In his role as Ambassador for Distracting the World from a Football League Riddled with Corruption, David Beckham is currently enjoying a week-long promotional tour of China.
He has seen Chinese Super League teams train, played with school children and sat around watching NBA games. The much-loved old British Dame was even lucky enough to meet Helen Mirren.
Day four of his tour, however, did not pass without incident. The reitred midfielder paid a visit toShanghai Tongji University to meet their football team, but when nearly 1,000 fans gathered to catch a glimpse of him, the crowds couldn't be controlled and a stampede ensued. The Guardian reports:
Upon Beckham's arrival, fans stormed a gate and broke through police and guards, [state-run news site Xinmin] said. Photos and video footage show people pushed to the ground, shoes scattered and a uniformed woman being carried away, her face covered in blood.[...]Three police officers, two university security guards and two students were injured, Shanghai police said.
The event was promptly cancelled, presumably leaving a team of very disappointed university footballers.
Becks used his page on Chinese social media site Weibo to wish the injured parties a speedy recovery, but on his Facebook page, it was referred to only as an "enthusiastic welcome"...
(facebook.com)
Incidentally, access to Facebook is banned in China, but Big Davey B doesn't let a little thing like oppressive government censorship stand in his way.
SHANGHAI, CHINA - JUNE 19: NE 19: David Beckham (C) rrives at Shanghai Shenxin F.C club on June 19, 2013 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
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