They do waste a lot of time these council lot. It's nice of them to dig up half of the city though, can't beat a game of snakes and ladders in ya car to find your way home.
Spot on there mate. I have to agree with all you say. It's very disappointing to read some of the posts about a seriously ill Gazza, who will inevitably go the same way as George Best. When he played footie he was the soft touch with his money. Eventually when the drink took hold, his friends disappeared as quick as his money, and he was left to rely on handouts whilst fighting his addiction. I've seen a couple of mates go over the precipice of alcoholism, and it destroys all in it's path. Both lads died a slow death. For someone to blame the victim for the illness, demonstrates a lack of knowledge on the subject and a total lack of empathy or pity. Gazza is desperately in need of help from his family and any remaining friends. Most of all he is in urgent need of a large dose of medical intervention. I hope he gets all the help he needs.
I'm not sure what you expect Smug. What is happening to Gazza is a sad situation in general and a horrible situation to him and those close to him, but I see no need to go down to SJP to appear in front of a Sky camera to feel that, nor to post something every time he falls off the wagon. However, if he does finally lose the battle against alcoholism (as many/most expect that he will) I will see that as a very different situation to what is in the papers today. If that happens then I believe that the club and the fan base should mark the occasion and publicly pay their respects as he is one of our own. I think any player who has played for a club, especially when home grown and also a fan, is seen as part of the family. With family you can disapprove of their actions, dislike their behaviour and be full of exasperation at their failure to sort themselves out (if it was only that simple) but no matter what, unless you are very hard hearted, you would grieve the passing of a family member. What has happened to Gazza is a tragedy, as it would be with any other human being. Addiction is a mental illness, and I personally suspect that Gazza's issues are many and complex, and reach far beyond his football career and his period of fame and fortune. Brilliantly and eloquently put Whitey. I think he loves people and he has a need to be loved - which both exposes deeper issues and makes him more likely to behave in ways that are not in his best interest to gain acceptance.
Not flippant, yes I have had to deal with the mental health side of the NHS & no it isn't because it's 'Gazza'. My opinion of Paul Gascoigne is that he plays the helpless addict role to perfection and takes in gullible people. Your opinion is of no greater value than mine and claiming that 'the bloke is riddled with mental health problems' is just as flippant as my own comment. You have no idea about his condition and doing a diagnoses based on the tabloids doesn't give you the moral high ground. And, for the record, people calling a middle aged man 'Gazza', and treating him like some kind of clown character, is part of the problem in my opinion.
I'm not sure what I expect tbh mate .... there's just a deathly silence from Tyneside which you have to admit is unusual. From the home of the protest, the walk out, the sit in, the marches & mock funerals you'd think there would be some kind of 'Save Gazza' movement. I'm absolutely not suggesting dancing around for the cameras but surely a quiet website and an unofficial support group or whatever isn't impossible. It just seems that some of the outpouring of emotion, that will follow his inevitable death, could be better utilised to help him now.
While I personally didn't agree with the mock funeral and have not joined in with any protests, I can recognise that they are about drawing public attention to an issue and aimed at bringing about a change in direction from the club - in much the same way that people demonstrate against public policies, wars, job cuts or issues of equality, etc. Public events can bring about positive results (tho they wont with Mike Ashley). Gazza does not need publicity. He does not need raised public awareness and he doesn't need unofficial support groups. What he needs is direct, personal support from professionals, support from loved ones, and somehow his mental issues dealt with. To be fair to many people in his life he has never really been short of the first two. He may never find a resolution to his mental issues - I suspect he wont, but hope that he does. The silence isn't that unusual when it comes to Gazza having issues. Some of his episodes have attracted publicity (some a lot) and others haven't. The amount of talk about them is often media led (such as with the Raoul Moat episode) which then sparks further debate. There isn't much to debate tho. If he continues as he is doing then he will drink himself to death, probably sooner rather than later. If/when that happens it will be a tragedy. Not more of a tragedy than when any other addict self destructs, just more public. As for him beating his wife, that was a despicable act that nobody should condone. Any form of domestic violence - physical, verbal or mental - is inexcusable. However, it is not unusual at all that people who carry out domestic violence (of any kind) are the people with the lowest self esteem and the highest insecurities - to me a clear sign of mental issues and instability.
If our opinions are equal then why the sarcasm? Give me attitude and you'll get it back. You know that from when you first joined the board. That comment how ever clever you may think it is show's how uneducated you are on the matter, of course it's not as black and white as that. My sister used to serve him daily at the Grayhound in Darlington when he played for Boro, she got to know him quite well, she saw the best and the worst off him(here's where you tell me about my sisters qualifications). He'd talk about his drink problems, his mental health problems, family problems, work problems and anythingthat was on his mind. he's really open and quite the depressive. How typical of you to tell me how I get my information, like a smart arse. No, you only know from what you read in the media, not me, get it right. I wasn't claiming moral high ground I was speaking for cause I feel very passionate about and hoping to raise awareness, wrong again. Don't pretend you know me and have the measure of me. I'm an entity you'll never fathom. This conversation is done. Say what you ****ing want fella, i'm not playing your little tit for tat games. It's the most boring routine on the forum and I'm having no part of it.
Well said fella. It would be a shame to lose him, from what I know of him he's a lovely fella with a heart of gold. But a sad, lonely depressive, overcome with inadequacies and self loathing, masked with humour and escaped with alcohol. I can't see him winning this battle myself, some people can't be saved. Very sad.
he won't be saved, that's a fact, he can go awhile without alcohol like he has done before, but he keeps coming back to it, it's a ticking time bomb really, there's certainly a lot more people i genuinely feel sorry for
I agree with much of what you say but I'm not sure about this. Many people claim he has serious mental health issues and needs medical help, sadly none of those people appear to be doctors, psychiatrists or qualified people. Perhaps he's a victim or perhaps he's someone who always believes he knows best and just won't listen to good advice. My view is that he's 100% gay and is tormented because he's trapped in the 'Gazza persona' ...... the public helped to put him there and share the blame. There are always people queuing up to make excuses for him and blame his past, upbringing, friends & family etc etc etc. He's supposed, by some, to have been traumatised by the death of a friend .......... haven't we all?
Poor them, pity never made anybody feel better. Empathy on the other hand can achieve anything, shame it's in such short supply for Gascoigne.
Not sure where you get that from, but if it was true then the blame would lie with all of us who contribute to a society where this would even be an issue worth worrying over people's reactions.
Just my opinion mate. He wears make up, extravagant clothes & jewellery as well as sporting some dodgy hairstyles, he's a woman beater and prefers the company of rough men. Even Elton John would have shied away from his wedding outfit. I can't remember the last time he was pictured with a woman that wasn't wearing a police uniform or a white coat. When he appeared wearing a daft grin & false breasts I believe that was him saying, 'This is the real me'. Blaming society echo's what I said earlier about people queuing up to blame anyone but the man himself. If he 'came out' I doubt 'society' would bat an eyelid these days, I just don't think he has the courage.
Jesus he is not in a good way, will be lucky to see the year out. There's only so much you can do to help people but if someone wants a drink, you can't stop them. They will always find a way, I think it is an illness and a horrible one at that, hope he can turn it around but seems unlikely.
Blaming society was a reference to the issue of why anybody's sexuality should even matter. I know it sometimes does, but it shouldn't. If he is gay then it might explain a lot as the world of football would be one of the worst popular cultures left to be mixed up with, although the only behaviour on your list that would raise that suspicion for me would be his violence towards women (and that is something that could just as easily happen from a straight man). As for his alcoholism, our opinions separate as soon as the word blame is used. I don't think there is blame attached to an illness and you don't see it as an illness.
