David Beckham has left Beijing behind, but that doesn't mean that Beckham-mania has waned in the Chinese city.
Followers of the star Real Madrid player splashed out on everything from an autographed football to his used bed linens in a charity auction on Monday, with one fan paying $341 for the towels, sheets, pillowcases and Chinese pyjamas used by Becks during his three-day stay at a Beijing hotel.
A second bidder paid $340 to spend a night in the same room where the hunky athlete slept, about $100 more than the going rate. The unusual lots, along with the sale of other Real Madrid memorabilia, helped to raise $18,000 for the families of SARS victims in the area.
Meanwhile, David, who is now in Japan, was forced to have a quiet night in at the weekend – because he's too popular. The England skipper, who is currently touring the Far East with his new team-mates, had been looking forward to a night out in Tokyo. But club bosses decided that Becks would have to stay in, because he has too many over-exuberant fans.
"Beckham would be mobbed by thousands of fans if he was seen in Tokyo," said a club spokesman. "They are crazy about him here." So David had no choice but to spend the evening relaxing in his £1,000-a-night hotel suite, while Figo, Raul and the rest of the boys enjoyed a night on the town.
The fears of Real Madrid's managers may be well-founded, considering 45,000 turned out just to see the soccer ace train at the weekend. Chants of "Beckham Beckham" reverberated around the Tokyo Dome stadium as the 28-year-old had a workout with his new team-mates.
And there was a similarly enthusiastic response as he gave a polished performance in his debut for the club. Real Madrid played the Chinese Dragons on Saturday, and romped home to a 4-0 victory in front of 60,000 spectators. "I enjoyed myself and felt very comfortable considering it was my first competitive game," David said afterwards.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
