I am

I even bought Mr I a ticket but he threatened to ban me if I sent him it.

Giving it a swerve so i can attend the ritchie humphreys testimonial beans on toast eatathon in morrisons tomorrow...

£50 a ticket, bean on toast supper, special guests and comedians, should be a good lunch hour.

To be fair he deserves it.

me and a mate will be there,hope to see a good turn out for ritchie.

I personally think it's debatable whether anyone deserves a testimonial after ten years of being a professional footballer. There are hundreds of professions out there more deserving to be recognised that someone earning 2k a week to kick a football about.

I haven't done any of Richie's do's, partly because I'm not his biggest fan and partly because I think testimonial seasons are a piss take.

I think I would agree with you on that, Ritchie hasn't gone through his career on £150 a week for the love of the game, I'm going tonight because its our second home friendly and if I don't go I'll not see footie until next month.

He has done well for us and whatever may or may not have happened off the pitch means nothing to me, he has been part of the side for most of the most successful period the club has had and at least deserves a round of applause.

Won't Sweeney be fairly close to him in terms of games played and time with the club though?

I take your point TPP but in the lower echelons of the game, I think it is deserved, it's not like he'll be earning that until he's 65.
More to the point though, In a game where Loyalty is a rare commodity, I think Ritchie deserves it, regardless of the money aspect.
When it comes down to it I'm more than happy to pay my tenner to show my appreciation of a great pro and role model. (After all it only works out at a quid a season . . . . . . . don't tell me Ritchies not worthy of that TPP!!!).

I really think he's milked this testimonial for as much as he can, 1 game, 1 testimonial match, i can take that.

But did he really need the dinners, golf days, cricket days etc

I think it's just plain greedy.

Minimum of £2,500 a week for 10 years = £1,300,000 take off 50% tax still £650,000.00 and thats just from Pools.

I am not knocking him and been great servant for the club but the argument that he wont be earning this until he is 65 if a bit of a joke as he will have earnt more over this ten year period than I will all my working life at current wage until i am 65.

Part of the reason Richie has been so loyal though is that no other teams have ever come in for him, if he'd been offered twice the money elsewhere then I'm sure he'd have been off like a flash (and who could blame him).

He was a fantastic player for the first six or so of those ten years and put in some of the best individual performances of the IOR period. Richie has a huge fanbase, is a very likeable guy and has brought more to the club than any other individual despite some shyte performances over the last few years. He deserves tonight more than anyone but that doesn't take away the fact for me that testimonial games are unnecessary.

The events have all been successes though and no-one is forced to go. If people are spending their money and enjoying their days out then good luck to em!

I`m going

can you guarantee that his wage has been a minimum of 2500 for ten years though?

I think 1 dinner and 1 match would be sufficient but people have a choice whether to support events or not. I think he deserves recognition, he has been mostly a good servant to Pools. He will be ok for money I would think but to be fair to him he probably would of earned more if he jumped ship to Sheffield Wednesday when lee , smith and tubby did as he did have the chance.....

No but possibly as an average as I bet he is on more than that now.

And you know that NO other team has come in for you do you. Because if you read his quote in the Echo today, even he says he doesn't know that

"The club have done brilliantly for me and hopefully I have done well for the club. Whenever they have offered me a new contract I have been happy to sign it, and just never really wanted to look anywhere else.“Who knows if I have had the chance to move on, I have never really thought about it because I have been happy with the people I play with, with the managers and the way the club is run".

Now like any quote you can take it or leave it.

I'll be there but I can see your point, with regards to money earned over the 10 seasons.

I was, but I'm working late and that

I don`t think he is on that much because I looked through his bin and his working tax credit renewal form was in the bin

If Richie doesn't know of any other team coming in for him then that all but confirms no-one has ever tried to sign him for me. Am sure we'd have heard from somewhere when a team is interested in signing a player and I'm all but certain the player in question would be aware.

Will have to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one, it's hard to criticise someone over something that may or may not have happened.

Testimonials are a product of the old days when players were on a fiver a week and a lot of players had two jobs to make ends meet. They are an irrelevance these days.

All this 'loyal servant' stuff is bollox. For example was I a loyal servant in my last job? well I was until I was offered more money to be a loyal servant somewhere else. To be fair, when I left they did arrange half a dozen leaving dinners and my a couple of fundraisers.

..I'm missing that one as I intend to go to the "Richie Humphreys Loft Insulation Fitting Party" at my house the following night. £10 on the door, free Pimms, all work boots, gloves and masks provided. Job n' knock

Our top paid player probably isn't even on that much and I bet richies not the top paid player.
Anyway, I'm going, it's only a tenner. Everyone got cheap season tickets so respect to Richie for a great career at Pools.

I disagree I think Pools top played player will prbably be on closer to £3.5K a week.

If you know any different then fair play, but cant see people playing for us or moving to us when other options are there (e.g. Solano) for less than £2.5K.

sounds like a great night, i'll be hearing all about it on saturday when i'm at the richie humphreys testimonial night in honour of the testimonials..

He's been doing testimonial nights that long now he's having a testimonial night too celebrate his other testimonials!!!

Well worth it i say.

Who has ever in a testimonial season has had one event!?

Someone with a really shite lazy testimonial committee!? Everyone 'milks it'.... that is surely the idea? As has been stated you're not forced to support every event, golf, cricket, a match, dinner it's a bit of something for everybody really.

'Plain greedy' my arse, in fairness you're talking absolute shite here Mr Yubep. I know the cricket club did well out of the Cricket day, I'm sure other venues have. He hasn't organised any of these events others have on his behalf it's a mark of how well thought of he is in the Town and football that they've all been so well supported.

Anyway I'm going and looking forward to it.

Good for you and i hope it's a great night and you enjoy it.

Just my opinion pj thats all.

Yeah but it's wrong.

He hasn't organised any of these events, he didn't ask for a testimonial so how exactly is he being 'greedy?' If you were fortunate enough to be awarded one and people wanted to organise things on your behalf I'm sure you'd say "no you're alright".........

How can it be wrong?

Of course he asked for a testimonial, people can turn them down, if sweeney doesnt want one next year he doesnt have to have one, the club wont force him.

His testimonial committee organised them, working on his behalf, with his instruction i imagine too.

I wont get a testimonial as i have only been employed by this company for 2 years, others have been here 12 years havent had one like n they probably dont earn anything like he does.

I dont really know how testimonial money works will richie get all of the gate or a percentage of this?

Say there is around 4000 (500 of them kids) thats £37,500.00 Not bad for a nights "work" combine this with say at a guess £2,500 fom other events he will be looking at £40,000.00

Several people came up with ideas, I know for absolute fact the Cricket club approached him about the cricket match because Brian Honour had a successful one in his testimonial season. Was Brian Honour 'greedy?' It's not wrong to not agree with testimonial matches or seasons, that's up to you but it is wrong to brand someone greedy based on assumption.

...A thread terminator if ever there was one, Peej

2 of us going in the Sunderland end (Niramax Terrace), looking forward to it

Any idea how many tickets in the Pools end have been sold?

I am going like - just thought I would throw that in...

Millhouse terrace sold out, seats pretty full, not many seats left in the Cyril Knowles and around 1,000 going on the gate for the Town End.

Should be 6,000+ in all.

I'm going, and so is Laurence, he was behind me in the queue today. A former sports shop owner was in front of me, and our cross dressing non supporter came up to him for a chat. 'Are you going tonight then Laurence' he asked, 'yes' he says, 'then get to the back of the queue then'.

No. The wife took the car as i was ready to go. pissed off is not the word.

poor poor excuse tubby

Are you there!!

yes, i'm messaging this on my gold-plated gay-phone

Well i did go too york on saturday and they were shite, so i am not too bothered about missing ritchies 14 testimonial bash.

not really there. didn't finish graft til late.

Oh dear dids I miss it? Drat!