With David Beckham about to break America with a reported £128 million deal to play for Los Angeles Galaxy, it seems the Beautiful Game is to go ballistic in the Big Country.

But younger readers might need reminding that stars of English football have already made an attempt to bring civilisation to the colonies, with famous names making the trans-Atlantic pilgrimage in the Seventies and Eighties including George Best, Bobby Moore... and Bradford City manager Colin Todd.

With Beckham on a king's ransom for his five-year deal and wife Victoria already worshipped as fashion royalty in America, the lad from Leytonstone's lifestyle might be a long way from what Colin Todd experienced in 1984, when he went to play for Vancouver Whitecaps at 35.

For example, the Beckhams are likely to end up with a mansion in the Hollywood Hills.

Colin recalls: "The club gave me an allowance and I had a lovely house with an outdoor swimming pool in the yard. But you had to pay for everything out of that allowance and I think it probably ended up costing me money."

Beckham, according to an insider at the LA club, will be "feted wherever he goes and will become the lynch-pin of the team". Colin said: "It was very hard to get the supporters to understand the game. I don't think it was long enough for them. They were used to their sports lasting three or four hours so they could get as much food and drink as possible down them."

Although still not a major sport, football or "soccer" as it's known to distinguish it from what we call American Football, is increasing in popularity and such is the media frenzy about Beckham's imminent arrival that top US news network CNN devoted five minutes of its lunchtime broadcast to the news.

"We never had that level of interest because people would rather watch and read about the other major sports," said Colin.

"They had the knowledge about who we were but we were never big news."

The deal to get Beckham from Real Madrid to Los Angeles has been brokered by an army of negotiators.

Colin Todd was invited over to Vancouver by former Derby County team-mate Alan Hinton, who managed the Whitecaps.

He said: "I was coming to the end of my career and it was something I wanted to experience. The heyday when the likes of George Best and Pele had played over there was gone and it was struggling."

He also had a blow at his very first game on the astroturf pitch of the Vancouver Dome - a fractured leg.

David Beckham won't be the first East Londoner who has made that transition to the West Coast of America: director Alfred Hitchcock and actor Sir Derek Jacobi were born in Leytonstone.

Beckham has also played for Manchester United at Valley Parade when Bradford City were in the Premiership.

After one match Beckham spent a long time signing autographs. City's then chairman Geoffrey Richmond was full of praise for his patience and behaviour with the fans. "He was unbelievable," he said. "A perfect gentleman."

In 2001, United's game against City at Valley Parade resulted in record receipts of £181,000 for Bradford. That was Beckham's last season before his £25 million transfer to Real Madrid.

But what's in store for him now? More than just football, reckons Colin Todd. "It's the best move for him because he can get to Hollywood," he said. "You can see him being in films before long."

If everything goes wrong, though, David Beckham should take heart; the American's have long memories.

It's 23 years since Colin Todd played for Vancouver, making just eight appearances, but a few weeks ago he received a Christmas card from them.

"It's nice to know I'm remembered," he said.

e-mail: simon.parker @bradford.newsquest.co.uk