[Archived] Beckham retiring

[Guest Norbert]

Possibly LA or somewhere else in California then I guess. Or Florida perhaps.

[Batman.]

Maybe they'll invent a 51st state for him?

[Guest Norbert]

Probably. Maybe the USA will get round to taking out North Korea, and he'll own Pyongyang Utd.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

George Best on Beckham:

“Beckham cannot kick with his left foot, can’t head the ball, can’t tackle and he doesn’t score enough goals. Otherwise he’s all right.”

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/191964/Georges-Best-quotes.html#ixzz2TTKusWLd

I can't disagree with Georgie boy. Probably the best British dead ball kicker ever, after that ? Most of his crosses were with a ball either stopped or moving slowly. You very rarely saw him cross a ball on the burst. Most of his fan club are young guys who've never really seen a team with proper wingers.

[gumboots]

have tried to get tickets for next week's Lorient-PSG match as we will be nearby at the time but Lorient aren't putting them on general sale. And Beckham's probably not even playing!

[broadsword]

That incident in 98 was never a sending off. Every time I see it I just want to smash Batistuta in the mush. Arsehole.

[Guest Norbert]

It was Diego Simeone I think.

[cmb211087]

Didn't Batistuta wave an imaginary red card at the ref?

Or not. Just watched it back. Nodding his head when Beckham was sent off. Didn't see much else he did wrong to be fair.

[broadsword]

That's a good enough reason for me, but I seem to remember he was brandishing an imaginary card before then also.

[Batman.]

The Batistuta head nod is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

[broadsword]

Look at the way they bloody behave, chasing the ref around.

Ham shankers the lot of them.

[Tom]

Shameful reaction by them but just as bad from Beckham he shouldn't have given them the chance

Clear red card unfortunately, he knew it, he grew from it at least whereas people like Wayne Rooney seem to be unable to get it out of themselves.

[broadsword]

Can't say I agree there, Tom. According to Wiki (which could be wrong ...) the categories of foul for which you'd receive a red card are:

1. Serious foul play (a violent foul)
2. Violent conduct (any other act of violence) e.g. assaulting the
   referee (player who assaults the referee is booted and fined and
   receives a game suspension for up to 94 days)
3. Spitting at anyone or another player
4. A deliberate handling offense to deny an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by any player other than a goalkeeper in his own penalty area
5. Committing an offense that denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (informally known as a professional foul)
6. Using offensive, insulting or abusive language or gestures
7. Receiving a second caution (yellow card) in the same game

I can't see it falling under any of those categories. Simone bundled into the back of Beckham and got nothing. Beckham's more or less just tapped him on the calf. It's petulence more than serious misconduct.

[Baz]

It was a yellow card for petulance.

One of 2 serious errors by the ref on that game. Sol Campbell scored a perfectly legal goal in the last few mins.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

It was a yellow card for petulance.

One of 2 serious errors by the ref on that game. Sol Campbell scored a perfectly legal goal in the last few mins.

I was jumping up and down at the time and I'd like that to be true Baz but after seeing it again unfortunately Shearer was all over the Argentine goalkeeper at the time. He might have got away way in the U.K. but not in the world Cup.