Troubled Gazza

[Sash]

The sister of former England footballer Paul Gascoigne has said she fears for his life after he was held under the Mental Health Act.

Anna Gascoigne told ITV News that her brother faced a "very dangerous" mix of depression and addiction.

Mr Gascoigne was released on Monday after being sectioned, but later voluntarily returned to hospital.

His former Tottenham team-mate Gary Mabbutt said the star was then sectioned again for up to six months.

'Far gone'

Police confirmed that Mr Gascoigne was taken to hospital on Sunday after reports that he was acting strangely in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

A police spokesman said Gascoigne had approached a member of the public and appeared to be unwell and in an agitated state.

He was released on Monday, but later that day police were called to a hairdresser in Kensington, west London, where he was "feeling unwell".

He then voluntarily presented himself to hospital staff.

Mr Mabbutt told the BBC that Mr Gascoigne was subsequently detained under section three of the Mental Health Act at the Priory hospital.

"Paul can be detained for up to six months, which means that even if Paul wanted to be discharged and wanted to leave tomorrow he is not able to leave," Mr Mabbutt added.

Anna Gascoigne told ITV News her brother had been given a lot of support by friends and well-wishers, but he needed professional help.

"He's been drinking, I believe, to escape, to get away, and it's been a vicious circle," she said.

"I have feared for his life, especially I would say the last couple of weeks.

"It had literally gotten to the point where I was having to be with him constantly, to the point where I was taking him to hospital because I believed that he needed help."

Football agent Eric Hall, a close friend of the player for nearly 20 years, described his condition as "far, far gone".

"I would like to think that there's a miracle cure, and somebody could sit down with Paul Gascoigne and say Paul, don't do this, don't do that, but do this and do that," Mr Hall said.

Alleged assault

Mr Gascoigne was previously detained in February after an incident at a Tyneside hotel.

The ex-midfielder, who has battled with alcohol and health problems, was treated at Middleton St George Hospital in Darlington for two weeks following the incident.

In January 2005, Mr Gascoigne - nicknamed Gazza during his football career - was hospitalised with pneumonia and last year he underwent emergency surgery for a perforated stomach ulcer after being taken ill while he was celebrating his 40th birthday.

And in the same year he was arrested for an alleged assault on a photographer outside a Liverpool city centre hotel. The charges were later dropped.

A former player with Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Glasgow Rangers and Middlesbrough, Mr Gascoigne was sacked after 39 days as manager of Kettering Town in 2005.

During his football career he was capped 57 times for England.

Paul Gascoigne is one of Britain's most recognisable football icons but his life both on and off the pitch has been turbulent.

BBC Sport takes a look back at the highs and lows from his eventful career and beyond.

13 April 1985: A 17-year-old Paul Gascoigne makes his league debut for Newcastle United as a second-half substitute against Queens Park Rangers.

Paul Gascoigne
'Gazzamania' is born at Italia '90

September 1985: Gascoigne scores his first goal for Newcastle, against Oxford United at St James' Park.

April 1986: The Geordie midfielder picks up his first-ever red card, for hitting Birmingham's Robert Hopkin.

July 1986: Appears on the front cover of the Rothmans Football Yearbook.

April 1988: The 21-year-old wins the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

July 1988: Joins Tottenham for £2.3m, having played 99 games and scored 25 goals for Newcastle.

September 1988: Comes off the bench to make his debut for England at Wembley against Denmark.

April 1989: Scores his first international goal to help England to a 5-0 win over Albania.

June/July 1990: Gascoigne helps England to the World Cup semi-finals. A booking in the match against Germany, who eventually won on penalties, meant the midfielder would have missed the final. Tears follow and "Gazzamania" is born.

December 1990: Football's new superstar wins the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

April 1991: Gascoigne's stunning free-kick helps Tottenham reach the FA Cup final at the expense of north London rivals Arsenal...

May 1991: ...but his reckless tackle on Nottingham Forest's Gary Charles in the opening moments of that match sees Gascoigne stretchered off having ruptured his cruciate ligament.

It is his last match for Spurs having agreed to join Italian side Lazio for £5.5m. The England star played 112 times for Spurs and scored 33 goals.

Gascoigne's 16-month road to recovery is hampered when he damages his knee following an altercation in a nightclub.

September 1992: He finally makes his Serie A debut against Genoa.

November 1992: Scores a last-gasp equaliser against arch-rivals Roma to cement his place in the Lazio fans' hearts.

Paul Gascoigne
Gazza answers his critics at Euro 96 and then reprises the dentist's chair

April 1994: After playing almost a full season for the Rome club, he breaks his leg in training, putting him out of action for a year. His career with the Serie A giants is over - he played 47 times and scored six goals.

June 1995: Gascoigne, now 28, joins Glasgow Rangers for £4.3m.

May 1996: Guides Rangers to their eighth successive Scottish Premier title with some dazzling performances. He is named Scottish Player of the Year.

June 1996: An alcohol-related "dentist-chair" stunt in a Hong Kong bar during England's Euro 96 preparations puts Gascoigne on the front pages of the newspapers back in Britain.

But the now peroxide-blonde midfielder answers his critics with a sublime goal against Scotland at Wembley. England, with Gascoigne prominent, reach the semi-finals but go out to Germany on penalties once more.

In the same month, he marries Sheryl shortly after the birth of their son Regan.

January 1998: Gascoigne is given a severe warning by the Scottish FA after a "playing the flute" mime - a sectarian gesture - in the Old Firm game against Celtic. It is the second time he has been warned for doing this gesture.

March 1998: He joins Middlesbrough for £3.45m after playing 104 games and scoring 39 goals for Rangers. He makes his debut in the League Cup final, which Bryan Robson's men lose. But Boro are promoted to the Premiership in May.

June 1998: England coach Glenn Hoddle does not select Gascoigne for the squad. The official word from the England camp is that he was dropped for "purely football and fitness reasons".

The midfielder was photographed on a night out with radio DJs Chris Evans and Danny Baker prior to the announcement - club manager Bryan Robson believes that picture may have influenced Hoddle's decision.

August 1998: Gascoigne's marriage to Sheryl ends after she is granted a quick divorce. The player left his wife with a black eye and badly bruised face and arm after he attacked her in a drunken rage in Gleneagles, Scotland.

"I consider that Paul's behaviour has affected my health," she wrote in her affidavit to the divorce judge.

October 1998: The 31-year-old is admitted to the Marchwood Priory hospital to receive treatment for stress and drink problems.

February 2000: Gascoigne breaks his arm after an illegal challenge on Aston Villa's George Boateng. He is later banned for three matches and fined £5,000. It proves to be his last game for the club.

July 2000: The troubled star's former Rangers boss Walter Smith takes Gascoigne to Everton on a free transfer.

June 2001: Gascoigne admits himself to an alcohol rehabilitation clinic in Arizona on Smith's insistence.

March 2002: The 34-year-old joins First Division side Burnley, having been unable to secure a first-team place at Goodison Park. He makes six appearances, before leaving in July and goes on to join Chinese B-league side Gansu Tianma.

July 2003: Having began well for the club, scoring two goal in three games, boredom and homesickness set in. The former England star then announces he will not return to the Chinese club until he is paid back-dated wages.

July 2004: Now 37, he joins League Two side Boston United as a player-coach. However, his first news conference is called off after he suffers a bout of food poisoning.

October 2004: Gascoigne quits his position at Boston. "I've left on professional terms. I just think I needed to extend my career on the coaching side," Gascoigne said.

In the same month, he announces that he plans to change his name to G8. "It sounds a bit like great, or it does with my Geordie accent," he said.

December 2004: Gascoigne spends a week in hospital after being admitted with pneumonia.

June 2005: The now 38-year-old thanks Newcastle and Alan Shearer for helping him in his battle against depression.

October 2005: Gascoigne is named the new boss of Conference North side Kettering. His side win their first game under his management - 1-0 over Droylsden.

5 December 2005: Gascoigne is sacked after just 39 days. He took charge of six games - winning two, drawing two and losing two. Chairman Imraan Ladak cites alcohol as the reason for dismissing the football icon. Gascoigne disputes the claims.

Later that day, he is arrested after an alleged assault on a press photographer outside a hotel in Liverpool.

6 December 2005: Gascoigne is released on bail after being questioned about an alleged assault on a photographer.

February 2007: He agrees to appear in action-horror movie Final Run, with filming set to start in the summer.

May 2007: Undergoes emergency surgery for a perforated stomach ulcer.

February 2008: Gascoigne is arrested in Newcastle and detained under the Mental Health Act.

June 2008: The former England footballer is sectioned under the Mental Health Act following reports that he was acting strangely in Hemel Hempstead.



BBC NEWS | England | Sister's fears for troubled Gazza

[emma roids]

wasn't he a wife beater just like best?

don't see why he should get all the attention he gets just cos he could kick a bag of wind about, when im sure plenty of non wife beating blokes suffer from the same thing as him but don't get the help

sorry to sound heartless but i class folks who beat up women lower than a snakes arsehole.

[Sash]

Originally Posted by emma roids

wasn't he a wife beater just like best?

don't see why he should get all the attention he gets just cos he could kick a bag of wind about, when im sure plenty of non wife beating blokes suffer from the same thing as him but don't get the help

sorry to sound heartless but i class folks who beat up women lower than a snakes arsehole.

I thought the exact same when I posted the news thread.

[draganess]

Hes been busy. I had thought, oh poor Gazza but after reading that it makes me think that mental illness is a bit of a cop out. They need to put him in Britteny Spears room, they would get on.