Paul Gascoigne

[rogerthecat]

Lashed out in frustration at his wife...

I've no respect for him whatsoever. Same goes for Collymore and King.

 

[Sabri Natenagewitch]

Blah blah inner demons. so f***ing what, we all have f***ing demons to face, we don't all run behind the bottle.

 

[Kjetil Osvold's Cat]

I can only go off what's been viewable in the public arena, but I'd be surprised if he's not a decent lad deep down. I would say that I don't know much about what happened with his wife but if he's just decided to lash out because he was frustrated then yeah that's not on and you'd hope he'd agree.

I think as an extrovert who was in the public eye it's maybe not surprising that he'd go off the rails a bit and be a bit bizarre when he started suffering from whetever anxieties/unhappiness he did. As a private introvert I couldn't fully relate but because he was impulsive and the life of the party etc it's not surprising that he would act up rather than just go into his shell perhaps?

And yeah as a player, he did have a lot of talent and in a football sense at least a good brain too. To be honest England haven't had a midfielder of that type and ability since, and I agree with what Pearce said or the jist/idea of it - someone who can pass and dribble with the best of them from the middle of the pitch could make the difference in a major tournament and carry the team further due to opening up the game for team-mates to take advantage of.

 

[Kjetil Osvold's Cat]

Another ex-player who probably split opinion but is a decent man deep down I would think (seemed arrogant on the pitch and as coach at times, but also I think had/has compassion and respect for others - he runs a centre to help disabled kids and takes pride in that I know) is Johan Cruyff.

And if Gazza was a player, then Cruyff was possibly twice as good! Hopefully he pulls through and beats his cancer.

 

[Kjetil Osvold's Cat]

But, to be fair, although if you asked Parker and Charles it's possible they could even have more of an issue with Roy Keane (judging by what's on another thread) and a minority of Forest fans even (when he was taking some stick) respectively, I think the correct decision in the FA Cup Final would have been to send Gazza off for the challenge on Parker.

Whether it was just as dangerous potentially as whatever he did to his wife I dunno. But it was probably the worst challenge I'd seen of that type until De Jong took out Alonso in 2010 (and also didn't get sent off!).

 

[Francis Benali (on loan)]

They were horrendous challenges then, but time has still made them worse.

See the two challenges Pearce received yellows for at Leicester, and his challenge on McMinn in the game he stayed on to score the winner.

At the time of that Cup Final there would have been a lot of people who would have been unhappy with the decision if Gascoigne had been sent off, when today everybody would expect a straight red for both challenges.

 

[Kjetil Osvold's Cat]

They were horrendous challenges then, but time has still made them worse.

See the two challenges Pearce received yellows for at Leicester, and his challenge on McMinn in the game he stayed on to score the winner.

At the time of that Cup Final there would have been a lot of people who would have been unhappy with the decision if Gascoigne had been sent off, when today everybody would expect a straight red for both challenges.

Yeah, there's some truth in that (aside from examples like the De Jong challenge and certain other studs up challenges on ankles etc that sometimes don't get penalised with a red in the modern day still).

Nowadays, honest and 'nothing' challenges end up being over-penalised with cards so it's probably gone too far the other way in general.

I was watching French TV so probably cries of "Zut alor! Est Parkerrr mort?" made it seem even worse.

Nigel Clough's challenge on Paul Stewart in that other Forest-Tottenham game was less bad and less deserving of a red though I'd feel (even taking bias out of it - including the increased bias of teenage memories).

 

[Francis Benali (on loan)]

I think because it was Stewart and Forest hated him, there might have been there intent with the Clough challenge. Pearce was sent off early in the season and think it had something to do with him too.

I can't remember the challenge too well know, but I always thought of that as one otherwise impeccably behaved footballer allowing himself one exception to deliver justice in football tackle form to Paul Stewart.

 

[Kjetil Osvold's Cat]

Yeah, that's definitely what it was - like a sliding challenge from behind but instead of a hack at the ball it was at Stewart's shin was it? Weirdly he said he was protecting Roy Keane from Stewart (but Keane in those days was pretty well behaved with his tackling on the pitch as Brian Clough wouldn't have it any other way, and was young).

I do think nowadays the Gazza foul on Charles would be an automatic yellow because it was committed on the edge of the box. But maybe he'd have got a second yellow if he'd not injured himself then too, which strictly speaking should have meant Tottenham went to 10 men instead of bringing on Nayim of course. I think that was how it happened wasn't it - a yellow for the Parker challenge and nothing for the Charles one?

 

[BryanRoy22]

Blah blah inner demons. so f***ing what, we all have f***ing demons to face, we don't all run behind the bottle.

They're normally more of a danger to themselves than anyone else so I tend to be a little more compassionate and empathetic when people have depression or alcohol problems. It's not the real them you're seeing, and having spoken with and calmed down blokes in bars before, there's normally reasons behind behaviour.

 

[Barry]

Ted Mcsheep had 5 minutes earlier put Brian Rice into the main stand car park with a tackle that would have seen him get a red now days as well..... Pearce got involved in that and then dealt him some retribution... its how the game was back then. Gazza should have got his two yellows and been gone and if we'd have lost there could have been no complaint.

 

[Hoax]

I never used to like the bloke but watched a documentary about him (available on Putlocker for those that know) and the guy has had a f**ked up life. One thing that really stood out for me was when he offered to nip one of his childhood friends brother to the shop when he was young and the poor sod was run over and killed 2 minutes after they left the house and he blamed himself.

 

[DanR]

What I like most about that Souness 'tackle' is that he actually already had the ball. I can almost forgive him for being a scouser for that.

 

[Francis Benali (on loan)]

He wasn't booked for either, Kjetil.

We look back on it now and moan because it's unbelievable that two straight red offences didn't even earn Gascoigne a booking. It wasn't right at the time, but it wasn't unusual either.

What about Jones' tackle on McMahon in the 88 final? Players did get away with shocking tackles that today they wouldn't unless the official missed it. Truth is, neutrals watching would have thought Gascoigne's challenges terrible, but they'd have been more outraged if he had been sent off for either. And people would have said then that the ref needs to make allowances for it being the Cup Final too. I don't think at half time they even talked about the possibility of a red. I have it on vid somewhere, I can have a look.

We also got two big decisions to get in a half time one up. Glover fouled Mabbutt in the wall for Pearce's goal. Lineker had a goal incorrectly ruled offside. In reality, Spurs lost their best player early on, but Forest weren't very good on the day, failed to capitalize on lost to the better team.

 

[rogerthecat]

I think because it was Stewart and Forest hated him, there might have been there intent with the Clough challenge. Pearce was sent off early in the season and think it had something to do with him too.

I can't remember the challenge too well know, but I always thought of that as one otherwise impeccably behaved footballer allowing himself one exception to deliver justice in football tackle form to Paul Stewart.

Nigel's foul on Stewart was my personal highlight of the season. Totally out of character for him but richly deserved by Stewart. I had an excellent view and it was a beautiful thing to behold.

 

[Francis Benali (on loan)]

We won too, didn't we? In the last minute with a Pearce free-kick. Clough also scored. We always won at Spurs in cracking games.



Victories at WHL are the thing I've missed most since Forest left the top flight.

 

[Francis Benali (on loan)]

Always thought Paul Stewart looked like Riff in West Side Story and could picture him singing Officer Krupke.

 

[BryanRoy22]

Stuart Pearce is on Sky Sports 1 right now telling some good stories and naming the best 11 he's played with.

Wonder if he'll name Gazza....

 

[888balluk]

Stuart Pearce is on Sky Sports 1 right now telling some good stories and naming the best 11 he's played with.

Wonder if he'll name Gazza....

f**king missed it

Grrrr

Was it good? What was his team

 

[BryanRoy22]

f**king missed it

Grrrr

Was it good? What was his team

Was really good.

GK: Shilts
CB: Tony Adams
CB: Terry Butcher
CB: Des Walker
LWB: John Barnes
RWB: Gary Neville
CM: Paul Gascoigne
CM: Bryan Robson
AM: Ali Bernarbia
CF: Alan Shearer
CF: Gary Lineker

Not bad at all. After hearing Pearce's comments on Bernarbia, the man has just elevated to legend status for me.

Pearce describes that he was on 99 career goals at Man City and Bernarbia had been reading in the paper that Pearce needed 1 more goal to reach 100 career goals. So Bernarbia said 'Stu, you need one more goal to reach 100? No problem, I will get get you that goal'. So as the game was going on, Bernarbia dribbled into the penalty area and flicked the ball up at the defender's hand, ran over to the penalty spot with the ball, waved Pearce over and said 'Stu, there you go. I told you'. Pearce missed the penalty but still, the sentiment was there.

Another story he told was when Pearce moved into the coaching team at City, and Keegan and himself were discussing Bernarbia towards the end of the following season. Bernarbia was slowing down a bit and his legs were going. Pearce and Keegan were both debating what to do with him as he was a decent guy and had a year left on his contract. So at the end of one particular game where he had a stinker, Keegan, Pearce and the rest of the coaching staff were sat around a table and Bernarbia walked in and shook everyone's hand one by one and declared 'Goodbye everyone. That's me done. I'm finished'. Then he proceeded to rip up his contract and laid it on the table.

What a man. To recognise he was only going to be a passenger and having the decency not to take any wages from the club.

 

[Strummer]

I remember Ali Benarbia playing at PSG (before he joined Man City) he was renowned as a class act there also.

One of Algeria's greatest ever players.

 

[888balluk]

Was really good.

GK: Shilts
CB: Tony Adams
CB: Terry Butcher
CB: Des Walker
LWB: John Barnes
RWB: Gary Neville
CM: Paul Gascoigne
CM: Bryan Robson
AM: Ali Bernarbia
CF: Alan Shearer
CF: Gary Lineker

Not bad at all. After hearing Pearce's comments on Bernarbia, the man has just elevated to legend status for me.

Pearce describes that he was on 99 career goals at Man City and Bernarbia had been reading in the paper that Pearce needed 1 more goal to reach 100 career goals. So Bernarbia said 'Stu, you need one more goal to reach 100? No problem, I will get get you that goal'. So as the game was going on, Bernarbia dribbled into the penalty area and flicked the ball up at the defender's hand, ran over to the penalty spot with the ball, waved Pearce over and said 'Stu, there you go. I told you'. Pearce missed the penalty but still, the sentiment was there.

Another story he told was when Pearce moved into the coaching team at City, and Keegan and himself were discussing Bernarbia towards the end of the following season. Bernarbia was slowing down a bit and his legs were going. Pearce and Keegan were both debating what to do with him as he was a decent guy and had a year left on his contract. So at the end of one particular game where he had a stinker, Keegan, Pearce and the rest of the coaching staff were sat around a table and Bernarbia walked in and shook everyone's hand one by one and declared 'Goodbye everyone. That's me done. I'm finished'. Then he proceeded to rip up his contract and laid it on the table.

What a man. To recognise he was only going to be a passenger and having the decency not to take any wages from the club.

Is there any way of watching this again

 

[Francis Benali (on loan)]

Nigel's foul on Stewart was my personal highlight of the season. Totally out of character for him but richly deserved by Stewart. I had an excellent view and it was a beautiful thing to behold.

 

[Super Coops]

They were horrendous challenges then, but time has still made them worse.

See the two challenges Pearce received yellows for at Leicester, and his challenge on McMinn in the game he stayed on to score the winner.

At the time of that Cup Final there would have been a lot of people who would have been unhappy with the decision if Gascoigne had been sent off, when today everybody would expect a straight red for both challenges.

I think, even then, both fouls were nailed on yellow cards but Milford failed to his job. The one on Parker was particularly horrendous and I've seen an interview where Gazza himself says he wishes he'd been sent off for it. He got a yellow for the foul on Charles which wasn't as bad as the first one.

 

[Francis Benali (on loan)]

He wishes he was sent off for the first one because the second one screwed up his career.