Gascoigne fined for racism offence

SUNDERLAND insist there was nothing sinister about defender Patrick van Aanholt’s late withdrawal from Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Tottenham, but have yet to clarify the exact nature of the “medical reasons” behind his absence.

WEST HAM NAPOLI have confirmed that Chelsea summer transfer target Kalidou Koulibaly, 25, has signed a new long-term contract with the Italian club until 2021. FORMER England footballer Paul Gascoigne has been fined £1,000 (RM5,440) and ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation by a court yesterday for making a racist comment to a black security guard at his An Evening With Gazza show last year.

Dudley Magistrates Court was told Gascoigne, 49, had humiliated Errol Rowe, who had been given the job of protecting him during his performance in Wolverhampton on Nov 30 last year, by asking him: “Can you smile please, because I can’t see you?”

District Judge Graham Wilkinson, fining Gascoigne, told the retired playmaker: “You sought to get a laugh from an audience of over 1,000 people because of the colour of Rowe’s skin.”

It had appeared Gascoigne, who made his name at northeast club Newcastle United before enjoying spells at Tottenham Hotspur, Rome club Lazio and Glasgow Rangers, would contest the charge.

But Gascoigne changed his plea before the first witness was called to give evidence yesterday.

Following Gascoigne’s guilty plea, Wilkinson said the former midfielder, a member of the England side that reached the semifinals of the 1990 World Cup in Italy, had admitted to “the sort of insidious racism” that needed to be challenged.

One of the most naturally talented English footballers of his generation, Gascoigne’s post-playing career has become best known for repeated struggles with alcoholism and mental illness. – AFP

contract will be worth about £50,000 a week.Tottenham have already rewarded Alli, Eric Dier, Christian Eriksen, Kevin Wimmer, Tom Carroll and Harry Winks with new contracts since manager Mauricio Pochettino signed his new deal in May.The club are expected to follow up the Alli deal by announcing new contracts for full-backs Rose and Walker and central defender Vertonghen in the next few weeks, with chairman Daniel Levy determined to tie all the club’s young stars down on long-term deals. – Express Newspaperhave initiated contract talks with 23-year-old striker Romelu Lukaku in a bid to secure the Belgium international’s longterm future at the club.have postponed contract talks with manager Slaven Bilic, 48, until he is able to turn around the club’s poor form.