Mumsnet Talk

Yes, we've heard how absolutely marvellous it is that he's going to be donating the wags he'll earn during his 5 month stint at Paris St Germain to a French children's charity (and don't get me wrong I'm sure it is for the charity) but I really don't swallow this whole altruistic Francis of Assisi line.

I've heard people referring to him as "a real class act" but if he really was a "class act" would he not have done this privately, without the fanfare and circus of a full blown press conference in front of the world's media - which, incidentially, most normal footallers, irrespective of how good they are, never have when they sign for new other clubs. Most seem content to manage with a quick photo opportunity holding up the new club's shirt.

Does this deeply altruistic act have anything to do I wonder, with the fact that his wife has a burgeoning career as a fashion designer and would love to be lauded in Paris and taken into the hearts of the French?

Does it have anything to do with furthering the "Beckham brand"?

Does it have anything to do with wanting a knighthood?

Does it have anything to do with boosting an already planet-sized ego?

Does it have anything to do with Beckham's relentless worldwide charm offensive and the seeming obsessive desire to be adored?

I'd say a resounding yes to all of the above.

Realistically there is a huge personal and financial benefit to be derived by David Beckham from making what is, in reality, the equivalent in relative monetary terms of about a £20 charity donation to your average person.

He used to just sound thick too but yesterday I noticed that an annoying smugness appears to have crept into his voice

I don't think he'd be so generous if the top tax rate was not 75% in France.

You are definitely not unreasonable. Its not as if he is giving up his last £ to charity is it so agree with you why do thus publicly if it really was all about making a donation? He could promote the charity without making a song and dance of donating.

Regardless of his motives, some good will come of this and he could have pocketted his salary and no one would have thought any less of him.

I think it would be niaive to think that high profile charity campaigners are wholly motivated by altruism Bono, Geldof et al. they all enjoy the status that their charidee patronage gives them.

TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, OP!

An I'm shouting because I feel like the only person in the world (well, of my family and friends) who feel this way. Even my DH who is usually very critical of celebrities thinks Beckham is wonderful: "Well, he doesn't have to do it; £100k a week that charity will be getting".

Fuck off!

Definitely a smug 'pleaselovemeandgivemeaknighthood' strategy going on.

YABU it's a good thing, he wants to keep playing football and he's giving to charity.

Did you see the fuss when Ballotelli made his move? Riot police etc, the big players attract this attention.

Have to agree with iloveeverton here, if a football player is of such a high class like Beckham then of course there is going to a press conference. Quite frankly I don't care if he has ulterior motives about giving to charity, at least he is doing something. There's not many other players who would.

I love Beckers and my gut instinct tells me that his heart is in the right place and he's doing it out of altruism. Doing it so publicly might even encourage some other high rollers in the public eye to do it to.

I always thought he was a bit of a twat until I saw a tv programme which showed him coaching some school kids at footy. At the end of the session, he asked them to tell him their favourite @David Beckham is a thickie' joke and he was just so lovely and laughed his head of at them. He just came across as really genuine and nice and handsome and hunky.

To avoid paying tax in (cash strapped) Ireland. St. Bono and U2 moved some of their business interests to Holland. Not illegal. But not such a saintlike figure in ireland now

Agree.
If it was totally altruistic why tell the cunting world?

Feckin can't stand him - I'd be more Impressed if he was giving away his wages AND the countless millions he will make in those 5 months from sponsorship deals

Because it would have been noticed...

Why is it that so many people seem to WANT to believe the worst in everyone??? Especially, it seems, on this website!!

Am I being unreasonable to want to believe that David Beckham has more money than he knows what to do with, and thought it'd be a good idea to donate some to a charity? We can't possibly imagine that kind of wealth or what we'd do with it... good on him for doing it.

Who fucking cares who knows? AT LEAST HE'S DOING IT.

YABU, he gets the attention whatever he does. A charity is benefitting and maybe some other footballers will copycat. Can only be a good thing IMO.

not a fan at all, and who knows what his motives are. i dont suppose the charity will question it though. he doesnt need the money, he doesnt need the publicity, is there anyone on the planet who doesnt know who he is?
regardless of motive, i applaud him for doing it

Bollocks. He's getting a knighthood anyway, he doesn't need to do it for that.

He will likely shame some more footballers into doing it.

He will raise the profile of the charity in France where they do the work. Not here as its not necessary.

To criticise someone for being a good egg and giving his cash away is a bit meh. And to suggest its pointless because he's not giving his last farthing is just idiotic. Only nuns take poverty vows - how many on here have given all their money to charity???

I like the fact you said he will be donating wags.....give 'em all away, please!

I don't have a problem with Becks. Not love. Not hate. Just - no reaction really...

wll its an opinion but my man opinions he really isn"t that good a football player , great at crossing, but ,not great in any way ,he is as said a brand , he has been given advice prior to this,most likely by mrs "i cannot smile ever".

I got the impression he was just an ambassador player.

So really a smart move for Brand Beckham.

YANBU at all! I thought I was the only one thinking it and wanted to kick my TV, until I had exactly the same conversation with DS1(18).

I can not stand David Beckham, or his bloody awful wife! He might be giving his pay cheque from his 5 month contract to charade, but he is pocketing all his sponsorship money! He thinks we are all as thick as he is!

Please can someone explain to me why he should be knighted, exactly? England never won anything when he was Captain of our football team! He bailed out of English football at the first opportunity, when he thought he could make a bit more money abroad and didn't give England a second glance! DS1 is an avid football fan, and follows football from all around the world, he said it wasn't that long ago that Beckham was fighting on the pitch when he was playing for LA Galaxy!

He had loads of offers for signings, I am hoping this was because it was best for his family, his own professional satisfaction before he retires, and a 5 month contract, Really? that was obviously a tailor made package for him to do a good deed for a bit before getting back to brand Beckham. Whatever his reasons it will give a hell of a lot of money to a charity who will have a huge profile boost when his name is attached to them.

I don't personally know David Beckam and i am sure he is a decent bloke.
However, i am sick to death of 'Brand Beckam' . David Beckam appears to have a big ego and loves to be adored.
There are many football players who give away substanyial amounts to charity , but don't make a song and dance about it.
The man will do anything for a knighthood.

It is a 5 month contract as that is when the season will end.

Who cares why he is doing it. The fact he is should be enough.

Brand Beckham grates my carrot. Sick of him and his miserable faced wife, parading those children about. And their sickening friendships with Tom cruise and the Ramsey lot. Bleurgh.

Who cares? The charity benefits: that's the important thing.

He used to just sound thick too but yesterday I noticed that an annoying smugness appears to have crept into his voice

Just plain nasty.

Does it matter why he's doing it? He gets publicity and sponsorship, the charity gets money and an improved profile. It's win - win. Maybe he does want a knighthood, again so what? Why is he any less deserving than other celebrities and sportspeople who get honours? I'm not a fan of the honours system generally but if you're going to give people like Bruce Forsyth and Bradley Wiggins knighthoods then I don't see what the problem would be with Beckham getting one.

I really dislike the lot of them. It's all self promotion and ego trips.Brand Beckham will still be making a fortune from sponsorship deals despite giving the wages to charity . I wish they had stayed in the US .

He was a good midfielder and he could cross a ball.

The pictures of him in his pants are a bit on the old snake front.

He doesn't have to give his own money away. Most others don't. He's not telling others to give money away like Bono and Geldof.

I don't think Beckham is any kind of saint - he's a fairly prolific philanderer for one. However, he does an enormous amount for charity - Unicef in particular. It is not all reported on, and he has influenced an enormous number of other people to donate to the charities that he supports - he understands the power that his brand can have in this way and allows charities to use his brand in this way, which is a reasonably honorable thing to do. None of us are perfect.

Now how do you know he is a 'fairly prolific philanderer'?

At least Bradley Wiggins won something for his country. What has David Beckham won? Nothing!

The Beckhams seem to give spectacular amounts to charity. They support lots of causes. They don't have to. Children with SEN in France get a raw deal compared to here, even in the current climate, and I salute them for donating.

At least he's doing it, surely that's the main reason? Not his motives (if he has any) behind it?

The charity gets money.

The charity gets exposure through it.

Perhaps more extortionately paid sportspeople will do it.

It's a nice thing to do whoever it is who's doing it.

I fail to see what's to be negative about really.

As far as I am concerned the Beckhams can do what they like as long as I don't have to see, read or hear about it, same as many other celebs on my 'yawn list'.

YAB(so)VU - he can't do right for doing wrong and I bet he gives to charity all the time without shouting it from the rooftops but has just decided to mention it this time. Jeez!

Why do people think that other sportsmen will start donating to charity just because DB does.? The people who are already donating to charity will continue to do so and those who don't are unikely to do so.

Dear god there are some miserable fuckers on this thread.

He has a very good PR team.

I don't know that they will forehead, but perhaps they might (as I said)

And if one does, that's a good thing right?

forehead whenever celebs like Beckham get involved in charity campaigns, donations go up massively. That's why charities use people like him. It's very easily measured by charities and a common marketing technique.

Has he? Would you be a member of that PR team then SAVVY?

OK, I have no direct knowledge of the philandery thing (haha, I wish). But I have heard a number of stories, from sources more reliable than Grazia, which lead me to believe the rumours are accurate. Rebecca Loos not the only one for sure.

I'd rather see pictures of his news conference saying how he is donating his wages to charity than those pictures of some footballer twat wiping his arse with £20 notes or the other footballer another twat with thousands of pounds thrown across him.

If only my life was so interesting sukysue

YABU everything he does gets publicity and now so will the charity he's giving it too. It will most likely encourage people to donate more and maybe other players/celebs to do something similar

Miserable or not , his desperation for a knighthood is absolutely vomit inducing.
He annoyed me during the Olympics too. I wanted to tip his smug face out of that speedboat and into the cold cold Thames.

landscapes I wasn't intending to compare the achievements of Beckham and Wiggins, he just popped into my head as his knighthood is current. I suppose what I'm saying is that all sportsmen/actors/musicians do what they do for themselves, for money and glory etc. so I don't see why honouring one person who is fortunate enough to be a success in their field is any different to honouring another. I'm neither a fan nor a critic of Beckham, I just don't get why giving money to charity is seen as a bad thing just because someone rich and famous is doing it.

There are many people who say that footballers should donate their wages to charity, now that one has done it its still wrong.

It doesn't make much sense to me.

Thing is see Savvy I would be too afraid to write something like that anywhere for fear of being traced and prosecuted. I realise I am probably extra cautious but heck that's my nature. I am also very cynical and wonder what ulterior motive Brand Beckham has for giving the money to charity perhaps a tax break? Anyone know of anything?

I am always uncomfortable with people who boast about donating to charity. It just seems wrong.
My dm has given thousands of pounds to various charities over the last twenty years. I only found this out last week....
I love and respect her more for NOT telling me.

giving all your wages to a charity would any of you doubter give a months wages to charity and then not tell a single sole?

I thought he was great at the olympics - but then I loved everything about the olympics (well apart from the man at the end singing)

Not football fan and not a fan of this couple

but to give away all your wages is pretty impressie in my book

Do you think he's boasting, then, forehead?

FGS I imagine that part of his motivation is to raise the profile of the charity. I consider myself quite cynical, but is it just possible that he is a nice bloke, he doesn't need the money so he's giving it away. I don't imagine he has done it to get a knighthood he's already mates with will n Kate, why would he need to build his brand? He got a ton of offers more than he expected, I think he was bowled over and decided to do some good.

AlexReid- I agree with you and that's probably why i am suspicious of his motives. It was as though he actually believed that he should have a role in the Olympics. They had to find something for him to do.
BTW, i actually like Victoria Beckam. However, her husband annoys me.

I don't really care to be honest. So what?

Fair enough sukysue. Like everyone else, I deal in rumour and speculation. We all speculate on MN all the time. Really I have no idea. However, I hear things that ring true to me. And I believe he has a very good PR team. I also believe that he's a pretty genuine guy when it comes to his charitable work and knows the power that his involvement can have, beyond what he does personally.

<runs to hide from the very good PR team>

He obviously has a brilliant PR team judging by some the posts on this thread.
Why stop at giving him a knighthood, why not just give him a sainthood?

I find him less offensive than say Bono, or any of the host of celebs who bang on about poverty etc whilst donating very little of their actual wealth towards the cause.
At least Beckham hasn't brought out a cd and expects us to buy the bloody thing.

I'm sure you are safe Savvy lol. Like you said we all like a bit of je ne sais quoi !

YAsoNBU. My vote is on him angling for a knighthood and minimising tax. Footballers don't earn wages. Just like the landed gentry, these people have an annual revenue (and an obscene one at that). I think true charity is more about percentages and can never be limited to monetary donations only. It's not like £3m is a huge chunk of his revenue and easy come easy go right?

Don't really care tbh as I'm sure the charity that gets said money wont. Why does it matter if there is an ulterior motive, it's still a nice thing to do & it's a shame other dim fucking idiots who earn far too much money & would be fucked if they couldn't kick a ball in a good way footballers don't do the same.

They have been very savvy & made brand Beckham very lucrative, good on them.

This

is it just possible that he is a nice bloke, he doesn't need the money so he's giving it away. I don't imagine he has done it to get a knighthood he's already mates with will n Kate, why would he need to build his brand

wonderstuff I salute you.

I feel sorry for Vicky, she seems alright. All of his alleged antics must really get to her.
Then there was the world cup bid he shoved himself into the limelight for. Why? He wasn't even playing in the UK at that time. There are some very skilled players out there who do lots for charity (quietly) and just get on with it. I have far more respect for them. Paul Scholes I'm looking at you

Please, can someone tell me what drives the notion that Beckham is a "class act"? Let's look at some of the theories most commonly trotted out...

* He's supposed to "love the game" yet bailed out of proper competive football at a relatively young age to go and play football in a shit league (American MLS). Why did he do that? For an absolutely astonomical payday and publicity for the money making machine that is "brand Beckham". He certainly didn't do it for the love of the game, that's for sure. If he truly loved the game he'd have stayed in a competitive league. There are plenty of people the world over who try to amass as much of a personal fortune as they can, does that make all of them "a class act".

He's supposed to be a fantasic family man. Yeah, right. He's cheated on his wife so I think he fails on that one. Wayne Rooney did that and everyone seems to loathe him.

He was a fantastic player. I think it's fairly widely acknowledged that he wasn't all that. Could take a decent free kick and put in a half decent cross back in the day but apart from that, nothing special. The hype created by adverts of him in underpants with socks stuffed down the front, sunglasses and the like have long since eclipsed his mediocre abilities as a footballer.

He was a great England captain. Err, I can't say I ever noticed that he did anything anything different from any of the others.
He was at the London 2012 Olympics as an ambassador as well as a fervent supporter of team GB, despite not being picked for the football team. Many high profile athletes who do not make their teams tend to disappear during the Olympics, but not good old David Beckham. Err, they made him the centre of attention at the opening ceremony didn't they thereby ensuring that his smug image was beamed across the globe giving the "Beckham brand" a level of publicity that Beckham could hitherto only dream of.

Give me a break. David Beckham is a shameless self publicist who seems to be on a relentless global charm offensive for self gain. It is unbelievable that so many people have got caught up in his hype.

The general public now seem to be brainwashed into believing that it is treason to speak against David Beckham even though they don't really know what it is that makes him such "a class act".

Here, here Perriwinkle..

ha well having worked in football I can tell you all players get a press conference when signing, just the world media doesnt normally show up!

Oh, and plenty of footballers, other sports people and celebrities set up their own charitable foundations. You just don't always hear about it and they don;t always put their names to them, preferring to do good work while keeping a low profile.

Actually he and his wife have set up a charity which is registered in England. Look at its record on the Charity Commission's Register:

www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1091838&SubsidiaryNumber=0

It seems to me that its income and expenditure has dwindled away miserably since it was established. In 2011 its income was just over £2,000. Probably registered it with a huge fanfare for maximum publicity and now it's gone on the back burner as he has bigger fish to fry.

Everything about Beckham seems to be very carefully stage-managed to me.

I think we get it *Perriwinkle". You don't like him much.

I find him a bit smug, it would have been a class act to give it away and not tell everyone.

Perri - he went to LA in his mid 30s so 'old' for a footballer.

He's a good looking bloke though.

There are definitely three peiople in the Beckam's marriage. David, Victoria and David's BIG ego.

ihavenonameonhere I haven't really got an issue with the press conference but really it was the timing of it.

Beckham had been a free agent for a few months and had announced that he would be leaving the MLS months ago. Paris St Germain would no doubt have made contact with Beckham's "people" months ago now. So why did he leave it until the last day of the transfer window to make that move when he could easily have done it weeks ago? He did it because he knows about the hype of the last day and he knew that he could grab all the limelight on the biggest stage possible. I hate his faux modesty.

Again, all very carefully stage-managed to make it all about him.

I don't care why he's doing it. The charity is getting a large sum of money and that's all the matters to me.

Why do we always have to look at everything so negatively? Does it really matter if he's doing it for publicity? He's still giving £150,000? per week to charity. And anyone who does that is a good person in my opinion.

Completely agree. Him and his wife are publicity crazy and have been since they got together.what the hell else was putting Romeo in a Burberry campaign about?! I'm glad the charity benefits of course but also wondering if this is some kind of tax dodge...

ilovesooty I just don't get why people love Beckham so much when he displays all the behaviours that they seem to loathe so much in other footballers.

He's the epitome of extravagent conspicuous consumption - when Wayne Rooney does the same thing he's slated.

He's cheated on his wife - when Wayne Rooney did that all it prompted the public to do was to loathe him.

He plays football and spends hours sitting in aeroplanes getting to various far flung locations in order to play football. So what? Hundreds of other footballers do that too.

Sorry but I just don't get it.

Actually RedPencils he was 32 when he went to the States to play. Plenty of players have stayed in competitive leagues playing proper football way beyond that age. Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon, Clarence Seedorf, Carles Puyol and Frank Lampard to name but a few off the top of my head.

Ugh. Now donating money to charities isn't good enough? It has to be done in secret, in random countries your wife hates, with no publicity got the charity at all ever shhhh quiet, and only if you sign a waiver saying you expressly never want a knighthood?

Jesus. In the time you're wasting sitting here judging someone else's good deed for not being good enough, you could've contributed something to the world.

I see where you are coming from OP but you get far worse arse-lickers in the average office, who would sell their own mothers for career progression and getting one over on their colleagues. And generally they're uglier and nastier. DB doesn't come across as too arrogant, considering he has a reasonable amount going for him. And I respect him as a sportsman, I think he genuinely does love his sport although sometimes the fame has got in his way. It isn't easy to recover from a serious achilles injury.

I'm not mad crazy about him but in terms of manhood and unreasonableness I would say he is more saint than sinner.

I don't know what's worse - Sir David Beckham or Lady Victoria Beckham.

What a fucked up honours system we have.

I suppose I could have AnuvvaMuvva but it's getting a bit late now and I'm off to bed soon

Fuck off I like the beckhams. Victoria is a great girl( have this from someone who has worked with her) and he is lovely as well.

If you are jealous op then just say so.

I have never bought into the brand Beckham. I detest Man u football club and think Beckham himself is only a half way decent winger and a pretty lazy one at that. Better than some but no where near the best.

But i dont get why people cant just acknowledge he is doing something good and leave it there. His reasons are his own and at the end of the day a lot of children will benefit.

Drogba chooses to build a school and hospital with his money and i have never seen a thread questioning his motives. So why is beckham any different?

I think it's a fucked up world in which it is naturally assumed that people are jealous of people who have more money than them.

Victoria Beckham is welcome to her life where she feels forced to maintain a constant 7 stone weight and to have to to put up with having a camera lens shoved in her face wherever she goes (although she's actively courted publicity for years to be fair). I wouldn't swap my life for one like that, even with all the trappings of having an obscene amount of money.

Money is not everything and although I live on what the Beckhams would probably consider to be loose change, it's ample for me to enjoy a happy, fulfilling (and anonymous) life, which is just how I like it.

Exactly Periwinke... I actually pity Victoria. She is obviously a very insecure young lady.

Surely it's their choice though really, it works for them or not. Yet again im not sure why you are getting so worked up about their lives? they do good along the way, which is great.

It goes on all the time in normal lives.

To be that worked up about the beckhams is a bit mad.

Wayne Rooney, Mario Balotelli and Ronaldo Cristiano all give away lots of money for charity Mario has been giving a large part of his wages for some time

They are not so caught up in the being a celeb and after a knighthood or have a very good team working overtime for them

ClippedPhoenix Surely the very nature of this place is that people come here to get worked up about all sorts of things that don't really matter in the grand scheme of things isn't it? I've never noticed that being irrational, unreasonable or a bit mad holds anyone back here.

Meh - can't really get too worked up about some bloke and his wife who I don't know, am never likely to meet, or be affected by their behaviour.
Can't work out why you get so worked up by him and his wife? Are you sure you're not a teensy bit jealous

fair enough OP, but i do wonder why it should be such a topic? And surely Im allowed to say that it's a silly thing to worry about? Whatever they do they give squillions to charity which is a good thing whether hes having it off everywhere and shes stick thin?

Charities LOVE press. For very good reasons.

The Beckhams were going to move to Paris at one point, I was a bit [shocked] as they were apparently loving the all-american life style. So I thought maybe they actually don't want their kids growing up american.

So maybe this is a trial move to see if Victoria's work is accepted there (unlikely with the snooty french couture world) or a chance to get the DCs a European education.

(just pondering as I live partly in the US and don't think I would have wanted my DCs to grow up American, not because it's bad, just v different outlook to UK imo)

I'm not a massive Beckham fan, but apart from giving his wages to charity (which probably is to do with tax but it's still a decent thing to do) everything else is standard. He had interest from 11 clubs - signing a superannuated big-name player is common practice. He won't play much but serves as a spokesman, a figurehead, a way of making headlines and bringing spectators to the matches. It's been done plenty of times before and it's a mutually beneficial deal. A press conference is normal, as is doing the deal on the last day of the transfer window - have you never watched the transfer news on the last couple of days before? DH follows it and even I enjoy the drama (manufactured as it is there are still genuine surprises) even though I'm not that mad on football.

To me, he's better than the awful, brash young players that are out there. That's not to say he's my number one choice of male role model, but there are far worse people in football.

Interesting article here (DM link). I get the feeling the journalist doesn't care for DB either

I hardly think Beckham "needs" attention! He is an uberfamous footballer who would have caused a stir/press coverage anyway. No doubt details of his exorbitant salary would have been splashed across the press so why shouldn't he say he is giving his salary to charity? I gather he and his family do a great deal for charity, most of which is probably not reported. Why not celebrate it and hope it encourages other similarly wealthy stars to do the same?

Agree with you though periwinkle aboutnot envying their lifestyle.

Beckham is a very shrewd chap.

He is planning his career beyond the next few years, I reckon he'll be a football 'suit' within FIFA or UEFA within the next decade.

What he might lack in intellectual skills he makes up for in charm and diplomacy.

YABU. He is a tool for sure, but, he's our tool.

I think he should get a Knighthood (when he can spell it).

Can he not be my tool? Ta.

nobody gives anything without there being a benefit to them for doing it. Nothing. Ever. It may be something tangible or simply a feeling of pride in yourself, but there will ALWAYS be something in it for you.

So yes, I bet he is doing it for some or maybe all of the reasons you suggest.

The charity gets the money and he gets your list of stuff.

It's a win win.

Which is the best kind of outcome.

I completely agree Hectate.

cynical me no never, rich beyond his wildest dreams footballer gives money to charity in a country whos tax is very high what a top bloke he

Give the bloke a break! I loathe football and the whole culture around it but:

He's donating the money to charity where it will do good whatever his motives may be.

We don't know that his motives are suspicious - as someone else as pointed out, it could just be that as he already has more money than he knows what to do with and it's only a 5 month contract he though 'Sod it, why not?'

Regardless of the charity donation, by choosing Paris SG over one of the other options he has probably made a good move for his whole family, not just for himself. Career benefits for Posh and the opportunity for their kids and their UK based family to spend more time together after years in America.

There's no point whingeing about him having press conferences - the public are interested in celebrities, PSG want to show off their new signing - he probably had no say in the publicity involved whatsoever.

I think he came across pretty well tbh.

Agree that the tax situation may have given his altruistic streak a nudge in the right direction, admittedly, but a charity will benefit anyway - so what!

This grated my carrot too. I wonder how many auditions he had and how many other kids were up for the part?

Unconnected to charity debacle but hey. Why do they continually shove those children in our faces?

I love Vikki B, think she great. Completely selfish and pretty open about it too.

And yanbu it really pisses me off the he couldn't just donate it without the fanfare, it's so obviously a publicity stunt. It's crumbs to them

I don't shout from the roof top when I throw 20p in the charity basket

I doubt he had any auditions Sparkling, he only got the part because he is a Beckham! There are better looking kids in the Next Directory!

Wasn't it last week that Brooklyn was in the papers because he was in Cheslsea's Academy?

Yes it was! They are never going to go away, are they?

No they aren't land Do children wear Burberry flasher macs in RL? He likes to go out in a suit and a bowler hat according to his mother. Yeah right.

land I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of them in the media now most of the clan have moved back here. Can't wait.

That Daily Mail article was interesting, written by someone who I understand has an excellent reputation in sports journalism.

They said on Radio One this week that all other Spice Girls follow VB on Twitter, but she doesn't follow any of them back. Selfish much?

brooklyn goes out in a bowler hat WHAT yeah right poor kid has it shoved on his head by vicky b is probably a designer pals of hers ideas that all boys are wearing them

I can't wait either Sparkling!

i agree. its a business/career ploy. it will have been mapped out with a business manager. beckham's a brand, not a man, not a family.

Like others have said, at least he's doing it. Doesn't really matter too much what the motivation is, in the grand scheme of things.

I find it weird when people call him thick as well. Maybe he's not academically clever, but he's a really intelligent footballer.

Agree that it is a stunt but if a charity is going to benefit, and possibly others will copy him, I can't see the harm.

On another note VB behaves as if she's mortified that she was ever a Spice. That's sad.

Agree that it is a stunt but if a charity is going to benefit, and possibly others will copy him, I can't see the harm.

I spose you are right just publicity stunts like this really get on my wick

Oh totally agree, mrsjay but when he's on the tellybox, look away or change channel or even shout at him to fuck the fuck off, there are ways round it

yes i humphed at him

Maybe, just maybe he offered to give his wages yo the charity and they asked him to announce it. Having such a high profile person being seen to support them will raise their profile and attract more donations. I don't doubt that he'll be getting a huge amount back from this but perhaps it wasn't him who wanted the fanfare?

YAB a bit U as DB and his family do masses of stufc for charity which is never publicised. I can think of one case where a seriously physically disabled little girl benefitted from a highly specialised and expensive bed which was bought and paid for by the Beckhams under the proviso of "no publicity". They do masses of charitable stuff.
My hope is that publicity stunt or not it might kick start other obscenely paid footbsllers into similar stuff.

He could go and work for the charity for 5 months instead?

TBF i think he does loads of charity work sparkling and not in the public eye he has a football thing and they do have childrens chairites they work for, I suppose ( and this is sticking in my throat) his grand gesture the other day is a good thing may show up other slebs to do it, as long as i dont need to see VB pouty face I can cope

I also think that anything that could possibly give young footballers an example of an appropriate way to behave can only be a good thing. There are so many examples of appalling behaviour by pro footballers out there.

YABU. It doesn't really matter why he's doing it - at least he's doing it. However much you dislike someone, I think you ought to give them credit when they do something good. (With the exception of Jimmy Savile, who only used his charity work as a means of getting access to vulnerable children.)

I agree Trixy. I would far rather my Ds heard about DB giving his wages to charity thatn those other footballers with their racist comments, toasting or roasting (whagtever its called), rapists (alleged or otherwise). Good luck to him, it would seem that its a win win except for those on MN getting too het up about what essentially is something and nothing (IMHO).

Yes, it's a "win win situation" blah blah blah.

But to Beckham, the money being donated represents the equivlent of the likes of us bunging a charity a quid. So no big deal there really. It was hardly worth shouting about really was it? Would have showed so much more class if he'd made it a condition in his contract not to make it public.

Contrary to popular belief, every year many professional footballers establish chartiable foundations in their name. No one here appears to realise that though, assuming instead that Beckham is doign somethjing groundbreaking and setting a prescedent that others should/will follow. Bollocks.

The reason you don't know about what the others do is because they go about it quietly and discretely and unlike Sir Beckam, don't purposely and intentionally create an absolute media circus around everything they do, motivated solely by the desire to raise their public profiles.

OK so David Beckham made a big public hoo-ha about making a charity donation and he does some other charity work too. Well, so do literally hundreds of other professional footballers the world over, whether through their football clubs or privately.

Why then is David Beckham singled out for being such a "top bloke", such a "class act" and philanthropist of the bloody year for doing what all the others do?

I just don't get how this man has some sort of aura around him which brainwashes people into thinking he's some sort of "national treasure". In reality he's just another ridiculously tattooed, ridiculously rich, ridiculously self absorbed footballer/model with an ego the size of a planet who does a bit of charity work here and there, just like all the rest.

He doesn't do anything different or special to mark him out from all the rest in my view, oh, apart from know how to network to get himself into positions where he can raise his profile still further, and to seemingly possess an uncanny knack of conning people into thinking that while he's doing so he's working tirelessly and being so very altruistic and patriotic! .

...but periwinkle....he has also been doing charitable stuff very quietly for years.

No great fan of the Beckhams but have met them a few times (and they were always very polite).

They have been quietly and generously donating to Childrens charities for years so why they had to do this so publicly and risk ridicule I don't know.

all the bitter "it's nothing to them they have billionns anyway" posts are nothing short of reverse snobbery.

Ultimately these people can't win. If they stand up on comic relief and urge people to give to charity they are slated for not giving their own £££ instead. if they give of their own £££ to charity they are criticised for doing it publically. If they do charitable work quietly they are criticised for not giving to charity because no-one knows what they are giving to charity. How much do the critics give to charity? not much I'd like to bet.

It's nothing short of jealousy.

YABU I like the Beckhams and don't understand the vitriol directed at them.

He's shrewd to cash in on Brand Beckham - let's face it, he's not going to find a second career as a sports commentator or take up a Professorship in sports psychology. Not sure if he's manager material either. He's fit, pleasant to look at, modest about his talents (heard him this week on R4 saying he was never a fast runner so being slower at 37 is no big deal!) and seems like his heart's in the right place. Yeah he's rich, but he makes his money fairly - he's a product and no one has to buy him if they don't like him (or Victoria's clothes for that matter.)

What a very churlish OP. He does not need the money so he is donating it - what on earth is your (and other people's) problem with this FGS? How mean spirited of you.

Thinking that it's something to do with envy....

YABU. a charity is getting money, so what for his motives.

The 75% tax rate in France - would David Beckham have to pay that if he's a UK resident? Won't he pay tax in UK?

Genuine question.

I've been watching this thread since I posted, OP you need to get a life.

It annoys me that he cant give some of the bloody to an english charity. Yes i know its in france but still.

All so carefully managed,

I remember when him and her and emma spice went to gordon ramsays house for dinner and posh drove home and the daily mail said "tellingly, posh drove home" and a week later she says she preg with harper. The whole beckham thing irritates me and what really annoys me is that gordon ramsays big fat posh house has a north east facing garden which is neither here nor there but with his money wouldnt he want south facing but i am on detox from diet coke and in a bad mood

My point was that why were paps at ramsays house who lives in wandsworth and not exactly pap central. All orchestrated. Pfffff

Given the Beckhams are strangers to most of us, I never understand all the "what a great family" and "raising their boys so beautifully" comments - how do people know this? Are they a great family because they're good-looking in photos?

I sometimes feel I'm the only person left in the country who remembers his affair with Rebecca Loos (who they never sued or disproved in any way). How come if you're really good-looking and talented you can have an affair and still be referred to as "a family man"?

I find VB ludicrous. What woman out of her teens would give serious thought to "my new way of holding my handbag" or "my new way of wearing my coat". I bet she practices new walks in the mirror too...

Anyway, yes, money good for charity but giving it away infinitely more valuable to the brand than keeping it.

Exactly Puff. Except the 'good looking in photos' bit possibly.

Oh him and pushy posh are desperate for that knighthood aren't they!

Doesn't she in particular (although cant stand him either) realise that they'll always be little tits however much they get or titles they get!?!

Urghh

Yanbu!

puffpants I think the fact that the Beckham came out of that alleged affair business unscathed speaks volumes about how hugely powerful his P.R team was then, still is.

I have to say I totally agree with your musings OP, and dont find you to be jealous of the Beckos.
I just wish The News Of The Scews was still on the go, so I could read about all the affairs hes gonna have with the Paris chicks!

NEWS OF THE SCREWS

oh fgs what is your problem? he can do what he blooming well wants. get over it.

oh fgs what is your problem? he can do what he blooming well wants. get over it.

Is that you Vicky?

I'm pretty sure there's some tax avoidance in his magnaminitnity (made up word, too late to get it right) somewhere.

Thing is, the tax avoidance aspect isn't relevant.

Say he earns a million quid and 75% of that is taxed. He gets £250k.

If he donates the whole lot to charidee he gets fuck all.

Usually people who avoid paying tax (I'm looking at you, Jimmy Carr) will get £960k of their million.

There's an excellent chance he would get taxed 75% on that income anyway. Doubtless donating to charity will reduce that so ye's probably thinking that if he has to giv that money away, he would rather give it to something he thinks is worthwhile than to line the pockets of slimy untrustworthy French bureaucrats...

I think the fact he came out of the affair unscathed (so to speak) has to do with the fact that his wife, you know, the actual "victim" of said affair, chose to forgive him and to move on with their relationship. Her's is IMO the only opinion that counts really isn't it?

Perriwinkle: "Would have showed so much more class if he'd made it a condition in his contract not to make it public."

Of course. And then people would say, "It's disgusting - David Beckham earns all that money and he doesn't give a penny of it to charity."

Here you go Periwinkle, I just saw this and thought of you.

£96 for a polyester shirt with his name on the back?? Would anyone ACTUALLY spend that on a football top?? Grown French Men??

What a mad world

hackmumwhat rubbish, of course they wouldn't. Everyone knows that footballers get paid obscene amounts of money. Why is Beckham any differenet?

The reserve is true here in fact, many other footballers do lots of charity work but because they don't make a big song and dance about it they aren't feted and lauded like Sir/Lord Beckham.

Mario Ballotelli paid for a lot of strangers' petrol the other day and everyone just called him prick for doing it.

Can you imagine if Beckham had done that? The fawning headlines would have had us all reaching for our sick buckets and he'd probably have received notification of his knighthood through the post the following day

Anyway, yes, money good for charity but giving it away infinitely more valuable to the brand than keeping it.

Absolutely spot on Puffpants

Mumsnet favourite, India Knight, gives her thoughts on it in her column today:

www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/comment/columns/indiaknight/article1206410.ece?shareToken=c7acfef3291d06e8a44d2673d4864642

I don't think there's a paywall today.

back behind paywall now. what pray tell did India say?

I'm a subscriber but don't think I'm allowed to copy and paste her column however the gist of dearest India's column was her deploring the terrible meanies on Twitter who accused Beckham of donating the money for P.R reasons and she also thinks that private and public donating shouldn't be a competition.

Whatever that woman, whoever she may be, said, the fact remains that the charity donation was part of a hugely cynical PR exercise, which totally negates any honorable action on David Beckham's part in my view.

It was designed to benefit not just David Beckham personally but also his corporate sponsors; Fly Emirates (who sponsor PSG), the American MLS, and not to mention the Qatar Investment Authority who own Paris St Germain and have ambitions to become involved in MLS in the States, where there are huge untapped markets and resources. They can use Beckam as a broker, for which his palms will be liberally greased.

Do you think that Paris St Germain, a decent competitive football club would have signed an average at best has-been like Beckham for anything other than marketing/commercial/business reasons? The fact he's been signed for 5 months should tell you all you need to know. He'll sell a few shirts, they'll use him to further their ambitions and he'll earn an absolute packet. The charity donation thing just drew further attention to the lucrative, mutually beneficial business union.

Yes, it's all very nice that the charity was a happy beneficiary in all this jiggery pokery but please, don't be fooled by Beckham's true motives.

Football is now an extremely peripheral element of David Beckham's skillset, and has been for many years. It's now just a means to an end.

These days he's like one of those people that are famous but you can't really think what on earth for - a bit like one of the cast members of TOWIE, or Danni Minogue.

Instead of giving him a knighthood perhaps they could make him the Patron Saint of Marketing and PR.

Perriwinkle to say Beckham is only famous for being famous is a bit off. He's one of the best footballers England has ever produced.

You could go to a hundred countries where football isn't massively popular (believe it or not, such places do exist). I reckon you'd get people recognising Lord Beckham in at least half those places. His celebrity fame eclipsed his football fame a decade ago.

YABU

Perriwinkle

All I can really tell from your posts is that you do not like David Beckham.