David Beckham Bulldozes His £30,000 Tennis Court for Soccer Field

Former soccer star David Beckham has drawn attention recently for proposed renovations to his £6million Cotswolds mansion. Now he has made another change. Beckham paid a company to bulldoze a £30,000 tennis court and turn it into a soccer field.

According to The Sun, Beckham originally had the tennis court built for his son, Romeo, 17, back in 2018. The family believed Romeo had the ability to become a tennis star, and Beckham paid for private training sessions with some top players. Romeo previously played with Andy Murray and Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov. He also trained at the Queen’s Club in West Kensington, London.

A year after the court’s completion, however, Romeo reportedly stopped taking part in tennis. The Sun said that his enthusiasm “waned” and that he stopped posting photos on social media of his sessions. Now that tennis court no longer exists as part of the ongoing renovations to the mansion grounds.

Workers have been at the Cotswolds home since June while making several changes to the property. Part of the work has included raising the grounds to “stop tourists peeking in.” Additionally, Beckham and his family have plans for a lake that are reportedly causing frustrations among neighbors.

This is not the first time that the Beckhams upset the neighbors in the exclusive neighborhood. They previously unveiled plans for a gatehouse and security hut, which includes 24-hour guards. The neighbors opposed this plan while proclaiming that the changes would “ruin the ambiance” of the area. One neighbor said that “Farms and agricultural buildings do not have gatehouses and security huts.”

The Beckhams have two full-time security guards on their staff. Under the new changes, they would remain in the security hut 24 hours a day. The family believed the addition of the hut would add “improved security” for occupants of the mansion and the surrounding grounds.

According to The Sun, the proposed changes also included an escape tunnel that would run from the main house. It would end in the wine cellar underneath their garage. They also wanted to add three more bays to their garage, increasing the total to seven.

Finally, the Beckhams would add a “granny flat” to the property for visiting guests. “David and Victoria want their version of a granny flat,” a source told The Sun. “But far from this building being on the side of your house with a small kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, they’re going all out. The fancy building is being built in the same materials as their main house and will have a swanky kitchen, bathroom and bedroom for guests.”