Australia´s Jets bid to lure Beckham for game

Australia’s Newcastle Jets Tuesday revealed an ambitious bid to lure football megastar David Beckham for an exhibition game with his club LA Galaxy.

The Jets, rescued from dire financial woes only this month by a colourful mining magnate, said they were in talks with Galaxy and Football Federation Australia (FFA) about the “exciting opportunity”.

“The Newcastle Jets can confirm that the club is in negotiation with LA Galaxy and the FFA to stage a match at Energy Australia Stadium,” a statement said.

Bringing Beckham “would be a wonderful boost for football and the entire community,” it added.

Executive chairman Ken Edwards said Beckham could be playing in Newcastle’s modest, 26,000-capacity stadium as early as next month after the Major League Soccer season wraps up.

“We’re talking two dates at the moment, there is a date available in 2010 and if we’re not successful with that there is another date in 2011 we’re negotiating,” he said, according to public broadcaster ABC.

A visit by Beckham would be a major coup for the former Australian champions and a boon for the second-tier city of Newcastle, north of Sydney, which is best known as the world’s biggest coal port.

This month the Jets were bailed out by youthful tycoon Nathan Tinkler, 34, after running out of money to pay players and fees for their stadium, which they share with the local rugby league team.

The FFA said the governing body supported the bid, which follows the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder’s 2007 sell-out appearance in Sydney.

“We are aware that the Newcastle Jets are in negotiations with LA Galaxy and we are fully supportive of their intention to bring them out for an exhibition game,” a spokesman told AFP.

Former England captain Beckham appeared in front of 80,000 fans at Sydney’s Olympic stadium during Galaxy’s successful 2007 visit to Australia and New Zealand.

But a return trip in 2008 fell through after Beckham organised a loan stint with Italy’s AC Milan, according to reports at the time.

The Newcastle Herald said Beckham would be the biggest player to visit the coal town since 1967, when legends Bobby Charlton and George Best played for Manchester United against Northern NSW at No.1 Sportsground.