Gazza

Why does no-one discuss him?

I liked it when he went fishing with Mortimer & Whitehouse.

I blame Ralph Moat

lets all take a moment to appreciate his genius though. It doesn’t get much better than the ‘Dentists Chair’

I liked it when he went fishing with Mortimer & Whitehouse.

Much better than when he tried to go fishing with Raoul Moat…

When I played footie I knew a Tottenham footballer quite well and he told me Gazza had a habit of really going in hard on the young trainees. No idea why but he was quite a flawed character.

Why does no-one discuss him?

Crime in Sports podcast did a four parter on him, which was a fair effort as they’ve no idea who he is or anything about football

https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ab15a433-35a9-453b-8135-b83770621bb6/episodes/2bb69181-0dee-4929-ac5d-781765565f22/crime-in-sports-391—tantrums-talent-tears—paul-gazza-gascoigne—part-1?ref=dm_sh_Q9mccxywdXfohBpZ3krgMip3Y

There’s an article on the Metro website from the beginning of March where he says he’s a sad old drunk.

SO YOUR RONG SO SO RONG.

I still haven’t forgiven him for putting his boot into Gary Charles’ chest on cup final day in 91… should have been a red card and Clough winning the FA Cup… but his career pivot to hostage negotiations was interesting. Maybe Gazza is in Gaza helping out?

Never understand why he’s hero worshipped the way he is, he’s been a bully through his career, his wife suffered from domestic violence, he’s thrown away his talent and money wherever possible, and folk still think of him as a hero, there’s a hell of a lot of players who have done a lot more on and off the pitch than Gazza, with a lot less natural talent.

Lol, it was inevitable I suppose.

Still made me chuckle a little.

I thought this subject had been verboten?

Nah Verboten was that Dutch defender who nobbled him in the infamous Feyenoord-Lazio game

Very flawed as a person, although there’s enough suspicion that he is mentally unwell and has been most of his life. SBR called him daft as a brush, IDK quite what the right term is but under the right guidance who knows.

But between the white lines, an absolute genius. The best I’ve ever seen in person, and I saw both Martin Hicks and Trevor Senior in their prime 😉

His childhood seems to have been very difficult. I know that may not be an excuse for some of his behaviour, but it may be at least a partial explanation. He was very young when he was shoved into the absolute epicentre of the worst era of the tabloids.

Peter Beardsley said that Gazza was the stupidest person he ever met. But still loves him.

Make of that, what you wish 😀

Gazza told a tale about how when playing in Italy was desperate for some British food, his dad brought him pasta from the uk.

When Gattuso signed for Rangers, Gazza took him out and bought him a load of new clothes as Gattuso didn’t have any nice clothing apparently. He told Gattuso that the club would take the money out his wages. Gattuso went to Walter Smith because his wages didn’t show any deductions, he found out that Gazza had bought the clothes out of his own money.

When he got off the plane in Rome after signing for Lazio, he burped in the face of the reporter who tried to interview him, this ended up going to the Italian parliament to get him kicked out of Italy.

I think he is so popular because of his flaws, and not reaching the heights as he should have.

Everyone likes a mercurial talent.

Is he British football version of France’s cycling Raymond Poulidor?

That Dentist Chair !

And the fact he emulated it after scoring in the Euros

He made the flute gesture after scoring for Rangers, this stirred up a lot shit. You could excuse him doing it once as he is not from Scotland and maybe he didn’t understand how big a deal this was. However….. he did it twice 🤦🏻‍♂️

Borderline learning disability probably. Complete natural footballer, interesting to ponder what might have been had he gone to Man U and not Spurs.

I think he also got sent off for showing a ref the yellow card, when the ref had dropped his cards.
Sense of humour failure there

When I played footie I knew a Tottenham footballer quite well and he told me Gazza had a habit of really going in hard on the young trainees.

At that time I think he wouldn’t have been the only one, I knew a lad that was on the books and he said they all got it, from everyone at the time, it was part of the toughening up process and seeing who would make it. You couldn’t be nice to them all week if when the time came on a saturday for them to get a go in the team or even the reserves they were going to have some grizzled pro kick them into row Z. Doesn’t make it ‘right’ but to single Gazza out isn’t entirely fair IMHO.

WRT Gazza – I’ve heard both sides – that but also leaving money for the apprentices because they weren’t on much wages at the time, giving away new boots from his sponsorship deals, etc. Could be both and perhaps simultaneously.

No idea why but he was quite a flawed character.

Mental illness, mild tourettes and tics, personality disorder, learning difficulties, etc. Even as an older guy – turning up to an armed siege with a bucket of KFC and a fishing rod isn’t the action of a ‘sane’ person.

But he had that skill (Beardsley too – another one who you’re not sure if it’s still OK to idolise) – of running at someone and putting them on their arse without actually even touching the ball. Just doing some kind of samba behind the ball and waiting for the waves to part.

Got a mate that plays a bit of (quality) 5 a side and Beardsley turns up for that from time to time. He’s still got it apparently.

Is he British football version of France’s cycling Raymond Poulidor?

Did Poulidor batter his wife then?

He lives round here, I saw him in the pub the other night after a Wednesday night ride, it was 8pm and he was absolutely hammered, seemed quite happy though.

WRT Gazza – I’ve heard both sides – that but also leaving money for the apprentices because they weren’t on much wages at the time, giving away new boots from his sponsorship deals, etc. Could be both and perhaps simultaneously.

Always heard about his bullying and using his money to try and buy affection when he was at rangers, that’s why he’s broke now, he had a bad entourage, and just didn’t see money as anything other than part of his character, throwing it around like it was confetti.

I loved him, then actively disliked him because of his domestic abuse, then realised he was just a very flawed human who lived his life in public at a time when the press was terrible.
I just feel sorry for him and his family now. No one seems to be able to help him and I suspect he doesn’t have very long left to live judging by his appearance.
That goal against Scotland though…😍

I wonder if his old drinking pals Chris Evans/Danny Baker still have anything to do with him

What about Jimmy 5 bellies who must have spent a lot of Gazzas Dosh ?

Where is he now? He was in the Midlands a few years ago in a relationship with a lovely Woman who ran a small art gallery/shop in Lutterworth, not far from where we lived. A lot of reports that he was a decent guy from local people who met him, but others saying he was a drunken idiot. I presume that relationship failed.

A lot of reports that he was a decent guy from local people who met him, but others saying he was a drunken idiot

Its likely he was/is both, depending on how many beers he’s had. Surely we all know people like that? I know I do.

I can’t help but feel sorry for him. He’s obviously always had mental health issues and I don’t think he had anyone around him who had his best interests at heart and preferred to exploit him instead

As has already been mentioned, it would have been interesting to see how differently things would have worked out if he’d come to Old Trafford under Fergie.

At that time I think he wouldn’t have been the only one, I knew a lad that was on the books and he said they all got it, from everyone at the time, it was part of the toughening up process

No, my mate had been a trainee and knew about the toughening up process, but specifically said that Gazza was both reckless and a bully when it came to trainees.

I suspect he doesn’t have very long left to live judging by his appearance.

I’ve long thought this but do hope not.

Along with George Best, Maradona, and Robin Friday, what is it with flawed genius?

Ronaldo and Messi?

Not all geniuses are flawed. And I suppose there are many 1000’s more of flawed non-geniuses too. But for some reason, do we love them more because of it?

True. One of my best mates when I was a kid was the best footballer I ever played with. Very like Rooney but with Maradonna esq skills. Became a raging alcoholic at 17. Better now (family etc) as he’s not drunk for years but the disease is always in the shadows.

Along with George Best, Maradona, and Robin Friday, what is it with flawed genius?

imagine how good they would have been if they weren’t either pissed or coked off their nut?

I’ve long thought this but do hope not.

Along with George Best, Maradona, and Robin Friday, what is it with flawed genius?

Best won Leagues, Champion Leagues, Ballon D’or, etc in his career, Maradona won a thing or two as well, Gazza in his career, outside of Scotland, where rangers were basically in a one horse league at the time, he won the 1991 FA Cup, in a game he went off injured after 15 minutes after a poor tackle.

The Gazza / Maradona story also sounds like pure drivel, Maradona didn’t speak English and with Gazza’s geordie accent, i seriously doubt he’d have had a chat in the tunnel!