Beckham Gives Autographs (and Shoes) in Harlem

By: Laurie | August 21st, 2007

This was kind of a fun story from the New York trip. David Beckham and Ty Harden joined RBNY’s Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel for a soccer clinic and autograph session in Harlem.

“Harlem Youth Soccer is very excited about - and grateful for - the commitment from MLS W.O.R.K.S. and the U.S. Soccer Foundation to provide kids in our communities more opportunities to play soccer,” said Irv Smalls, Executive Director of Harlem Youth Soccer and FC Harlem. “Seeing top professional players like David Beckham, Jozy Altidore, Juan Pablo Angel and Ty Harden playing soccer in Harlem with our kids sends a powerful message that they realize the importance of soccer in our urban neighborhoods.”

Quite cool. Although does anybody see a little humor in sending Beckham and Harden? I mean, seriously, this picture aside, can you get any more LA white than these two?

But I don’t want to poke fun, because this sounds like an amazing event, even though it took place in non-soccer territory.

Over in a corner of the Jacob Schiff Field, a loud group of youths, penned back by fencing, yelled constantly, “David, David, you’re the best!” until Beckham — a crowd of photographers and apprehensive security heavies swirling around him — walked quickly over to them to sign autographs.

A telling moment, for this is not soccer country, not here in Hamilton Heights. The fans changed their chant to “We’re Dominican! Baseball! Baseball!” True, soccer isn’t the national pastime for Dominicans. But this group loved Beckham, and soon resumed their “David! David! We Love you David!” chanting.

Beckham went back to the artificial turf field and sat down among the boys and girls, his arms around the nearest, his easy smile surrounded by a score of happy faces.

And that was it. Beckham had performed a few moves, shown the children how to do them, given a few tips — nothing special really — before he was limo-ed away to a posh Midtown hotel for a press conference. It was inevitably an over-regimented affair at which Beckham gave bland answers.

But the best part? Be sure to check out this video at TMZ of Becks signing autographs and, yes, giving away his shoes.

(Thanks to Vanessa for the TMZ link and David Beckham fans online for the photo.)