According to a recent poll, Paul Gascoigne’s tears after the 1990 World Cup semi-final are the most iconic sporting images of all time. The soccer ace cried after being handed a yellow card during the match, which meant that he would potentially miss the final of the global football competition. However, his tears were in vain; England lost to West Germany in the match anyway, which meant that they were knocked out of the competition. Gascoigne’s tears at the match were later parodied in a popular advert for Walkers crisps.
Other classic sporting images that were celebrated by the poll, which was conducted by an online sporting magazine, include the infamous ‘Hand of God’ picture of Maradona from the 1986 World Cup, and an image of David Seaman comforting a distraught Gareth Southgate after he missed a key penalty in Euro 96. The poll also rated a picture of Terry Butcher covered in blood after England and Sweden’s 1989 World Cup qualifying match, which saw the teams draw 0-0.
Gascoigne, also known as Gazza, was born in Dunston, Gateshead and began his football career in Newcastle United’s youth team. He was eventually promoted into the first team, which he played in for four years, before moving on to play for a wide range of clubs such as Rangers, Tottenham Hotspurs, Everton and Lazio. During his footballing career, Gazza played for England 57 times. In late 2005, Gazza became manager of Kettering Town FC, but his problems with alcohol led him to be sacked after just 39 days.
Although a success on the pitch, Gazza’s private life was less happy. He has admitted to battling with bulimia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder and alcoholism, and was also accused of being violent towards wife Sheryl, who he married in 1996 and divorced just two years later. It is widely believed that Gazza's off-pitch problems meant that he never fully fulfilled his potential as a world-class football player.
Source:
The Journal