England vs Scotland: Paul Gascoigne, Euro 96 and the Hong Kong Dentist’s Chair – where are they now?
- Iconic goal celebration was made in Causeway Bay’s China Jump where the Three Lions let their hair down ahead of Euro 96 semi-final run
- With all eyes on the big Euro 2020 meeting between the Auld Enemies, where are England’s heroes 25 years on from Wembley?
It was June 15, 1996 and hosts England welcomed the Auld Enemy to London for the second group stage game. Alan Shearer put England ahead in the first half but Scotland were given a lifeline with a second-half penalty.
England keeper David Seaman saved the spot kick before the Three Lions soon put the game to bed through one of the most iconic goals scored at Wembley.
Paul Gascoigne’s goal lives long in the memory 25 years on as does the infamous “Dentist’s Chair” celebration that followed.
It was a celebration that started with a night out in Hong Kong in the month before the tournament after the FA decided that the best preparation for Euro 96 was for Terry Venables to take his side on a tour of China.
It started well with the first game a 3-0 win over China in the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing, in which Phil Neville made his debut, before the team headed down to Hong Kong for the Golden Inventec Century Challenge Cup 96, a rather grand name for a friendly against the Hong Kong Golden Select XI.
Gazza’s Dentist’s Chair – the Euro 96 goal and celebration made in Hong Kong
The Three Lions won 1-0 through a Les Ferdinand header in a performance as shocking as the Hong Kong side’s pink Reebok kit.
The match was disappointing at best, with Sky Sport calling it “an embarrassing 90 minutes for England’s best against a team made up of mostly has beens and never will bes”, and while that is best forgotten, what happened after lives on in infamy.
Given free rein to celebrate Paul Gascoigne’s birthday a day early and placed under the watchful eye of notorious boozer Bryan Robson, several of the squad headed to Causeway Bay and the China Jump for a night out where the term “Dentist’s Chair” become forever synonymous with ripped shirts and wild-eyed debauchery, as the players piled into the chair to have spirits tipped down their throats.
Pictures of the dishevelled stars soon got out and they were front page news back home – The Sun’s “Disgracefool” headline captured the furore.
That would all be forgotten soon enough as England captured the public’s imagination at Euro 96 and no one more so than Gascoigne, who scored arguably the greatest goal of his career against Scotland and certainly performed the greatest goal celebration.
Gascoigne planned the celebration beforehand, with teammate Jamie Redknapp later describing it as “almost as good as the night out”.
With all eyes on England and Scotland again at this year’s Euros, where are the heroes of 25 years ago now?
Jamie Redknapp on Hong Kong dentist’s chair episode – ‘the greatest night in football history’
Terry Venables
“El Tel” as he was known during his time as Barcelona boss is still fondly remembered by England fans, and his side were the most successful since Italia 90 in reaching the semi-finals of Euro 96. He was let go after the tournament and went on to manage Australia, Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Leeds United. He ran La Escondida, his luxury hotel just outside Alicante on Spain’s Costa Blanca, with his wife until retiring in 2019. Venables told the England Euro 2020 team to do better than his 1996 squad ahead of the tournament.
Gareth Southgate
That summer England lost to Germany after Southgate had his penalty saved, this summer he will (likely) be the scapegoat again in his role as England manager. The central defender did not to go to the China Jump on the advice of Stuart Pearce. He left Aston Villa for Middlesbrough where he was Steve McClaren’s first signing and who he later replaced as manager. Previously England under-21 boss, he took England to their first semi-final since Euro 96 at the Russia 2018 Fifa World Cup.
Paul Gascoigne
Turning 29 the day after the China Jump, the Rangers player was England’s star of the tournament thanks to a wonder goal against Scotland that he celebrated by recreating the Dentist’s Chair. That remains the enduring image of Euro 96 and it was his last tournament for England. He ended up playing in China for Gansu Flying Horses in his later days. Gascoigne has struggled publicly with drink, drugs and depression but appears to be winning his battles at the moment and is getting a lot of media interest around Euro 96 this summer.
Steve Howey
David Seaman
Another player who called in at Manchester City on his route to retirement. The goalkeeper starred in Dancing on Ice in 2006 where he met his current wife, whom he married in 2015. Now an ambassador for Playon, Safe Hands released a book of the same name in 2000. Seaman was asleep while the China Jump was jumping off. He now has a weekly podcast called Seaman Says, in which he is covering Euro 2020.
Alan Shearer
The top scorer at Euro 96 was still at Blackburn Rovers at the time, but chose to move to Newcastle United over Manchester United that summer. He scored goals galore for his boyhood club but never won anything. He later managed the club but is now a fixture on the Match of the Day panel. Shearer was back in Hong Kong in November 2018.
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Bryan Robson
The former England skipper was meant to be keeping an eye on the players. He joined Middlesbrough as player manager and then managed former club West Bromwich Albion. His last coaching role was with the Thailand national team and he is now a Manchester United global ambassador. He was back in Hong Kong in 2018 with the Jockey Club.
Stuart Pearce
Exorcised his Italia 90 penalty demons at Euro 96 before leaving Nottingham Forest for Newcastle United, West Ham United and Manchester City. “Psycho” hung up his boots and went into management at Manchester City before taking charge of England under-21s, the Great Britain 2012 Olympic team and England as a caretaker boss. He also managed Nottingham Forest and is currently working with David Moyes at West Ham.
Tony Adams
Teddy Sheringham
Three years to the day after the China Jump incident, Sheringham was scoring the equaliser in the Champions League final for Manchester United against Bayern Munich. He went back to Tottenham Hotspur from Old Trafford and on to West Ham United, Portsmouth and Colchester where he played into his 40s. He was sacked as boss of Indian Super League side ATK in January 2018, and now works as a pundit.
Les Ferdinand
The scorer of the winner in Hong Kong left Newcastle United for Spurs and a handful of appearances elsewhere before retiring in 2005. He had a brief stint as a caretaker manager at QPR where he is now the sporting director.
Ian Walker
Won his second cap against China and returned to the country once he finished playing as goalkeeping coach for Shanghai Shenhua. He crossed the city to join Shanghai SIPG where he worked with former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson. Walker is still at the Chinese Super League side, who are now named Shanghai Port.
Tim Flowers
The goalkeeper left his job as Barnet manager in March, but has previously been a goalie coach at Leicester and Man City, the club where he ended his career. Flowers was assistant to Iain Dowie at both QPR and Coventry City, as well as manager of Solihull Moors in the National League and Macclesfield Town.
Sol Campbell
The defender has been advising small businesses on cybercrime and tried to become a Conservative candidate for London mayor in 2015. He left Spurs for Arsenal, where he later enjoyed a second spell before finishing up at Newcastle United. He recently expressed his desire for another shot at club management after managing Macclesfield Town and Southend United, who he left last year.
Jamie Redknapp
The former Liverpool midfielder is a mainstay on British screens and in print. He left Anfield for Spurs and then Southampton. He described the fun at the China Jump as “the greatest night in football history”.
Darren Anderton
He woke up at 11am to be reassured by Spurs teammate Ian Walker that training had been cancelled. Anderton’s playing career was beset by injury. He did punditry work at the Russia 2018 World Cup for Singaporean television but lives in the US where he is an ambassador for Spurs.
Gary Neville
Since retiring from Manchester United, the elder Neville has forged a business empire with Ryan Giggs and owns non-league Salford City along with Giggs, brother Phil, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. Now a pundit on Sky Sports where he has joined former England teammate Jamie Carragher, Neville also had a go at management with Valencia and as a defensive coach for England.
Phil Neville
The former England women’s manager was a part of his former Everton boss David Moyes’ back room staff at Manchester United and was assistant to his brother at Valencia. Both Nevilles stayed in that fateful night on the advice of David Platt. He now coaches David Beckham’s MLS side Inter Miami.
Nick Barmby
There was a brace in the earlier win over China for the Middlesbrough man back in 1996. He left for Everton that summer and crossed Stanley Park to play for Liverpool and then Leeds. He finished his career at boyhood club Hull City where he was also manager. His son Jack plays for Phoenix Rising in the US. Barmby last coached at Scunthorpe United in 2019 before leaving the club.
Peter Beardsley
Put on gardening leave from Newcastle after allegations of bullying and racial abuse while under-23 boss, he was found guilty by the FA in 2019. He had brought teams from the Toon to the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens for years. He left Newcastle as a player in 1997 for a string of English clubs before finishing his career in Australia. Beardsley turned 60 in January and is no longer in football.
Dennis Wise
Was one of several of the party who were cut from Venables’ 22-man Euro 96 squad that day. Went on to play for Chelsea, Leicester City and Millwall, where he was player-manager. Also managed Swindon Town and Leeds United. Wise was appointed director of football at Newcastle when Kevin Keegan returned but left with Keegan. Now a pundit on Sky Sports, he starred in jungle-based reality TV show I’m a Celebrity in 2o17.
Rob Lee
The Newcastle player was another one cut that day. Now co-host of the Real Offside Podcast, he is an ambassador for energy drink brand Rich Energy. Both of his sons were playing for Luton Town this past season, though Olly has moved to Hearts. Appeared on Harry’s Heroes with other ex-England footballers reunited to play German ex-pros under Harry Redknapp in 2019.
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Ugo Ehiogu
Died in April, 2019, after a heart attack while coaching the under-23 squad at Spurs. Ehiogu previously played alongside Southgate at Villa then Boro, where Robson signed him and Southgate later managed him. He also played for Glasgow Rangers.
Jason Wilcox
Director of the Manchester City Academy since last year, the former City youth teamer left Blackburn for Leeds and also played for Leicester and Blackpool. Wilcox was cut from the squad that day but stayed in on the advice of Platt.
Steve McManaman
He left Liverpool for Real Madrid then went on to Man City. Pele rated him as the best player at Euro 96 and was still telling people that in 2000. The love-in was complete when McManaman and Fowler joined the Brazilian to open a Subway in London in 2015. Now a Liverpool ambassador and stalwart on commentary and punditry for the biggest games, McManaman has been working for ESPN during Euro 2020.
David Platt
He was a coach at Man City but left when Roberto Mancini was sacked in 2013 and went on to manage Pune City in the Indian Super League for a season in 2016. Platt retired as a player at Nottingham Forest after leaving Arsenal following a spell in Serie A, and now works as a consultant for Italian side Palermo.
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Steve Stone
His last appearance for England was at Euro 96 but Stone’s playing career took in Villa after Forest and then Leeds and Portsmouth. He was reserve team assistant to Beardsley at Newcastle United and then worked with the first team. He is now coach of Burnley under-23s.
Paul Ince
He left Inter Milan for Liverpool before moving on to Middlesbrough and Wolves. Ince managed MK Dons twice and Blackburn Rovers but has not managed since a spell at Blackpool. Ince now works as a pundit. Son Tom currently plays in the Championship for Stoke City.
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Robbie Fowler
The Liverpool striker left the club for Leeds and then Man City before rejoining his boyhood club. Fowler went on to play in Australia and Thailand. He was serenaded by City fans with “We all live in a Robbie Fowler house” on account of his property empire while playing for the club. Currently, he is the manager of East Bengal in India and is also a club ambassador for Liverpool. He and Jamie Carragher recently purchased Liverpool’s old Melwood training complex.
The Dentist’s Chair
Former China Jump bar manager Gary Stokes says that the bar had a huge renovation a couple of months before it abruptly closed down. The location of a key part of English football history is unknown but it surely deserves a place in the National Football Museum.
