Jimmy Gardner
| Jimmy Gardner | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966 (age 57–58) Dunston, Gateshead |
| Other names | Five Bellies |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Being friend of Paul Gascoigne |
James "Five Bellies" Gardner (born 1966) earned media attention in the 1990s and early 2000s as the best friend of England international footballer Paul Gascoigne, whose issues with alcohol were in the public eye. A 2004 article in The Guardian described Gardner as "the only person in Britain famous for being a footballer's mate."[1]
Relationship with Paul Gascoigne[edit]
Gardner and Gascoigne met at school at the age of 14, and Gascoigne gave him his nickname referring to his obesity.[2] Gardner gained notoriety for accompanying Gascoigne while drinking, and stories of their alleged antics were included in newspapers.[2] One such case alleged that Gardner withstood a lighter flame being applied to his nose to win a £1,000 bet with Gascoigne,[2][3] while Gardner states that the flame was Gascoigne's way of waking him from a deep sleep in a bar.[3] Gascoigne once recalled firing at Gardner's bare buttocks with an air gun. A 1999 report in The Herald stated "Gardner's celebrity has often appeared dubious, but his close and often calamitous friendship with Gascoigne, aided by his nickname, made him a headline writer's dream".[4] During Euro 96, a columnist for the Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport wrote about the friendship.[5] On 19 September 1996 he appeared in an episode of They Think It’s All Over.
He denies allegations that he introduced Gascoigne to alcohol abuse, saying "if anything, it's the opposite."[3] His cousin, David Cheek, died of acute alcohol poisoning at the age of 43 on 13 August 1998 during a night out with Gardner and Gascoigne.[6] Gardner followed Gascoigne throughout his career, and during the footballer's time at Rangers, manager Walter Smith banned him from the Ibrox Stadium.[4] According to Archie Knox, when Smith arrived in Rome to sign Gascoigne for Rangers, he found Gascoigne attempting to run Gardner over with a quad bike.[7] Gascoigne had on a previous occasion hit Gardner with his car while driving at 30 mph, having been attempting "just to scare him."[8]
The relationship between Gardner and Gascoigne remained in the public eye as the footballer's condition worsened after his retirement. Gascoigne's autobiography, Gazza: My Story, details an incident in Lanzhou, China in 2003 when he had a breakdown related to alcohol and Gardner was unable to help as he had left town shortly before. Gardner said later, "He was drinking all this whisky, but it was having no effect on him. But you can't tell Paul not to do something, or he'll just do it even worse."[9] In 2008, they fell out when Gardner aimed to address his friend's rapid weight loss and depression, but reconciled later that year.[10] They fell out again in 2013 after Gardner made a public call for his friend to seek help for his addiction, and Gardner confessed that he searches Gascoigne's name on the Internet every day to check if he is still alive.[11]
Personal life[edit]
Gardner is from Dunston, Gateshead.[11] He left school with no qualifications and worked as a tarmac layer.[2] He had two sons as of 1998.
Gardner was fined £500 in February 1997 for assault, having punched a Celtic fan in the face at a pub in Houston, Renfrewshire, after an Old Firm game in which Gascoigne had played for Rangers; the sheriff said that there was a sectarian element to the attack.[4]
In August 1999, Gardner was sentenced to six months in prison for drunkenly threatening a group of youths with an unloaded air pistol when they taunted him; radio presenter Chris Evans gave him a character reference in court.[4] Less than 72 hours into his sentence, he was released on bail from HM Prison Durham.[12] Gardner described his imprisonment as a trigger event for him to give up drinking.[3]
He was declared bankrupt in 2005.[13] In 2010, having shed his weight from a peak of 21 stone (290 lb; 130 kg) to 13 stone (180 lb; 83 kg) due to a drastic change in lifestyle, he took part in the Great North Run for the Bobby Robson Foundation.[13] His shirt number was 555, a reference to his nickname.[14]
References[edit]
- ↑ Hattenstone, Simon (22 June 2004). "'I quit football – that is what made us better'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Why are they famous?: Jimmy 'Five Bellies' Gardner". The Independent. 20 December 1998. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Jimmy 'Five Bellies' Gardner". BBC Inside Out. 15 September 2003. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Five Bellies is jailed for six months over pistol Celebrity support for Gascoigne's friend fails to sway judge from custody". Herald Scotland. 14 August 1999. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ Baker, Andrew (16 June 1996). "Five Bellies and an Italian love story". The Independent. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ↑ "Gazza's friend killed by drink". BBC News. 19 August 1998. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ Murray, Laura (25 December 2017). "HARD KNOX Rangers legend Archie Knox on Paul Gascoigne trying to 'run down' Jimmy Five Bellies with a quad bike and Gazza's 'naked' pre-match ritual that annoyed Walter Smith". Scottish Sun. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ↑ "The 50 greatest Paul Gascoigne stories... EVER!". FourFourTwo. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ↑ Moir, Jan (22 June 2004). ""I don't expect anyone to forgive me'". The Telegraph (UK). Retrieved 13 December 2018.
- ↑ "Reunited: Gazza makes it up with old friend Jimmy 'Five Bellies'". Evening Standard. 2 August 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Doughty, Sophie (6 October 2014). "Jimmy 'Five Bellies' Gardner tells of fears best mate Gazza will die before they make-up". Chronicle. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ "'Five Bellies' released". BBC News. 16 August 1999. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Jimmy 'Five Bellies' set for Great North Run". Chronicle. 16 September 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ "Jimmy 'Five Bellies' Gardner slims to 13st for Great North Run". Metro. 17 September 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
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