Paul Gascoigne

[Ronaldo]

Also, no one is saying that he has absolutely zero blame

 

They did, though. That's the whole point. Do I think it's all his fault? No. I never implied an alcoholic didn't deserve sympathy if they relapse, either. Give them as much support as they need, but for for Christ's sake don't absolve them of all blame, that's like saying they're fighting a losing battle.

[Altamullan]

I suspect a young Gascoigne in today's day and age wouldn't have become what he has become. There was a drinking culture in football that he became part of. The likes of Bryan Robson, the day's England captain, Paul McGrath and Graeme Souness were hardened drinkers. And then Gazza went and did Italia 90, and he became part of it. Every man in the country would have bought Gazza a pint then. He was probably idolised more than any player before or since, and with what had gone on in his childhood, ie watching a mate of his getting killed, it all became too much.

 

Excuses? Possibly,  But I think it's fair to say the adulation he received added to the mental health problems he clearly has always had , pushed him down the slippery slope. I, for one, hope he gets well, but I don't think he has the tools in his kit to fix himself, and that is probably the saddest part of the story.

Putting the 'being shit at life' bit slightly to one side, I suspect a young Gazza wouldn't progress through academies these days as the 'chosen ones' all seem like little robots. Very technically adept, competitive, and most of all very good at listening/paying attention/being well-behaved. Not many who look like they would crack you up on the coach or who have the attention span of a goldfish. Watch a fair bit of under 7 & under 8 and the 'elite' (yep, that's what they call them...) kids seem to have a pretty joyless experience of footy. Real shame, given they're all sold the dream and risk having all their 'self-esteem eggs' in one basket but even from those who last until under 9's, less than 1 in 500 are likely to have a professional career after 21. That said, if someone had appreciated the talent of a young Paul, I really hope he would be better supported and nurtured these days (bizarre as it is, I really wish he'd went to Man Utd instead of Spurs- think Fergie may have done a Giggsy on him). Clubs have a duty of care to their young lads, the kind of pressure they're under must mess with their minds; even those from loving well-balanced families.

[ikri]

I suspect a young Gascoigne in today's day and age wouldn't have become what he has become. There was a drinking culture in football that he became part of. The likes of Bryan Robson, the day's England captain, Paul McGrath and Graeme Souness were hardened drinkers. And then Gazza went and did Italia 90, and he became part of it. Every man in the country would have bought Gazza a pint then. He was probably idolised more than any player before or since, and with what had gone on in his childhood, ie watching a mate of his getting killed, it all became too much.

 

Excuses? Possibly,  But I think it's fair to say the adulation he received added to the mental health problems he clearly has always had , pushed him down the slippery slope. I, for one, hope he gets well, but I don't think he has the tools in his kit to fix himself, and that is probably the saddest part of the story.

Putting the 'being shit at life' bit slightly to one side, I suspect a young Gazza wouldn't progress through academies these days as the 'chosen ones' all seem like little robots. Very technically adept, competitive, and most of all very good at listening/paying attention/being well-behaved. Not many who look like they would crack you up on the coach or who have the attention span of a goldfish. Watch a fair bit of under 7 & under 8 and the 'elite' (yep, that's what they call them...) kids seem to have a pretty joyless experience of footy. Real shame, given they're all sold the dream and risk having all their 'self-esteem eggs' in one basket but even from those who last until under 9's, less than 1 in 500 are likely to have a professional career after 21. That said, if someone had appreciated the talent of a young Paul, I really hope he would be better supported and nurtured these days (bizarre as it is, I really wish he'd went to Man Utd instead of Spurs- think Fergie may have done a Giggsy on him). Clubs have a duty of care to their young lads, the kind of pressure they're under must mess with their minds; even those from loving well-balanced families.

 

Putting Gascoigne in a team alongside Bryan Robson & Paul McGrath would not have been a great idea if you wanted him to avoid drinking.

[Figures 1-0 Football]

Ultimately, nobody forces him to relapse other than himself.

 

Addiction is an illness, but also one that can be cured/beaten with the acceptance and self-motivation. I have great credit for any addict (drugs, gambling, alcoholic, smoking) who can beat it and stay off it. I have less and less sympathy for people if they continuously relapse and go through cycle after cycle of addiction as once you are 'clean' then you have the opportunity to stay clean by keeping with your support methods.

 

If you know you've had history of an addition to gambling, the only person to blame is yourself if you're stood in a bookies. The same goes for alcohol, Gazza has nobody else to blame apart from himself for picking up the next drink and relapsing.

 

I appreciate mental health conditions can influence and complicate matters, but nobody can say Gazza is blameless in this situation.

[Holloway]

Gazza is maxed out on detoxes,so he has nowhere left to go physically and it's plain to see. It's disturbing to read that he ' beat his wife and kids for years' from individuals on an internet forum who haven'r bothered to read his explanation of hos own mindset and events pertaining to it. You have to wonder where they take their particular poison from.

[Ronaldo]

Explanation.

 

Boring this, now, like. I don't think there's ever any excuse for attacking a woman, and when it's on a regular basis for years there's obviously a stronger element of deliberation than can ever be defended with the substance abuse. If this makes me judgmental or whatever, fine. 

[Holloway]

Of course there is no excuse for that behaviour, but where did you get your information that it went on for years?

[Guest firetotheworks]

 

 

Ultimately, nobody forces him to relapse other than himself.

 

That's a really misleading thing to say. It's his addiction, mental health problems and circumstances that force him to relapse. It's not a rational choice of free will in the way that it is for non-addicts as you've framed it there.

 

 

[Thomson Mouse]

Explanation.

 

Boring this, now, like. I don't think there's ever any excuse for attacking a woman, and when it's on a regular basis for years there's obviously a stronger element of deliberation than can ever be defended with the substance abuse. If this makes me judgmental or whatever, fine. 

 

The fact you've posted a laughing face

[biggs]

I can understand people thinking he's a lost cause like but there's no need to be a dick about it

 

It's proper sad what's happened to the bloke whether it's his fault or not, or whether others have had it worse than him before or after he got there.

 

Some people in here are furious. Insulted, ffs "He's lying to us". What? An addict in denial? Never.

 

The fact he's in denial doesn't make me angry. What does irk me is that he's been giving it '11 months clean and everyone jumps on me for this blip'. Does anyone like being taken for a fool?

 

have you any idea about alcoholism ? as a alcoholic you have a blip every now and again its part and parcel of the recovery and my wife works in that field and has been on courses given by experts ,im not getting at you so don't take it personal but it is not a easy thing to rid yourself of as you can imagine but the lad has as everyone is aware huge problems to overcome and his family by all accounts seem to do f*** all to help him

 

Yes, as I mentioned above, it killed my grandfather - in front of my eyes; as it happened, as I was living with my grandparents at the time during my 'gap yah'. So I reckon I have a handle on it, in addition to volunteering for my local Council teaching basic literacy in 2010-11 to a class which was, judging by the smell and pupil interaction, about 40-50% alcoholic. I make no claim to being an expert, but I would claim to be more than a layman.

 

Funnily enough, when I was living with my grandparents (before my grandfather's liver gave up) in Pyrford, I somehow found myself going out with a girl whose dad was a sports lawyer. Through him, we got tickets for a sports dinner at The Grosvenor and Gascoigne was at our table. The 'journalist' Harry Harris was also at our table and when HH went for a leak, Gazza decided to as well - into the pitcher of lager that Harris was topping up from. No-one said a word and, boy, did I get it in the neck from my then girlfriend later on for not saying anything...

 

I'd earlier tried to talk to Gascoigne about NUFC when he turned up but, even on arrival, he was so drunk he could barely speak.

 

Anyway, I digress. I don't take what you say personally in any way - this subject is a hell of a lot bigger than you or I - but when you mention his family, saying: 'by all accounts [they] seem to do f*** all to help him' then I would have to agree. In agreeing with you I am not casting aspersions on his family, but I wonder who among them is qualified/capable to help him?

 

For me, it's clearly a job for professionals, but Gascoigne hasn't even met them half way.

As i said it was not getting at you with the comment and respect your views entirely .I read the first book and at the end of it thought what a giant cock he was and had very little sympathy for him due to his general selfishness and the way he treated his new wife and family but was happy to go on the lash at every opportunity ,as has been mentioned previously he has always been a troubled soul and if his problems had been addressed at an early age maybe we could have been talking about a world great instead of someone in the last chance saloon with a limited life expectancy in his current state and the big if is does he go on a bender everyday or is it a blip that alchoholics have is open to question as we simply dont know ,my hope his he can get sent away somewhere and given a totally different enviroment to try to kill it for good but thats been done with no luck so it may be bleak who knows and time will tell

[Dr.Spaceman]

Probably his own fault according to some on here.

[Dokko]

Wonder what kind of pressures were on the lad to act like his famous uncle?

[magpie1892]

Another 'blip':

 

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/7162556/Idiot-buys-alcoholic-star-Paul-Gascoigne-gin.html

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Hate this thread getting bumped

[TBG]

Always awful to see a man sink to double denim.

[ujpest doza]

I saw him walking home from the pub where his nephew's wake had been held last week and he didn't look too clever.

Cigarette in one hand and a lad helping him to walk down the hill.

 

[Jill]

Buying him a bottle of gin.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Fucking Newcastle tattoo as well, absolute cunt.

[Thomson Mouse]

f***ing Newcastle tattoo as well, absolute c***.

 

Yeah I noticed that as well. Justin needs a good hiding for that

[Cunning_Linguist]

Look at the state of him, so sad to see him like that.

 

Justin defintiely needs a smack though

[Leazes_End_Mag]

Always awful to see a man sink to double denim.

 

[Scotty66]

Always awful to see a man sink to double denim.

 

Had my stag do recently and they dressed me up in QUAD denim,all womens clothes with a denim cowboy hat too. Along with Sandals and white socks 

 

Had to wear it for 24 hours and even did the Bernabeu tour wearing it 

 

 

[Lush Vlad]

Always awful to see a man sink to double denim.

 

Had my stag do recently and they dressed me up in QUAD denim,all womens clothes with a denim cowboy hat too. Along with Sandals and white socks 

 

Had to wear it for 24 hours and even did the Bernabeu tour wearing it 

 

 

 

That's one for the pet hates thread.  People getting dressed up on stag do's, I mean.  Not Quad denim

[Cunning_Linguist]

Is Quad denim really as bad as White Socks and Sandals?

[Scotty66]

Is Quad denim really as bad as White Socks and Sandals?

 

Considering the looks I was getting from walking through the centre of Madrid I would say yes