Paul Gascoigne 'booed and called a disgrace' at meet-and-greet event in Gateshead

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By Rob Swan

Published Sep 22, 2018

Things took a turn for the worse for Gazza in Gateshead

Paul Gascoigne is one of the most loved and respected former England footballers for several reasons.First and foremost, he was a phenomenal player - a genius with the ball at his feet, capable of winning matches single-handedly.But he also holds a special place in the hearts of English football fans because of his wicked sense of humour and the fact that he has his well-publicised flaws. He’s not perfect and has never pretended to be.Gazza, as he will always be affectionately known, has struggled with alcoholism since hanging up his boots in the early 2000s.He has been a regular feature on the front pages of Britain’s tabloid newspapers for several decades now - but mostly for the wrong reasons in recent years.Most of the British public, however, are firmly behind Gazza and are desperate to see him on the straight and narrow.The 51-year-old, who has struggled to deal with life after football, has been making money in recent years by taking part in various meet-and-greet events.The latest event took place in Gateshead on Friday - and it gave fans in the north-east a chance to meet Gazza alongside another former Newcastle United hero, Peter Beardsley.However, according to the Mirror, who cite Chronicle Live, the latest event was a complete disaster.Unfortunately, Gazza was booed on stage by the paying audience, with some of them calling him a disgrace.It’s reported that he turned up “worse for wear”, with guests on social media declaring the event should have been cancelled.Steve Wraith, who organised the night with Newcastle Legends, explained the event went ahead because they had an “obligation to customers”.“Unfortunately, prior to the event Paul’s agent told us he had a virus,” he said. “Paul turned up to the event a little worse for wear.“I could not say why he was worse for wear - it could have been the antibiotics. However, his condition deteriorated on the night - he was not in a great place.“As promoters of the event we have an obligation to customers who paid money to see Paul.”Mr Wraith said Gascoigne went into the green room at The Lancastrian Suite to relax but was “not the most coherent” when he went out on stage.“Unfortunately some people in the audience booed and told him he was a disgrace,” he added.Fans were angry after purchasing tickets to get a photograph and an autograph from Gazza, but Mr Wraith said Beardsley and others did a “fantastic” job to keep the evening going.