Saturday, 28th July 2007 at 2:01 pm

Beckhams invade LA

Reality TV appearance (Victoria), glossy magazine shoot, celebrity welcome party… it’s been an understated entrance for Brand Beckham in LA. An ankle injury - which may or may not have been sustained after accidentally standing on Tom Cruise at last week’s party - has meant the actual football has been a peripheral issue. But nailing the media’s attention has been most comfortably accomplished; not hard, mind, when you look at the guest list.

Cruise and wife Katie, and Will Smith and wife Jada, co-hosted what was effectively a product launch for Brand Beckham, Cruise flying back from Germany especially for the bash with his new best friends. Jim Carrey, Eva Longoria, Bruce Willis, Drew Carrey, one of the interchangeable Olsens, Demi Moore… Hell, Elvis, Tupac and John Lennon were probably there as well.

Feverpitcher couldn’t make it, unfortunately (invitation appreciated, Tom, but wouldn’t do to miss book club), but is sure that football - sorry, soccer - is set to go stratospheric in America. After all, if a horde of celebrities is so clearly enamoured with the sport, it must be raring to take off. Suggestion that Cruise and Smith’s big night for the Beckhams was simply marvellous piece of publicity - and that most of the guests couldn’t tell a shibobo from an offside trap - is simply scurillous…