He Taught Becks How to Play Football - Then Made the Mistake of Falling

Summary

---

KEEPING vigil at the bedside of an ill parent is a particular kind of torture. And David Beckham, who has flown from Los Angeles to be with his father Ted following his heart attack this week, finds himself in a situation which is as sad as it is emotionally fraught.

For until this crisis Ted, who moulded his son's love of football and was responsible for his early passion for Manchester United, has been very much cast out of David's life.

See the full content of this document

Extract

---

He Taught Becks How to Play Football - Then Made the Mistake of Falling

Indeed, there was a time, four years ago, when they were scarcely on speaking terms, and David communicated with him through lawyers.

Since then, things have improved - in recent months there have been a series of transatlantic phone calls - but Ted, a phlegmatic kitchen-fitter and gas expert, has not even seen David and his family since they moved to LA in early July.

For various reasons - Ted's divorce from David's mother Sandra, his attitude to Victoria, his support for Sir Alex Ferguson and the book he wrote about his famous son - it is a long time since he was part of the Beckhams' circle of trust.

While Victoria's par...

See the full content of this document

---