Gazza a Claret

[claret59]

It may have been exported on here already and if so apologise for the repetition but there was a long documentary on Paul Gascoine's playing career on TV last week.
I sat through it all in the hope that as Burnley was his last league club that there would at least be mention of that momentous event. However I was disappointed that having endured 90 minutes there was no mention of his time as a claret until the very end when the credits showed all the clubs he had played for and the number of goals scored at each of them.and Burnley got a typed mention as one of them.
The documentary did not touch on his rather colourful private life and was exclusively about football.
Perhaps posters on here have some memories of his short career at The Turf. All I remember is that there was some dispute over shirts as he claimed he was not getting his financial benefits from shirt sales having his name on them as supposedly in his contract.

[Bordeauxclaret]

He probably can’t remember being here.

The rest of us wish we couldn’t.

[ClaretTony]

He probably can’t remember being here.

The rest of us wish we couldn’t.

Absolutely

[Quickenthetempo]

He was shocking.

[bobinho]

No he wasn’t. Well, not all the time anyway.

The gamble very nearly paid off….Only a world class performance from Magnus hedman prevented Gazza from sending us into the play offs. He was clearly the best footballer on display that day….

The guy was a phenomenon. Unplayable, unmanageable, unforgettable.

[CoolClaret]

No he wasn’t. Well, not all the time anyway.

The gamble very nearly paid off….Only a world class performance from Magnus hedman prevented Gazza from sending us into the play offs. He was clearly the best footballer on display that day….

The guy was a phenomenon. Unplayable, unmanageable, unforgettable.

He was f***ing dreadful

That Sheff U away game (3-0 loss) was the worst individual performance I've ever witnessed.

[Bordeauxclaret]

No he wasn’t. Well, not all the time anyway.

The gamble very nearly paid off….Only a world class performance from Magnus hedman prevented Gazza from sending us into the play offs. He was clearly the best footballer on display that day….

The guy was a phenomenon. Unplayable, unmanageable, unforgettable.

He came on for the last 8 minutes against Coventry.

His two good free kicks didn’t alter the fact he was a complete hindrance for us.

[randomclaret2]

No he wasn’t. Well, not all the time anyway.

The gamble very nearly paid off….Only a world class performance from Magnus hedman prevented Gazza from sending us into the play offs. He was clearly the best footballer on display that day….

The guy was a phenomenon. Unplayable, unmanageable, unforgettable.

Are we talking about his shambolic time with us, or when he was at his peak ?

[Clovius Boofus]

Lots of people got quite giddy when the news broke. I wasn't over-enamoured by his appointment, given his well-publicised rest and recuperation methods.

[claret wizard]

After the Gillingham game, went up to the Kettledrum, Gazza was outside already refuelling.

[Silkyskills1]

For those that saw him at Sheffield United there is only one verdict. An embarrassing liability.

[iowalan]

Saw gazza at Fratton Park not long after he signed...he was a substitute ....as he was stripping down to come on everybody from both sets of supporters gave a spontaneous round of applause .....which..... with a huge grin ....gazza acknowledged ....only for seconds later the portsmouth fans to belt out who ate all the pies !

[ClaretTony]

No he wasn’t. Well, not all the time anyway.

The gamble very nearly paid off….Only a world class performance from Magnus hedman prevented Gazza from sending us into the play offs. He was clearly the best footballer on display that day….

The guy was a phenomenon. Unplayable, unmanageable, unforgettable.

Best footballer on display? Are you serious? He was not fit to play because of drink and came on as a sub with 8 minutes to go. Hedman made two saves from two free kicks, that hardly makes it a world class performance.

Gascoigne was an embarrassment at Burnley and we didn’t benefit one iota for him being with us.

[CoolClaret]

Best footballer on display? Are you serious? He was not fit to play because of drink and came on as a sub with 8 minutes to go. Hedman made two saves from two free kicks, that hardly makes it a world class performance.

Gascoigne was an embarrassment at Burnley and we didn’t benefit one iota for him being with us.

Im of the opinion that we may have made the playoffs if we didn’t play/sign him.

He really was terrible.

[Woodleyclaret]

Allegedly paid £10,000 appearance money per game one of major blunders.Totally disinterested in playing for us.

[bfcjg]

Stan absolutely bombed with that one, he was hoping it would work like it did when we signed the still excellent Ian Wright. I remember watching Gascoigne wobble around and sweat profusely during his last game for Everton when it was strongly rumoured he was coming here, I genuinely couldn't believe why we were interested in signing the blubbering bulbous lump of lard.

[claptrappers_union]

His time at Burnley was forgetful. I think Stan figured he could give the place a lift, help Gazza get refocused on his football and clean up his act. Sadly, it didn't work

Still my all-time favourite footballer, though.

[claptrappers_union]

The gamble very nearly paid off….Only a world class performance from Magnus Hedman prevented Gazza from sending us into the playoffs. He was the best footballer on display that day….

I misremembered this, too. I found the match highlights on YouTube recently. Those world-class saves you remember were routine.

It should been in the script for him to score.

[Wokingclaret]

He might has been terrible, but when I tell other fans of other clubs, that Gazza played for Burnley they look at me..............

[Clive 1960]

Can't blame Gazza he had health issues and shouldn't have been signed , down to the management.

[Burnley1989]

He probably can’t remember being here.

The rest of us wish we couldn’t.

He was a dick, I waited for an hour after the last game of the season as a kid and his fat mate snuck him out through the back door and he just drove past about 10 of us.

[CoolClaret]

He was a dick, I waited for an hour after the last game of the season as a kid and his fat mate snuck him out through the back door and he just drove past about 10 of us.

[CrosspoolClarets]

I recall being in the away end at Grimsby when Gazza came on at half time with us 3-0 down. Gazza was giving it some to the away end to try to get everyone going, and his face was beetroot red. To be fair to him, he tried, but by heck he was incapable at that time.

As said above though, very nearly scored the free-kick that sneaked us into the playoffs, though with our form at the end of that season a fat lot of good it would have done us.

[ChristheViking]

Alcoholism is often identified as an illness much in the same way mental health is.

It is well known that Gazza had his demons and he had them when he was with us.

In a week when there has been many accolades about Lyle Foster and the support for him, some of the comments on this thread are poor and in some cases downright appalling.

None of you were in his shoes. None of you knew what he was going thru. The name-calling and slurs are an embarrassment.

[Clive 1960]

Alcoholism is often identified as an illness much in the same way mental health is.

It is well known that Gazza had his demons and he had them when he was with us.

In a week when there has been many accolades about Lyle Foster and the support for him, some of the comments on this thread are poor and in some cases downright appalling.

None of you were in his shoes. None of you knew what he was going thru. The name-calling and slurs are an embarrassment.

Couldn't agree more , for some people a week is a long time. I was at the Sheffield utd away game when Gazza played and what i was told day's later I'm shocked the manager let him play .

[Bangers&Mash]

Was once at an event he spoke at - he said in the late 70s/early 80s it was every lads dream to come through Burnley's youth set up, and only Leeds came close. He attended open trials for both and was never picked up

[Herts Clarets]

I recall being in the away end at Grimsby when Gazza came on at half time with us 3-0 down. Gazza was giving it some to the away end to try to get everyone going, and his face was beetroot red. To be fair to him, he tried, but by heck he was incapable at that time.

As said above though, very nearly scored the free-kick that sneaked us into the playoffs, though with our form at the end of that season a fat lot of good it would have done us.

I was also at Grimsby and to be fair to Gazza he wasn't the only Burnley player that looked incapable that day.

[NottsClaret]

He was a 34 year old, depressed alcoholic with numerous other physical and mental issues. The blame should lie with our club for that fiasco.

[claptrappers_union]

I wouldnt call it a fiasco, Ternent and Kilby rolled the dice. The failure of reaching the play-offs that season wasn't because we signed Gazza.

[Buxtonclaret]

He was f***ing dreadful

That Sheff U away game (3-0 loss) was the worst individual performance I've ever witnessed.

I just don't think he was close to being sober.
It was cringeworthy watching him.
Frustrating as it was, it was equally sad watching one of the greatest players of his generation looking so inept on the pitch.

[Nori1958]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing
I think most supporters thought it was a great signing at the time, following on from the Ian Wright success, yet now everyone knew it would be a failure

[Big Vinny K]

I seem to remember that the deal was £200k to Gazza for an 8 week contract.
As said I think most burnley fans were excited about this - especially with how close we were to the play off places and what had happened with Ian Wright in the previous season.

I don’t think as fans back then many of us knew the extent of Gazza’s problems - much of this came out after his career had finished. But within the inner football circles of players, managers etc I am really surprised that our manager, players, and others at the club had not heard enough stories for them to stay well clear.

And I’m also not sure how he could have passed any kind of medical or fitness test given the state he was in. It’s not like we had time to bed him in.

I went to Grimsby and it was pretty sad to see how bad he was.

That last game against Coventry has ended up one of those mythical games where fans tend to say they saw glimpses of the real Gazza. Tbh I remember very little about this game other than I think Gazza had 2 free kicks saved by their keeper - not one. I can’t remember how he played that day or even how close the free kicks were. I know Hedman had a good game but our memories are probably playing tricks on us about how good those free kicks were because so many people like Gazza and want to remember him for good things.

Ian Wright, Gazza, Andrew Coke - 2 out of 3 ain’t bad !!

[fidelcastro]

Isn't Andrew Coke one of the regulars in the CFS?

[Big Vinny K]

Oops !

[claptrappers_union]

Here is the video I found of Hedman's 'world-class' saves.

Unfortunately, it's filmed on a laptop with a potato, but I've set the video to play from the two free kicks.

https://youtu.be/IrDie7BHgvM?si=LI29lPbf3mYKgB29&t=232

[CoolClaret]

Here is the video I found of Hedman's 'world-class' saves.

Unfortunately, it's filmed on a laptop with a potato, but I've set the video to play from the two free kicks.

https://youtu.be/IrDie7BHgvM?si=LI29lPbf3mYKgB29&t=232

lol @ the ‘world class’ saves line.

We have come a long way haven’t we?

First thing I always notice watching footage pre 2010 is how much I prefer that badge and especially on white shorts!

Is claret and blue hooped socks, white shorts, claret shirt with blue trim and the old badge too much to ask for?!

[CrosspoolClarets]

I was also at Grimsby and to be fair to Gazza he wasn't the only Burnley player that looked incapable that day.

We were rubbish that day but the last minute goal was nearly enough for the playoffs. That season we had a decent team but they bottled a chance at promotion, no doubt to me, because there were good players in that team, Ball, Little, Johnson, Taylor etc.

With what happened afterwards, nigh on a decade in the Premier League in 3 spells, we can’t say we have missed out, but it felt like it at the time.

Back to Gazza, he seemed to still want it, and he did what he had to do with those free kicks, he put them on target, but he wasn’t capable physically anymore. His alcoholism deserves a lot of sympathy because he simply couldn’t cope with who he was, which is the biggest genius England had in decades. It remains great to have seen him at our club, even if the genius was extremely fleeting.

My mind then goes to how many hundreds of players are also addicts in one form or another, but who don’t have the scrutiny and it goes unnoticed. Players go in and out of form and sometimes these things can explain why. It’s a mentally brutal sport at that level, and hard to cope with.

[Herts Clarets]

Here is the video I found of Hedman's 'world-class' saves.

Unfortunately, it's filmed on a laptop with a potato, but I've set the video to play from the two free kicks.

https://youtu.be/IrDie7BHgvM?si=LI29lPbf3mYKgB29&t=232

The first one low down to his left was a half decent save, the second one routine and i would have expected Heaton or Pope to have caught it, Both free kicks were pretty poor from watching that footage (I was at the original game in a box in the Longside with a Cov supporting friend) and certainly nowhere near as good or as close as my time clouded memory told me they were.

[cricketfield73]

Here is the video I found of Hedman's 'world-class' saves.

Unfortunately, it's filmed on a laptop with a potato, but I've set the video to play from the two free kicks.

https://youtu.be/IrDie7BHgvM?si=LI29lPbf3mYKgB29&t=232

Definitely a case of my memory playing tricks on me with this one. Firstly, maybe it was highly 'wishful thinking' in the heat of the moment that we'd been foiled only by something utterly brilliant, which on refection were very good albeit relatively routine saves, but most of all, I could have sworn that the second free kick was taken from the opposite side of the goal in the kind of position that I recall Danny Fox scoring a cracker from on his debut, again, subject to my very dodgy memory.....

[ClaretTony]

That season we had a decent team but they bottled a chance at promotion, no doubt to me, because there were good players in that team, Ball, Little, Johnson, Taylor etc.

When we beat Stockport at home we had 49 points from 24 games and were top of the league. But then just 26 points from the final 22 games and not even a top six place at the end.

We’d lost it long before Gascoigne signed for us to be honest although he did come into a side that had just won its last two games. He was no longer up to it sadly and I always regret him coming to Burnley, I’d have much preferred to remember the Gazza I watched starring for England under Robson & Venables.

[claptrappers_union]

The first one low down to his left was a half-decent save, the second one routine, and I would have expected Heaton or Pope to have caught it; both free kicks were pretty poor from watching that footage (I was at the original game in a box in the Longside with a Cov supporting friend) and certainly nowhere near as good or as close as my time clouded memory told me they were.

The atmosphere was electric... we needed one goal, and Stan brought on Paul Gascoigne, and we won two free kicks... It was written in the stars. From what I remember, we didn't have much luck with free kicks; seeing them going over the wall and being on target was novelty enough. I wish it had been different, but I don't think we were strong enough to have gone all the way via the playoffs.

[bfcjg]

Alcoholism is often identified as an illness much in the same way mental health is.

It is well known that Gazza had his demons and he had them when he was with us.

In a week when there has been many accolades about Lyle Foster and the support for him, some of the comments on this thread are poor and in some cases downright appalling.

None of you were in his shoes. None of you knew what he was going thru. The name-calling and slurs are an embarrassment.

No body has insulted him as a human being but I think it is fair to comment on his football prowess and his attitude towards his fitness. You can't help but like Gazza, I think he has a heart of gold however when you are in the public domain earning a fortune you are open to be criticism.

[fidelcastro]

No body has insulted him as a human being but I think it is fair to comment on his football prowess and his attitude towards his fitness. You can't help but like Gazza, I think he has a heart of gold however when you are in the public domain earning a fortune you are open to be criticism.

Can't help but like him?

I feel the exact opposite.

[1989_claret]

Saw him play for Boro against us in the reserves at Turf Moor before he signed for us and he ran the show (or that’s what I was told as I was too young to remember).

He was pants for us and another game to add alongside the others listed above is Portsmouth away where he couldn’t move.

[Herts Clarets]

From what I remember, we didn't have much luck with free kicks; seeing them going over the wall and being on target was novelty enough

To be fair, last season and Scott Twine/JBG excepted, it still is a novelty. We are used to Josh Brownhill and his 'wall or row Z' efforts.

[Garnerssoap]

Couple of years after he left my sister got my old fella a signed Gazza burnley shirt in a frame. She’d won it in a sealed bid auction at Pinner School fete…. for a tenner.
Still in his study if anyone would like to bid again it’s a really nice frame.

[ClaretPete001]

Wonderful player in his day but he was without a doubt the worst player I've seen in a Burnley shirt bar none.

I do recall Paul Merson trotted up to the Turf looking a shambles to be greeted by 90 minutes of chants of 'you're just a fat alcoholic' from the Longside in his Portsmouth days but he showed all his class and they stuffed us something like 3-0.

Quite possibly the worst abuse I've seen one player get at the Turf but amyway back to Gazza - sadly he was long gone by the time he got to us.

[claptrappers_union]

I do recall Paul Merson trotted up to the Turf looking a shambles to be greeted by 90 minutes of chants of 'you're just a fat alcoholic' from the Longside in his Portsmouth days but he showed all his class and they stuffed us something like 3-0.

Merson was brilliant that day. He tore us to shreds. I'd never really appreciated him as a footballer until I saw him in that match. He was ahead of everyone else.

[karatekid]

One of Englands greatest players pulled on our famous Claret and Blue shirt and I was there to witness it. That will do for me. It didn’t work out unfortunately for him or us but no one can deny that the lad who scored that goal against Scotland at Wembley was class when he was focused on the beautiful game.
I personally wish him all the best.

[Blondeclaret]

Best footballer on display? Are you serious? He was not fit to play because of drink and came on as a sub with 8 minutes to go. Hedman made two saves from two free kicks, that hardly makes it a world class performance.

Gascoigne was an embarrassment at Burnley and we didn’t benefit one iota for him being with us.

He wasn’t well at all. Whilst standing in the tunnel he was shaking and pill popping, he anxiety’s got the better of him. He still had all the skills but his fitness was lacking. Very wrong to put this down to alcoholism it was far more than that.