A testimonial match is a term used in football that describes a friendly game that is organized in honor of a particular player that has been playing for a long time in a single club. This length of time is usually ten years or more. It is also done in other sports but is a more common practice in football, especially in South America and the United Kingdom. Generally, these matches are considered non-competitive.
History of Testimonial Matches
The custom or practice of having testimonial matches started as player compensation. This means that it was used to raise funds for seasoned players facing retirement. The funds will be used for their retirement since there were no retirement savings or pension for players in the past.Testimonial matches were generally well-attended in the past. Its main purpose before is still the same objectives being practiced by clubs in Ireland, Australia, and other countries today.
When a player has reached ten years of service, a testimonial match is done in his or her honor. The club usually invites retired or current teammates to participate in the match and any other associated activities. These invited players are typically part of the national team or the honoree’s club and usually depend on the career performance of the honoree. All proceeds of the match will go directly to the honoree and can be tax-free, depending on the specific laws of the land.
In present times, testimonial matches have not been very popular because its original purpose is less appreciated or needed. Reasons for this include increased wages and the length of time most players spend in one single club. There has been a decreasing number of players who stay in a particular club for a longer time. Though not usually practiced, players who have offered great service to a club and come with an outstanding career performance, as well as an excellent number of fans, are sometimes awarded testimonial matches. Most of the proceeds of these matches are given the honoree’s choice of charities.
Popular Testimonial Matches
In the current times, there have been several testimonial matches that were held to honor retiring players. Many of these matches have become very popular with fans because of the amount of money that is raised for charities.One of these is Niall Quinn’s testimonial match. Quinn served the Republic of Ireland and Sunderland teams. The match was done at the Stadium of Light in 2002 and had raised close to a million pounds. All of the proceeds were donated to children’s hospitals in India, Ireland, and Tyne and Wear.
Another popular match was that of Jamie Carragher held at Anfield. This was done after his 15-year stint with Liverpool. The match was attended by more than 35,000 spectators and raised more than one million pounds. All of the proceeds were given to his 23 Foundation.