‘I lost 76K before playing for Millwall’ – Steve Claridge on gambling addiction and anger at short-lived managerial spell at Den
Former Millwall striker Steve Claridge has opened up on his gambling addiction during his playing days.
The now 58-year-old, who also had a spell with Crystal Palace, revealed he lost nearly £80,000 before playing for the Lions.
Claridge played 99 times for the South Londoners and scored 33 goals across three separate spells.
The ex-Portsmouth and Leicester City forward was honest about the extent of his addiction on the Under The Cosh podcast, risking the chance of losing his house on a bet at Cheltenham races.
Steve Claridge | I Lost £76k During The Warm Up – YouTube
“I remember playing for Millwall and losing £76,000 at half past two,” said Claridge. “I’m in the warm-up and have got to go play a game of football but I can deal with it (not putting him off performing).
“The thing you have to realise as a gambler, as an addict, is that when you get to a level you can’t go back.
“I heard someone say the other day he lost some money and that he does it as a bit of fun. No, you can’t do that because if you’re an addict. You can’t ever do anything for fun. It’s like you start on weed and go on heroin.
“You don’t go back to weed, you either stay on heroin and die or you get off heroin. That’s your choice.
“I got to a level where I either bankrupted myself and lost everything or stopped. That was 14 years ago.”
Claridge was scathing of former Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis in regards to his short-lived spell as manager.
He lasted just 36 days in the job – being sacked before the Lions had played a competitive match in 2005.
“That killed me – what Paphitis did to me at Millwall,” said Claridge. “I had three-and-half fantastic years at Millwall.
“What is said about Millwall is true – there is no bullshit there. If they take to you they will die for you – f****** unbelievable.
“Jeff Burnige rang me and said: ‘Would you like to interview for the job? I said: ‘Yeah, brilliant’. I spoke to him and he gave it to me. I said to him at the time: “What is happening with Theo’. Theo is gone now. I said: ‘Are you sure?’. I rang Theo and said: ‘What’s happening Theo?’ Because I know what Theo is like. He said: ‘Yeah I’m finished – Jeff can run it’.
“It is a firesale – they had to get rid of everyone. Jeff said to me that for every 800 grand you sell you can keep 100 (to spend on players). Fine. I just want to do the job. At the time you had Paul Ifill, Timmy Cahill, Richard Sadlier – the most unbelievable set of youngsters that the club has ever had. Five or six come through the youth team – not the norm. This is a one-off freak.
“We start to sell players and we brought in a significant amount. I’ve got about 500 grand to play with – it wasn’t 800 to 100. He did cut it down a bit. I’ve gone in for Marlon King. He’s at Forest but wants to come back to London. I’ve got Steve Guppy signing and Jason Brown, the goalkeeper. I had three signings on the Friday night.
“We played a friendly and drew 2-2. I played in the game and afterwards I went into the office to sign the three players. Marlon King scored 23 league goals for Watford that season. They got promoted. He was signed for £500,000 and wanted to come back. Jason Brown went on to play for Blackburn in the Premier League and Gupps was a great player.
“I need to see you – this was Paphitis. I sat across from him and he said: ‘I’m letting you go’. He said: ‘And by the way, on that performance you need to stop playing football’. I said: ‘You can sack me – that is your prerogative – even though he wasn’t the f***king chairman. He told me four times that he wasn’t anything to do with the football club.
“If he had been on Dragons’ Den then he would have left Millwall. But because his ego was so big he couldn’t let go. I told him: ‘Don’t ever tell me to stop playing football – because you have no right and no idea what the f*** you are talking about in that respect’. I thought I was going to go over the table at him.
“I’m thinking: ‘You cheeky bastard’. I’ve done what I’ve done in the game and you’re telling me – on top of sacking me – that I had 33 games and did not get a competitive game. Paphitis said if I hadn’t sacked Claridge we’d have got relegated. I’ve got a boy signed who has got 23 league goals and he didn’t sign for Millwall in the end – he was so disgusted with what happened that he signed for Watford and got promoted towards them.”
PICTURE: ALAMY