WHILE his successors were recovering from a rollercoaster 3-2 win against Sweden in the European Championships, England legend Paul Gascoigne was on hand to open a new sports memorabilia showroom in Christchurch.

Gazza – who carved his name into the history of the Euros tournament with a spectacular goal against Scotland at Wembley in 1996 – opened the A1 Sporting Memorabilia outlet at Bookends in High Street for friend and agent Terry Baker.

Fans turned up to get signed photos and copies of his latest book on Saturday.

Gazza, who has been based in Dorset after receiving treatment for alcoholism, said he has been delighted to see some passion from the latest England side in their Euro 2012 matches so far.