Source: Daily_Mail
Martin Samuel: Life on the road with Gazza as it all went wrong
ShareOn this day 20 years ago, English football, and one man's life, changed irrevocably. Paul Gascoigne was carried off on a stretcher 17 minutes into the 1991 FA Cup final betweenTottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest. Everything was different afterthat.[LNB]He had less than a year. Less than a year as arguably the best player in the world, certainly as the revelation of the 1990 World Cup. He was never the same after that day at Wembley, and neither were England. [LNB]He had good games, most notably at the European Championship in 1996, and his performance in the Olympic Stadium in Rome in 1997, when England needed to draw with Italy to qualify for the 1998 World Cup, revealed a football brain that had not dimmed with time; but the rest was absent or, at least, unreliable. [LNB] Force of nature: Paul Gascoigne unleashes his unforgettable free-kick after five minutes, helping Spurs to a 3-1 demolition of Arsenal[LNB]That night, Gascoigne ran the game, but not the way he did the 1991 FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal when, told he would last roughly 30 minutes due to injury, he won it inside 15. [LNB]His free-kick to open the scoring is the stuff of legend. 'Did you see Seaman?' he asked Terry Venables, the Tottenham manager, referring to the Arsenal goalkeeper and laughing. 'Heonly tried to save it.' [LNB]By the week of the final, that sense of joy was missing. Gascoigne, who by then had been sold to Lazio in Italy for ?8.5million, the deal commencing in the summer, was intense and anxious, an accident waiting to happen. He was an individual entirely unsuited to the pressures of fame who had become English football's greatest celebrity since George Best.[LNB] More from Martin Samuel... 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He was all over Gascoigne from the start, booked him early and appeared intent on going further when[LNB]Doug Livermore managing Tottenham in the absence of Venables, who had remained in England following the death of his mother took the wise decision to substitute him. [LNB]Gascoigne lasted about 20 minutes. Boarding the team bus after the game I was the only English journalistthere, and Tottenham were very accommodating hosts Paul Allen said that Gazza wanted to speak to me. I looked down the bus. He couldn't be seen. I found him sitting in the stairwell, tearful. [LNB]'What are you going to say about me?'he sniffed. I told him I had said the referee thought he was the star and had targeted him from the start. 'If it's going to be like this, I'll pack up,' he insisted. [LNB]We sometimes sat together on planes during that trip. He had a fear of flying and would shriek as the aircraft took off although recalling the state of the plane that took us to one game, I think I joined in and we travelled back together from Edinburgh after Tottenham had left Scandinavia to play a final gameagainst Hearts. [LNB]That was another night when the referee singled him out for attention, but he handled it magnificently, lasted 90 minutes and was effortlessly the best player. The following day, I interviewed him about his experiences since the World Cup and, particularly, his treatment by referees.[LNB]And then he returned to London into the clutches of his agent, Mel Stein, and the door closed. The football writers who had grown up with Gascoigne and liked him were kept at arm's length and he was introduced to new friends and PR people, almost all of whom let him down. [LNB]His words were sold to the highest bidder and his commercial worth was relentlessly exploited, which is why, on the Monday before the fateful FA Cup final, Gascoigne was absent from the jolly team bonding session that took place at Scribes West, in London.[LNB]The venue was owned by Venables, who wanted the players to let off steam before the intensity of the week took over. He wanted them to go out, fall about, have a laugh and get it all out of their system before the serious work began. From there, no late nights and complete focus.[LNB] High point: After Italia 90, Gascoigne enjoyed a stellar season with Spurs [LNB] [LNB]At Scribes, a private club, he could supervise from a distance and there would be no chance of events spiralling out of control. He had reckoned without Gascoigne's agitated state. [LNB]He had been away fulfilling commercial commitments and had missed the party, so by the time he walked in the players were already on the karaoke machine and quite lively. [LNB]Paul thoughthe should catch up. He ordered Drambuie, a whisky liqueur. A treble. Then another. Then another. It was having an instant effect. He was on one of his mad detox diets at the time and was barely eating. He would supplement a large Evian water bottle with ingredients such as lemon juice, pepper and chillies, because he had an optimum weight that he wanted to hit for big matches.[LNB]Nick,the bartender, was becoming concerned about Paul's behaviour. He tippedoff Venables, who said to stop serving him alcohol. This was not well received. There was an argument and a stream of invective 'If you evercome to Gateshead, you're dead' at which point a man at the bar, a friend of Venables, intervened and a punch was thrown. [LNB] Life-changer: Gascoigne is stretchered off during the FA Cup final at Wembley after an awful tackle on Nottingham Forest's Gary Charles[LNB]Thefight quickly subdued, the usual regrets followed. Paul became tearful again, apologising to Venables, apologising to Nick, apologising to everybody. Mitchell Thomas took him home. He already looked crushed by circumstances. [LNB]His transfer to Lazio had been agreed as a means of rescuing Tottenham financially, but a player less tailored to the button-down life of a footballer in Italy it is hard to imagine. [LNB]Thatweek was the beginning of the end. By the time Gascoigne was in the Wembley tunnel five days later, he was in a bug-eyed frenzy of anticipation, uncontrollable and bouncing off the walls. He had even received sedatives the night before, because Tottenham staff were so worried about his hyperactive state. [LNB]It was all over very quickly.[LNB]Gascoignecommitted a horrendous foul on Garry Parker, for which he should have been sent off, then another on Gary Charles in which he ruptured the cruciate ligaments around his right knee. It must be a terrible thing tomake one mistake and have your life forever altered, but that was what happened. [LNB]He was still good several years later, but never rediscovered the exceptional talent he displayed at the World Cup in 1990. [LNB] Italian stallion: Gascoigne moved to Italy for a stint with Serie A side Lazio[LNB]England suffered, too. Ordinary without him at the 1992 European Championship, they failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, by which time Graham Taylor, the manager, had already made cryptic remarks about Gascoigne's refuelling habits.[LNB]The subsequent descent has been harrowing, Gascoigne at times pitiful, at others lost, or deranged. [LNB]The latest development is that he will tour with Jimmy Greaves, also a recovering alcoholic, but one who has made a considerable success of life after football.[LNB] We can only wish the same for Paul, and that the 20th anniversary of his final game as the greatest footballer in the world does not bring too much pain. What a player he was; and how much happier this memory should have been.[LNB]YOU BLEW YOUR BIG CHANCE AVRAMThe one incontrovertible truth about Avram Grant is that he is well-connected. So it was fairly predictable that his friends would be out in force following his dismissal, laying the blame for the demise of West Ham United solely at the door of co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold. [LNB]Yet, one day, when Grant looks back over his brief time at the club, it will surely be with regret. [LNB]Over-promoted he may have been, but this could have been a wonderful project for him, particularly with the successful bid for the Olympic Stadium. [LNB]He simply did not engage. The work ethic, the drive, was not there. Grant had a long contract but behaved as if passing through. When was he ever a face in the crowd scouting the opposition (as Sir Alex Ferguson still does, despite being at the pinnacle of the English game)?[LNB] Down and out: Avram Grant wasted his chance with West Ham[LNB]When was he pro-active in adapting to the changes in a match? He seemed to think a decent cup run could hide his inadequacy, as happened at Portsmouth, and appeared to have an aversion to detail. [LNB]Grant may return to a desk job with his friend Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, but he is surely finished in England as a manager; and if he is not, one can only question the motivation of his employers.[LNB]BA THE SHOUTINGNo wonder Demba Ba didn't want to sign anything at that awards dinner on Monday night. The last time he did, he ended up at West Ham.[LNB]TAKE THE HINT, USMANOV Alisher Usmanov, whose 27 per cent of Arsenal now makes him a minority, marginalised shareholder, still thinks he is a player. [LNB]'I am very keen to understand what is Stan Kroenke's future view and strategy for the club,' he says. [LNB]It's very simple, mate. His future view is none of your business, and his strategy is sling your hook.[LNB]PRESSURE TELLS FOR LIVERPOOLThe headlines following Liverpool's home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur suggested the party to mark Kenny Dalglish's permanent appointment as manager had been spoiled.[LNB]Maybe so, but he will have learned a lot about his players. As previously stated, there is a sizeable difference between riding the wave of euphoria Dalglish has generated and summoning the resolve to challenge for the title. [LNB]This was the first real test of the second Dalglish management era and the players failed. [LNB] Popular support: Liverpool fans get behind their permanent boss before the defeat to Spurs[LNB]After 13 goals in three games and just three defeats since January 12, a win would have secured fifth place and a Europa League spot.[LNB]Instead, expectation high, Liverpool blew it. [LNB]They must now hope Tottenham slip up at home to Birmingham City if they are to claim fifth. [LNB]Next season has much promise, but there is a world of difference playing with the pressure on, as Dalglish's generation of Liverpool players knows only too well.[LNB]THE TRUTH ABOUT WEAKENED TEAMSManchester United will, as expected, play a weakened team against Blackpool on Sunday, with one eye on the Champions League final. [LNB]Nothing wrong with that. Acting with the blessing of the Premier League, however, it does make a mockery of the decision to discipline Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackpool for sending out under-strength teams in recent years.[LNB]Now a first-team squad is limited to a roster of 25 players, any combination of that group should be acceptable.[LNB]NEW TEST VENUES ARE NOT BOWLING FANS OVERA half-full Sophia Gardens in Cardiff will greet England's cricketers in their first Test match since the successful Ashes tour, while at the Rose Bowl in Southampton the situation is little better.[LNB]Despite this being Hampshire's first Test match, no day is sold out. The great Test venues of the north, Old Trafford and Headingley, must read it and weep. [LNB]Even when reconstruction work is completed, Test cricket will increasingly be spread across up to 10 venues, some with little tradition of following the game at that level. [LNB] Thinly spread: Sophia Gardens is yet to sell out for Sri Lanka's Test tour[LNB]Cardiff played splendid hosts for the first Test of the Ashes series in 2009, but any arena would have sold out for that game. [LNB]The visit of Sri Lanka a good and often entertaining team but not one of cricket's greatest attractions is more of an indication of a region's capacity to embrace the sport, and many of the England and Wales Cricket Board's new destinations are being found wanting.[LNB]It is interesting that, in recent years, Australia, having alighted on five top-class Test cities, have increasingly stuck to them.[LNB]FULL OF BEANS The burgeoning media career of Robbie Savage (all stations, all day, seemingly forever), reminds me of the moment in Winnie-the-Pooh when Eeyore the donkey first meets the bouncy, effervescent Tigger... [LNB]'Eeyore walked all round Tigger one way, and then turned and walked round him the other way. 'What did you say it was?' he asked.[LNB]'Tigger.' 'Ah!' said Eeyore. 'He's just come,' explained Piglet. 'Ah!' said Eeyore again. [LNB]He thought for a long time and then said: 'When is he going?'[LNB]WHY THE WAIT OVER FA REPORT?More than a week has passed and still no publication of the detailed Football Association report of the Queens Park Rangers third-party player ownership hearing. [LNB]Apparently, lawyers are going through it in forensic detail to ensure the language cannot be exploited by affected clubs. [LNB]This makes the tribunal findings sound as suspect as the initial transfer.[LNB]FULHAM TAKE THE LONG VIEW Final chance: Zinedine Zidane in action against Bayern Munich[LNB]In line for the extra place in the Europa League for fair play, but doomed to kick off their first qualifying game on June 30, there is some sympathy for Fulham, who must now endure an elongated and exhausting season. [LNB]Never forget, though, that Girondins de Bordeaux of France began their 1995-96 UEFA Cup campaign on July 1 and finished it in the final that season on May 15, having qualified through the much-maligned Intertoto Cup.[LNB]Their first game was against IFK Norrkoping of Sweden and was followed by fixtures with Bohemians (Ireland), Odense BK (Denmark), HJK Helsinki (Finland), Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany), Heerenveen (Holland), Karlsruhe (Germany), FK Vardar (Macedonia) RotorVolgograd (Russia), Real Betis (Spain), AC Milan (Italy) and Slavia Prague (Czech Republic). [LNB] Bordeaux lost to Bayern Munich in the two-legged final, having played 20 games. It was an immense achievement.[LNB]In the noisy semi-final home leg, fans held up the flags of the 10 different nationalities they had defeated en route, and the team included future World Cup winners Zinedine Zidane, Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry.[LNB]One worrying portent: Bordeaux finished the season just four points off relegation. But what a ride.[LNB] Gazza's day of madness: It's 20 years since moment that defined his career1991 FA Cup final: Spurs v Nottingham Forest - where are they now?[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Alex Ferguson, Graham Taylor, Robbie Savage, Jimmy Greaves, David Sullivan, Paul Gascoigne, David Gold, Kenny Dalglish, George Best, Paul Allen, Roman Abramovich, Zinedine Zidane Places: Cardiff, Rome, Edinburgh, Prague, Liverpool, London, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, Macedonia, Australia, Italy, Denmark, Spain, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Russia, Olympic Stadium, Scandinavia Organisations: Football Association, Wales Cricket Board
