The decline and fall of Paul Gascoigne has been so predictable that most of us probably saw it coming. In fact the script had been written years ago and now Gazza finds himself right at the bottom.

He drank like a fish, battered his long suffering wife Sheryl to a pulp and then pleaded forgiveness. When the nights of booze and debauchery became too much he would curl up into a gutter, cry himself to sleep and wonder where it all went wrong.

Gascoigne, the former Newcastle, Spurs, Lazio and Rangers whizzkid, was arguably the greatest midfield playmaker since Glen Hoddle, Tony Currie or Alan Hudson. But Gazza burned the candle at both ends and night-times were meant for clubbing.

'For Paul Gascoigne life was all about excessive fun and frolics. This clownish, carousing and cavorting Geordie literally lived the dream'


For Paul Gascoigne life was all about excessive fun and frolics. This clownish, carousing and cavorting Geordie literally lived the dream. He revelled in the bad boy image, staggering out of bars at three in the morning and then burping at Italian photographers.

Before the 1996 European Championships in England, Gazza and his childish team mates indulged in the most unforgivable of benders. In a Far East bar, Gazza was plonked into what was then described as the dentist chair and showered in alcohol. The on-field antics were equally as shocking. There were the silly faces, tedious arguments with referees and the kind of tomfoolery expected of an eight year old.

But the defining point of Gazza's stormy career came 18 years ago. It was the kind of incident that typified the man. His capacity for self destructiveness had always been close to the surface. Now the volcano was about to blow.

Minutes into the 1991 FA Cup final the Spurs midfield conjuror lunged at Nottingham Forest's Gary Charles with the most dangerous tackle Wembley had ever seen. Gazza was stretchered off the pitch with a long term injury and a career was in turmoil.

Sports psychologists would give us a whole list of reasons for Gazza's downfall. There was the troubled and broken childhood, the overwhelming sense of rejection by his parents and, above all, the day he fell out of a tree. Nonsense you may say but the life and times of Paul Gascoigne have now been played out in front of a wide audience.

There have been the wild nights out with the lads, the incurable naughtiness and the infamous relationship with Sheryl. He may have been rebellious, some would say almost revolutionary. There were also the moments of comic madness and sheer stupidity. Gazza was the class clown who never really grew up.

Even now you can see him; the mischief maker who never paid attention, the tearful outbursts and absurd scribbles on the desk. Most of us, though, will just cherish those lovely mazy runs at defences, the heavenly passing and, of course the goals. No Miss, he didn't pinch little girls bums, nor did he flick pieces of paper at the history teacher.

Paul Gascoigne just wanted to play football and nobody perhaps did it better.