Right decision for me - Beckham shouldn't be rewarded because he's an ambassador - it should go on ability and playing in LA isn't really top class football IMO.

Im sure many people have done lots to help Londons olympic bid, doesnt mean they deserve to compete in it.
Pearce is in his right to pick players who he thinks would do the best job, and beckham is definitely not one of them, he's 37 and playing in a substandard league... whereas the likes of giggs, who may be older but has been playing in a very competitve league only recently and that stands for a lot.

Why not pick Seb Coe for the 800 metres while you're at it? Beckham is past it, and would just be taking the place of someone younger and fitter. Well done manager, for making the decision with your head.

Yet he picked Micah Richards who in his prime isn't even picked for England and Bellamy??

It's not really about what he's done but what he would bring to the team, Beckham would bring massive experience and a boost to what will naturally be a youthful team!

Dare I say my pick would have been Beckham, Giggs and Scholes, what an over 23 set they make and the experience they would have brought with them would be invaluable!

Bit of an emotional post, this. Why is our society so touchy feely these days? My own view is that the Olympics should be for amateurs only.

Robsterblue :

Spot on !

I Agree !

Amateurs only?
That is a bit outdated isnt it.
I bet there will hardly be anyone in any of the events who is a true amateur, that is, not either getting paid full time or getting some sponsorship.
As for Beckham, yes he may be playing in a less than perfect league but he is still a top class player who would revel in a side of youngsters doing his running and him providing the passes.
A top bloke and still well worth his place in the Olympic team and also for the "fill the stadium factor".
A truly bad decision by Pearce.

Awful decision - everyone has pretty much summed up all the reasons already, but also my other thought is that he has put a lot of time and effort into the world cup bid, the olympics etc - will he bother giving up his time anymore ?

Dont forget, not only is David Beckham a truly excellent pro, but for all the commitment and dedication he gives, not only for this country but for the world is really remarkable. Im sure it would be easy for him to soak up the money, live in a pretty house far far away with his kids - as most retiring footballers nowadays do. I'm not saying his life is difficult - I just cant believe this has all been rewarded with a slap in the face.

comment by Robsterblue (U4242)

My own view is that the Olympics should be for amateurs only.

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I wouldn't quite go that far but I certainly think athletes should be competing as individuals, not under flags. I hate the whole medals table thing as it encourages 'targets', the result of which has been for many British athletes to be neglected at the expense of foreign ones who have been drafted into Team GB solely for the purpose of getting us up the table, and that is not what the Olympics should be about.

I'm in agreement with Prawn over this.

Let's be honest about this for a minute - nobody gives two hoots about the football tournament at the Olympics. It's the lowest subscribed event and I think there's an argument to suggest it shouldn't even be involved. No footballer involved will be going to bed each night thinking "I wish I could win a gold in the football at the Olympics". They dream about trophies, titles, world cups, etc, but not medals. If they'd wanted to win a medal at the Olympics, they'd've become an athlete.

Which is why I think Beckham should have been involved. I'm not his biggest fan, I think at times he has been severely over-rated. But he did do a lot to help get the Olympics to this country and I think he deserves a place in the team. Plus he still plays at a level whereby players are still regularly picked for international teams.

My guess is he'll probably end up getting a knighthood, which would be just as ludicrous as him being left out the Olympics squad.

As for Pearce, I sense a bit of massaging his own ego here. He knew the Olympics bosses and the FA wanted Beckham picking, and he knew the only reason many spectators would watch the football is for him, but he decided to stick to fingers up after failing to get the England job, through his own inefficiencies, and leave him out. Pearce is another English manager who will never reach the top.

Professional football really has no place at the Olympics, agree with the comment that if it is to be included, it should be for amateurs only. There are enough international tournaments these days.

On saying all that, David Beckham should clearly HAVE been given the opportunity to fulfill his dream in my opinion.

The Seb Coe joke has been doing the rounds since the Beckham announcement was made and I do understand the decision. Perhaps it's the romantic/sentimental side of me coming to the fore but I would have liked to see him captain the GB side - As much as anything, because it's a GB side it could have done with a figurehead like Beckham.

It's not an atrocious decision footballing-wise but it is a rather sad and disappointing one. It's perhaps also a sign we're taking this particular Olympic game a little too seriously.

Beckham shouldn't be too worried, he'll achieve what he set out to achieve and get his knighthood, along with Gary Barlow in the not too distant future. Good ambassador for the bid, but sentiment shouldn't play a part in picking a team and if Pearce doesn't think he's good enough, you have to back the manager, don't you?

As far as I know, quite a few footballing nations use the Olympics as a chance to give a lot of young and untested players a chance to...

1) Gain experience of tournament football,
2) Get used to playing alongside those around them as they will most likely be off to different clubs in the future.

All 4 of the home nations have a real chance of breaking in promising young talent.

I would've liked to see Beckham play a part in that but I think he's at a stage now where he should look into coaching rather than playing. Perhaps as an assistant to Pearce for this.

Agree with the ones on here backing Pearce. He has done this as he is choosing what he thinks is the squad to win a medal (and therefore another good thing to add to his list of managerial achievements). No room for sentiment when you are aiming to win.

Let's be clear here. Beckham would be keeping out either Giggs, Bellamy or Richards - not a young player brimming with potential who could benefit from a spell of tournament football. And as has also been said, Richards was not prepared to make himself available for the England reserve list for the Euros, so is probably somewhat less deserving that Beckham.

If I was being sentimental, I would have wanted to see DB lead out the team. I am not saying that - merely that I think he should be in the squad and be brought on in the later stages to curl one into the top corner !

We all know that the MLS is not the Premiership, yet Ireland felt Keane offered them enough to play in the Euros and Henry came back to good effect for Arsenal.

Beckham could have been given a more central role (like another older player let go by Juventus - Pirlo) and frankly, he may well have looked outstanding against lesser teams. Alas, we will never know.

This is not the Euros or the World Cup. To most followers of the beautiful game it doesn't really matter - except to Beckham and it would seem, Stuart Pearce.

Tall and useless - "you have to back the manager".
There has been some serious slating of Roy on other posts.
Did you back his decisions on team selection?

Personally I don't think Beckham should be picked for anything whilst he's sporting that ridiculous beard and hair cut.

I'm looking for a much better groomed team GB.

Mmm, good point. Maybe that is Pierces' reason.
Will he make Giggs have a pre match shave i wonder.
The subs should have to wear a tie whilst waiting for their opportunity to join the fray.

lets be honest, nobody really cares about olympics football.

so why not give Beckham his last hurrah!

I am not a big fan of him, and i think he is / was overrated, but he seems a good bloke and to repeat, nobody cares about olympics football....

He should have been picked.

that said. football has no place at the games...

Perhaps Steve Howard should have been picked - his last hooray. I appreciate Beckham has done an awful lot to promote the games, but if he can devote so much time to his celebrity activities, then I would suggest as a professional footballer, his time in this department is lacking.

I care about the Olympics footy - I got tickets for the final (more bothered about the mens wrestling finals day after). Would happily have seen Beckham in the team but as someone else said, This should be more about the young players that will play. Football does seem strange as an Olympic sport but if they have used tennis before then why not.

Atrocious decision by Pearce, for all the reasons cited. He's completely misunderstood what is required of him, and of the event.

Fantastic decision by Pearce. He's completely undestood that this is a football tournament, not celebrity blankety blank. Well done Stuart Pearce for having the balls to stand up for what he believes in and not follow pomp and ceromony.

olympics football is about as significant as under 12's girls football.

cant understand why it's even wrapping up tonights fish and chips!