No reason for David Beckham to play at the Olympics

I've been annoyed this week, hearing the overreaction in some quarters on the decision to leave David Beckham out of the GB Olympic football squad.

You have a 37 year old footballer in the twilight of his career not being selected for a sporting team many people in this country have no interest in watching or supporting.

Football shouldn't even be in the Olympics anyway, along with a number of other sports like tennis. The idea of a 'British' football team is also a totally alien concept to fans in this country.

Including Beckham in the Olympic squad would simply have been an elaborate PR exercise. I thought the Olympics was about sporting excellence?

I've got nothing personal against Becks. He's had a great career, been a positive role model, and an ambassador for football and sport in this country. But if you make a purely sporting decision why should he be picked?

I've heard voices of disappointment, the supporters who say he did so much to help bring the games to London. But for me if that's the case, why don't we get Seb Coe to put on his spikes again and run the 1500m based upon his own efforts in securing London's victory in winning the Games.

Including Beckham is just pandering to our celebrity obsessed culture, it's not what the Olympics is about.

Why don't we allow the Games to be about unknown British athletes having the chance to make names for themselves, rather than being overshadowed by a semi retired footballer who has attracted endless amounts of media attention over the last 15 years.

Beckham really should quietly Exit Stage Left!