Too drunk

Gazza barred from boarding a plane because he was too drunk, reports Neil Sears in the Daily Mail:

He is fresh out of rehab, and has sworn repeatedly to kick alcohol into touch - but football legend Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne is understood to be drinking again. The ex-England player had been invited to Malta to play in a special veterans match, but is said to have been barred from boarding his return flight when judged too drunk to get on the plane.

Gascoigne, 40, had managed to play only in the last half hour of the game last Thursday, and barely got a touch of the ball as a team of British veterans were beaten 5-1 by a squad of ageing Italians. He was then seen drinking heavily in his hotel - and by the time he arrived at Malta's international airport at 3.30pm on Sunday onlookers said he was considerably the worse for wear.

The girl at the check in desk informed her supervisor, who is said to have promptly told Gascoigne he was not in a fit state to fly. The former footballer reportedly complained, but to no avail. And when a young fan asked for his autograph shortly after, Gascoigne is said to have told him 'You'll be silly to fly with Air Malta'.

He is then understood to have left the airport, and last night it was still not clear whether he had left Malta. Staff at the Gran Hotel Excelsior in Floriana, just outside the Maltese capital Valletta, said Gascoigne drank heavily after Thursday's match, and broke several glasses in the hotel cocktail bar...