YALLOP'S GRETZKY ON GRASS

[georg]

YALLOP'S GRETZKY ON GRASS

Monday June 18,2007

By John Dillon

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/10372/Yallop's+Gretzky+on+grass

LOS ANGELES football bosses believe that David Beckham can repeat the impact of one of the city’s biggest sporting heroes, Wayne Gretzky, who transformed the profile of ice hockey in California.

But Frank Yallop, coach of LA Galaxy, admits fans in the US will have unrealistic expectations Becks can deliver match-turning performances each time.

There are huge parallels between his £125million switch to US soccer and the £14m transfer of Gretzky from Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, which led to a boom in attendances and several new teams.

Yallop, who played for Ipswich Town, said: “Wayne Gretzky was the greatest hockey player ever. When he came from the Oilers to the LA Kings, he got ice hockey into the mainstream media here.

“David can do that for us. People will watch to see what it’s all about.

David can do it for us. People will watch to see what it’s all about

“He is coming over for the right reasons, to play, do well and to grow the sport here and will show our young players the right route to becoming a top professional.

“But people here need to be educated in the game. He is not going to score hat-tricks and nutmeg people every time, though.

“We have seen players come here when past their best#8194;– but I believe David is at his peak. We are getting a top-class player in his prime.”

[georg]

Cruises party with Beckhams till 7am after final game

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=462745&in_page_id=1773

Although there was plenty of drama predicted for David Beckham's final game in Spain - the real show was the arrival of pals Tom and Katie Cruise in Madrid who celebrated with the medal winner and wife Victoria until 7am.

First they watched the game, wearing the obligatory oversized sunglasses, and then it was on to Madrid's top restaurant El Xistu for a post-match meal, and on to Shabay nightclub - where the couples partied until 7am.

Star power: The Beckhams and the Cruises' party till 7am after Beckham's team Real Madrid won the Spanish League

Cruise control: Superstar Tom Cruise lends a steadying hand to wife Katie as they join the Beckhams for a post-game celebration

Party animals: It was dinner and clubbing until the early hours for the celebrity couples

Earlier at the match, Katie Holmes, 28, showing off her new sleek bobbed hairstyle, looked a deadringer for new best friend Posh in her short-sleeved minidress.

And it didn't take long for the Hollywood couple to put on their characteristic public display of affection. The movie stars shared a kiss as Real's third goal was scored.

Cheerleaders: Tom and Katie join Posh and members of David's family including his three sons, Cruz, Romeo and Brooklyn, in the stands

Soccer fan Tom Cruise regularly supports daughter Isabella who plays for her school team

Loved-up: Tom and Katie in another public display of affection

The previous day, the Cruises were spotted arriving at the German Church of Scientology headquarters in Berlin - at 2.45am.

They were there to visit a memorial to Count Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg, who attempted to assassinate Hitler in 1944, and to meet some of the religion's German leaders.

The visit has sparked fears that Cruise, 44, will "inject" Scientology propaganda in his next film, in which he plays von Stauffenberg.

While in Berlin Katie and her daughter Suri took the opportunity to see Knut, the polar bear rejected by his mother.

"Katie Holmes asked for a private visit and I showed her around myself," said Dr Ragnar Kuhne, curator of Berlin Zoo.

Then the Cruises headed to Madrid to catch up with the Beckhams. Victoria, 33, held onto four-year-old Romeo, who was wearing a Real shirt with his father's number, 23, and "Daddy" on the back.

Posh held youngest son Cruz who wore a number 23 football shirt which said 'Daddy'

Father's day: David was joined on the pitch by sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz, after his final game for Spanish champions Real Madrid

They were joined by David's mother Sandra and sister Joanne as he helped Real Madrid beat Mallorca 3-1.

Watched by millions, it was a moving farewell for 32-year-old Beckham. Immediately after the match he ran to his family and hugged and kissed his sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz, all sporting identical haircuts to their father.

A St George's flag draped over his shoulders, he did a lap of honour around the Santiago Bernabeu stadium and said: "This is the perfect ending. I could not have dreamt it better.

After the game the celebrity foursome were mobbed by fans when they went out for a meal in the city.

Revealed: The secret of Posh's 23-inch-waist

Katie Holmes really is a Posh copycat

The Beckhams and Cruises have become firm friends, and their move to Los Angeles has sought to bring them even closer together.

Katie was on hand to help Victoria view several million dollar mansions, from which she eventually chose an £11 million home for the Beckham brood in the same Beverly Hills district as the Cruises.

Meanwhile Katie has benefited from self-styled fashionista Victoria who has exerted her fashion influence over her friend, who has been criticised for dressing in a matronly fashion despite her youth.

On a trip to city of chic Paris, they were famously pictured in matching monochrome outfits during the city's Fashion Week.

The Beckhams' move to Hollywood coincides with a rise in David Beckham's celebrity. His multi-million pound deal with LA Galaxy, has seen him jump from 43rd place to 15th place in a poll by Forbes magazine, which highlights the top 100 celebrities with the most money and influence.

However, pal Cruise has seen his position weakened by a round of negative publicity, mostly surrounding his connection with the religious Scientology sect.

He was knocked off the top spot by chat show host Oprah Winfrey, and slid to eighth position in the annual poll.

Victoria is filming a reality TV show on the family's move to LA. It has allegedly caused some friction between the two couples as Tom Cruise is said to be none too keen for his young wife to appear on the series.

But it doesn't appear to have had any effect on the partying couples friendship.

We are the champions: David celebrates winning the Spanish league title with his lookalike brood

[georg]

BIGGER THAN JORDAN

Oliver Holt, Chief Sports Writer, In Los Angeles 19/06/2007

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2007/06/19/bigger-than-jordan-89520-19317830/

DAVID BECKHAM will be bigger in the USA than Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan, Los Angeles Galaxy boss Alexi Lalas claimed last night.

Lalas watched on TV as Beckham won his first Spanish league championship with Real Madrid on Sunday and then predicted his arrival in California would have a seismic impact.

"There will be interest in Beckham over here that exceeds everything else," Lalas said. "The US will never have dealt with an athlete who has had this kind of international impact.

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"Tiger Woods has that international appeal but with due respect to Woods and Michael Jordan, David Beckham is at an entirely different level."

The Galaxy are bracing themselves for a media invasion when Beckham arrives in Los Angeles in the middle of next month and Lalas added: "He has lived his life under incredible scrutiny and pressure, so to be going out winning a championship like this is wonderful."

[Juby]

all this for a midfielder who can't tackle, head the ball or use his left foot???

[georg]

From the Daily Mail an English reporter thoughs of Becham move to LA

Remember Preston? You will soon, Becks

By PAUL HAYWARD in Los Angeles - More by this author »

Last updated at 00:34am on 19th June 2007

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=462905&in_page_id=1779

David Beckham was still cavorting around Madrid as Alexi Lalas considered whether Tom Cruise might decamp from the Bernabeu to start watching LA Galaxy games.

He reassured the throng of journalists: "We’re expecting a lot of beautiful people out here at the Home Depot Center."

A lot of people, full stop, would have been handy on Sunday evening as only 19,225 turned out at Beckham’s new 27,000-seat base to see the home team defeat Real Salt Lake 3-2 with goals from Nate Jaqua, Cobi Jones and Edson Buddle, a new striker rushed in to raise the quality of targets Beckham has to aim at now that he has left Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Raul behind.

Lalas, the president and general manager, is prone to over-excitement, claiming: "There will be interest in Beckham over here that exceeds everything else.

"The U.S. will never have dealt with an athlete that has had this kind of international impact. To a certain extent, Tiger Woods. With due respect to Woods and Michael Jordan, David Beckham is at an entirely different level."

Nice try, but way too optimistic. In Ye Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica, an assortment of middle-aged Englishmen who would look equally at home in bars on the Costa Del Crime had watched Beckham hobble back on the pitch in the cauldron of the Bernabeu with a sharper sense of where the new expat will start out in LA’s hierarchy.

"I thought Beckham was playing for America now," one of the staff exclaimed as she caught sight of him on a TV screen.

It was explained to her that once LA’s £125million acquisition had finished winning the Spanish league title at Barcelona’s expense amid a supernova of flashbulbs in a stadium of 90,000 souls then he would be touching down in Beverly Hills to start a new existence as the Galaxy’s slumpbuster.

Seriously, though, Beckham will arrive on July 15 to find that: (1) life here is pretty much glorious; (2) LA Galaxy are a well-run club staffed by charming people; and (3) he is dropping at least two divisions, by English standards, from, say, Manchester United to Oldham Athletic.

Attend training, watch a match and then amble down to the locker room over the course of a few days and the inescapable conclusion you will reach is that Beckham has plunged himself into a league whose standards he will barely recognise, except maybe from his loan spell at Preston 12 years ago.

There is, though, profound relief in the Galaxy "front office" that the game’s new ambassador arrives in time for next month’s "World Series of Football" involving LA, Chelsea, Tigres UANL and Suwon Bluewings vindicated and without regret.

Lalas said: "This is a gentleman who has lived his life under incredible scrutiny and pressure.

"To be going out winning a championship like this I think is wonderful.

"It’s one more thing that he can cross off his list. It’s wonderful for him personally in the context of everything he’s done and the criticism he’s received at times.

"There aren’t a lot of players who can say they’ve done what David Beckham has done."

They also hope that his revived England career will protect him from the suspicion that he has abandoned his top-flight career a year too soon.

Even in Ye Olde King’s Head there was the sense that Beckham’s Spanish adventure has reached its natural end.

Anyone who thinks he could go on chasing more La Liga titles ignores the heavy mileage on his body clock and forgets that his whole life has been a journey towards Hollywood.

The Galaxy are a man on a sunkissed beach who is about to be struck by a tidal wave.

A small example: gallantly, the club’s staff maintain that post-match locker-room media access will continue when Beckham arrives.

On Sunday a few of us stood opposite the vacant stall next to that of Landon Donovan where he will disrobe and imagined it being reduced to splinters by the crush of English, Japanese and Hollywood reporters.

One fear is that camera phones would be used to catch him coming out of the shower.

Yes, folks, when I went to speak to Edson Buddle, the director of media relations asked me: "Could you wait a moment while he puts on his pants?"

Equally, the team’s coach, Frank Yallop, says that blocks of seats will have to be reserved in first-class cabins to stop Beckham being pestered on internal fights.

As things stand, the Galaxy fly in "coach", often in unreserved seats.

Their world is changing fast. Yallop wants them to start wearing suits to games: not a common wardrobe choice in American sport.

Mostly, though, the jolt will come on the field of play, where Beckham will find the heat debilitating, the defending sometimes chaotic and the forward play unrecognisable from Madrid’s brilliant late-game flourish against Real Mallorca.

Lalas says a new international class striker is on his way to the club. So are the beautiful people. So is a shock for Beckham when he sees how far he has demoted himself.

[Whither Canada]

He's still a month away and I already want to poke my eyes out with knitting needles.

Anybody got an emoticon that shows me sticking my finger down my throat?