Beckham left out of Team GB squad

So rather than announce the full squad selection the headlines have focused on who didn't make the squad. The three overage players are Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy and Micah Richards. Apparently Stuart Pearce told Beckham he was favouring Richards because he wanted more defensive cover.

Have to say I'm on the fence as to whether he should have been included in the squad. He's old but so is Giggs. He was never the quickest or had the most trickery but one thing stood out; Beckham could pretty much put the ball where he wanted, a skill that the likes of Van Nistelroy, Cole, and Yorke benefited from immensely.

Should it have been his last hurrah after campaigning for the games? Or on that basis should we be asking Seb Coe to find his spikes and line up in the middle distance events?

Not sure what to make of it all but not sure Team GB was such a good idea in the first place.

I think that Beckham should have given his last hurrah. Giggs always seemed to provide a sick note for the minor games which Wales were playing, so it doesn't sit well with me that he is being given this opportunity.

It could be that since Beckham has taken up residence in Los Angeles that he is that much more removed from Great Britain which made the decision to omit him that much easier. And there's the unknown factor of who owes what to what member of the G.B. Olympic football committee.

I'd prefer to see the U-21 guys as the only ones eligible for the Olympics in football as it would seem to make the competition a bit more unclear as to who will win. Though the problem with this idea is that the usual powerhouses will be that much more likely to advance as their youngsters should be more developed at their age than most of the other countries' players.

Sidenote: with the U-20 World Cup taking place next summer in Turkey, it would be a perfect time to consider a combo "golf playing / football cheering / border war watching" trip. Unfortunately I have other expenses to consider.

I'm a bit on the fence too Grumps - but the question is "are there sentimental selections going on here or not?"

Giggs would appear to be a sentimental choice, therefore Beckham should have got it. If there is no sentimentalism and Pearce really is looking to pick the best team with a chance of winning a medal, then I'm sure there are 3 better over-age players than Giggs, Bellamy and Richards (well maybe not Richards as most people think he should have gone to the Euros - but you see what I'm getting at)

Giggs and Bellamy definitely seem to be sentimental (or perhaps political) selections therefore Beckham should have been included

Plenty of suggestion that he will still be involved in some way - even hints that he may be the one to light the olympic flame!

Best one I've heard so far though is that he should open a mobile vending outlet outseide the Olympic stadium selling smoothies - he could call it "Blend it Like Beckham"

I would have loved to have seen Beckham being part of this squad for a last hurrah, and think he's earned it. Beckham was a leading player in actually bringing the games to London in the first place, and he's a respected guy throughoiut world sport. But if he's past it, then its right that he shouldn't be picked, Giggs is still a premier league player, but as Mary said earlier he was hardly ever available for his principality. He has a bit of a sordid history and nowhere near the clean cut image of Beckam. bellamy is also a bit of a bottle of pop, waiting to explode. So in hindsight should we have just forgotten overage players

I think there would always be strong cases for and against pretty much any overage player.

Does anyone actually know the squad yet? Are Giggs and Bellamy only in because the Welsh FA didn't want to play ball and we needed some Welsh players to appear inclusive as Team GB?

Don't think the full squad is due to be announced until next week. It was just leaked that Becks wasn't in it and the 3 overage players were declared

Speaking of Beckham, literally... he was being interviewed during a luncheon with 'soccer fans' a few days ago by some local L.A. talk radio sport hosts about a variety of issues and came off as very likable and gave some insight as to why he jumped to the MLS and the Galaxy team. As I can't discern a dialect or a manner of speaking English if it slapped me in the face, I was struck by his seemingly improper use of pronouns and verbs in particular contexts. There are many (most?) athletes in the U.S. who are afflicted by this condition which is more likely attributed to a lack of education, just plain laziness or not being concerned with speaking properly. How is his spoken English perceived in England? Is he considered well-spoken and if not is this par for the course for many of the English footballers?

Venice, he is just an east end boy made good. To his credit he is the first to admit that he is not the sharpest tool in the box, he was always getting stick over here for having a squeaky voice but had elocution lessons to sort that out and its better. Maybet hey should have worked harder on his grammar at the same time.
Footballers are not known for their vast vocab, lets face it they usually finish their education at 13 as they already know by then what they want to do.

Thanks diggers. Does East End translate into squalor conditions and overall poverty? We only get stereotypical insinuations about that area over here.

Venice you could be in for a rant from Super

He's not the best but by all means he's not the worst either. There was a player, Graeme Le Saux, who was very articulate and was pretty well educated for a footballer some years back. Le Saux would probably be classed as the exception as opposed to the average player.

venice1 wrote:Thanks diggers. Does East End translate into squalor conditions and overall poverty? We only get stereotypical insinuations about that area over here.

Depends which part of teh east end, you get million pound houses next to squalid housing estates. Its not a part of London I like but some parts are OK, when Becks was a lad though still very much a full on cockney area.

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:Venice you could be in for a rant from Super
He's not the best but by all means he's not the worst either. There was a player, Graeme Le Saux, who was very articulate and was pretty well educated for a footballer some years back. Le Saux would probably be classed as the exception as opposed to the average player.

We could use a good rant from Super. (Will he assail the sport or the language?)

Googled Le Saux. Seems to have been taunted and published an autobiography in 2007, "Left Field - A Footballer Apart." Has anybody read it?

Actually thought young Mr Chamberlain was very articulate. Lampard isnt stupid, could certainly have gone on to university from his school grades. David James is well spoken. The current PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle always gets good press though personally I find him one of those guys who who tries a bit too hard to use long words that really arent actually appropriate or are out of context.

venice1 wrote:

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:Venice you could be in for a rant from Super
He's not the best but by all means he's not the worst either. There was a player, Graeme Le Saux, who was very articulate and was pretty well educated for a footballer some years back. Le Saux would probably be classed as the exception as opposed to the average player.

We could use a good rant from Super. (Will he assail the sport or the language?)

Googled Le Saux. Seems to have been taunted and published an autobiography in 2007, "Left Field - A Footballer Apart." Has anybody read it?

Super is a bit busy taunting the tennis board on 606v2 by calling all the women players fatties !

diggers wrote:Super is a bit busy taunting the tennis board on 606v2 by calling all the women players fatties !

His words may have some weight to them then.

Venice, it probably would be a bit of both. Super typically moans about how boring and turgid footballer's interviews are. He'll probably also bemoan the inclusion of Team GB in the Olympics

The one footballer who surprised me with his eloquence when least expected was Martin Keown (ex Arsenal). Going on looks and prejudices alone, I never would have expected him to string more than 3 words together. He is a perfect example of not judging a book by its cover

Not too eloquent when he jumped all over Van Nistelrooy after that penalty miss Davie...

BlueCoverman wrote:Not too eloquent when he jumped all over Van Nistelrooy after that penalty miss Davie...

No that was acrobatic and poetic, plus well worth the bans.

Stuart Pearce has said that David Beckham was left out for footballing reasons alone.

He said "If at any stage I was told that certain individuals would have to be picked I wouldn't have done the job" He added "I didn't pick on popularity, I didn't pick on ticket sales and I certainly wasn't picking on nationality"

Stuart mate Beckham should have been included regardless of whether you think he is still good enough. Nobody gives a toss if we win a medal or not. It's the Olympics, success at football in the Olympics means nothing whatsoever.