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The Guardian
19-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘A pup in the park': remembering Paul Gascoigne's first goal for England
English football was facing a period of introspection during April 1989. As the world tried to digest the full horror of the Hillsborough disaster, the future of the national game seemed at a crossroads. Surely this was the tragic tipping point for the sport, a time for English football to get its house in order. For too many years the safety of spectators had been taken for granted. Crumbling stadiums, perimeter fences and poor facilities provided a hostile environment in which to attend matches. The shocking policing of Liverpool fans at Hillsborough, shamefully covered up for decades, combined with this disregard for safety, led to a tragedy beyond comprehension. The Taylor Report, which led to all-seater stadiums, would prove critical for the future direction of the sport, but the success of the national team at Italia 90 was perhaps the turning point regarding the image of football on the pitch. One man in particular would make his mark on that tournament, yet for both player and country the future looked a little uncertain in April 1989. Drawn in a qualifying group with Sweden, Poland and Albania, England would make it to Italy by the width of a crossbar in Chorzow, but before that sliding doors moment there had been a rollercoaster ride. A 0-0 draw against Sweden opened the campaign at Wembley – 'GO! IN THE NAME OF GOD GO!' screamed the Mirror headline in relation to manager Bobby Robson – and who can forget the blood shed by Terry Butcher in Stockholm. Fortunately for Robson and England, two comfortable wins against the whipping boys of the group boosted qualification hopes after the stalemate with Sweden at Wembley. Albania would lose all six matches in the campaign, with England particularly ruthless in their two meetings. A comfortable 2-0 win in Tirana in March 1989 was followed by a 5-0 demolition at Wembley a month later. Coming just 11 days after the Hillsborough disaster, inevitably the buildup to the match at Wembley was overshadowed. Would the game go ahead? If so, would Liverpool and Nottingham Forest players take part? Would the FA Cup semi-final between the two clubs be replayed? With Liverpool's fixtures suspended, when would the league season conclude? Eventually the decision was taken to play the Albania match, with Robson, who had been at Hillsborough himself, allowing the Liverpool and Nottingham Forest players selected in his squad to opt in or out. Nottingham Forest players Stuart Pearce, Des Walker, Neil Webb, Steve Hodge and Nigel Clough, and Liverpool's Steve McMahon and Peter Beardsley joined the squad. John Barnes pulled out. The fact that Liverpool's players were attending funerals put things into perspective, and fortunately Barnes' decision was fully respected, with John Aldridge and Steve Nicol also pulling out of their international matches. Both sets of players wore black armbands and a minute's silence was observed before the match at Wembley. During the evening, the 60,602 fans in attendance sang You'll Never Walk Alone in tribute to Liverpool. 'The game has taken such a knock that we need to get out there and give a good England performance that will boost our football,' said Robson. The 5-0 win was certainly entertaining, even if England's opponents were poor. For the some of the players involved, it was an important evening in their international careers. England took the lead after just five minutes, Gary Lineker scoring his first international goal for 11 months, with Beardsley doubling the advantage in the 12th minute. The Liverpool forward had not made the decision to play lightly. But, backed by Liverpool fans he had talked to, Beardsley figured a return to football in an England shirt might make things easier for him. Beardsley added a third just past the hour, as Albania struggled to withstand the pressure. In fairness, Sulejman Demollari had a fine goal ruled out due to a player standing in an offside position, and 17-year-old debutant goalkeeper Blendi Nallbani performed admirably. But the introduction of Paul Gascoigne in the 66th minute added to Albania's problems. Making just his third appearance for his country, the 21-year-old seemed to be another English player who could be placed in that broad category of maverick. The kind of midfielder who would be loved by fans but perhaps never fully trusted by his manager. A supremely talented footballer, but still a rough diamond. Robson clearly had a lot of affection for Gascoigne, labelling him 'daft as a brush' before the Albania match; Gascoigne turned up to training the next day with a brush sticking out of his sock. Yet, with skipper Bryan Robson certain to play, and Webb producing the types of displays that would earn him a move to Manchester United, fitting Gascoigne into the team looked difficult. Gascoigne had moved to Tottenham for £2m in the summer of 1988 and, despite constant criticism over his weight, his performances had him knocking on the door for international recognition. His cameo against Albania only increased the volume behind those arguing that Gascoigne was what England needed. Gascoigne immediately demanded the ball. 'You need two balls when he plays,' Robson later joked. 'One for him and another for the rest of us.' Instructed to play on the right after coming on for David Rocastle, Gascoigne roamed where he wanted. 'I can tell you how much he listened to me because he played in every position except the one I had told him to play in,' Robson said with a twinkle in his eye. But, with Albania on the ropes, Gascoigne's free spirit was a welcome sight for England fans. Setting up Chris Waddle for England's fourth goal in the 72nd minute, Gascoigne was just warming up. One mesmerising piece of skill that would have made Ricky Villa jealous earned a roar of appreciation from the Wembley crowd, Gascoigne's hips wiggling and feet shuffling completely foxing three Albanian defenders. But in the 89th minute came a first international goal that his display deserved. Picking up the ball from debutant Paul Parker, Gascoigne had one thing on his mind as he made his way to the Albanian penalty area. Using his strength to hold off one player, Gascoigne moved away from another as the shirts in front of him parted. Finishing with his left foot from roughly 12 yards out, the boyish delight on the face of the scorer was heartwarming. 'This really is a shining talent we're watching perhaps in its infancy here in international terms,' said commentator John Motson, as replays of the goal highlighted the dazzling ability Gascoigne clearly possessed. David Lacey, writing in the Guardian, called it 'a fitting finale' and a 'typically impudent piece of skill'. The hype surrounding Gascoigne was growing. Robson spoke with the energy of a proud father. 'Paul Gascoigne has a rare and rich talent. I have never seen anybody oozing such confidence. Nothing frightens him. The kid can go out at Wembley with that cockiness and excite the crowd.' But Robson also urged caution. 'Gascoigne will be a gem of a player once he understands what teamwork is,' said Robson, adding that the older members of the squad would do their best to guide the young star. Robson admitted that Gascoigne needed to prove himself against stronger opposition. A stunning display against Czechoslovakia in April 1990 officially booked his ticket to Italia 90. 'Releasing himself with the exuberance of a pup in the park was fine against the unravelling Albanians but, as his manager pointed out, it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun for the spectators or his teammates against such as Holland or West Germany,' Hugh McIlvanney noted after Gascoigne's glorious display at Wembley, an accurate assessment at the time. Could Gascoigne do it at a World Cup against the best sides on the planet? For one glorious summer he proved he could. If it took the tragedy of Hillsborough to improve conditions for fans in the future, Gascoigne's personality and skills, plus England's run to the last four. was proof that football could be cool. Football changed forever that summer. This article is by Steven Pye for That 1980s Sports Blog
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Albion to introduce safe standing at The Hawthorns
West Bromwich Albion are to become the latest club to follow the growing trend towards 'safe standing' areas at football grounds.A total of 3,864 seats at The Hawthorns, mostly at the Smethwick End, as well as in the Millennium Corner, will be converted in time for the 2025-26 club's official ground capacity will remain at 26, to a football ground guide published in September 2024, external, Albion would become the 18th EFL side with areas of safe-standing are already 13 Premier League clubs who have them, plus the national football stadium at stadia were a recommendation of the Taylor Report which followed the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which 97 fans died in a crush at the Leppings Lane End during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham first safe standing area since then came during the 2021-22 season, when football crowd safety began to be looked at again following the Covid pandemic. The Baggies' decision was taken following consultation with the Albion Assembly, made up of club officials and fan members of key supporters' groups, the Sports Ground Safety Authority and the club's Safety Advisory Group."The club have long been advocates of safe standing," said Albion managing director Mark Miles. "A lot has changed since The Hawthorns became an all-seater stadium almost 30 years ago, and we're confident now is the right time to bring standing back in a safe and controlled way."Though the upper Smethwick End and Millennium Corner are expected to be very popular locations for safe standing, we understand it might not be for everyone, and we'll ensure anyone who would like to relocate can do so."Albion currently lie sixth in the Championship under Tony Mowbray as they chase a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2021.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sir Murray Stuart-Smith, Court of Appeal judge who re-examined the 1989 Hillsborough report
Sir Murray Stuart-Smith, who has died aged 97, was a Court of Appeal judge renowned for the logic and lucidity of his judgments, all of which reflected his profound knowledge and understanding of the English common law. His judgment on medical causation in Loveday v Renton (1989) during the whooping cough vaccine litigation provided a template that has often been followed and never questioned. In the asbestosis case of Holtby v Brigham (2000) he delivered what came to be a much-cited judgment on the difference between divisible and indivisible diseases. And his definitive formulation on the liability of public authorities in Capital & Counties (1997) was fully upheld last year by the Supreme Court in Tindall v Chief Constable of Thames Valley. As a barrister, Stuart-Smith had been one of the leading personal injury and general common law practitioners of his time, yet few of his cases at the Bar or on the Bench attracted headlines. He thus remained largely unknown outside legal circles until he was asked by the new Labour government in 1997 to re-examine Lord Taylor's 1989 inquiry into the Hillsborough football stadium disaster, which had blamed not the fans but the arrangements made by senior police officers and the conditions prevailing at the ground (the report led to all-seater stadiums). Stuart-Smith's task was to review any evidence that may have been withheld from the Taylor inquiry together with the wider question of whether the inquest process had been satisfactory. The investigation got off to a bad start when Stuart-Smith caused offence with an uncharacteristically clumsy off-the-cuff quip during a meeting with families affected by the tragedy: 'Have you got a few of your people or are they like the Liverpool fans, turn up at the last minute?' His prompt apology was accepted by the Hillsborough Family Support Group 'without reservation', although others called for the judge to stand down, arguing that the remark indicated that he had a predetermined view. In the course of his investigation, Stuart-Smith saw statements that had clearly been doctored by the police, but concluded that the new evidence did not invalidate the Taylor Report. The Home Secretary Jack Straw endorsed his findings, saying: 'I do not believe that a further inquiry could or would uncover significant new evidence or provide any relief for the distress of those who have been bereaved.' But 13 years later, on the BBC programme Law in Action, Lord Falconer described the acceptance of Stuart-Smith's report as a 'disastrous and wrong-headed decision' that had 'made the families in the Hillsborough disaster feel that after one establishment cover-up, here was another'. Falconer had been Solicitor General at the time of Stuart-Smith's investigation and he acknowledged that the government might have withheld information that Stuart-Smith needed. But he was nevertheless critical of the judge, arguing that 'he should have realised, I believe, that the inquiries and inquests had not given the public confidence that a proper inquiry had been undertaken.' Stuart-Smith did not comment publicly on Falconer's remarks but privately regarded them as unfair, given the amount of information that had been withheld and how circumscribed he had felt by his terms of reference. Murray Stuart-Smith was born on November 18 1927 and grew up in Hadley Wood, Hertfordshire, the younger of two children. His father Edward had been an aspiring architect who reluctantly went into the family business, which included a laundry in Wood Green and a clothing shop in Farnham. Murray's father was also a gifted violinist, while his mother Doris, née Laughland, taught the piano after studying at the Royal Academy of Music. Murray took up the cello at an early age to complete the family trio. At Moffats prep school he rose to head boy, but during his tenure spent several weeks in hospital after falling into a recently cut bamboo clump, one of whose sharp spikes went right through his thigh; he later caught measles. 'During my confinement,' Stuart-Smith recalled, 'I wrote what I thought was a brilliant satire on Mrs Engleheart, the headmaster's mother. She was the most frightful old bag, with dyed orange hair. Anyhow, I entrusted this missive to Simpson [who worked in the school kitchens and acted as courier for uncensored mail] for onward transmission to my parents. I don't know what went wrong but they never got it. 'When I rose from my sick bed, I was summoned to the HM's study. I was told that I was being relieved of my duties as head boy. The only explanation I was given, which was so manifestly bogus, was that Ian Latham had been acting head boy while I was in bed, and he had done it so much better than me. 'Since the duties of head boy were not onerous, it was difficult to see why I had done them badly, no previous complaint having been made, nor why Ian had performed them so conspicuously better. And Simpson was no longer employed in the kitchen. So, poor man, I suppose I was instrumental in his sacking.' Stuart-Smith regarded the incident at the time as 'a gross miscarriage of justice' and remembered it having a 'profound influence' on him. After Radley, he joined the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards and won the belt of honour for the best officer-cadet of his intake at Bovington, before being posted to Germany. After completing his National Service in 1948, he went up to Corpus Christi, Cambridge. The first member of his family to go to university, he graduated with a starred First in the law tripos, followed by another starred First in the LLM. Awarded the Atkin Scholarship by Gray's Inn, he was called to the Bar in 1952 and joined chambers at 2 Temple Gardens, whose tenants numbered several other future senior judges – John Stephenson, John May, John Stocker, Michael Turner and Stephen Chapman. Stuart-Smith was calm and restrained on his feet in court, with all the precision and persuasion of a brilliant intellect in reserve. He took Silk in 1970 and was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court in 1972. In 1981 he was appointed to the High Court Bench, Queen's Bench Division. Between 1983 and 1987 he was Presiding Judge on the Western Circuit. As a judge he was fair and humane but could be intimidating to ill-prepared counsel or those he felt were wasting the court's time. He made very plain his dislike of the tendency of some practitioners to take every point, good or bad, simply because there were large amounts of money at stake. In 1988 he was promoted to the Court of Appeal, where he was among those who upheld the refusal of a summons against Salman Rushdie on the grounds that the common law offence of blasphemy was restricted to a scurrilous vilification of Christianity. He was Commissioner for the Security and Intelligence Services from 1989 to 2000, when he also retired from the English bench. He continued to sit in the Court of Appeal of Gibraltar, however, serving as president from 2007, a time that coincided with the suspension and eventual removal from office of the former Chief Justice in 2009. He also sat as a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Bermuda from 2004. He held both these appointments until suffering a serious stroke in 2010. Having been knighted on his elevation to the bench in 1981, he was appointed KCMG in 2012. Stuart-Smith listed 'building' among his recreations in Who's Who and usually had a project or two on the go at his home at Serge Hill in Hertfordshire, building everything from treehouses and donkey sheds to the barn where his son Tom, the garden designer, now lives. The photograph he provided for Gray's Inn magazine on his appointment there as Treasurer in 1998 showed him trowel in hand, laying bricks, completely happy. His children's school holidays were spent planting, felling trees, clearing brambles, demolishing, hoeing and building. He was also passionate about music and about Shakespeare. For about 25 years the Stuart-Smiths put on an annual family Shakespeare play with Murray always in the lead role; he also cast the other parts, edited the script and built the props. To his last days he was apt to launch suddenly into a chunk of King Lear. Murray Stuart-Smith married, in 1953, Joan Motion; she died in 2015. Their marriage produced three sons and three daughters – variously now a Court of Appeal judge, gardener, writer and artist, landscape architect, solicitor and shoe-designer-turned-chef, all of whom survive him. Sir Murray Stuart-Smith, born November 18 1927, died January 21 2025 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
