A chat with Beckham
A funny thing happened on the doorstep of Number 10 this evening. Finishing my live spot on the Six O'Clock News, I bumped into none other than Goldenballs himself, emerging from his meeting with Gordon Brown.
As David Beckham opened the door of his black Bentley (with personalised number plates of course) he told me that the PM had agreed to visit his academy this Thursday. Beckham, who had not met Brown before, was full of kind words about the PM and said he would be delighted to welcome him to the academy.
The PM is known to have an interest in the promotion of sports in deprived communities. It's also likely that the two discussed Beckham becoming an ambassador for England's World Cup bid, though I'm told any formal announcement will be a matter for the FA.
The only bad news was that in my starstruck state I forgot to ask for an autograph for my two football-mad United-supporting boys.
PS: You can now watch the exchange by clicking here.
I'm 
Comments
Brown and Beckham: Official suppliers of ammunition to the Daily Mail.
I must say that Beckham's car, from your report on the Six, looked more like a Volkwagen Golf hatchback than a luxury Bentley. Perhaps he was trying to project a pseudo-eco-friendly, Cameron-esque image.
Don't worry, Nick, I'm sure you can get the autographs on Thursday!
Just tell the poor people you're going to cancel on that you had a subsequent engagement*. Simple.
Have fun =D
*Oscar Wilde paraphrase
Brown is getting so desperate that he has gone for getting Beckham to promote him. Indeed the PM was asked at his press conference if he had plans to meet Beckham today, and he claimed he did not...I'm sure Dave just popped in on the off chance of a cuppa with Gordon! Seems to me that this is the first cynical attempt to gain some respect for Brown by his new spin doctor... the whole nation will see through it...
Next time you see the great man, please will you ask him whether he and Victoria are Scientologists yet? Wouldn't it be wonderful if they were!
He seems to use "you know" as an interjection a lot. I'm not knocking him - that's been done plenty of times before - but making the comparison with old Tony Blair!
So, has Gordon been looking for some inspirational advice in coping with public sector pay. I wonder ...
鈥淚 must,鈥 says Gordon 鈥渘ow tell 鈥榚m.
Economically we鈥檙e off to Bedlam.
But a dodgy pay deal,
brings inflation to heal.
Oh yes, I can bend it like Beckham.鈥
I know you can't be in two places at once Nick, but you might have been better employed in the House of Commons to see Ms Kelly making mincemeat of her Tory transport shadow (who reminded me strongly of the unpleasantly termagent inquisitor in the advert for some compensation lawyers or other). Of course, that is real politics concerned with a real issue, so of little concern to the 6 o'clock News.
Behind the screaming line in tailoring and raw haircut that was quite an articulate and relaxed comment from Beckham. After the awkwardness of Beckham's academy was out of the way, it's interesting how Nick's conversational skills squeezed out some natural and light praise of the Prime Minister. "A good man, looking after our country, and doing a very good job". Beckham seemed quite spontaneous and happy about saying that. Well done, Nick.
I'll buy that for a Euro!
As much as Blair was a champion of sport,
"Total revenue to central government from sports-related activities exceeded 拢5.5bn in 2000, compared to 拢661m direct investment. When combined with local government funding, total investment in sport in 2000 was about 拢2bn, or 拢36 per head of population, compared with 拢110 in France and 拢84 in Finland."
I am much comforted that Becks thinks that Brown is "a very good man" who is "doing a good job". I'm sure we'd all also appreciate his views on Britain's energy policy, the Middle East and how to sort out Northern Rock.
sounds like your boys were not brought up properly!
Wow this completely changes my view of Gordon Brown. He must be popular if an English football player sings his praises!
Where oh where did i go wrong in judging Gordon?
Emotions aside, what exactly is this going to do for Gordon? It seems he is more at ease being distracted from real problems in this country than facing up to them head on. Even his 3 year pay deal speech was a collection of empty words on how workers like a stable (fixed presumably) income. What planet is he living on? The Tony B/Alistair C spin days are dead! No more celebs to convince us that he's hip.
Gordon just get on with the job please.
Thrilling as I am sure it is that Brown met Beckham - why is there no story about the challenge to the blasphemy law that Evan Harris is raising soon?
Is this really big news? Beckham is not one really renowned for strong political views is he? He was never likely to have a controversial or negative opinion of Brown. I don't think the general public, as a whole, will take too much notice of this kind of backing. Or am i giving the general public too much credit???
another step along the way to a "knighthood" nodoubt for Beckham,the most pointlessly overhyped sportsman of our time and yet such a perfect representation of our recent era of style and image over substance.Perhaps Nick might make better use of the chances he gets in his job to actually come in contact with a football player who can use both of his feet and has actually proved thmeselves on the world stage at a big tournament whether with england or anyone else.Im sure that would make a rather more valuable autograph in future.Beckham will be seen as nothing more than a bit of a joke by my sports history however much the politicians liked to be seen with him.
GB to DB (or is it the other way around): "It's nice to speak to England's leading right-winger. And like me, you used to be a Red."
By nailing his colours to the Brown mast, Becks runs the risk of being seen as yesterday's man - as if he isnt already.
God how tremendously exciting for us all. Brown goes to Beckham's Academy for a photo op.
I just can't contain my excitement...
What's that? Gordon Brown, hastily arranging *another* photo-op at a school/youth project just as more bad news over dodgy donations is breaking? What a surprise.
I guess he couldn't be bothered with the flight to Iraq/Afganistan this time...
What happened to eschewing celebrity politics? I suppose like much of Brown, it's Balls........
Suspect the PM was just sounding out DB for possible assistance on bailing out of Northern Rock.
Beckham should go into politics. He knows what it's like to be booed and blamed, only to be cheered like a hero six months later by the same people.
Presumably, he has a personalized number plate because it was just too hard to remember the registration before. Now all he has to do is remember his own name, which he can do 2 times out of 3 on a good day.