The near-religious status of our “national game” nauseates me. Yet I binge-watched Beckham and came away surprisingly inspired (Rows, haircuts and spag bol: the Beckham Netflix doc left me longing for football’s less sanitised past, 15 October). It wasn’t the haircuts, the fashion, the cars or the luxurious interiors. It was how David Beckham overcame the vitriol levelled at him by fans and media after the infamous 1998 World Cup foul and how he managed to move on.
To see the Beckhams acknowledge the pain and its consequences for Beckham’s performance showed that vulnerability is nothing to be ashamed of (particularly for boys) and that even though things are bad for a prolonged period they can get better. For a teacher this episode is gold dust. There are so many children who feel isolated and under attack in schools, who see no end in sight to the pain of their peers’ unkindness which is magnified by social media.
It’s instructive for students who take sides in friendship spats. Do they really want to inflict pain on their peers? Do they want to see themselves behaving as badly as the aggressive fans and TV personalities? And it’s a good reminder about the role of supportive groups (such as the Manchester United team and manager). How can schools set up this kind of support within?
It’s not quite what the programme makers intended, but it’s much more valuable than the current commodification of football.
Yvonne Williams
Ryde, Isle of Wight
