[BrumBall]

Originally Posted by 80sfan

Oh good old Becks... he's British through and through when there's fuel for Brand Beckham and the publicity machine (think Olympics), but it's funny that he won't live here and I doubt pay tax here.

I wonder what ultimately is in this for him? You get nothing for nothing usually with that pair

It's funny, British players are often criticised for not playing abroad and broadening their footballing horizons, then, when one does, he is criticised for not living here and not paying taxes here!

And why shouldn't he have helped with the Olympics when he was asked to? The whole Olympic team did a fantastic job promoting the country, Beckham included.

He can't win with some people, no matter what he does.

[barneyboy]

Its amazing, and I bet through the advertising and other ventures, if he pays his tax here we will get just as much. The papers wouldve found that out by now! he's not that daft

[daisiesfan]

Originally Posted by sjp07

Gosh, are there really people that have to find something bad in everything? Nothing a celebrity does for charity is ever good enough it seems. How about you donate your salary to a charity in the UK if it is so important to you.

Exactly. No wonder these forums get such a bad rap.

[80sfan]

Originally Posted by conchie

First of all its buttons to him......so its no big loss.....I bet he gets paid that for standing in his jocks modeling !

I definitely think the Beckhams are aiming to elevate to more titled status as suggested. They were already at the Royal Wedding, Becks and Will seem to very chummy in their roles promoting the olympics. Can Sir David and Lady Victoria be far off !!

I am sure he will have been tutored very well in what charitable acts get him that step closer to the goal.

Considering how long it is since this pair have actually lived in the UK, and wondering where they pay their income tax, a few visits to this country (usually promoting themselves) isn't really good enough to justify a knighthood in my opinion

Beckham was nothing but a media whore at the Olympics

[sjp07]

Originally Posted by 80sfan

Erm yeah, and exactly how many salaries does Beckham have?

I hardly think you can compare a man who endorses dozens of products and gets paid for each of them with people who work hard for an average salary. What is that money to Beckham anyway? Not much on the grand scheme of things I'd imagine. It's free publicity for him, which is what he wants.

Giving to charity isn't about giving everything you have. He doesn't have to do that and neither does anyone else. It's about giving what you can. He feels that is an appropriate amount to give and who are you to say otherwise? Point is, he is doing something good, so why does it have to be criticism towards it.

Why don't you think he earned his money? I agree he makes ridiculous amounts of money, but he didn't get it illegally, so why does it matter? If corporations want to hand out buckets of money to athletes and singers, so be it. That's their prerogative. He could be buying another house with it, but he's deciding to help people with it. Why is that bad or not good enough?

[lexi22]

Originally Posted by missfrankiecat

I think I'd rather that high earners paid their fair share of tax so that those in need can be properly supported by the state rather than 'charity'!

That would be lovely but best to live in the real world where that doesn't always happen. And while it's not happening and life isn't fair, I can't see one negative thing about a charitable project getting £3.6M, regardless of who the donor is or whether or not the gesture has genuine altruistic motives behind it.

[Saltydog1955]

Originally Posted by sjp07

I didn't criticize you. You did, however, criticize him for doing something good because you don't think that's how he should do it.

You don't have to be in a millionaire tax bracket. He is donating his salary which is more than you are doing, even if you are doing something which I never said you weren't.

BiB -what a ridiculous statement.

I'm not a millionaire, so how would you expect me to donate my whole salary.

It's a nice gesture, but he can afford it. Why are people seeing it as some kind of fantastic gesture performed by an everyday kind of bloke. It isn't (because he can afford to give this much) and he's not yer average bloke.

[Sadeyed]

I wonder how many of the cynics on here would turn down a salary of £150,000 a week if it was offered? "No boss, thanks very much for the offer but I'll stick with my £500"!

And how many of them would donate it all to a charity, especially when they know there will be people like them ready to jump on a forum and make nasty comments about it?

[sjp07]

Originally Posted by Saltydog1955

BiB -what a ridiculous statement.

I'm not a millionaire, so how would you expect me to donate my whole salary.

It's a nice gesture, but he can afford it. Why are people seeing it as some kind of fantastic gesture performed by an everyday kind of bloke. It isn't (because he can afford to give this much) and he's not yer average bloke.

The point of giving to charity is giving what you can afford. Not everything you own. It's a nice gesture because he doesn't have to do it, but he is.

[Saltydog1955]

If this gesture allows Becks to get a knighthood, I bet a grin will be permanently plastered all over Victoria's face, which will be a change.

[momma11]

I admit I don't pay that much attention to the Beckhams , but the odd time I've read about them , I couldn't understand the dislike they seem to generate , I see them as relatively harmless . but I digress.

So , DB has signed with a club in Paris and is donating his salary to charity and this seems to signify an ulterior motive.
I don't understand the problem , he's still going to have to play football for this salary isn't he ?
It may not be a big deal for him to donate money he doesn't need , but that isn't all he is donating is it ?
6 months work for no wage is still quite an admirable feat in my book , whether he can afford it or not.

[80sfan]

Originally Posted by Sadeyed

I wonder how many of the cynics on here would turn down a salary of £150,000 a week if it was offered? "No boss, thanks very much for the offer but I'll stick with my £500"!

And how many of them would donate it all to a charity, especially when they know there will be people like them ready to jump on a forum and make nasty comments about it?

I wonder how many people on here have a bank account and assets like Beckham to fall back on, never mind the chance of earning that amount of money. You cannot compare ordinary people with multi-millionaires like him. It's not like he is sacrificing his all, is it? I'm sure Brand Beckham is already searching new endorsements and marketing tools to make up for his act of kindness.

I think the Beckhams love themselves so much, I doubt they would care what people said about them to be honest. Money and fame are the only things they bother about

[Saltydog1955]

Originally Posted by 80sfan

I wonder how many people on here have a bank account and assets like Beckham to fall back on, never mind the chance of earning that amount of money. You cannot compare ordinary people with multi-millionaires like him. It's not like he is sacrificing his all, is it? I'm sure Brand Beckham is already searching new endorsements and marketing tools to make up for his act of kindness.

I think the Beckhams love themselves so much, I doubt they would care what people said about them to be honest. Money and fame are the only things they bother about

True.

Why he's gone to play in France, or anywhere at all is a bit of a puzzle to me. He's nearly 38 years old, he'll have to stop sometime, and as he's too dim to be a pundit, what will he do when he finally has to hang up his boots? The buff bod won't last forever for the undie shoots either.

[hopeless case]

Originally Posted by 80sfan

Erm yeah, and exactly how many salaries does Beckham have?

I hardly think you can compare a man who endorses dozens of products and gets paid for each of them with people who work hard for an average salary. What is that money to Beckham anyway? Not much on the grand scheme of things I'd imagine. It's free publicity for him, which is what he wants.

I very much doubt that. He doesn't need to seek publicity, free or otherwise. He is rich enough to afford to give it away so he does. I have heard that he gives approimately 11% of his ncome to charity in any event. I certainly know he has given millions to the youth of this country.

What he wants to do is play football I should imagine. Its what he has always wanted.

[80sfan]

Originally Posted by hopeless case

I certainly know he has given millions to the youth of this country.

What he wants to do is play football I should imagine. Its what he has always wanted.

And how many pairs of cheap pants did H&M have to flog for that?

Had he stuck to playing football, rather than being some fame-obsessed, face-of-anything-and-everything-that-pays-me media whore, I think people would not dislike him and her as much. The fact that this pair love attention when it suits them and lead such a calculated life has led to the backlash.

He can't have it both ways, even if he is David Beckham

[missfrankiecat]

Originally Posted by lexi22

That would be lovely but best to live in the real world where that doesn't always happen. And while it's not happening and life isn't fair, I can't see one negative thing about a charitable project getting £3.6M, regardless of who the donor is or whether or not the gesture has genuine altruistic motives behind it.

That's a very valid argument and one I used to agree with, but I'm less sure now. To take an extreme example, Jimmy Saville raised so much money for organisations and projects which needed charitable help to survive that without the money that flowed from him, units would not have been built and equipped and lives would literally have been lost - does that mean that it doesn't matter that his motives were to destroy other lives? Of course, David Beckham and the countless other celebs who like the world to know of their charitable donations do it for less immediately sinister motives like easy PR and tax avoidance but what is really interesting to me is how, knowing what we know about high profile celebs grand charitable gestures - Robert Maxwell? Jeffrey Archer? - the immediate reaction is so positive. Does anyone even know what this 'charity' is and who is benefitting?

[yellowlabbie]

Originally Posted by momma11

I admit I don't pay that much attention to the Beckhams , but the odd time I've read about them , I couldn't understand the dislike they seem to generate , I see them as relatively harmless . but I digress.

So , DB has signed with a club in Paris and is donating his salary to charity and this seems to signify an ulterior motive.
I don't understand the problem , he's still going to have to play football for this salary isn't he ?
It may not be a big deal for him to donate money he doesn't need , but that isn't all he is donating is it ?
6 months work for no wage is still quite an admirable feat in my book , whether he can afford it or not.

I do so agree with your post, it is a good thing David is doing, whether you like him or not.

We talk about national treasures on DS, now David is definitely a national treasure.

[rory r]

Great gesture, well done that man.

[stargazer61]

Originally Posted by Sadeyed

I wonder how many of the cynics on here would turn down a salary of £150,000 a week if it was offered? "No boss, thanks very much for the offer but I'll stick with my £500"!

And how many of them would donate it all to a charity, especially when they know there will be people like them ready to jump on a forum and make nasty comments about it?

What nasty comments? have they been removed? I don't see any nasty comments on a few that have been mildly critical or sceptical.

So I shall add to it by saying that the tax situation in France of 75% makes it logical that someone of Beckham's wealth can afford to forego the other 25% and additionally appear altruistic! He benefits and a charity benefits...so it is win, win!

[Glinny]

Why did he have to make his charitable gesture so public?
If he wanted to do something like that just do it privately.

There are plenty of wealthy people who do this sort of thing all the time anomously without any fuss or the look at me look what I have done.

Appears to me he will do anything to make himself look like Mr Wonderful - is he so desperate for the title Sir David Beckham and the miserable looking wife of his Lady Beckham.

[popprincess5678]

I just rolled my eyes when I heard, its all part of the PR 'David Beckham is so perfect' machine, maybe while hes there and Victoria is in London he can have another affair like he did when he went to Spain and she wasn't there!

[barneyboy]

Aww, how many pennies do you think KP gave from her wedding pics with her ex boyfriend tattood on her leg?

This mans going to work hard for six months for free and gets more stick?! What is he supposed to do?

If he kept it a secret the press would find out, he probably came out about it to encourage other footballers to do the same thing. Its not like he needs the money or the exposure!

Slagging off a nice gesture is not cool.

[Glinny]

Originally Posted by barneyboy

Aww, how many pennies do you think KP gave from her wedding pics with her ex boyfriend tattood on her leg?

This mans going to work hard for six months for free and gets more stick?! What is he supposed to do?

If he kept it a secret the press would find out, he probably came out about it to encourage other footballers to do the same thing. Its not like he needs the money or the exposure!

Slagging off a nice gesture is not cool.

Work hard for six months for free. That is hilarious.

[TardisSteve]

what a lovely thing to do, well done to him :-)

[80sfan]

Originally Posted by Glinny

Why did he have to make his charitable gesture so public?
If he wanted to do something like that just do it privately.

There are plenty of wealthy people who do this sort of thing all the time anomously without any fuss or the look at me look what I have done.

Appears to me he will do anything to make himself look like Mr Wonderful - is he so desperate for the title Sir David Beckham and the miserable looking wife of his Lady Beckham.

That's not the way Brand Beckham works though, is it? You shout it from the rooftops, invite the press and tell the world.

As you say, why has he chosen to do this so openly and why now?