Gascoigne

[Fredo]

He had undoubted flashes of genius. He was very inconsistent though.

[Neil Young]

The one memory which will probably remain for me is the moment he cried when England got eliminated from the quarter finals vs Belgium in 1990. Broke my heart that one.

Steve Cumberland, this - you have a very weak heart. I worry for you, Nigel.

Putting his 'illness' aside,I never got all the big fuss about the guy in terms of being a footballer. Granted he was pretty good but no great imo. Certainly no better than many other footballers around at the same time eg Barnes,Le tissier,Waddle,Hoddle to name a few.

People say he is arguably one of the greatest. I just don't see it. Infact Mcmanaman was even better imo.

I can't say I agree in terms of talent. Barnes, yes, but the others weren't as talented as Gascoigne. McManaman certainly was more effective and made the most of his talent and in that sense was a better player.

Le Tissier might have been talented but was too lazy - he didn't have the attitude.

[Fernandinho]

Gosh he seems well crazy from that interview. Its awful to see any human have stuff like that happen to him, let alone the boyhood hero of a generation of England fans.

On another note... He was such a weird looking guy when he was younger... Odd teeth and such weird hair.

[Pablo]

He had undoubted flashes of genius. He was very inconsistent though.

Hot really. He was ****ing brilliant for many years.

[Chazza]

Jimmy Greaves: 'There's no light at the end of the tunnel for Paul Gascoigne'

The most searingly honest report you will read on footy hero Gazza, by Sunday People columnist Jimmy Greaves.

These are not the uplifting, heartwarming words you will want to read about stricken Paul Gascoigne.

You’ll want to read that a man who is regarded as a national treasure can fight back from the brink to finally win his battle with alcoholism.

Those are the sort of words people use when they know nothing about the hideous illness Paul is living with.

I spent some time with Paul a year or so ago, when we appeared in a series of theatre shows together. And, as an alcoholic myself, I have to say I was very wary about the idea.

But Paul had not had a drink for about a year and the excellent people at The Providence Projects’ rehab centre in Bournemouth were with him, believing that performing on stage would aid him and, as it happened, Paul did his turn and the shows went well.

Yet he still seemed fragile. I still believed he was on the edge of a relapse. The problem was that people kept coming backstage and asking him to do this appearance or that after-dinner show and Paul seemed reluctant to say no.

In fact, Paul is a prime candidate for alcoholism because he wants to please everybody all the time. He wants to be the centre of attention and, like all of us to some extent, he dearly wants to be loved.

People talk glibly about clubbing together and getting him to a rehab centre in Phoenix, Arizona, to help his “recovery”. I’m sure these people are well-meaning and will enjoy being thought well of for trying to help.

But people all too often want to help alcoholics at arms length, on their own terms. You cannot help an alcoholic on your own terms.

So, if you want a dose of reality, let me give you one. There is no recovery from alcoholism. You can recover from a heart attack. You can cure cancer and mend broken bones.

But alcoholism is an incredibly complex mental illness which never leaves you. It doesn’t matter that I’ve not had a drink for 34 years. For me, it’s still about not having one today.



You always have to be acutely aware of it. That mental process is like having to screw on a wooden leg every morning. You’d rather not have a wooden leg but without it you know you will fall in a heap.

When you are down, when you are lonely, that is when you want a drink the most.

And Paul Gascoigne is a very lonely man. That is the heart of the problem.

He may return from Arizona having dried out but he still won’t be sober. Probably only an alcoholic can truly appreciate the difference between the two.

To learn to live as normal a life as possible with alcoholism, you have to have a supreme bloody-mindedness – and I’m afraid I do not think Paul possesses that.

George Best, one of the few British players to rank above Paul in terms of genius, was a good friend of mine.

I knew George in our playing days and I also performed a number of theatre tours with him.



With no disrespect to Paul, George was a far brighter, sharper man than him.

He was a far more together, a more rounded human being – but the drink killed George.

After a number of successful theatre appearances, we were due to play a gig in Bristol when I heard that the venue had cancelled because they had heard, correctly, that George was back on the booze.

It shocked me because I did not expect George to drink again. It also shook me because I felt that this time it would kill him – and it did.

I fear Paul will die if he carries on drinking but it’s not about merely prolonging his life. He needs to find a purpose, a quality of life.

I’m afraid I can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel for him. I don’t see the hope. And I don’t detect the necessary bloody-mindedness within him.

As a footballer he wasn’t bothered about winning, losing or drawing.

He wasn’t bothered about grinding out a 1-0 win. He wanted to entertain. And he still does. He wants to be the life and soul of the party.

He enjoys the talking appearances but some people close to Paul think it doesn’t matter if he has a drink as long as he is sober enough to be coherent at the next dinner show, when there’s £5,000 at stake.

Paul, as I mentioned, was a genius as a footballer. Others may have achieved much more in the game but Paul was genuinely touched by God.

If you are a genius as an artist, a songwriter, an author or an actor, say, nobody tells you at the age of 30 or 35 you can’t do that any more.

That the career which brought you wealth, fame and admiration is over and you will have to find something else to do. It leaves a hell of a hole in your life, I can tell you.

I don’t know exactly when Paul descended into alcoholism but, for me, a significant factor was the end of my top-flight playing career.

There is no tried and tested way of surviving with alcoholism. You have to find your own path.

You have to wake up one morning, shaking like a leaf and puking, and realise that you don’t like the world you are living in and that the world doesn’t like you much either.

I went to a rehab place in St John’s Wood three or four times and it was all warm slippers and hot baths, pay your bill and head back out into the world again.

It was not until I woke up one day in a mental hospital in Essex – in a room of people sitting around farting, shaking and talking to themselves – that I had the reality check I needed.

I haven’t had any counselling since but every alcoholic has to take their own path. Nobody can instruct you.

Whether it’s going to AA or other counselling. Whether it’s finding God or talking to the trees in your garden, you have to find your own way.

I believe Paul was getting the best help possible at The Providence Projects but nothing they could have done would ever have been enough on its own.

When I stopped drinking in 1978, I had just separated from my wife because I realised how miserable I was making her and our children, who were young enough to be at home but old enough to be impressionable.



I knew I wasn’t a very nice person and I wanted to be better.

Luckily for me, my wife and I got back together again soon after and I could gradually get my life back into some sort of order.

I was enjoying playing non-league football for Barnet, with no pressure, and I had a job selling knitwear for a friend, again there was no stress and I could work at my own pace.

It was not for another three years that I felt ready to go into a full-time career in television.

That was my path and, as I write, I haven’t had a drink for more than 34 years. Though I’m bloody-minded enough never to be complacent about it. I’m luckier than Paul.

On a football field, Paul could always plot a course through an opposition’s defence with some mazy dribble or piece of magic. In life, sadly, I don’t believe he possesses that same vision.

Jimmy was talking to Chief Sports Writer Dave Kidd

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jimmy-greaves-talks-about-paul-gascoigne-1646950

[Neil Young]

That's a surprisingly eloquent, sensitive and honest article from/with someone who knows what it's like.

I'm not sure how sensitive it is to come out publicly about Gascoigne's lack of fortitude but I suppose Greaves might be in a better position than I am to judge the value of it.

I thought he was long dead too. I'm pleased he isn't.

[dom9]

That's a surprisingly eloquent, sensitive and honest article from/with someone who knows what it's like.

I'm not sure how sensitive it is to come out publicly about Gascoigne's lack of fortitude but I suppose Greaves might be in a better position than I am to judge the value of it.

I thought he was long dead too. I'm pleased he isn't.

Why were you surprised?

I've read Greaves talk about his demons several times, and he always comes across in the same way. I remember when he chose not go to the 25th anniversary party of England winning the World Cup. It was portrayed as a bitter snub (he didn't play in the latter stages of the competition despite being the number one striker at the beginning of it) in some sections of the media, but he simply said that he doesn't go to any functions where there was alcohol served as that was the only way he could make sure he didn't fall off the wagon. He'd not gone to the reunions he'd been invited to since he gave up drinking either.

Agree with your second sentence though. That's tabloids. And that's people with columns in the tabloids for you.

[Neil Young]

I suppose I've never heard him talk about it before.

And Saint and Greavsie was terrible.

[dom9]

I used to love Saint & Greavsie. Then again I was about 8 years old. The target audience.

The routine would be to watch the dry, serious Football Focus with Bob Wilson, then switch over to ITV for some irreverent fun with Saint & Greavsie, before retreating to my bedroom to listen to Radio 2 whilst reading the week's football magazines (Shoot, Match).

[Alex]

I brought Match magazine around 6 years ago last. Dirk Kuyt was a poster with the strap line 'Wicked Winger'

[Shaggy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/IndyFootball/status/1064494859489370117[/ame]

[Shaggy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/Paul_Gascoigne8/status/1064516662005850113[/ame]

[ame]https://twitter.com/Paul_Gascoigne8/status/1064518441737035777[/ame]

[dom9]

Think they've been deleted.

What did he say?

[Shaggy]

Hi as u know ive been charged with a sexual assault from 4 mths ago plus the police who charged me asked me for selfies&an autograph ? Why if I did wrong ok I’m sticking up4myself my manager SHANE said say nothing leave it2 the lawyers no I’m my own lawyer I did **** all wrong��

— Paul Gascoigne (@Paul_Gascoigne8) November 19, 2018

I’m so pleased it’s eventually come out the truth is I sat on the train with my nephews& I heard some1 call a girl in front of me a fat cow so I got upset&sat next2her&said don’t worry sweetheart your beautiful inside&out i pecked her&said it’s ok I was called fat yrs ago ����

[dom9]

Thanks