[LiamTheBaggie]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/feb/04/paul-gascoigne-hospital-addiction-treatment?CMP=twt_gu

The former England footballer Paul Gascoigne has been admitted to a treatment centre in the United States.

The alcoholic former Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio and Newcastle United midfielder, 45, has "willingly" been admitted to an unnamed centre, his management company said on Monday night.

The move came after fears about the state of Gascoigne's health were renewed last week when he appeared unwell and shaking during a charity appearance in Northampton where he broke down sobbing on stage in front of a room full of fans.

In a statement GamePlan Solutions said Gascoigne had been touched by the help and support shown by fans and figures within football over the past few days: "Alcoholic Paul Gascoigne has been experiencing a tough time of late. He has been asking for help and has willingly been admitted to a treatment centre in America.

"He has complex issues that are currently being dealt with by professionals. Paul has been extremely touched and overwhelmed by the generous offers of help and support over the past few days.

"He is motivated to fully understand and control his addiction problem under guidance."

Hopefully he can make a recovery. I saw the video of him at the charity event and it was quite a struggle to watch. Certainly an unwell person and I hope he makes a quick recovery. Unfortunately, I was never able to see him play.

[gerry m]

sad to see such a great player in the predicament he is in now. but why does he need to go to the States for treatment! is it because if he goes off the rails again the british press wont be there!

[the rainbow turn east]

I suppose the muppet will do what George Best did by getting a liver transplant then totally abuse it again.

[FallOutBoy]

It would not be a surprise to wake one morning to find stories of him having killed himself, meant or not. I think he has lead a deeply unhappy life, like many tried to mask it with humour, but struggled.

Sad as it may be, I doubt his story will have a happy ending.

[WBAinDEVON]

[RowleyBaggie2]

The addictions are simply the fall out from quite serious mental illness.

Until the mental illness is sorted out he will keep being drawn to substances to block it all out, i really fear for the bloke and its good to see people from when he was in demand are stepping in to help him from what seems like rock bottom.

Its no George Best situation, Gazza is seriously mentally ill.

[phbaggies]

I went to see Gazza at The Copthorne last year, he had been clean for 8 months at the time and was on the mend but he was still visibly just a shell of the legend he is. His voice was shaky, his clothes were too big for him and he mumbled and swore his way through it and that was Gazza clean, as Rowley says this is deeper than drink, drink is just his painkiller. Get to the root cause and they will save him, I really do hope it works for him as for me he was my idol growing up. I know he's not reading it but good luck Gazza!!

[RowleyBaggie2]

Alot of it goes back to his childhood when his best mate was killed after falling down a mine shaft on a disused colliery they were playing on.

That fucked him up.

[Albion79]

I think for lads like me of a certain age, Gazza was our hero. He was brilliant at football, could do things you didnt see other English players do (this was before massive european exposure) and he just played with that smile as though we was having a kickabout with his mates. He wasnt some exotic foreign superstar, he was an english lad who played the same way as lads everywhere and i think we all wanted to be Gazza!

As its been well reported he has had his problems and done some bad things in his time and isnt a saint (but who is) but you still very rarely hear anybody say a bad word about him and this latest situation and the support he has received i dont think another ex footballer would of get except Gazza.

He was the football genius who never grew up, he is meant to be one of the most generous people you could ever wish to meet and it seems along the way people have took advantage but good to see his old mates coming together now to give him a chance.

As Rowley says, it would seem its mental illness and the rest has followed on from that but i know he wouldnt ever read this but good luck Gazza, hope you beat the demons and one day fully understand how much you was and still are loved by football fans in this country.

[Turkish baggie]

Ain't bothered about this prat at all!
It must be at least 10yrs ago when I was in England, Steve Bull arranged a black tie do at a manor in Staffordshire for a charity which supported the parents of children very ill and the parents needed to stay with them! Great charity, amongst the guests, Steve Bull, Phil 'the power' Taylor of darts and Gascoigne. 

BRMB did the comparing and there was auctions etc, loads of money raised. Then it was relaxing time and my wife said she wanted to get the autograph of Phil Taylor and Steve Bull on the menu, not PG as she as always, even when he was playing, thought him a dickhead! Anyway when she went over and didn't ask him he was abusive to her, to the extent about coming to bed with him!!! He was inebriated!
My wife told me, I went over and Phil Taylor calmed me down and said PG was a prat and please could I leave this as the night would be spoilt. I did!

To me whether he lives or dies means nothing to me! Anyone, even a Albion player who would insult my wife is really on thin ice!

[WBAinDEVON]

Did i hear as soon as he had landed he went to the Airport bar and was caught on camera necking a pint

[phbaggies]

Did i hear as soon as he had landed he went to the Airport bar and was caught on camera necking a pint

He's an alcoholic, any chance he gets he will have a beer thats why he's gone for help.

[reiss]

 Hope Gazza makes a recovery,my dad also had a alcohaol addiction and he beat it.

 so i hope Gazza does too

[phbaggies]

Decent read

http://blogs.thetimes.co.uk/section/the-game/97498/nothing-black-and-white-about-gazza/?shareToken=575056ec1f071e47895de394c7c6d9e2

[tommcneill]

He was my idol as a youngster....what a player he was too i saw him from the very start at Newcastle and was mesmerised by him.

Such a shame

And Turkish what he did too your wife was awful but you have to remember this is a bi-polar mentally unstable alcoholic i bet before the drink came and during his heyday as a 23/24 year old he wouldnt have done that....its no apology for behaviour maybe but this guy needs help and we all know the great character that is underneath all that madness...

[Signor_Maresca]

If I was Paul Gascoigne and someone chose to have Steve Bull's autograph over mine I'd be pretty miffed off n' all!

[KYA]

Gascooigne as been troubled since he was a youngster.
He called on a lad to go out to play and his mother said alright just you look after him.
The lad ran into the road and was killed and it as haunted him ever since.
We all deal with death in our own way but at such a young age it damaged him imo.

[WBAinDEVON]

Have you seen his latest picture.scary indeed

[NEBaggie]

It's a crying shame. He used to be regarded as a hero up here in Durham, but even here he is now seen as a figure of pity. He used to be a figure of derision for a short period of time and many used to think he was a buffoon.

Now most people just hope the guy has some semblance of dignity left before he inevitably loses his battle with drink and dies. I think it's pretty certain that he won't see many more years and that's sad. It really is.

Another guy who had the wrong acquaintances and was largely abandoned by the community of football. It's about time we learned that we can't do this to people. Football is a terrible industry at times.

Having said that, he made his bed and took those choices. He might have had bad advice, but he was the guy who controlled his own fate and he let himself down. He can't blame everybody else for his situation, but there is an equal amount of blame, in my  opinion.

[TheJacko2000]

Not sure you can apportion blame for alcoholism it's a disease.

Hope Gazza keeps fighting.

[NEBaggie]

Not sure you can apportion blame for alcoholism it's a disease.

Hope Gazza keeps fighting.

True. I didn't mean to sound arrogant in that regard. I was merely intending to clarify that I wasn't going to suggest those around him had the responsibility to help him out. He had a responsibility to help himself.

But I do understand that alcoholism is a disease and that many people really struggle with it. I know that for various reasons. My uncle struggled for years. But he also took a great deal of support on board and that helped him to cope. Not recover, but cope.

Gazza hasn't taken that advice at times and sometimes the advice he has received has been lacklustre. Blame was the wrong word for me to use perhaps.

I really meant that it was waste of a talent and that all parties never really afforded themselves an opportunity to help. Chances weren't taken sufficiently and that is the most regrettable aspect.

Apologies for offence caused.

[WBAinDEVON]

The most gifted English footballer in my time.I dont think anyone can help him, hes past help.Such a shame

[WBASPE77]

Its a real shame how things have turned out for Gazza. I saw a photo off him this morning didn't realize it was him at first one of the most gifted players England has ever had.

[swad35]

Theres a picture of him in the mail. Really sad to see him like that. Hope he finds the strength to beat his illness.

[tommcneill]

Really guts me to see him like this...one of my footballing heroes.

I have too say though that he has had chance after chance to get past this but seems to fall off the wagon time and time again.

I really hope he gets past this but personally I think he will be dead within 5 years, if not the alcohol he will commit suicide as he has tried to on several occasions

Ive just finished reading finished reading Gazza My Story, had me howling in parts but too see him now really blots the copybook for me