Fotherby on Tour: Paul Gascoigne
Bill Fotherby was keen to stress that this wasn't a spur of the moment urge. Buying Paul Gascoigne was the culmination of a plan that began when Howard Wilkinson took over at Leeds in 1988 and made headlines by taking his ball-clutching nemesis, Vinnie Jones, to Division Two.
Transfers are one of modern football's obsessions, because they represent football without its messy reality: why watch some donkey playing for your team, when you can imagine the difference being made by a prime stallion? The best players are usually out of reach for all but the richest clubs, but in the 1990s Leeds United's managing director, Bill Fotherby, had his own ideas about the word 'unattainable'.
As the Peacocks returned from Division Two to Europe with one of the best teams in our history, Fotherby's pursuit of top transfer targets created a shadow team of world stars fans could keep in the back of their minds while watching, say, Carlton Palmer instead.
For the next few weeks, we're going to follow Fotherby on his travels around Europe, chasing the biggest and best transfers, wondering how close he got to his targets, who we signed instead, and what might have been if Bill's will could have forced history into being just a tiny bit different.
In case you missed the previous parts, so far:
Diego Maradona ⭑ Pairing England's most-hated footballer with England's most-hated football club would have sunk the likes of Emlyn Hughes into tabloid column apoplexy for months. Which would have been fantastic.
Trevor Steven ⭑ It's easy to understand from the adjectives — diligent, hard-working, cultured-but-disciplined — why Trevor Steven appealed to Howard Wilkinson. Besides, he already had Steve Hodge, so might as well collect another midfielder Diego Maradona had run rings around in 1986.
Duncan Ferguson ⭑ Jim McLean wanted a clause in the deal with Leeds preventing them from selling Ferguson to Rangers. But Duncan Ferguson really, really, really wanted to play for Rangers.
Des Walker ⭑ "Howard Wilkinson has been very persistent," about coming from Arsenal, said David O'Leary. "He would like to pair me with Des Walker if they are successful with a bid to Sampdoria."
John Scales ⭑ There were so many opportunities, and so many near misses, that if John Scales had been meant to play for Leeds, he would have.
Tomáš Skuhravý ⭑ Given his translator had instructions to fight an MRI machine rather than let it scan his legs, Leeds had a near miss with Tomáš Skuhravý.
Rubén Sosa ⭑ Gordon Strachan had been worth two players to Leeds, but Rubén Sosa could be the one to replace him. But he would cost two player's salaries.
Who was signing?
Gazza. Do I need to say anything else?
Paul Gascoigne was the greatest English player of his generation but by summer 1995 he was looking for a way of reinforcing that claim. His club in Italy, Lazio, were keen to bring their enigmatic liaison to an end. They'd agreed to buy him from Tottenham in spring 1991, finally got him onto a Roman pitch in September 1992, and enjoyed the joie de vivre he brought to their midfield when he wasn't fighting with reporters, insulting the club president's daughter, putting on weight, playing with a broken cheekbone or not playing with a broken leg. From 1994 Lazio were managed by strict disciplinarian Zdeněk Zeman, and Gazza responded to his regime by stealing his whistle and putting it round the neck of a nearby goose. Do not question why there was a goose nearby. This was Gazza's life. Geese were just living in it.
The Leeds United midfield, as 1994/95 drew to an end, had got Leeds into the UEFA Cup by finishing 5th in the Premier League. Gary McAllister and Gary Speed were excellent players. Carlton Palmer was there too. Gordon Strachan had sent himself to Coventry City. Managing director Bill Fotherby's quest for a European star had procured a striker of extraordinary power, Tony Yeboah, but it wasn't clear who other than McAllister was going to keep feeding his net-busting hunger. Breaking up the classic 1992 midfield was still regretted at Elland Road, but filling David Batty's absence with Paul Gascoigne might help everyone get over it at last.
Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman
Here's Carlton Palmer's A-Z entry, if you want to torture yourself
How close did we get?
According to Bill Fotherby, Paul Gascoigne was signing for Leeds and that was that. Fotherby had been back and forth to Italy throughout the early nineties, trying to buy this player or that player and coming home empty handed, but in April 1995 he revealed how all along he'd been lining up the transfer of his career. "We've been monitoring developments in Italy for the past two years, and our interest is as strong as ever," he said.
To keep reading, please become a More to Read member
Leedsista is supported by Leeds fans who think decent writing about their football team is worth £3 a month.