Inside David Beckham’s painful rift with dad Ted before near-fatal heart attack brought pair back together
BEAMING David Beckham looked thrilled to be chosen as best man at dad Ted’s wedding to solicitor Hilary Meredith this weekend.
Wearing matching black suits, father and son looked closer than ever at the family bash in London’s Temple - all the more special in light of a painful rift that threatened to tear the family apart 15 years ago.
The doting dad’s determination to see his son succeed on the pitch was a huge factor in David’s stellar football career, but relations cooled between the pair when Ted split with wife Sandra in 2002, after 33 years of marriage.
David’s transfer to Real Madrid in 2003 added physical distance between them, and Ted, now 72, feared he had “lost him” forever.
His revealing autobiography - David Beckham: My Son - caused further damage to their relationship, and at times the situation seemed irreparable.
But when Ted suffered a near-fatal heart attack in 2007, the pair were reunited - and, as the wedding snaps confirm, family ties are now stronger than ever.
Divorce 'shock'
Growing up in Leytonstone, east London, David inherited his dad’s passion for Manchester United and he trained at the Bobby Charlton School in the city.
Ted, a kitchen fitter, backed his son’s dreams of playing for the club and, after he signed for the youth team at 14, he and Sandra would travel 200 miles each weekend to see him play.
The proud dad kept every award, medal and trophy his son won, and every football strip he wore, and life revolved around David's burgeoning career - one family holiday was even cut short so he could get back for a match.
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“We were addicted to Manchester United and to David’s career and we fed that addiction every week,” Ted said previously.
While David went from youth player to global superstar, he often paid tribute to his dad, posting Father’s Day tributes such as: “Thank you for all the support you’ve given me over the years.”
But in 2002, when Ted’s marriage to hairdresser Sandra broke down, David, 46, and his sisters Lynne, 49, and Joanne, 38, blamed their dad for the split.
In his autobiography, Beckham: My World, published in 2001, David stated that Ted was never particularly tender towards Sandra.
"He loves my mum but he's never been affectionate to her in front of my two sisters and me. He's quite hard-faced and can be sarcastic," he wrote.
"He also gets fired up easily... The quality I like least in myself is my short temper. I think I get it from my dad."
Speaking about the divorce, Ted has since admitted: “I know they were all pretty much grown up but it was still a heck of a shock for them.";
'Sledgehammer' blow of Madrid transfer
A year later, their father-son relationship suffered another setback when David left Manchester United for Real Madrid.
Ted learned of the transfer - which he opposed - from David’s agent and he said the news hit him “like a sledgehammer”.
He publicly accused Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson of betrayal and furious David refused to let Ted come to watch him sign for his new club.
“I don’t know if I can repair my relationship with him,” devastated Ted said at the time.
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“We’ve hardly spoken. My biggest upset was not being invited to his signing. I’m choked, really.
"I’ve been there since day one and that really upset me. I’ll never forgive him for that."
I’ve been there since day one and not being invited to his signing really upset me. I’ll never forgive him for that
Ted Beckham
The physical move put more distance between them, with Ted no longer able to get to matches to watch his son play on a weekly basis.
“I’ve lost him – that’s how I feel,” he said. “We’ve lost that comradeship we had between us. It will be even worse now he’s gone to Madrid.
“I still have to work and I can’t afford to fly over to Madrid every week. When he was at Manchester United, I could pop in the car and drive up the road. I can’t do that now. My biggest fear is that it is all over for us.”
During the Euros, in 2004, Ted travelled to Portugal on his own ticket, and not as part of his son’s entourage.
Biography drama
A year later, the publication of Ted’s book drove another nail in the coffin, with David fuming because he hadn’t been consulted about its content before it was released.
Discussing his divorce, Ted said the thing that upset him the most was the thought of losing all the football memorabilia he had built up over the years.
He also claimed his son’s fame had contributed to the split.
"All the hype, all the stress, all the attention - it wasn't a world we were used to and it was very tough," he said.
“By the end, all we had in common was football. We just drifted apart.”
Ted also found it painful to be kept away from his three grandsons, Brooklyn, now 22, Romeo, 19 and Cruz, 16 - while Victoria Beckham’s parents, Jackie and Tony Adams, were a constant in their life.
Near-fatal heart attack
Their frosty relationship continued throughout the 2006 World Cup, when David sent his dad tickets but refused to meet up with him.
But in September 2007, everything changed when Ted, then 58, suffered a near-fatal heart attack.
Paramedics fought for three hours to save him and he was told he had “died” in the ambulance on the way to the hospital before being rushed into surgery to unblock an artery.
David - who had just transferred to LA Galaxy - flew home from the States immediately and rushed to his dad’s bedside where he spent several hours.
The traumatic incident spurred both men to put their grievances behind them.
“David was travelling by himself and he had plenty of time to dwell on what had happened,” a source told The Sun.
After making a full recovery, Ted insisted on going back to work five days a week - although David offered to support him - buying him a Jaguar and paying off his mortgage.
The pair have remained close ever since, and in 2019, they made a short Father's day film for David's whisky brand Haig Club, where they talked about their bond.
David told his dad: "In school, I'd say 'let's go to the park', or 'let's go to the garden', and you'd never say no... what's important to me is being present for [my children]. When I'm at home, I take them to school every morning."
Ted added: "You've turned out exactly how I wanted you."
Christmas tiff
Despite their repaired relationship, a minor row over a Christening party in 2019 threatened to upset the apple cart.
Ted and Hilary were invited to the bash to celebrate the baptism of the couple’s two youngest children Cruz, then 14, and Harper, then eight - but Hilary’s daughter Charlotte, 29, was reportedly left off the invite list.
Ted was said to have had a “tiff” with Victoria, who allegedly refused to let her come on the basis they "couldn't fit one more in".
An insider told The Sun: "The bottom line is Victoria’s mistrust of any outsiders being brought into the fold."
But the row was quickly put behind them, and on Father’s Day, last year, David posted: “Happy Father’s Day dad. Love you. Thank you for giving me the drive and work ethic to succeed.”
This weekend they showed a united front at Ted’s wedding to millionaire solicitor Hilary - whom he met through their charity work for Army Veterans at Broughton House Veteran Care Village in 2019.
The family were joined by Victoria, Romeo and girlfriend Mia Regan, 19, Cruz and Harper, although Brooklyn stayed in the US.
“It was a very small private affair with just a handful of close family and friends, including David, Victoria and three of the children,” said a source.
"David was best man and did all the usual things the best man does like hold the rings and he was due to give a speech as well.
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"Ted is in his 70s and Hilary is in her 60s. It was the second wedding for both of them so they didn’t want to make a fuss of it but the whole family was delighted to be there.”
Ted was no doubt thanking his lucky stars his boy was back by his side for the special occasion.
