Anti - Becckham protests

Soccer star David Beckham received an ugly reception in his first home game back with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Anti-Beckham sentiment ran high as the English star returned after he missed half of the Major League Soccer season while he left for AC Milan. He was clearly angered by the frequent booing and derisive banners held up in a corner of the stadium where one of the team's fan groups sits.

"I'm not disappointed. It doesn't affect me," he said. "You can't be liked by everyone."

The homemade signs all had messages directed at Beckham. "Go home fraud" read one, with a red slash through his No. 23 jersey number. Another said, "23: Repent," while another read, "Hey Becks, Here Before You, Here After You, Here Despite You." Another read, "Is evil something u are...or something u do."

Good news for Man U fans

Manchester United Football Club, one of the world’s richest sports clubs with star players such as Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, will launch its very first Manchester United Restaurant & Bar in Mumbai this Diwali. The opening would add the club’s name to a list of brands such as Disney, Nickelodeon, ESPN that have put down physical roots as a way of communicating with consumers, audiences and fans.

They also hope to launch another restaurant in south Mumbai early next year and push the number up to 10 restaurants and bars across major metro cities in India, within the next two to three years, with an average investment of $1 million per site. The football club, however, is still not present in India, barring an association with sponsor Bharti Airtel Ltd for the club and an association with the All India Football Federation to spot young talent in Mumbai.

The maiden 100-150 seater restaurant will be spread across 5,000 sq ft at the Nirmal Lifestyle Mall in Mulund, a central suburb of Mumbai. The idea is to re-create the entire stadium experience for visitors and help them experience the brand, a strategy that many brands are adopting to convey their brand messages and strike a connect that a 30-second commercial can rarely deliver. The restaurant will have a wall of fame, the skybox, a dugout area and giant projector screens to telecast soccer matches and other major sporting events.

The menu will comprise Old Trafford specialties such as Fish and Chips, as well as dishes that are customized to appeal to the Indian palate. It will also be the first official outlet for fans to buy a range of Manchester United merchandise, which accounts for up to 10% of revenues at their cafes and restaurants, internationally.

As one of the most popular teams of the English Premier League, Manchester United has for the last few years been pursuing newer markets fairly aggressively, especially those in East Asia, to expand their fan base as well as retain their position as market leaders.