Having complained more than once about the paper-thin insubstantiality of the cult of celebrity and modern tabloid journalism before, I've just seen an extremely disappointing interview with one of the grand old men of football journalism, Brian Glanville, on BBC News. He's a man I've always respected as a writer, his book on the history of past World Cups is a definitive work for me. But he sounded like nothing more than a bitter old man, criticsing Capello's language skills, blaming him for handing out 'cheap' caps to Beckham, complaining about Beckham being present at the World Cup and comparing Beckham unfavourably to Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore.
Now as much as I wish that football writers would write about football rather than transfer gossip and kiss'n tell bollocks, nor can we live in some kind of sepia-tinted past where the England players were virtuous paragons, revered thoughout a wide-eyed world, walking examples of rectitude which even Beckham fails dismally to live up to. I don't, frankly, believe any such world ever existed. Beckham may, seemingly due to his wife's influence if what I've read elsewhere is to be believed, have been a bit of a media whore. His example of dedicated professionalism, high standards, commitment to the England shirt, charitable work, coaching and everything else he busies himself with would though, I suggest, stand up to against pretty much anybody's record.
Brian Glanville has really, really disappointed with a string of negativism. I know people, men in particular, look forward to sitting in a bath chair, affecting deafness and being rude to people in their dotage, but there's no need to elevate it to a profession.
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