Chris Waddle has revealed that Manchester United were about to sign Paul Gascoigne – until he gave him some advice.
Waddle moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 1985 from Newcastle United, followed two years later by Terry Venables in the dugout. Soon, Venables was also snapping up Paul Gascoigne, Waddle’s fellow Geordie, thanks to the winger’s persuasive powers.
“I went up to the North East one weekend,” Waddle tells FFT now. “Terry had given me an additional day off and said that if I saw my pal up there, to have a word about him potentially coming to Tottenham, because everyone knew he was leaving Newcastle.
“I got in touch with Gazza and arranged to meet in a pub at midday on the Sunday. He strolled in with his entourage, all his mates. I asked him who he was going to sign for and he replied, ‘Manchester United’. I said, ‘Why don’t you come to Spurs?’ I told him he could get lost in London and no one would find out half the stuff he’d do. If he moved to United, he’d have Alex Ferguson on his case all of the time, along with some senior players. I said Terry Venables was really knowledgeable and would look after him.
“He said, no, he was still off to Manchester United. I said, ‘Fair enough’ and wished him the best of luck. I left the pub, then he came out with his friends shouting, ‘Waddler, see you at White Hart Lane on Monday!’ I thought he was joking around, but when I returned to London on the Tuesday, I was told Gazza had been at the club the previous day and signed a contract.
“Terry knew Gazza would get up to certain things, and sometimes was waiting by the phone to be informed of another escapade. He’d pull him in and talk to him, instead of having a real go. Gazza respected Terry and didn’t want to let him down – Terry was an excellent fit for him.
“Gazza just went out and played. He didn’t know any opposition players. At the 1990 World Cup, he didn’t know any other player in that tournament, even including someone like Lothar Matthaus. He might have known Diego Maradona, but that was about it. For all he cared, he could have been facing Joe Bloggs from the Dog and Duck. In his mind, he was better than anyone.”
That included on the tennis court, on the eve of the biggest game of his career.
“The night before the World Cup semi-final against West Germany, it was boiling hot and Bobby Robson went for a wander around the hotel grounds to clear his head,” recounts Waddle. “From a distance, he could see that a tennis match was going on. He got closer and closer and could see a guy with no socks on, a pair of trainers, a pair of shorts turned up at the waist and no top on. It’s still about 70 degrees. He shouted, ‘Gazza, is that you?’
“Paul turned around, sweat pouring off him, with one of England’s biggest-ever matches the following day. Gazza just said that he was enjoying a game of tennis. Bobby reminded him of the important fixture against West Germany and asked him who was he playing against. Gazza said it was a hotel waiter, and pleaded to end the match.
“‘What’s the score?’ asked Bobby. Gazza said it was 5-5. ‘Alright, finish the match,’ said Bobby. ‘What set is it?’ Gazza said, ‘The fifth!’
“I roomed with him at that World Cup for seven weeks and must have had three hours’ sleep! I love him to bits – a great footballer and great lad. He never had any direction and the boredom factor for him was unbelievable. But he was a one-off.
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