Prime yourself for a hybrid Becks in SA

It had felt for a while as if the world of football existed largely unaffected by the celebrity turmoil occasioned by David Beckham - or Brand Beckham as the character is oft referred to - and his movements. Yet, in the past fortnight, the super-famous superstar started to hit the headlines again with gusto, and mostly for on-the-pitch incidents.
First came the wonderful and emotive lifting of the scarf at Old Trafford.His return to play on his home turf, albeit for the opposition, was cheered by Manchester United fans when he picked up a green and gold scarf thrown in by the crowd. This was the emblem of the club's original colours, and Becks recognised this and wrapped the symbol round his neck as he walked into the tunnel, cheered by the fans like one of their own.
Lovely, it would all have been, were it not for the fact that the scarf itself has now become a symbol of Mancunian protest against American ownership: a simple calculation confirms that if any product wrapped around Beckham's neck is worth it's weight in gold, so too does the Beckham endorsement of any given campaign need to be scrutinised by the Beckham Brand Image Consultants.
The ensuing disclaimers - "I do not endorse any campaign" , "I am a fan, nothing more" - only served to illustrate the enormous distance that now exists between the media construct and the football-loving lad. If image brokers were looking for a way out of the potentially tense positioning of Becks in this particular saga, it is bitterly ironic that the entire episode was soon eclipsed by his injury, ensuing surgery, and confirmation that he will not be at the World Cup.
Soon to turn 35, David the footballer was already defying the odds in his attempts to make the cut. He made an enormous investment - professional, personal, financial - to meet the standards Fabio Capello required. That he will now definitely not be playing in South Africa has got to be a huge blow for him.
Inevitably, as befits the almost fictional character he has become, there's been an outpouring of harsh criticism and vitriolic remarks, particularly from the English press. Perhaps it's the very fact that his marketing pedigree has become so extreme, the very fresh news that he will somehow join the England squad anyway even before we know most of the other members of the starting-line up - a new 24th role created especially for him, a strange hybrid of ambassador/motivator/ superstar. It is this bizarre non-football presence he inevitably carries which upsets football's 'purists'.
A player with such potency in terms of media and publicity can shift an entire team out of focus. The noise must also make him dizzy, although he has become quite the expert at appearing unfazed. Those who know him claim his love for the game is genuine. As a player he was interesting - but not super-class . Not really a galactic or a fuora di serie as the Italians might say. His most salient gift was his kick, whether set-piece or with the moving ball. But he never appeared to have an outstanding reading of the game, even a little confused at times. And sometimes, particularly this recent stint in the US, seemed to be more concerned with 'performing' his marvellous trademark kick than in doing what the game required.
He was part of some historically brilliant clubs, yet he never seemed hard to replace on the pitch after he left.
He has taken harder blows than he deserves - than anyone deserves, in fact. After he was sent off in 1998 for a thoughtless kick to Diego Simeone no less, the start of the English season greeted him with small Beckham dolls with pins stuck into them for sale around football grounds. And he has been at the receiving end of more adulation than he deserves. By 2002 he had become untouchable. Nobody could say a word against him. It was strange, an organic unsaid rule. Becks had become the new Lady Di.
The most irritating thing about the way in which he and his wife became symbols of show business is perhaps the evident triumph of form over substance. The endless haircuts and second-rate documentaries showcasing what they like to wear, or eat, or what furniture they have in their many properties. The very concept of 'Brand Beckham' or the palatial house known as Buckingham Palace, are grotesque indicators.
Yet his footballing story could have been different: he never stunned with the energy of Wayne Rooney, never mesmerised with the elegance of Michael Owen, never shocked with the personality of Gazza... but he subsisted at the top of the elite for many years.
The Brand's not injured though, and promises to have a prominent role this summer. Hopefully, the grass-rooted football lover with a heart will find the time, albeit by accident, to pick up the colours of some cause or other and spread a little thoughtful questioning of the status quo now and again.