Well my 8v Gti gear change was like stirring porridge, massive amount of forward and backward play. found the problem was a worn bush on the relay shaft so £15 and 15 minutes later its fixed and along with a new clutch cable has transformed the way the old girl drives..
Only got pics with the new but its the same...
Undo the Nut on the top 13mm
Lift off the gear linkage
Get underneath and flick the clip off with a small flat blade screw driver
Lift out and compare with the new one..
Get your bits and refit, be sure to locate the bush into the linkage below the top nut and to left as you look directly down
Enjoy a much improved gearshift
and a random pic to show how it fits together on the top