Testimonial match

From ArticleWorld

A testimonial match is a game in the sport of football in which a player is recognised for significant contributions to an individual club, usually being ten years of continued service for the club. The testimonial is an honour bestowed on a player as way of thanking them for their contribution.

Traditional Testimonials

The traditional testimonial game is awarded to a player after ten years of playing for the club. It is a game played between two top teams, rival teams or collective teams of former or great players. The tradition began as a way of giving retiring players a good fund to take into their retirement. Due to the fact that the games were usually able to draw large crowds, the games usually managed to generate huge amounts of money for the player. This was particularly important in an age when players were underpaid and didn’t have much of a pension scheme to look after them during retirement.

Modern Testimonial

In the modern era, testimonials have become far less frequent as players move clubs more often than previously able to. When a player of a lower league club is bestowed with a testimonial match the money may still be presented to the player, however for those in the top leagues who’s salaries are significantly higher a testimonial is often staged to generate money for a specific charity. Niall Quinn the Ireland international and former Sunderland player had his testimonial in front of a packed Stadium of Light, against the Republic of Ireland. The game generated 1 million pounds for various charities in the Sunderland area as well as in India and Ireland. Although rare these lucrative charity events are still popular with crowds and generate a great deal of revenue.