Why New Labour players must beware being too cosy with the beautiful game

Fron the Prime Minister's game of headers with Kevin Keegan to Gordon Brown's boost for small brewers before the World Cup, New Labour has never failed to jump on the football bandwagon.

Last night's show of support for Sven's men, with Mr Blair greeting David Beckham, David Seaman and Gareth Southgate at Downing Street, proved that this is the most football-obsessed Government of modern times.

England captain Beckham, sporting a dyed-blonde mohican-style crest in his hair and wearing a gold shirt, gold tie and brown suit, was limping as he walked into Number 10.

Mr Blair raised the issue of the Manchester United midfielder's broken metatarsal bone during a Cabinet meeting last month, claiming the country wanted his speedy recovery. Unfortunately for Mr Blair, many football fans are likely to have their heads in their hands at his often ill-starred efforts to cosy up to the game.

His support for Newcastle United has been exposed in the past. He once reminisced about watching the team at St James's Park where his favourite player was Jackie Milburn. It emerged Milburn played his last game for the club when Mr Blair was four.

The Chancellor, by contrast, likes nothing better than watching a game on TV with a few beers and a Chinese takeaway in his Westminster flat. Mr Brown has supported lowly Raith Rovers in his native Kirkcaldy since he sold programmes at the ground as a child. He even went to see Scotland in the World Cup finals in Argentina in 1978.

But not even Mr Brown is immune from the potential backlash against political piggy-backing on the beautiful game. Medium size brewers have complained about the duty cuts given to smaller rivals ahead of the World Cup.