Meeting Heroes

There is a point to this.....yes aren't I buzzing...

Spent 20 minutes sat next to Paul Gasgoine this evening. As a 42 year old who's defining World Cup with alcohol was 1990 then the guy was a genius (although the defining memory of that world cup was trashing the Lord Louis (not me) after David Platt scored the winner against Belgium).

Paul's been living in Bournemouth for a while in rehab and bar a few mishaps has been off the booze. He's looking well and has been in the gym for 17 months and has less body fat as a percentage than when he played for Spurs.

His favourite current player (maybe no surprise) is Mario Balotelli and his most memorable match (for club) was scoring in the last minute for Lazio against Roma.

I know he's not everyone's cup of tea but, in fact I make no buts, the guy was a genius and a showman. He had his issues and by God he made his family pay but he's lived his life for 27 years in a microscope from a background that didn't prepare him. His talent though comes but once a generation.

Showing my age here, but I've also met my footballing hero. Like Gascoigne he was one of those outrageously talented 'mavericks' who could turn a game with one drop of the shoulder. For a kid growing up in London in the 70's, he was a footballing God, but like all footballing Gods he had his flaws - Gambling and women mainly. I will go to my grave maintaining that he was the finest English footballer that ever drew breath.

I met him when my Dad managed to arrange for us to watch a QPR training session, and I got to meet the whole squad afterwards - Parkes, Venables, Thomas, Givens, Maclintock, Francis et al. Many great players; but the only one I wanted to meet (the one I always pretended to be when me and my mates played football in the playground) was Stan Bowles.

Sorry Nick, but Gascoigne doesn't come close.

I always thought that only he could truly have had any idea what it was like to be Lady Diana. The glare of publicity never left them even for a moment and almost inevitably in both cases tragedy was seemingly inevitable. Gazza was a fantastic player. One of the best we have had of that there is no doubt. It's just a shame about the wife-beating and all the rest that went with it.

Andy_Symons wrote:

Showing my age here, but I've also met my footballing hero. Like Gascoigne he was one of those outrageously talented 'mavericks' who could turn a game with one drop of the shoulder. For a kid growing up in London in the 70's, he was a footballing God, but like all footballing Gods he had his flaws - Gambling and women mainly. I will go to my grave maintaining that he was the finest English footballer that ever drew breath.

I met him when my Dad managed to arrange for us to watch a QPR training session, and I got to meet the whole squad afterwards - Parkes, Venables, Thomas, Givens, Maclintock, Francis et al. Many great players; but the only one I wanted to meet (the one I always pretended to be when me and my mates played football in the playground) was Stan Bowles.

Sorry Nick, but Gascoigne doesn't come close.

Andy, I bow to thee.....the only one I know who can trump us, apart from Best, is Frank Worthington. Before my time but a player in all senses of the word....

Nick Wall wrote:

There is a point to this.....yes aren't I buzzing...

Paul's been living in Bournemouth for a while in rehab and bar a few mishaps has been off the booze. He's looking well and has been in the gym for 17 months and has less body fat as a percentage than when he played for Spurs.

'Fat' is a funny thing for footballers. I actually thought that little bit of apparent 'tub' helped Gazzer and certain sorts of players, as it did Marsh, waddle and Hoddle. Rooney sometimes has it. It only goes wrong when any weight slows them down.

Penzance wrote:

Nick Wall wrote:

There is a point to this.....yes aren't I buzzing...

Paul's been living in Bournemouth for a while in rehab and bar a few mishaps has been off the booze. He's looking well and has been in the gym for 17 months and has less body fat as a percentage than when he played for Spurs.

'Fat' is a funny thing for footballers. I actually thought that little bit of apparent 'tub' helped Gazzer and certain sorts of players, as it did Marsh, waddle and Hoddle. Rooney sometimes has it. It only goes wrong when any weight slows them down.

Mike Bickle had it too

Actually, yes, he did ... he could drop a shoulder, wobble a bit and leave someone in a sublime fashion, and then blast the ball sky high over the bar, head in hands ... "What ?! no pasties left ? ... damn".
I liked him... great player and entertainer. None around like him these days.

Sometimes fame and people just don't mix, but the cruelest torture is when you have fame and talent and you can't combine them.

I've never had a favorite player and although Tynan, Mariner and Rafferty stand out there's the likes of Osgood, Dougan, Banks, Keegan, Moore, Charlton and many others that have thrilled over the years. If Gazza could have hacked it he would have been up there with the best, just like Best.

That goal against Scotland at Wembley will take some beating!


As did Rickard Tring!