[Archived] Beckham Signs Five Year Deal At La Galaxy

[Flopsy]

nah, he'll go out on loan somewhere

[Grabbi Graeme]

Maybe he wants to have one last brief spell in the Prem League

[USRoverME]

Well, it would be higher if you are including merchandising and profit sharing, that is coming directly out of the clubs finances.

maybe, but for example, when you see Ballack on ~125K GBP/week at chelski, does that include his merchandising? I'll be honest int hat I'm not sure, but I'm guessing it doesn't.

I guess I'm just trying to caution people from comparing apples and oranges

[Bobby G]

I think LA Galaxy may just try to buy out the remainder of his contract as I cant see him going on loan anywhere, definitely not in England and doubtful anywhere other than Madrid and cant see Real loaning him to Atletico.

[FourLaneBlue]

maybe, but for example, when you see Ballack on ~125K GBP/week at chelski, does that include his merchandising? I'll be honest int hat I'm not sure, but I'm guessing it doesn't.

Ballack probably won't get paid for shirts sold with his name on etc. LA Galaxy will pay Beckham for any merchandise they sell relating to him I believe which will mean millions each year into the Beckham purse. Real Madrid, for example, made a fortune each year because of this but apparently didn't pay Beckham that much at all for the sales if anything. So...Beckham will make far more than Ballack although the majority won't be directly from salary. Although the salary is still huge by any comparison.

[Billy Castell]

Just shows how wrong we were in thinking that maybe, just maybe we had a chance of signing him. Even when Jack Walker was around we'd have told him where to go if we had to offer £500,000 p/w. He now gets in a day what Lampard probably gets a week!

[jkritchey]

Reminder that 80% of his money is coming from the some place it always has: adidas, Pepsi, Gillette, etc. They re did his sponsorship deals to reflect his moving to a monstrous new (to him) consumer culture.

He could very well have done those deals with out signing to play any football at all.

He also got out of the partnership with Real Madrid for his sponsorships.

I think he's on $9 million (4.5-5 million pounds?) for the football. Note that of that, he's only trousering $400,000 (220k pds) from the league. Per year. Not that we need to hold a testimonial for him...

Spot on move by MLS to throw all the dosh in one bin for the press release. They've got tongues wagging the planet over. Even if it's a tad misleading...

[Rovermatt]

A question for our American contributors: Does the US press and uneducated public have any concept of Beckham as a player?

From all the media hysteria and wall to wall coverage, it is very possible that people think some kind of footballing deity is coming to strut his stuff on their shores. Beckham is a determined, hard working, top class team player with a terrific engine and an awesome range of passing. His ability with a dead ball is unquestioned. These things are highly prized and appreciated by proper football fans. Yet he does not possess the genius or crowd pleasing qualities of Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo (the proper one) or Ronaldinho.

Even at his peak he was never an entertainer or true match breaker. I suspect that many people will be disappointed when he does eventually turn out in LA, considering the hype that has followed him. He may be the best player on the team by some distance but his game and style will remain the same. Without the flashes of sheer audacity that uglier players (Figo aside) can produce, will the crowds get bored of his looks, his fanfare and indeed his play?

I'm reminded of a story regarding Franz Beckenbauer's time at New York. The owner told his coach to get the new German guy to get forward. He wasn't paying him all this money to sit back in defence...

[Bobby G]

Papers say that Becks had initially wanted to come back to England and win back his England place but Posh told him "could you see us at Bolton"? He eventually got convinced and agreed to the LA move.

[FourLaneBlue]

Papers say that Becks had initially wanted to come back to England and win back his England place but Posh told him "could you see us at Bolton"? He eventually got convinced and agreed to the LA move.

Yeah, like the papers are going to know what they discuss in private. The press always love to try and blame her.

[cletus]

Hate Beckham. Hate everything he & his pig-nosed bint of a wife stand for. "I want to promote soccer in the USA"......b0ll0x!! complete & utter b0ll0x!! You want to promote brand Beckham & cream the money in...& hopefully get your talentless pouting clothes-horse of a wife a job in hollywood.

Good riddance! Go to America & effing stay there...you kn0b!

(phewww! i feel much better now )

[jkritchey]

A question for our American contributors: Does the US press and uneducated public have any concept of Beckham as a player?

From all the media hysteria and wall to wall coverage, it is very possible that people think some kind of footballing deity is coming to strut his stuff on their shores. Beckham is a determined, hard working, top class team player with a terrific engine and an awesome range of passing. His ability with a dead ball is unquestioned. These things are highly prized and appreciated by proper football fans. Yet he does not possess the genius or crowd pleasing qualities of Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo (the proper one) or Ronaldinho.

Even at his peak he was never an entertainer or true match breaker. I suspect that many people will be disappointed when he does eventually turn out in LA, considering the hype that has followed him. He may be the best player on the team by some distance but his game and style will remain the same. Without the flashes of sheer audacity that uglier players (Figo aside) can produce, will the crowds get bored of his looks, his fanfare and indeed his play?

I'm reminded of a story regarding Franz Beckenbauer's time at New York. The owner told his coach to get the new German guy to get forward. He wasn't paying him all this money to sit back in defence...

Short answer to the question: Absolutely not.

The uneducated public couldn't name 2 teams in MLS if you spotted them DC United. As bad as the public is, the entrenched Jurassic sports media here is completely closed to the idea of embracing new (to our culture) sport. Columnists or presenters that discuss "Soccer" inevitably fall back to the old canard that soccer will never be as big as the other 3 major sports (Hockey no longer gets "Big Sport" treatment here).

They continue to say this because they look out onto a soccer field during a game and have no idea what's going on, but will never admit to that. They deride a 1-1 game as boring while extolling the virtues of a 1-0 baseball game. And when pressed, will go back to memories of NASL and Pele, and Chinaglia, and the Cosmos, whose dysfunction serves as their proof that the US tried it once, and it's now settled law.

Our culture treats it's sports as TV shows, not as sport. And the sports media here likes it that way.

Things will change, but soccer may never rival the NFL. That's fine. All I am interested in is a financially viable soccer system that allows the US to compete internationally and put an entertaining product on the field league wise.

The good news: a lot, I mean a lot, of youngsters over here have played the game and will not have the bias against the sport that the current power has. Youngsters are now far more diverse and open than before, and geographic mobility has eliminated some of the strong bonds to certain teams and certain sports that used to decide for you who you would support as a family.

That and robust immigration from south of Texas....

[RevidgeBlue]

Hate Beckham. Hate everything he & his pig-nosed bint of a wife stand for. "I want to promote soccer in the USA"......b0ll0x!! complete & utter b0ll0x!! You want to promote brand Beckham & cream the money in...& hopefully get your talentless pouting clothes-horse of a wife a job in hollywood.

Good riddance! Go to America & effing stay there...you kn0b!

(phewww! i feel much better now )

It's only January 14th and we've already had "Post of the Year 2007!"

Give that man a grooby!

[trs]

Hate Beckham. Hate everything he & his pig-nosed bint of a wife stand for. "I want to promote soccer in the USA"......b0ll0x!! complete & utter b0ll0x!! You want to promote brand Beckham & cream the money in...& hopefully get your talentless pouting clothes-horse of a wife a job in hollywood.

Good riddance! Go to America & effing stay there...you kn0b!

(phewww! i feel much better now )

I take it the Spice girl's did nowt for you as well

[Billy Castell]

Can't wait to see his first match against Kansas City Creationists or the Chicago Racketeers.

He's gone there for the money and to pal up with Hollywood in the hope of furthering 'Brand Beckham'. If it was all for the kids in the USA, he could have gone to New York Red Bullocks, Chicago Racketeers or any of the other big cities that have a team. It's only because of Hollywood, he's gone to LA Dairy Milks in particular.

[ABBEY]

galaxy recruiting new players online!!!!

[stowell]

LA Galaxy is alledged to be coming out to Aus on tour at some point

Good for the a-league, will sell out stadiums if they come

[Hasta]

Beckham will not play for Real again, says Capello

Be a hard few months for David won't it.

Capello has been forced to return Beckham to the first team for their game at Real Sociedad tonight and he's gone and scored from a free kick. Humble pie for someone I feel.

[tsnuf]

Nice one Becks!

jkritchey, do you have an MLS team you support?

[Florida Rover]

He is a DC United supporter if I recall correctly.

[tsnuf]

How about you FR? not too many teams close to Florida...

[Florida Rover]

Formerly the Mutiny when they were a franchise,prior that Rowdies.Also,a friend was a good mate with Doug Hamilton who was GM with the Galaxy when he died so I watched out for their results.Really though it is Rovers or nothing for me.

[Philly Rover ®]

With each passing moment it looks like the MLS is getting a bigger and bigger bargain.

I was among those who said that McClaren dropping Beckham was nothing but a move to show he was not merely Sven's henchman, but the sheer stupidity of that decision (which, as many have said, came to light tonight) proved that he is every bit as poor a manager as his predecessor.

But anyway... an England international playing his club football in the United States? Who would have ever thought it?

[Billy Castell]

A lot of less talented old duffers are coming over though. I'm thinking of the likes of Currie (former Ipswich and Brighton player) or Davids (will do well, but he is about 34). Dean Windass will be there soon.

[Fife Rover]

Loks like the MLS is becoming a last big pay day and retirement home for knackered old footballers. Hmmmm.... I wonder how old they will take them up to?