40 Today
One of football's great unrealised talents celebrates his 40th birthday today. Paul Gascoigne could and should have been at the forefront of England's 1994 World Cup ambitions but the serious career threatening injury he suffered at the 1991 FA Cup Final took its toll and despite a spectacular goal against Scotland in Euro 1996 he never really attained the peaks his early talent suggested.
He is probably the reason that football attendances took off after that night in Turin back in the summer of 1990. The picture above, at the end of the Semi Final against Germany was shown all around the world and in England he rejuvenated the interest of the middle classes in a sport they had largely neglected for most of the post war years.
Wherever he is today I hope he's having a quiet lemonade to celebrate.
4 comments:
As I type this, Gazza is in the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle recovering from emergency surgery on a perforated stomach ulcer. He collapsed at a birthday bash being held for him on Saturday.
Shytalk! You're joking!...no, I know you're not!
Incredible isn't it, trouble is the good footballers are the brightest sparks so are easily led astray. I really think they should have carers to show them how to live normally and minders to 'disappear' any old advantage-ytaking acquaintance taht tries to lead them astary - impossible? yes.
Well, I think Gazza decided quite early on in his career that a bloke with the nickname of "Five Bellies" should be his carer/minder/whatever. Not the best decision he ever made.
That's so sad Shy and yet so typical of him I suppose. I saw him interviewed when he was in charge at Kettering last year and I have to say if Roy Keane is an alcholic where does that leave Gazza?
I know he's had a nervous illness since childhood but it was so sad to see him shaking like an old man with Parkinsons.
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