Over-paid, Over-hyped and hugely Over-rated, but, I liked Beckham

APOLOGIES to my Scottish readers, but, today we have to concentrate on one of THEM, a member of that race which God, in his infinite wisdom, designated be our neighbours as a counter-weight to the many riches which he bestowed  on Scotland during his six days of labour at the dawn of time.

I refer to the soon-to-be, if some English newspapers still have influence in the corridors of power, Lord Sir David Beckham of Leytonstone, aka Goldenballs, Becks, the biggest player in the world, etc, etc.

Beckham has always been a divisive player. Let me nail my colours to the mast here - he was wondrously over-rated by my friends in the English media. To use what we hacks refer to as the McIlvanney Test: Would he have got into even an average Brazilian side? Answer: No.

Beckham was a leading light in what Fleet Street's leading members of their Lap Top Loyal dubbed: 'The Golden Generation' - Beckham, Scholes, Ferdenand, Terry, Lampard, Gerrard etc. Fools Gold more like; sure they did well at club level, particularly when under Govan Rule, but, for England, they were more brass than gold.

To be sure, Beckham did one thing well - he hit a mean dead ball. He was a good crosser; but for all his supposed ability with the 18 to 30-yard free-kick, in all honesty, he was simply not in the same class as Pierre van Hooijdonk. I would also say, he cared more about playing for England than did his "golden" contemporaries - other than Scholes.

Once upon a time, playing international football was the pinnacle; today, with the television-driven riches of the English Premiership, playing for England is seen as an irrelevance (at least by the English press in non-World Cup seasons), and by more fans. I reckon the average Englishman struggles to work-out how, since the EPL is "the Greatest League in the World", England doesn't romp the World Cup every four years.

But, to his credit - Beckham cared; he loved having, in Bill Leckie's great take on Baddeil and Skinner's finest: "sea lions on the shirt". He, unlike so-many, would have gladly bled for England.

He didn't ask for the media adoration and the riches, but, he embraced his fame. He also used his global fame to play a part in getting the 2012 Olympics to "my manor". I like the bloke, and wish him well in retirement. But would caution him to get out of the house as much as possible, particularly with his wife.

I just wish one or two of our "stars" would care as much about playing for Scotland.

WHAT are the SFA and SPL going to do about Hearts? The cold day, which many of saw arriving some day through the Romanov connection has finally arrived. The club might already be dead; but, if it's still only on life-support, the plug will be pulled fairly soon.

I can see the club avoiding administration and the automatic 18-point deduction which will spell relegation, because, that will only kick in if the plug is pulled before Sunday, which is unlikely. However, they could well kick-off season 2013-14 with that deduction in place, a youthful, largely untried squad and no hope of bringing in experienced new faces.

That the club of Conn, Bauld and Wardhaugh, Cumming and Mackay, Alex Young, Bobby and Tommy Walker, Jack Harkness and Craig Gordon should come to this.

But, of course, we never saw Rangers folding either.

To lose one big beast has been damaging to the SPL, to lose a second so-soon afterwards is perhaps the sign that evolution is moving on and if Scottish football does not adapt, it will die. However, I don't think the dinosaurs on the sixth floor at Hampden have the wit to notice.

The lesson here is maybe - don't let Campbell Ogilvie near your football organisation. Now, what is his current job in football? Should I be worried if I were involved in that organisation?