I bet there are a million stories like that about Cloughie. What a character.
I can’t be sure of the precise wording but here’s a classic Cloughie story. An unnamed player was fed up not being selected for first team duties and asked for a meet with Cloughie. Whereupon he went into one complaining that he felt he was being hard done by.
Player....“In short, I don’t think I deserve to be playing in the reserves every week.” Cloughie....”Quite right young man you don’t, so you’ll be in the thirds for next week.”
Not the exact words, but classic Cloughie nonetheless.
Maybe his bad luck was not being a youth player at Forest under Clough.
I think his career would've been better guided had he gone to Man U under the watch of Ferguson instead of going to London. It certainly wouldn't have done him any harm.
Never forget seeing him play for Spurs against us at Selhurst Park in the season before Italia 90. Absolutely tore us to shreds.
I think it’s a bit too much to think any single individual would have been able to stop Gazza going down the path that he did, I think a lot of the damage was already done in childhood. It’s a nice thought that it could have been different though.
I really wanna love the man. He was such a talent, the free kick against arsenal, the way he pissed off the scum north of the border, his spell in Italy, Italia 90 etc. However, the bloke has mental issues and you can’t get past the beating of his ex missus. I’ve also been to a nights out with a close relative of his who didn’t speak too highly. A talented wrongen.
If Fergie had signed him at utd, I don't think he'd be in the mess he's in now. Just my view
I dont think Fergie would have touched him with a bargepole. At that time United could have bought him as they were vrry much top dogs. Ferguson nit signing him speaks volumes I think.
Other than George Best, the most talented footballer that I have ever seen live. However as soon as you lay a finger on a women, being good at football counts for jack shit.
If Fergie had signed him at utd, I don't think he'd be in the mess he's in now. Just my view
I dont think Fergie would have touched him with a bargepole. At that time United could have bought him as they were vrry much top dogs. Ferguson nit signing him speaks volumes I think.
United had agreed terms with Gazza in the summer of 1988 but Fergie went on holiday to Spain, leaving Martin Edwards to finish the deal, and Spurs came in and offered some “extras” to the Gascoigne family.....and Fergie lost his man.
I idolised him as a youngster. Was up there with Hoddle for me. The free kick against Arsenal in the '91 FA Cup Semi still gives me shivers down my spine now when I watch it. Have watched that goal so many times over since I can quote Barry Davies to a tee. He literally dragged Spurs to that Cup Final single handedly. Best £2.2m (and extras) we ever spent.
Any time I hear his name now, I cringe. When I passed the hotel foyet across the road from my office at lunchtime when it was breaking news - Paul Gascoigne a few days ago, I honesty stopped in my tracks, instantly fearing the worst.
No matter what issues he has got, whether it be bipolar disorder (which I always said was highly likely years ago), alcoholism, whatever, he had a duty of care to himself to look after himself and protect himself from others. He just doesnt seem to grasp that.
His signed '91 shirt hangs next to Hoddle's in my man cave behind my bar but for the love of god, how can I justify it keep hanging there? His bevahiour has crossed a line several times now. No excuses, he should know better.
One of my besties met him earlier this year and they spoke for 10 mins about Spurs and said he was absolutely charming and looked relatively well. We, like everyone else, had hoped he had turned a corner.
(As it happens, spoke about the case with a PC friend last night, the charge is the lowest possible on the tarrif so it was likely it was a pinched bum or something like that with a probable inappropriate comment more apt to a Carry On film in the 70s, rather than something full scale sex pest related but even so, he crossed a line and it was totally inappropriate in these times!)
Re: United, Spurs bought his parents a house and that persuaded him to play for Spurs under Venables.
I recall that Spurs v Forest game where he was so pumped up he was going to do himself or an opponent damage if he wasn't brought off or sent off. It was like a gormless idiot was on the pitch! In the end, he did himself damage. You had to respect his talent, but he was just a kid in a man's body. If one of my players displayed the attitude he did in that game, I would bring them straight off. Because he had a match winning talent, he got away with things that he shouldn't have and in the long run it did him much more harm than good.
It is always somebody elses fault sadly. But being a man - which Gazza will never be, he will always be a little boy, is about taking responsibility for your actions.
I recall that Spurs v Forest game where he was so pumped up he was going to do himself or an opponent damage if he wasn't brought off or sent off. It was like a gormless idiot was on the pitch! In the end, he did himself damage. You had to respect his talent, but he was just a kid in a man's body. If one of my players displayed the attitude he did in that game, I would bring them straight off. Because he had a match winning talent, he got away with things that he shouldn't have and in the long run it did him much more harm than good.
It is always somebody elses fault sadly. But being a man - which Gazza will never be, is about taking responsibility for your actions.
I recall that Spurs v Forest game where he was so pumped up he was going to do himself or an opponent damage if he wasn't brought off or sent off. It was like a gormless idiot was on the pitch! In the end, he did himself damage. You had to respect his talent, but he was just a kid in a man's body. If one of my players displayed the attitude he did in that game, I would bring them straight off. Because he had a match winning talent, he got away with things that he shouldn't have and in the long run it did him much more harm than good.
It is always somebody elses fault sadly. But being a man - which Gazza will never be, he will always be a little boy, is about taking responsibility for your actions.
He could and probably should have been sent off at least on 2 separate occasions in that first 15-20 mins.
I recall that Spurs v Forest game where he was so pumped up he was going to do himself or an opponent damage if he wasn't brought off or sent off. It was like a gormless idiot was on the pitch! In the end, he did himself damage. You had to respect his talent, but he was just a kid in a man's body. If one of my players displayed the attitude he did in that game, I would bring them straight off. Because he had a match winning talent, he got away with things that he shouldn't have and in the long run it did him much more harm than good.
It is always somebody elses fault sadly. But being a man - which Gazza will never be, he will always be a little boy, is about taking responsibility for your actions.
He could and probably should have been sent off at least on 2 separate occasions in that first 15-20 mins.
I recall that Spurs v Forest game where he was so pumped up he was going to do himself or an opponent damage if he wasn't brought off or sent off. It was like a gormless idiot was on the pitch! In the end, he did himself damage. You had to respect his talent, but he was just a kid in a man's body. If one of my players displayed the attitude he did in that game, I would bring them straight off. Because he had a match winning talent, he got away with things that he shouldn't have and in the long run it did him much more harm than good.
It is always somebody elses fault sadly. But being a man - which Gazza will never be, he will always be a little boy, is about taking responsibility for your actions.
He could and probably should have been sent off at least on 2 separate occasions in that first 15-20 mins.
I recall that Spurs v Forest game where he was so pumped up he was going to do himself or an opponent damage if he wasn't brought off or sent off. It was like a gormless idiot was on the pitch! In the end, he did himself damage. You had to respect his talent, but he was just a kid in a man's body. If one of my players displayed the attitude he did in that game, I would bring them straight off. Because he had a match winning talent, he got away with things that he shouldn't have and in the long run it did him much more harm than good.
It is always somebody elses fault sadly. But being a man - which Gazza will never be, is about taking responsibility for your actions.
I recall that Spurs v Forest game where he was so pumped up he was going to do himself or an opponent damage if he wasn't brought off or sent off. It was like a gormless idiot was on the pitch! In the end, he did himself damage. You had to respect his talent, but he was just a kid in a man's body. If one of my players displayed the attitude he did in that game, I would bring them straight off. Because he had a match winning talent, he got away with things that he shouldn't have and in the long run it did him much more harm than good.
It is always somebody elses fault sadly. But being a man - which Gazza will never be, he will always be a little boy, is about taking responsibility for your actions.
He could and probably should have been sent off at least on 2 separate occasions in that first 15-20 mins.
Comments
An unnamed player was fed up not being selected for first team duties and asked for a meet with Cloughie. Whereupon he went into one complaining that he felt he was being hard done by.
Player....“In short, I don’t think I deserve to be playing in the reserves every week.”
Cloughie....”Quite right young man you don’t, so you’ll be in the thirds for next week.”
Not the exact words, but classic Cloughie nonetheless.
Never forget seeing him play for Spurs against us at Selhurst Park in the season before Italia 90. Absolutely tore us to shreds.
.......Unlike a lot of footballers nowadays.
However as soon as you lay a finger on a women, being good at football counts for jack shit.
Any time I hear his name now, I cringe. When I passed the hotel foyet across the road from my office at lunchtime when it was breaking news - Paul Gascoigne a few days ago, I honesty stopped in my tracks, instantly fearing the worst.
No matter what issues he has got, whether it be bipolar disorder (which I always said was highly likely years ago), alcoholism, whatever, he had a duty of care to himself to look after himself and protect himself from others. He just doesnt seem to grasp that.
His signed '91 shirt hangs next to Hoddle's in my man cave behind my bar but for the love of god, how can I justify it keep hanging there? His bevahiour has crossed a line several times now. No excuses, he should know better.
One of my besties met him earlier this year and they spoke for 10 mins about Spurs and said he was absolutely charming and looked relatively well. We, like everyone else, had hoped he had turned a corner.
(As it happens, spoke about the case with a PC friend last night, the charge is the lowest possible on the tarrif so it was likely it was a pinched bum or something like that with a probable inappropriate comment more apt to a Carry On film in the 70s, rather than something full scale sex pest related but even so, he crossed a line and it was totally inappropriate in these times!)
Re: United, Spurs bought his parents a house and that persuaded him to play for Spurs under Venables.
It is always somebody elses fault sadly. But being a man - which Gazza will never be, he will always be a little boy, is about taking responsibility for your actions.
He would have had a great few years with United before being shown the door like many others who couldn’t/wouldn’t conform to SAF’s way