UFO Info Week-End

West Ham fans burnt effigies of Beckham when the local lad who’d done bad next came down to East London

West Ham fans burnt effigies of Beckham when the local lad who’d done bad next came down to East London.The baiting, which included chants of sexual innuendo about his girlfriend, continued for months. Ferguson’s protection of Beckham remained staunch and the player knuckled down to rehabilitation. In 1999 he helped United to a notable treble of Premiership, FA Cup and Champions League.The marketing and iconolatary of Beckham also began in earnest – with shirts, flags, posters and pillowslips – at the club superstore, then outlets in the Far East. United undertook pre-season tours in these territories to exploit the excitement that the blond bombshell had aroused. David’s wedding to Victoria in Ireland in 1999 was sponsored by OK! magazine – the twin thrones at the reception seemed apt for the king and queen of popular culture – but Beckham retained the affection of his manager. He continued to play well, honing his crossing and free-kick skills to near-perfection. Nevertheless, his fashionista instincts, encouraged by Victoria, began to blossom.His career with England was also flourishing, taking him beyond Ferguson’s control, breaking down the usual club rivalries to make him a national hero.

He was appointed England captain in 2001.The self-assertion that had been denied to Beckham during his early twenties now increased, to the irritation of Ferguson. Setting up the family home at a mansion in Hertfordshire fuelled speculation that Posh would become a Yoko Ono figure in the footballer’s life. As Beckham’s persona was revealed, a spate of jokes about his alleged dimness arose. One involved him calling Fergie round in the middle of the night in frustration at being unable to complete a jigsaw of a tiger. The punch line had the manager telling him to “put the Frosties back in the box, David”.Ferguson’s most prominent response to his prot?’s increasing independence was to drop him from the team after he had missed training because Brooklyn was ill The battle lines were being drawn. Beckham’s appearance on Michael Parkinson’s television chat show revealed him as a charming, self-deprecating, dedicated family man, and he enhanced this new profile with some stirring performances in World Cup qualifiers.As the adulation rolled in so did the endorsement deals for Police sunglasses and Vodafone mobiles.

Ferguson, however, let it be known “he may be doing it for England but he’s not doing it for us” Beckham was subsequently “rested” for several games. Ferguson’s disaffection was probably compounded by Beckham’s open admiration for the serene management style of Eriksson, another father-figure. United finished without a trophy in 2002, while the injured Beckham rushed his recovery to be ready for the World Cup. Just before the tournament he appeared on the cover of GQ magazine, shirtless, torso doused in baby-oil, fingernails painted dark purple, draped in a white cashmere jacket. If Ferguson saw this he would have choked on his porridge, for it was a clear signal that he had lost control of the man he had sheltered since a boy. In an accompanying interview with David Furnish, Elton John’s partner, Beckham expressed his delight at being voted Britain’s Best Dressed Man by the magazine’s readers: “I’m really glad that there’s a side to my life rather than just football. It makes things a bit more interesting than just reading about the football side.

Although some people might try and turn around and say ‘You know, it just goes with the showbiz lifestyle’. Well, I haven’t got a showbiz lifestyle.”Dylan Jones, the editor of GQ who was present at the shoot, confirms that the transition from mere international footballer was a knowing one. “Beckham has become the most important male fashion icon in this country because he’s such a unique mix. He is a marketing man’s dream: he’s heterosexual, yet walks around in sarongs, hairnets and his wife’s knickers. He is resolutely working class so he can withstand the brickbats regarding his dress sense. He does have innate style, but also has the sense to know who to experiment with.