Whether it’s a good book, a podcast, a movie, etc, I will always recommend football fans if I find content that I think is worth a discussion.
I have just finished watching Netflix’s ‘Beckham’. The test of any biography piece is ‘do you end up learning more about the subject then you did before going in’.
That’s a hard thing to happen, because in reality the assumption is the viewer will have certain knowledge already or else they wouldn’t be interested in the first place.
Growing up with David Beckham as the poster boy of English football, the captain of the ‘Golden Generation’ and my brother’s favourite player, I was shocked to learn so much more about the man himself.
Owning the Production company who produced this documentary, not needing the money or the stress, Beckham didn’t have to be as open as he was throughout this 4-part series.
When cleaning candles, wiping down the kitchen or making a latte, the 48-year-old stresses the need to be a perfectionist.
Only he knows if this truly was (as he said) always the intention to look back on his life once he made it a decade into retirement, or if in fact this was the latest strategy to promote his brand.
Either way, you can tell he told his wife that if he was doing this, he was doing this all in, warts and all.
I respect that. Especially from Victoria.
Both have enough star power that neither could have been included, lots of archive footage used and still ratings would have been huge.
So, they are candid for no other reason than they choose to be.
People might roll their eyes when the couple describe telling their story as ‘therapy’ but what other reason to be so open?
Yes, for over two decades we have seen lots of photos of both, and there’s the occasional chat show where they tick a PR box but when can you remember ‘Posh Spice’ ever talking as freely as this?
She comes across very well by the end of the programme.
Outside of talking about the sport, David too would be protected from commenting on his personal life.
He is being honest simply because he chooses to, isn’t saying what we want to hear, and allows himself to be in a position where he’s not always seen in the best light.
It shows the respect he has within the game that he gets the talking heads involved, a who’s who of the industry.
Of course, his best mate Gary Neville doesn’t need to be asked twice to talk but Figo, Ronaldo, Capello, Simione, Carlos are not doing interviews for a pay day.
Even Sir Alex takes part in the project despite their fractious relationship ….
Here are 10 talking points from ‘ Beckham’ – a 4-part series available on Netflix.
1- Working Class
Before becoming a multi-millionaire, David Beckham was simply a young boy obsessed with Manchester United.
That was his dream. Of course, the odds of any child making it as professional are low, yet alone getting employed by the club you support.
Beckham’s mum worked from home as a hairdresser, while his dad (more on him later) was a kitchen fitter.
Not poor by any means, but just getting by; this is why Beckham won’t apologise for ‘liking nice things’.
He became the stereotypical footballer with the fast cars and shiny watches, spending his weekly earnings in the first couple of days.
By not having materialistic things when growing up, he appreciated his lifestyle as an adult.
Yet never did he take that for granted or forget his roots.
Victoria tries to add to the story of a working-class background. Overhearing, her husband pops his head around the corner and asks what mode of transport took her to school?
The answer after repeating the question a few times was “a Rolls Royce”!!!
He won that argument.
2 -Family
If there was one theme of the entire piece, a moral lesson to take away from the experience, it is that Family means everything to the Beckhams and always has.
In a world where they can both have pretty much any item, live anywhere in the world and have people looking after their needs 24 hours a day, at the core none of that can be compared to the importance of their loved ones.
Whether that becomes a bit on the nose is subjective.
Apparently neither Posh or Becks had many friends at school, would rather stay in with parents than go clubbing, were attracted to each other based on how close the other were to Mum and Dad.
A young David would fake toothache to hide his homesickness as a child as he grew up in Manchester United’s youth system away from his London home.
His whole relationship with Sir Alex and United is built on family values, hence why he took his rejection so personal, and you sense still hurts him?
As an adult David names numerous occasions where his performance was improved if he had the comfort of loved ones in attendance.
A lot of strain was put on his marriage due to the times he would move abroad at short notice, leaving a young family to follow later.
3- Dad
If you think the working-class narrative is a transparent attempt to be relatable, that vanishes whenever Ted starts talking.
He’s the stereotypical father, driving his son miles up and down the country to play the sport, telling anyone who would listen how gifted his boy was, recording hundreds of matches to send to scouts.
Then there’s the debate so many parents have around the world.
What is encouraging your child to be the best they can be – and what is going overboard?
Is teaching and demanding okay? – or should you be content that your children are having fun?
Sandra, while recognising David always seemed to win and it was apparent he was superior to those in his age group, would row with her husband when he would critique the child to the point he would be in tears.
If David was good, his dad would point out flaws that stopped him from being great.
Once great, he would focus on any weakness that prevented his boy from being excellent.
An avid Man United fan long before he had children, he would be relentless in set piece drills.
When a 10-year-olds little legs couldn’t take any more, out came more balls.
Ted preached that free kicks and corners were crucial details that could alter a game at any moment.
David said he remembers this in the last seconds of the 1999 Champions League Final when he stood over two corners.
It’s like his Dad knew all along.
4- Obsessed
Beckham would deny sneaking back to London to see his then girlfriend and maintains the relationship wasn’t a distraction to his profession.
Beckham, for 4 episodes, keeps up this stance with a wry smile, then the very next scene is visual evidence that contradicts everything he is saying.
Again, he owns the company creating this series, so he has more than final approval.
Credit to him for having self-deprecation.
He seems to leave it to Gary Neville to describe the facts.
Neville grew up with Beckham at the same academy, roomed with him and was even his best man at his wedding, so if anyone knew what a besotted David Beckham looks like it’s the Sky Sports pundit.
The love story with a Spice Girl was more simplistic than the media ever reported.
This wasn’t two celebs in their twenties partying in night clubs.
This wasn’t a couple enjoying their new life of fame and fortune doing whatever they wanted.
It was a boy and a girl in love who, due to their careers, couldn’t see each other every day, missed each other and had to find gaps in their diaries to meet up.
When you’re dating a pop star on a world tour, that meant driving to the English Capital even if it meant only a couple of hours together.
Neville said his buddy would do that frequently.
There is something beautiful about that.
Because while most can’t relate to either bank account, we all remember meeting that person who you just need to see as often a possible.
5- Glen Hoddle
If you had to pick one man who doesn’t come out very well from the 4 episodes, it’s Glen Hoddle.
TNT must be rubbing their hands with glee and can’t wait to ask their pundit for a right to reply.
At this point, Hoddle is used to his time as England manager being viewed as controversial and David Beckham won’t be the first to question the 65-year old’s man management style.
Yet, if after 25 years a mother and wife feel the need to say how they feel, that shows how low Beckham felt working with Hoddle.
Press, ex-players, Victoria herself, always got the impression that Sir Alex wasn’t a fan of who his midfielder had chosen to marry, yet the Scottwas old school and kept any such sentiment in private, at the very least it stayed in the dressing room.
Hoddle did the opposite, questioning the players focus heading into France 98, dropping him for the Three Lions first two fixtures and giving the media the story they wanted.
After Beckham’s red card in the last 16, aware of the backlash the player was already facing, Hoddle said the moment had cost the country, at a time where most coaches would have put an arm round his shoulder.
As Victoria puts it, Glen Hoddle was a grown man who had a duty to look after a 23-year-old.
6- Abuse
Most know what happened at France 98.
England were drawing 2-2 with Argentina when Beckham flicked out his leg, earning a red card, a silly thing to do even though Simeone (with much glee) admits in his interview that the contact was ‘imaginary’.
The Three Lions were knocked out on penalties and a nation had their scapegoat.
That’s how I remember it.
I assumed maybe only being 11 at the time, I wasn’t educated enough to consider the impact the daily abuse would have on a person.
Yet watching footage of it a quarter of a century later I’m almost ashamed that I grew up in a country where, while not encouraged, it was kind of accepted.
Maybe in an era without social media where our content was relegated to a newspaper, we were not aware of how often and how vicious people were being?
In 2023 at the very least YouTubers would be debating should a human being be subjected to verbal abuse based on getting a red card.
That’s not to say today the game is any better.
Only the other week a Sheffield Wednesday fan responded to chanting from Sunderland supporters by holding up an image of a child who died of cancer.
So, while I can’t say some wouldn’t still act that way, a conversation would be had about how that could impact on a person’s mental Well Being.
It was almost like Beckham was seen as performer on a string and his emotions were never considered.
In reality, he wasn’t sleeping, eating, had lost lots of weight, skin was bad and looked white as a ghost. All symptoms of depression, yet most continued to treat him like a pantomime villain.
One mistake in a game of football and he was sworn at, spat at, threatened, death threats sent to family etc.
Many booed because it was fun.
This was someone’s life.
The irony?
When a West Ham fan is asked by police to take down a hung effigy of Beckham as it is classified as ‘inciting violence’ a grown man says, ‘ it’s nonsense isn’t it? It’s ludicrous?
No mate …. what’s nonsense is a grown man responding to a red card in a football match, by borrowing a dummy, putting a Beckham shirt on it and hanging it!
7- United
When you learn how much Sir Alex helped during this period, you understand more why it would break Beckham’s heart when the same man would reject him.
At his lowest, his manager provided him with a comfort blanket.
Old Trafford became Beckham’s safe place.
His teammates, now his shield.
The United shirt, his body armour.
Genius management that helped fulfil his own needs as well, that summer Sir Alex insisted his whole squad share the same principles.
They protect each other, they don’t let any outsiders in, no one gets near their bubble.
Any media access to Beckham was restricted and he was allowed in the confines of his boyhood club to breathe again.
Again …. family
8- Sir Alex
Which is why the nature of Beckham’s transfer from Old Trafford becomes the most heartbreaking aspect of the series, his best friend believing that David has ‘never gotten over that’?
Most viewers would have known the stories about Sir Alex and Beckham clashing over haircuts, disapproving of his girlfriend and feeling he was spending too long away from Manchester.
Yet they had that father/son relationship, and most sons get to an age where they become defiant and stand up to their dad.
Most won’t sympathise with someone being paid thousands of pounds a week to live in Madrid.
Yet I don’t sense Beckham wants sympathy, I think he was truly left heartbroken by one phone call that confirmed to him that Sir Alex wasn’t family.
That the picture of Sir Alex with his arm around him as a young boy, existed purely because the boy had a talent that could be useful.
That he wasn’t as a teenager invited into dressing rooms because he had found a home, he was a resource.
Man United was and is Beckham’s club and Beckham never wanted to leave.
He was shocked to learn that an offer originally from Barcelona had been accepted.
Confused, he did what he had done since a child, he rang his guidance, the club he grew into a man at, one more time (a last time) he asked his father figure to help him, to want him.
He was told by the club’s secretary that Sir Alex didn’t want to speak, that he was going on holiday and would not be calling back.
In one moment, in a blink of an eye …. David Beckham realised he was simply just a number.
Sir Alex participated in this project so obviously fences have been fixed to a point?
Yet we never see Sir Alex asked the hard questions, which suggests he took part on his terms, answering only what he was willing to answer.
Even now, having certain control on David Beckham.
While Becks looked hurt, the scene goes back to his old boss who sums it up with one word ……’Stubborn’.
9- Alla Madrid
Even fewer might have little sympathy for Victoria reminding us that every time her husband decided to move around Europe (and another continent) she was left with the stress of finding a new house, new schools, new friends, learning a new language and culture.
Most would sacrifice that with the bank balance she has to work with.
Yet again, it’s her truth, and I admire the couple for not telling us their feelings based on what will be popular with the majority.
She credits the move to Spain as the biggest strain on her marriage, a move she ‘resented’ her husband for and the first time she felt they ‘were against each other when it had always been us against the world.’
I felt Perez only agreed to be interviewed to remind us how great he was at getting whatever Real Madrid wanted.
Luis Figo played on the right at the Bernabeu and wasn’t giving up that position, then Carlos Quieroz was given the job, a now manager who questioned Beckham’s work rate as an assistant in Manchester, eventually Capello worked there and told Beckham he would never play for him again once La Galaxy started sniffing around.
Purely based on ability the question could be asked ‘why did Real Madrid sign David Beckham?’
Perez’s answer?
‘He doubled our revenue.”
10- Selfish
That’s not my word, that’s the word Beckham uses himself to explain his mindset when telling his young family that he was suddenly moving to Milan, then Paris, leaving them in America.
Victoria learnt about the loan to Italy on the news.
That’s why I don’t agree with this notion that this was a couple manipulating the PR machine to enhance their image.
David Beckham doesn’t have to admit he’s selfish, does he?
There is something Shakespearian about how Beckham’s attitude goes full circle.
A man whose whole life had needed the warmth of a family was now determined to put himself first, and wasn’t going to make the mistake of trusting his employers to be his family – like Man United.
If this were a movie you could empathise how much Sir Alex messed him up.
Of course, the move to LA was to become rich, an offer even Europe’s best couldn’t match.
He now owns a football club because of that choice.
Yet ,it was a decision that equally helped heal a marriage. Allowing his wife better access to houses and schools, where she spoke the same language and where their children could grow up – not in the micro bubble of Madrid.
So, her husband’s desire to play in Europe again undermined all of that.
AC Milan was a short-term deal designed to give Beckham a chance of playing at a 4th World Cup.
He then legally tried to get out of his contract in LA to stay permanently in Serie A.
His attempt to do so broke all promises he made to the USA that he wanted to be the face of the MLS and help soccer grow in the country.
Remember how much he was being paid for that role.
Landon Donovan, Galaxy fans and American pundits in general painted him as the villain, and I’m not sure he was forgiven even after lifting the Cup?
It was selfish.
Yet also stubborn…
Stubborn?
Who used that word?
It all goes back to Sir Alex…
David Beckham won the Champions League, 6 Prems, 2 FA Cups, La Liga, MLS Cup and Ligue Un. That’s honours in 4 different countries.
He captained his country, played at 3 World Cups and 2 Euros.
He’s now an owner.
What a story!
Dan Smith
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An unusual topic Dan for JA but i must say that I enjoyed reading your review
Really liked it so just thought I recommend
Great review! Just finished the documentary.
As a non-English person I can’t fathom the abuse and the extent of it Beckham received from the red card incident (my opinion is it wasn’t even a red). And the reaction of the manager Hoddle to it was absolutely disgusting. Have you ever seen Wenger or SAF throw their players under the bus in an interview? Never. No matter how petulant or stupid players act, they always handled these events internally.
It really showed the essence of media and how they are even nowadays: they love building people up to a pedestal just so they can rip you to shreds when the chance arrives.
I think Alexander-Arnold is currently the only high-profile winger whose playing style and passing ability are similar to Beckham’s
Other conventional RWs like Adama Traore and Ismaila Sarr tend to dribble past their markers to reach the byline, whereas Beckham and Alexander-Arnold prefer to make accurate long crosses from deeper areas
If Beckham played with Giroud at Arsenal, I think Wenger would’ve won his third EPL title. We need a dead-ball specialist like Beckham, Ward-Prowse and Pernambucano, because none of our players is as consistent as them in set-pieces
Great article.
As an arsenal fan, In the late 90s early noughtys, David Beckham was just about the only reason to respect that lot in Manchester. The abuse he suffered after the France 98 sending off was disgraceful as was the way Hoddle, his boyhood hero, threw him under the bus….for all his faults, I can’t imagine Gareth Southgate doing anything like that?
It affected his family, relationship, confidence and career.
An intriguing and open piece of documentary making.
I’ll have to watch it now Dan after reading your article. Also I think he’s one of the best number 7s football has ever had and his crossing of the ball, passing and free kicks are unmatched even today.