The latest episode in the cruel pantomime that is Paul Gascoigne's life can't help but prompt me to refer back to this little passage in Sir Alex Ferguson's autobiography Managing My Life.
"I had been determined to sign Paul ever since he tortured us with a devastating performance for Newcastle at St James' Park.
''That summer I made direct contact with Gascoigne and his agent, Mel Stein, anxious to conclude the deal before a badly needed family holiday in Malta.
''My spirits were lifted on the night of our departure by a phone call from Paul. 'Mr Ferguson, you go and enjoy your holiday' he said. 'I am signing for Manchester United when you come back.' ''
As it was, Gazza's old friend from Newcastle, Chris Waddle, was dispatched up to Tyneside to persuade him to come and sign for his club Tottenham, thus unleashing Gazza on the London party circuit.
Added Ferguson: ''Maybe his self-destructive nature would have brought him trouble anywhere, but I believe if he had signed for United he would not have had nearly as many problems."
When you contemplate the careers enjoyed by such young mega stars as Ryan Giggs and David Beckham under Ferguson's tutelage, it's hard not to think, had it not been for Waddle's intervention, just what might have been.
Nonsense. What about the recent Man Utd Christmas party? That went off without a hitch didn't it? Ferguson would simply have dumped Gascoigne as soon as his troubles became apparent. Ryan Giggs and David Beckham are both well grounded individuals with a strong support network in their choice of friends and their families, in that sense they are incomparable to Gascoigne.
Posted by: Paul | 25 February 2008 at 04:45 PM
what your saying then is that Waddle ruined Gazza's life? Thats nonesense as a professional footballer you have financial security as well as a great lifestyle all you have to do is play a game once or twice a week its not like saving lives or working two or three jobs to pay the bills. The least footballers can do is to manage their lives and not go off the rails. Absolutely ridiculous that people like Gazza and George Best (another waste of space) have so much press coverage. I totally agree with the Stan Collymore comment that some footballers are treated better than others even though they suffer the same problems. why is Gazza so special???
Posted by: mo | 27 February 2008 at 10:54 AM
Just because someone is paid millions of pounds doesn't mean that they are equipped mentally to deal with fortune and fame... "the least footballers can do is manage their lives and not go off the rails."
I think that the clubs who pay teenagers million pound salaries have a responsibilty to these players beyond just paying their wages.
Gazza did not have the mental capacity to deal with what fame and fortune threw at him... and it isn't just footballers ... look at Britney Spears recent meltdown...
I am not suggesting that Ferguson would have definitely prevented Gazza falling "off the rails"... (and neither is Henry Deedes) but Ferguson is well known for identifying the dangers of paying young and not necessarily well-educated men obscene amounts of money...
I agree that Beckham and Giggs are not comparable to Gazza but I do think it would have been interesting to see if Ferguson had been able to "master" Paul Gascoigne, where other managers obviously failed.
Posted by: biggun | 27 February 2008 at 01:23 PM
Fergie certainly has an excellent record for handling turbulent personalities. He seems to be managing the likes of rooney and ronaldo well at the moment. Rooney has appeared in no red-top scandals since his arrival at OT, whilst Ronaldos enjoyment of 'ladies of the night' certainly doesnt seem to be affecting his performance. I suspect he is indulging Ronaldo, in a similar manner that he used to do with Cantona and Barthez - with his experience he knows you cant treat everyone the same.
A drinking problem however would never be tolerated as it is always going to affect performances.
Who was the last overweight player at Utd?
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