World chump

I'm becoming increasingly irritated by the near-beatification of David Beckham.

An FA official this week described him as a marvellous role model for young people, when he explained the decision to recruit Beckham to hand over England's World Cup bid.

We must be desperately short of role models if we have to recruit this tattooed buffoon.

Do we really want to recommend to our children the example of an individual who is progressively deforming himself for his own amusement?

Presumably his association with the England World Cup squad in South Africa in a "coaching" capacity is a cynical step on along a path towards justifying the award of an honour to him.