He used to sparkle for England... now sad Gazza can’t score at Goose Fair
PAUL Gascoigne lit up Nottingham on many occasions when he was playing for Newcastle and Tottenham during his glory years.
He scored as the Magpies won against Forest at the City Ground in January 1988, and starred for Spurs as they regularly took away all the points in the late 80s and early 90s.
But it was a very different Gazza who tried his luck at this year’s Goose Fair, as Mirror Online reports.
The former England star was filmed trying to win a £20 prize for scoring through a hole with three shots out of three. Paul Gascoigne tried his luck on a Goose Fair stall offering £20 for scoring through a hole with three shots out of three. He failed to score at all – even when he was given a fourth go free
FOOTBALLING LEGEND ‘UNABLE TO KICK A BALL STRAIGHT’
However, he failed to score with any of his shots – even when he was given a fourth go free.
A child can be heard in the video asking: “Is that Paul Gascoigne?”
Someone replies: “Yeah, he used to be a footballer.”
One reveller said Gazza, who has battled drink and drug addiction, was almost unrecognisable at the fair on the weekend of October 6/7. “It was sad to see such a legend unable to kick a ball straight,” the man added. “He desperately needs help.”
Gazza struggled to get the ball off the ground in his first two tries. After a frustrated volley off target, staff let him have a fourth go.
The film emerged as football chiefs in Scotland banned Gazza from their hall of fame amid fears for his health. Their decision, after he was nominated, was blasted by his friend and exwales captain Vinnie Jones as a “massive kick to a man in recovery”.
Gascoigne won 57 England caps which, in addition to Newcastle and Spurs, took in Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton, Burnley and Boston United. He won the FA Cup in 1991 but famously missed most of the final against Forest after rupturing his cruciate ligament in a shocking tackle on Gary Charles.
He missed the entire 1991-92 season while he recovered but the injury put back his £5.5m transfer to Lazio. There was also controversy when Glenn Hoddle omitted him from his final squad for the 1998 World Cup. He never played for his country again.