BECKHAM mania swept York as a huge crowd packed into Bootham Crescent for City's big match with Manchester United.
United's star player David Beckham, valued at more than £40 million, was the big
attraction as City were beaten 2-0 by a star-studded side from Old Trafford.
Fans mobbed the United coach as it arrived, trying to catch their hero's eye as he joined his team-mates in the dash into ground.
After the match he left via a side entrance and was driven away in a silver-grey Mercedes. There was no sign of his wife, Victoria.
The pre-season friendly attracted a crowd of 9,003, thought to be the biggest ever for such a game at Bootham Crescent.
Despite the massive gathering, the police had to make only one arrest of a man who was drunk.
It was also a good day for Frank Ormston, who is lobbying City chairman Douglas Craig to sign up to the Kick It Out anti-racism campaign, of which York is the only professional club in the country not to have signed.
He collected more than 500 signatures and 20 offers to help petition at future matches.
The presence of England icon Beckham and fellow internationals Ryan Giggs,
Roy Keane and Paul Scholes ensured the game was a sell-out, with hundreds of
fans at the ground two hours before the kick-off.
Many had come to see the United team arrive after it had driven from the team's lunch-time base at Oulton Hall, near Rothwell.
Beckham played the full match, and there were squeals of delight from youngsters each time he went to take a corner kick.
United won through two second half goals by team captain Keane.
While his team-mates boarded the United coach after the match, special arrangements had been
made to whisk Beckham away from Bootham Crescent.
His Mercedes had been driven to the ground by a member of United's staff.
Beckham was escorted round the pitch to a door in the Grosvenor Road end of the ground, where his car pulled up at about 5.20pm and he slipped inside, having missed fans in the City car park.
PICTURE: CENTRE OF ATTENTION: David Beckham takes a throw-in under the watchful eyes of spectators in the Main Stand at Bootham Cresent
Picture: Garry Atkinson
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