Beckham's father 'conscious and talking'
David Beckham's father is today said to be "conscious and talking" two days after suffering a heart attack.
The England and LA Galaxy footballer and his wife Victoria made separate dashes across the globe to be at Ted Beckham's bedside in the UK.
The couple spent more than two and a half hours with Mr Beckham, a 59-year-old gas fitter, at the London Chest Hospital in Bethnal Green today.
Beckham rushed to the UK from his Los Angeles home yesterday while his Spice Girl wife jetted in from Japan early this morning.
Ted, who once harboured dreams of being a footballer himself, complained of chest pains at his home in Chingford, east London, on Wednesday night.
He is reported to have "died" on the way to hospital and had to be resuscitated by paramedics.
Mr Beckham senior was first taken to Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone, east London, before being moved to the specialist unit in Bethnal Green where he is since believed to have had surgery.
The couple arrived at the hospital together just before 11am today with David at the wheel of a luxury Bentley car and Victoria beside him in the passenger seat.
They drove out just before 1.30pm without making any comment to the waiting press.
A hospital spokeswoman said only that Ted Beckham was in a stable condition tonight.
But the sportsman's spokesman, Simon Oliviera, said: "He is conscious and talking, and that's a positive step."
Father and son both share the name David, but Mr Beckham senior is known as Ted, which is short for his middle name, Edward.
An avid football and Manchester United fan, it was a dream come true for him when his only son went on to play for his favourite team.
He and his then-wife Sandra, whom he has since divorced, would travel to every game at Old Trafford to watch him play.
But father and son reportedly fell out two years ago after Mr Beckham published a book called David Beckham: My Son, without getting David's permission to write it.
The pair are believed to have been reconciled earlier this year.
His father's heart attack is the latest blow for Beckham, whose new career at LA Galaxy and England comeback have been hampered by injury.
Earlier today there was confusion involving a member of the Beckhams' staff and police as the couple arrived at the hospital.
The man jumped out of a 4x4 as the couple neared the hospital, apparently to clear a way through reporters waiting at the gates.
But he appeared to trip as the Bentley sped inside, and tumbled headlong to the ground.
He was grabbed by waiting police officers who initially thought he was a photographer.
A stand-off ensued between the man and the police for a few minutes before the authorities accepted he was part of the Beckham entourage.
