Gazza at Everton

[Cameron Manning]

Thanks mate, I'm in Germany. Bit of a trek

I think he had a lot of problems mate IIRC. Not just depression.

Yes Germany is bit of a trek, yes Gaza plenty of problems and dozens of people who bent over backwards to help him out on numerous occasions, but let everyone of them down, did he try hard enough to help himself? Maybe he didn’t have the willpower to try, so I’ll concede he needs lots of sympathy, criticises him doesn’t help at all.

 

[Joey66]

His last goal for us -

 

[Cameron Manning]

He could still play when he played for us, some of the games were amazing. He also brought high profile name and that’s a shirt seller

Spot on with your second sentence, he got Everton plenty of publicity!!

 

[Diogenes the Cynic]

I love Gazza, hope he's safe and happy these days.

 

[kenada_blue]

A great player, electrifying on his day. Unfortunately his days had disappeared long before he came to Everton. That terrible injury from his own bad tackling (against Forest in the FA Cup?) really goosed him. He's a mess now, and I haven't heard about him for quite a while but I wish him well.

Two horror knee injuries (2nd at Lazio) all down to him losing his rag and steaming into a player. The Lazio one was in training of all places when the manager had bollocked the team.

 

[Yarrgh]

Two horror knee injuries (2nd at Lazio) all down to him losing his rag and steaming into a player. The Lazio one was in training of all places when the manager had bollocked the team.

Do you know I wanted to write whilst in Italy but I can clearly remember it against Forest. My memory of it returns. Certainly he had a self destruction problem. Lots of issues but what a talent.

 

[kenada_blue]

If every aspect of players games got analysed back then, like they do now. He would get shown up much much more.

Re-watch those Euro 96 games...he was shocking.

he would be seen as a match of the day player....the odd flash of brilliance. Like a Pogba....maybe even a Hazard at a push.

As with sooo many players and sporting events, they get changed and exaggerated over time.

Think Euro 96 was his swansong to be fair. Downhill from there.

 

[Pabbers]

Think Euro 96 was his swansong to be fair. Downhill from there.

And probably the highlight of his career.

 

[München Blue]

Yes Germany is bit of a trek, yes Gaza plenty of problems and dozens of people who bent over backwards to help him out on numerous occasions, but let everyone of them down, did he try hard enough to help himself? Maybe he didn’t have the willpower to try, so I’ll concede he needs lots of sympathy, criticises him doesn’t help at all.

Sound like one of my old teachers. How do you know? Bent over backwards? Have you met him.?

 

[PhilM]

When he was at Goodison he stayed in the Redbourne hotel in Woolton, my lad was on work experience there at the time Gazza used to send him down the supermarket to buy bottles of Bacardi breezers, he also got the kitchen staff to hide bottles of wine in the kitchen for him. Gazza and fivebellies were always bladdered and he was a big tipper to the staff so they all loved him, but for some reason the male staff would get a £20 tip and the females a tenner,go figure.

As @COYBL25 mentioned, all completely true.

All true, I knew the family who owned the hotel at the time.

He also used to go and play pool with anyone who’d play with him in the English Rose, just down the road from the hotel.

He’d always have a pint of orange on the go, which had about 8 vodkas in it.

For some bizarre reason he also did this in the Fox in Speke.

The licensee's daughter mostly. Let's just say, he left his personal mark in there (or her...) and it was part of the reason why he left alongside obviously Moyes.

 

[Diogenes the Cynic]

I've only met him once when I was a kid having a meal in the Holiday Inn (I think it was, possibly another hotel, was Holiday Inn the one opposite where Radio Merseyside was /is?) in town with my Nan. Spurs were staying there the night before playing us or the rs I can't remember which.

My Nan pointed him out and I was appropriately star struck giving I was about 11yrs old and had just watched my first World Cup and he was in. My head on a fame level of seeing someone like Michael Jackson. I was too shy to say hello but my Nan was pretty tough and ordered me to go and say hello to Gazza.

He was with a couple of other Spurs players, no idea who because I had Gazza tunnel vision.

I walked over with my Nan watching me, straight in the middle of his conversation and when they stopped talking I looked Paul Gascoigne dead in the eyes and said, "Hi Gazza, excuse me, I like you."

Probably better that it wasn't Michael Jackson come to think of it. Anyway Gazza laughed his head off, rubbed my hair vigorously and asked me a couple of questions. All I remember is telling him I was with my Nan which made my coolness complete.

Anyway he was warm and friendly and genuine and made me feel happy and not embarrassed or like I was a bother which I probably was or weird like I definitely was.

He was a wonderful player too.

 

[Cameron Manning]

Sound like one of my old teachers. How do you know? Bent over backwards? Have you met him.?

Everything I’ve said came out of Gaza’s own mouth in his autobiography.

 

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Everything I’ve said came out of Gaza’s own mouth in his autobiography.

I'm not going to attempt to refute whatever is in there however it was written by a ghostwriter and I would certainly take whatever is in there with a pinch of salt. Artistic licence and all that.

I'm not commenting or defending any of the alleged behaviours, just something I think it is generally helpful to have in mind when reading from that genre.

In saying that, despite your opinion of him if you needed him he'd be there for you and any one of us with a fishing rod and fried chicken.

He's the hero we deserve but not the one we need right now.

 

[gwladysnight]

Fantastic talent let down by the hangers on surrounding him. Met him a few times, and he was like a child in an adults body in emotional terms. Desperate to be liked and prepared to do daft things in an attempt to be liked.

 

[Billy Dean]

And probably the highlight of his career.

That would've been Italia 90 and Tottenham's 1991 Cup run I would've thought