A few days ago there was an intriguing article on The Mag, it was titled ‘Newcastle United greatest XI of players sold too soon…’
Josh Jones was the one who wrote the piece.
In that article he said: ‘I would argue that few things frustrate football fans more than watching a talented player being shipped off to fulfil their potential elsewhere. Newcastle have experienced their fair share of premature departures over the years – whether a young star sold before they reach their peak, or a fan favourite sacrificed for solely financial reasons.’
The author of the piece going on to say: ‘With this in mind, here’s a Newcastle United XI (4-3-3) made up of players the club arguably sold far too soon:
Shay Given, Aaron Hughes, Jose Enrique, John Beresford, Frank Clark, Elliot Anderson, Nolberto Solano, Peter Beardsley, David Ginola, Les Ferdinand, Demba Ba’
Josh then asked his fellow Newcastle United fans whether there was anybody they thought should make this team, this list of players who left too soon.
Well, there is only one answer and that is Paul Gascoigne.
Indeed, not only should Gazza be on everybody’s list, he should be at the very top.
For those of you who were also lucky enough to have been around when Paul Gascoigne came through into the Newcastle United first team, you will know what a special player he was for NUFC.
He was unbelievable.
At the age of 17 Paul Gascoigne was the key player as Newcastle United won the FA Youth Cup in 1985 for only the second time in the club’s history. Bobby Moncur had led United to their trophy first win in the competition in the early 1960s and the 1985 one still remains the most recent NUFC success in it.
Gazza made his first team debut, still aged 17, towards the end of the 1985/86 season under Jack Charlton but it was only when Big Jack walked out after getting booed by the fans at a pre-season friendly at St James’ Park, Paul Gascoigne then got his proper chance under Willie McFaul. Only 18 but a first team regular from the start of the 1986/87 season.
Newcastle United fans only had two seasons of Paul Gascoigne but to me we saw the very best of him. He was of course brilliant for the likes of England and Tottenham, to a degree at Lazio as well, then also entertained the fans of clubs such as Rangers, Everton and Middlesbrough.
Gazza became renowned as a player who could pull off the outrageous, willing to try everything.
At Newcastle United I think it was the ultimate when it came to that. Coming into the NUFC first team he was absolutely fearless and at that age was an unbelievable talent.
It is such a shame that back in 1985-1988 so little footage of Paul Gascoigne exists, if only every top tier match was recorded for posterity as happens these days.
If there was ever a Newcastle United player that was better to watch then I would have loved to have seen them.
Peter Beardsley was pure quality but Paul Gascoigne was better.
I knew Gazza left Newcastle United when he was very young but on checking, I found he was still only 20 when he played for Newcastle United in his last ever competitive NUFC match.
Newcastle United were excellent to watch that 1987/88 season, with the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Paul Goddard, David McCreery, Michael O’Neill, Darren Jackson, Glenn Roeder, Neil McDonald and Peter Jackson in the team.
A case of what might have been.
If only Paul Gascoigne had stayed and those owning the club had been in a position with the money and know how to build a team around Gazza.
Of course, the huge tragedy of that era was even worse, Newcastle United had Chris Waddle, Peter Beardsley and Paul Gascoigne. One by one they left and without doubt, with those three in the team together, they could for sure have helped win Newcastle United win many trophies if a team had been built with that trio as the crown jewels.
Another twist, a very personal one for me.
Having already seen Chris Waddle leave for Tottenham in 1985, then Peter Beardsley join Liverpool in 1986, it was announced long before the end of the 1987/88 season that Paul Gascoigne would be moving to Tottenham.
I then launched a one man boycott in disgust, in despair.
As that 1987/88 season neared its end I would still meet my mates pre-match in the pub, but when they then left to go up to St James’ Park, I would walk the streets of Newcastle looking in the windows of TV shops for score updates. This was before mobile phones became a thing and back in the days when pubs weren’t allowed to open all day.
My boycott of home matches last two games and I think I did see at least the final home game of the 1987/88 season.
The despair and injustice of Paul Gascoigne becoming the third of the great local talents to depart Newcastle United then saw that anger instead channelled into something that would hopefully prove productive.
Gazza leaving was the spark and inspiration that saw the birth of The Mag and the first ever issue came out for the opening home match of the 1988/89 season, on sale outside St James’ Park for the visit of…Tottenham and Paul Gascoigne (and Chris Waddle).
Issue 1 – August 1988
The first game of that 1988/89 season I was at Goodison Park to see a much changed Newcastle United team concede within around 30 seconds and end up losing 4-0. The record £2.2m Paul Gascoigne transfer cash was not invested too well, from 8th in the table the previous (and last Paul Gascoigne) season it became rock bottom, seven points adrift of the second bottom team (West Ham) and years in the wilderness followed for NUFC until a certain Kevin Keegan came back to save us for a second time.
If Paul Gascoigne hadn’t left Newcastle United in summer 1988, I wonder what I would then have done with the next 38 years of my life if the Gazza departure hadn’t sparked/inspired the birth of The Mag.
It just sums up how unpredictable football and especially Newcastle United are, the fine details and sliding doors moments that so often dictate where we end up.