The tears and joy of Gazza
By Jonathan Stevenson
For a man who has given such great entertainment to so many people, Paul Gascoigne has caused himself a fair bit of pain along the way.
News that Gazza, the people's footballer, has been detained under the Mental Health Act is another desperate chapter in the 40-year-old's rollercoaster life.
Both during and after his football career, Gazza and controversy have never been far apart.
But whatever happens to the Geordie boy should not detract from the fact that he was one of the most sublimely-talented footballers England has ever seen, or is likely to produce.
He stands alongside Sir Stanley Matthews, Bobby Moore, Sir Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards - and none of the current generation could hold a candle to Gascoigne.
On the pitch, when he was fully fit, Gazza was a genius.
Gazza could not even begin to deal with the adulation he received
His name, his face and his tears will be inextricably linked with the 1990 World Cup - a tournament that announced Gascoigne as one of the finest footballers in the world.
As he celebrated his arrival on a global stage by wearing fake breasts aboard the England team coach, it also re-enhanced Gazza's reputation as the Clown Prince of sport.
Blessed with a remarkable touch, the ability to burst past players as if they were not there and a dribbling ability comparable with Ronaldinho, Gascoigne was a man with a devastating gift.
Think the outrageous 35-yard free-kick for Spurs against Arsenal in the 1991 FA Cup semi-final or the audacious chip and volley for England against Scotland at Euro 1996 - who else could have invented such goals?
While he was hot, he was very hot. And we could have forgiven Gazza anything when he pulled on an England shirt and made the rest of the world suffer.
We cried with him at Italia 90, we celebrated with him at Euro 96 and in between we forgave his horror tackle in the 1991 Cup final and the 'dentist chair' incident in a Hong Kong bar with the other England players.
Gazza claimed he was as "daft as a brush" and his immature behaviour and remarkable naivety seemed to provide him with an excuse for most of his childish pranks - even the alcohol-related ones.
We might have cringed when he burped into a microphone, or when, asked if he had a message for Norway, replied "£%?* off Norway", but that was just Gazza being Gazza - he didn't know any better.
But the nation's love affair with Gascoigne came to a juddering halt shortly after the high of Euro 96 with his shattering confession that he beat his wife, Sheryl.
He spoke at the time of his great remorse, of the hate and rage that festered within him while he was being put on a pedestal as his career took off.
Quite simply, Gazza could not even begin to deal with the adulation he received.
This, allied to his dramatic omission from Glenn Hoddle's squad for the 1998 World Cup, only succeeded in speeding up the spiral of decline that finished off his career - and appears today to be putting his life in jeopardy.
It was a crying shame that Gascoigne had to end his playing days in the lower divisions of English football before a stint with a second-rate Chinese outfit as nothing better than a circus performer.
It was equally sad that his two forays into coaching and management at Boston and Kettering respectively lasted a combined total of 77 days.
Gazza has gone on record in the past as thanking Alan Shearer for helping him in his battle against depression.
But, now a pale imitation of his former self, Gascoigne needs all the help he can get to try and shake off the demons that have tormented him for much of his life.
With genius, so often, comes self-destruction. For Paul Gascoigne, we have already seen Garrincha, George Best, Diego Maradona and countless others.
So, after this latest setback, you can only hope the next direction the Gazza rollercoaster takes is up - a reversal of his fortunes is long overdue.
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2 ... 257062.stm
Published: 2008/02/21 19:23:27 GMT