been sold off to pay for repair work at the Victoria Ground and in trouble, and their relegation from the First Division was confirmed while he was in charge, finishing 21st out of 22 in 1976–77 after a run of just one win in 13 games.Eastham lasted only ten months, leaving the club in January 1978, after failing to sustain a push for promotion from the Second Division.After leaving the Stoke job, he quit professional football completely, and emigrated to South Africa in 1978.