Gazza back on a dark path

It looks as though Gazza is on a downward spiral once again. It's really sad to see this happening to one of my favourite footballers of all time. Love the bloke, really do.


http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/paul-gascoigne-says-no-one-1572075

"No one can save me": Shocking pictures show Paul Gascoigne wracked by booze and pills

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Friends fear he is killing himself but former footballer admits "I just can't live without a pint"

Bloated and tearful football legend Paul Gascoigne cuts a tragic figure in this photo that will shock fans.

Gazza, 45, who is hooked on a mix of valium and strong lager, has told a friend he will die if he does not quit boozing.

But he admits: "I just can't live without a drink."

This week Gazza suffered a disturbing breakdown after appearing drunk in front of fans.

Yesterday the ex-England star was back buying beer at 11 in the morning.

Eleven o’clock in the morning – and Paul Gascoigne *cuts a sad figure as he emerges from an off licence with a bag of strong lager.

Just two days earlier the bloated and barely recognisable ex-England star had burst into tears in front of 500 people at a *charity event and was led off stage shaking and trembling.

But despite previously vowing to beat his demons, Gazza has told friends he knows he is in danger and admits that he “can’t live without a pint”.

Pals fear his drinking is out of control and he will end up killing himself with booze.

He told one: “The one thing I can’t live without in my life is a drink,” adding: “I know I have to stop boozing but I simply can’t.”


Yesterday morning wearing the same beer-stained clothes he had on on Thursday night, he bought six cans of Stella from the corner shop near his home.

He later took a taxi to a nearby pub, then staggered on to the street just after 1pm.

Friends have revealed he went off the rails after a pal from a clinic where they were both being treated died weeks ago. Paul was holding his hand as he passed away.

A close friend said yesterday: “Paul has hit rock bottom and he desperately needs help.

“He knows he shouldn’t be drinking but he can’t stop. In his heart Paul knows no one can save him but himself. But at the same time he says he can’t live without a pint.”

Now those closest to Gazza, 45, who is fighting depression, alcoholism and drug addiction, fear his life has spiralled out of all control.

The star is combining booze with valium – a deadly cocktail pals fear will kill him.

“The most worrying thing of all is that Paul is no longer going to the rehabilitation clinic where he was being treated,” his friend said.

“He is living in a flat on his own, has hardly any friends and is drinking himself to death. There is no woman in his life because he knows he is undateable.

“He has been hit really hard by the death of one of his mates from the clinic who died from alcoholism. Paul was holding his hand when he died and he knows unless he sorts himself out he will end up the same.

“But even after watching his friend die he still can’t kick the habit.”

Gazza’s former England team-mate Chris Waddle yesterday spoke of his anguish at his friend’s *descent into oblivion.

He said: “We’ve just got to hope that one day the penny will drop and he’ll get through all this. I wish him all the best and hope he can be a bit stronger.

“What he really needs to know is that he’s loved by everybody in England and the whole nation will be rooting for him.”

Experts say our disturbing pictures indicate he is *following the same path as George Best, who died from liver disease at 59 in 2005.

Gazza’s behaviour shocked fans on Thursday at his show, An Evening With Paul Gascoigne, at the Park Inn hotel, *Northampton.

He has been on a nationwide tour with the shows, which also raise money for good causes. But when a friend called to collect the star from near his home in Bournemouth, Dorset, he was drunk.

Bipolar Gazza insisted he would sober up by the time he got to the event but then produced cans of beer which he drank on the journey.

He arrived trembling and swigged more beer as he waited to go on stage for the question-and-answer session.

During the talk he was shaking uncontrollably, slurring his words and soon started sobbing. One guest who witnessed the scenes said: “It was like watching him die in front of our eyes.”


It sparked anger in the audience when he was led away, and one person even tried to punch his agent, Terry Baker. Yesterday Terry said he had cancelled more than a dozen of Gazza’s future shows.

He said: “The priority is that Paul gets better. On reflection he probably shouldn’t have attended Thursday’s event but he really didn’t want to let down the people who had come to see him.

“Also the shows are Paul’s main source of income and he needs to work just like anyone else. That is why the step of cancelling his future gigs hasn’t been taken lightly.

“I love Paul and I just want to see him get well again. I just really hope he gets back to his sparkling best very soon because he *genuinely is a nice, generous and kind man.”

Many people at the event took to Twitter to reveal their shock. Former Hull City player Andy Holt, who was there, wrote: “Possibly the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. He’s an *absolute wreck. So sad!!”

Newcastle-born Gazza, regarded as one of England’s most gifted players ever, has battled alcoholism and drug use since retiring in 2004. I

n a glittering career he won 57 caps and made 391 club appearances for teams that included Newcastle, Tottenham, Everton, Middlesbrough, Glasgow Rangers and Lazio.

But two years ago he said he used to down brandies and snort cocaine before matches. Until recently he was getting help at the Providence Clinic in Bournemouth. In 2011 he said it had helped turn his life around. He said. “The alcohol took over my life. Now it’s turned around. I’ve got a smile on my face.”

Yesterday Gazza was offered a lifeline by former England team-mate Tony Adams, who runs the Sporting Chance Clinic, which said it would help him if he wanted.

A clinic spokesman said: “Tony and the charity continue to offer treatment for addictive disorders including alcohol. We work very closely with the *Professional Footballers’ Association, who have always supported any player who has asked.”

 

Sick of hearing about him to be honest.

 

My heart bleeds for him, but he has more support than any other person in England. There are alcoholics with no one to help them. He may not have any close friends anymore, but anyone who sees him in a street in Newcastle, or maybe in England, would offer him help.

The same can't be said for others.

If his friend dying in his arms isn't enough, then he's never going to change. In my honest opinion, sometimes people just need to be locked in a room for a month with nothing but food and water. It will hurt them a lot for a few days, but they will eventually get over their addiction.

 

It's sad to see a legend being like that.

 

He can't live with out drink, but the drink is killing him... Interesting dilemma...

 

Only one person blame unfortunately. Sympathy ran out a long time ago, just the nature of the man sadly. Tragic story but the end was written some time back.

 

I remember my Dad taking me to a game when he still played for us, in the 80`s sometime. And he scored a bullet header from outside the box. My Dad, who saw all the greats, said he had never seen a header like that in his life. The guy was a legend! Cant someone call Tony Adams or someone please?? He looked ok a few months ago so what the hell has happened I dont know. George Best looked ill but Gazza looks like Death warmed up!!! He may be a right mess and a right F**k up but he need all our support and prayers to help him pull through.. His so called manager should be F**ckin shot though!!!

 

Very sad.

Unfortunately he is an alcoholic and will very, very sadly kill himself. It is an illness and I am constantly amazed how little sympathy people (including Gazza) get who have this illness. Gazza reminds me of George Best in more ways than one. So much talent, so "used" by others, and so little help given to him. Yes, I know he has had in relative terms a lot of help and that ultimately it is up to him but for somebody who gave so many people so many memories I feel he is entitled to more from others than he has received.

Very few people would have had to put up with the pressures and demands that he has ( Bestie being one ) and it's not surprising Gazza has not been able to cope. Combine that with other problems such as depression, drug addiction and "bad" memories and the outcome is not too suprising.

As I said at the start it is so sad and tragic. With a bit of luck i.e. being in the right place at the right time or with Gazza not being in the wrong place at the wrong time and he would have been one of the worlds greatest players of all time. After watching football for over 50 years from boy to man I have to say he was that good.

To see him as he is is a severe criticism of how such talented players were taken advantage of and not protected.

Unfortunately as much as I hope and pray I am wrong I can only see him ending in a similar way to Bestie.

 

Just seen the video from the charity event and had to turn it straight off. It wasn't nice to see at all and made me sad. He is a footballing legend and I hope he gets all the help he deserves. Unfortunately though, his end doesn't look far away

 

Just not the Gazza we knew.

 

It's good that three celebs have clubbed together to send him to the US for rehab.
The issue is more Gazza helping himself though.
He can get rid of five bellies for a start. My mate is a copper in Whickham and a couple of years ago that muppet was arrested, semi naked (urgh) with a gun in his hand in his back garden giving it the 'do you know who I am' bollox.
Aye Jimmy... a no mark fat **** is what you are you waster.

 

such a shame how the drink has destroyed him.

 

I watched it for a couple of minutes, he was shaking like mad and looked old to be honest, i hope he gets better soon.

 

I'm surprised five bellies is still on the scene, and his behaviour is no surprise, you could always tell he was a scumbag, it was oozing out of him.
Feel for Gazza though, so sad!

 

He wouldn't have been heard of if it hadn't been for Gazza. The worst kind of hanger on!

 

I take it he's put a few bellies back on since he ran the Great North Run a couple of years ago then?

http://metro.co.uk/2010/09/17/pictu...ner-slims-to-13st-for-great-north-run-514473/

Any chance of a Rep?

 

Wow, he really did slim down didn't he.

Five Bellies rep.

 

Wrong post deleted 2010

 

Sadly, Tash, it's not as easy as that.

My wife is a retired (for health grounds) Pscychiatric Nurse and she's dealt will people in such conditions and she tells me that alchohol is one of the worst things to come down from.

Apparantly without the right medication and support, usually in a clinic or home, going cold turkey from the state which Gascoigne is in would be almost certainly fatal. She informs me that, for example, heroin is easier and safer to come of and is, in terms of the health industry a better and cleaner drug for addicts than alchohol.

It's just that most people, myself included until recently, don't realise how dangerous alcohol, as a drug, can be and how devastating an addiction is. Not that I am advocating heroin or anything.

 

He needs to sort his ****ing life out.