"Moaty, It's Gazza..."

Am I the only one gutted that Raoul Moat shot himself before he got the chance to realise his mate Gazza had turned up with some chicken and a fishing rod?

This has to be the most bizarre twist in what turned out to be a bit of a damp squib after promising to be an epic stand-off that might have rivalled the end of Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid.

Had Gazza been allowed to talk to Moat - it would have been an image to savour, and most probably would have saved Moat's life, with Gazza turned ultimate siege negotiator.

For those who haven't heard the story - it's here. Apparently Gazza had heard his pal 'Moaty' was by a river, and took along his fishing rod so they could sit down together for a man-to-man chat and a little bit of fishing on the riverbank. Might have been difficult to get that manly-bonding experience going with the entire North East constabulary 20 feet away with tasars & assault rifles aimed at old Moaty's head, but you know, it might have worked.

If you have time, I'd recommend listening to Gazza's Radio Interview here (My favourite bit is his response to the police not allowing him to see Moaty for fears he'd be shot - ""I've just been in a car crash at 90mph. If I can survive that I can survive a bullet").
Poor old Gazza. Truth is, I still love the man despite the fact he's clearly loopy and hard on the booze again. He also allegedly beat his ex-wife up in the past of course, but because the nation views him as such a loveable yet tragic hero, the media tend to write off those sort of incidents merely as evidence of his fall from grace.

Aside from the wife-beating stories, he is the epitome of a great hero fallen from grace though. During the recent World Cup, there was a documentary about Italia '90 where Gazza's tears were the resounding memory of the tournament for every Englishman. The interview with Gazza showed that re-living the evening still affects him now, welling up as he remembers what he didn't realise at the time would be the pinnacle of his all-too short career.

Since those days, when he was still the golden boy of English football, he has become a joke figure. This latest drunk radio interview about his mate Moaty is just the latest in a line of moves that has done nothing but embarrass him and lead him closer to the loony bin. I always find it such a great tragedy when a man of his stature within hearts of the people doesn't have the gravitas he deserves to have. He should be pontificating on Match of The Day, opening hospitals and a figurehead of our World Cup bid. Instead he turns up pissed to a man-hunt with some chicken and a dressing gown.

The real tragedy of this whole side-story to the Raoul Moat manhunt is that actually, if there was any scenario available that might have led to Moaty giving up his gun and taking the prison time, it would have been for Gazza to turn up and have a bit of a fish with him.

He is still a hero for anyone who remembers Italia '90, especially if they happen to be from Newcastle, as Moaty was. Regardless of whether he did actually know him personally or not, even a deranged steroid-crazed killer wouldn't harm 'Daft as a Brush' Paul Gascoigne.

I can't therefore understand why the police didn't take the same view Gazza did and realise Moaty wouldn't have shot him.

Perhaps though, Moaty had simply overstepped the line in being given the benefit of the doubt on this. As Gazza says - "He has killed someone, which isn't very nice really."

Quite true, you daft but loveable man.