Romeo takes stage as Becks looks on
David’s son off to winning start for Brentford
PERHAPS this scene was cut from the final draft by William Shakespeare. When Juliet asks after Romeo, only to find out he has clambered off a bus, past a horsebox and a burger hut, in to the swirling rain of south- east London and this darkened corner of football’s pyramid.
Or perhaps, in time, this will be remembered as the first act of another love story. Not involving feuding families but sporting royalty and a clan with a habit of writing fairytales rather than tragedy.
The path from Brentford’s B to Thomas Frank’s first team has been trod before. Wherever this adventure takes Romeo Beckham, however, Erith and Belvedere — a semi-pro side from England’s ninth tier — will have played their part. So will all those who, for £5, squeezed through the turnstiles of Park View Road and huddled for cover. And a glimpse.
They usually get 160-odd round here. For this London Senior Cup second-round tie, a record-breaking 554 turned up.
Beckham has been training with Brentford for several months. Last week, he signed on loan from Inter Miami II — the reserves of MLS club co-owned by his father — until the end of the season. David is said to have helped broker the deal. He was here for the 20-year-old’s debut, too, hidden under a hat and hood.
Romeo was sent on shortly before the hour, as the downpour intensified and Brentford trailed 2-1, setting up camp on the right flank — where else? — wearing No 21 and bright orange boots.
In one corner, however, dozens were too busy to care. David had been spotted and so, before long, cameras were flashing and shirts were being signed.
On the pitch, Romeo was neat and tidy. He put in one sumptuous cross that just evaded everyone and sent a header bouncing along the bar — only to be flagged offside. He whipped in a couple of late corners in front of dad, too, which drew inevitable cheers and cries about just how to bend it.
From the debris of the second, a few minutes from time, Brentford found an equaliser. Add then, in the dying moments, they forced home a winner. Fergie Time, bloody hell.
This tie came almost a year to the day since Sportsmail visited Inter Miami’s glistening training complex, next to an executive airport and stretches over 50,000 square feet of Florida greenery, and watched the midfielder perfect his crosses. Last night, he warmed up in more agricultural fashion. With a simple shooting drill. All that separated the goal and the park next door? A wall of red corrugated iron. Those on the terraces were sheltered by scaffolding and a plastic sheet.
On the Brentford bench, however, stardust everywhere. Alongside Romeo was Kyreece Lisbie, son of Kevin, and Max Dickov, son of Paul. Alas, only one name drew a solitary cheer when the teams were read out. And only one has grown up around superyachts, supermodels and superstars.
Beckham’s debut remained in limbo until a few hours hours before kick- off, when international clearance finally arrived. And this story began.