Paul Gascoigne Hat-trick as Tottenham Defeat Derby Know Your Tottenham History

Tottenham’s season had started in the euphoria of England’s success in reaching the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup in Italy and the associated ‘Gazzamania’ which had accompanied it. The whole country wanted to see Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker. They had both delivered on the opening day of the season against Manchester City and Tottenham had then drawn 0 – 0 in their next two matches at Sunderland and Arsenal. For the second home game of the season Derby Country visited White Hart Lane with the England goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, in their team.

Tottenham Hotspur 3 Derby County 0

Scorer: Gascoigne (3)

On 8th September, 1990 Spurs undefeated start to the season continued with this Gascoigne master class.  He scored a hat-trick and the score line should have read Gascoigne 3 Derby County 0 or more precisely Gazza 3 Shilton 0 as he managed to put three great goals past the England goalkeeper, giving him no chance.

In his book, GLORIOUS My World, Football and Me, Gascoigne recalls the three goals, in his own words.

‘For the first I remember the ball came across the box and I hit it with me left foot, but I scuffed it a bit and it’s gone under Shilts and into the back of the net. The second one was a free-kick on the edge of the box, on the right. Shilts had the wall set up lovely but he was standing a little too much to his right, my left. I caught it unbelievably. To be fair, no keeper would have saved it, but he tried hard. The third was also a free-kick, miles out. About forty yards. Shilts was organising his wall, standing with his hand on the post. I thought, I’m going to give this a crack. The ref nodded and I leathered it before Shilts really knew what was going on. He tried to scramble across but all he could do was watch it fly in.’

After he had seen Gascoigne inspire Spurs to victory, the Derby County manager, Arthur Cox commented,

"“If he were a Brazilian or Argentinean you would kiss his shoes.”"

In the following Monday’s Times this report appeared:

‘Gascoigne Tops a Bill that is Full of Talent.  The advance publicity was right, the rave reviews fully justified, the Greatest Show on earth, presented by Tottenham Hotspur and starring Paul Gascoigne, duly brought the house down at White Hart Lane on Saturday.’

Team: Thorstvedt; Bergsson, Van den Hauwe; Howells, Sedgley, Mabbutt; Stewart (Walsh), Gascoigne, Nayim (Samways), Lineker, Allen