Murty's Testimonial

[Y25]

Just got my tickets (the online system has now improved 100% by the way)

but it looks like it will be a half empty stadium

North and South stands unavailable

Most of East and West very good availability =

not many tickets sold

I feel bad for the guy

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

pre-season testimonial games always seem to get a poor crowd. People just aren't up for it. Have it at the end of the season and there's always that "well, it's the last chance to see some football before the summer" angle, plus, if you are lucky like Parkinson was, you might just cash in on enthusiasm after a great season.

It's just very poor that we were unable to arrange a proper team to come down for the game, which is more than half of the problem. People do want to feel they are getting something out of it, rather than giving £10 in charity to a man who is rich beyond the dreams of virtually all the fans.

[Ginger_Blitz]

[quote="AthleticoSpizz
Yeah, below the belt pointless comment. From a mod too[/quote]and a Ginger one FFS

H&P

you are a Cock....... a ginger one at that too


(at least 4 more tix sold)[/quote]

I didn't like H&P comments either but Pot/Kettle Anyone?

[floyd__streete]

You're not wrong bigmike.I bought a couple of tickets today and matey behind the counter said they'd sold shy of 2,000.Parky had a fair send off in his testimonial match, so why not Murts?

To be fair, the Parky testimonial was right at the end of a successful season, we were presented with the Div 2 runner-up shield that night and the quality of opposition - household names in an ex-England XI remember - was far superior to what we will see on July 20th. Gazza or John Halls? The latter will really pull in the floating voters . So we're left with third-rate opposition on a daft date as Finerain alludes to and there will be an embarassingly poor turn-out for one of our club's best ever servants. Poor form, RFC .

Why could the Chelsea match not have been made the testimonial anyway? I am sure that some drone will make some sort of sniffy response about this match being important pre-season preperation, as if Reading aren't going to be given an absolute pasting by Chelsea anyway regardless of whether we give Murty 15 minutes at the end of a 5-1 defeat.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Not even being promoted on the front page of the official site now!!!!

[shaka's shorts]

it is top story on OS now. If they could say some of the names who might play it would help to sell some tickets....or if we announced a new signing that people could see for the first time.....

[urz_1871]

it is top story on OS now. If they could say some of the names who might play it would help to sell some tickets....or if we announced a new signing that people could see for the first time.....

Yeah i was thinking that too. On Fridays Getreading they had an article in there saying that Sidwell, Shorey and Lita have all said that they will play in it. But apart from them i haven't heard of anymore names.

[Silver Fox]

I'm going, but only because we're in hospitality. I think I might be too embarassed to ask Murts a question afterwards

Cheers for the invite then.

You are of course second in line, I figure I should invite the person who gets me in free to loads of stuff first, but considering he'll either have a new baby by then or not be allowed out of the house while his missus tries to make her waters break you should be in with a shout for the ticket. I look forward to introducing you to Karen

[bigmike]

You're not wrong bigmike.I bought a couple of tickets today and matey behind the counter said they'd sold shy of 2,000.Parky had a fair send off in his testimonial match, so why not Murts?

To be fair, the Parky testimonial was right at the end of a successful season, we were presented with the Div 2 runner-up shield that night and the quality of opposition - household names in an ex-England XI remember - was far superior to what we will see on July 20th. Gazza or John Halls? The latter will really pull in the floating voters . So we're left with third-rate opposition on a daft date as Finerain alludes to and there will be an embarassingly poor turn-out for one of our club's best ever servants. Poor form, RFC .

Why could the Chelsea match not have been made the testimonial anyway? I am sure that some drone will make some sort of sniffy response about this match being important pre-season preperation, as if Reading aren't going to be given an absolute pasting by Chelsea anyway regardless of whether we give Murty 15 minutes at the end of a 5-1 defeat.

I think it was bad form for septic to ask for the money that they did. Murts wants to make as much cash for swings and smiles as possible and if the match against septic went ahead it would have cost him money..

It doesnt matter if the game is against Reading of old or even Bracknell town Murts deserves better than a crowd 2000 at £10 a ticket the ground should be an almost sell out just to say thanks to Murts for what he has done at his time at reading. Where are all the people who were snapping up the half season tickets the season we got promoted?????

[Royal Lady]

It's the start of the school Summer holidays that week, so I suspect lots of families will be on holiday. I agree it's a poor turn out, but they haven't stopped selling tickets yet have they? Let's hope they sell a few thousand more by the 20th.

[Thaumagurist*]

I think it was bad form for septic to ask for the money that they did. Murts wants to make as much cash for swings and smiles as possible and if the match against septic went ahead it would have cost him money..

Septic = Celtic?

LIKE IT!

[Dirk Gently]

I think it was bad form for septic to ask for the money that they did. Murts wants to make as much cash for swings and smiles as possible and if the match against septic went ahead it would have cost him money..

All "big" clubs will ask for a guarantee of a minmum income from the gate before they'll play at a "smaller" club in a friendly - you can be sure Chelsea will be doing exactly the same.

But it wasn't actually Celtic's guarantee which scuppered a Celtic match - it was the bill for policing which was quoted by TVP!

It also didn't help that for so long we didn't know which league we'd be playing in this season, so that confused the match scheduling.

[georgerob]

does anyone know if there is any bus services for this game?

[bigmike]

I think it was bad form for septic to ask for the money that they did. Murts wants to make as much cash for swings and smiles as possible and if the match against septic went ahead it would have cost him money..

All "big" clubs will ask for a guarantee of a minmum income from the gate before they'll play at a "smaller" club in a friendly - you can be sure Chelsea will be doing exactly the same.

But it wasn't actually Celtic's guarantee which scuppered a Celtic match - it was the bill for policing which was quoted by TVP!

It also didn't help that for so long we didn't know which league we'd be playing in this season, so that confused the match scheduling.

I think the £120000 that Septic were asking for was a one of the major factors that it was scrapped

[Dirk Gently]

I think it was bad form for septic to ask for the money that they did. Murts wants to make as much cash for swings and smiles as possible and if the match against septic went ahead it would have cost him money..

All "big" clubs will ask for a guarantee of a minmum income from the gate before they'll play at a "smaller" club in a friendly - you can be sure Chelsea will be doing exactly the same.

But it wasn't actually Celtic's guarantee which scuppered a Celtic match - it was the bill for policing which was quoted by TVP!

It also didn't help that for so long we didn't know which league we'd be playing in this season, so that confused the match scheduling.

I think the £120000 that Septic were asking for was a one of the major factors that it was scrapped

Do you have a source for that figure?

[Shaka's Giant Hands]

I genuinely feel for Murts at the moment. He is probably one of the most honest and approachable footballers in 'the modern game' and it just appears that the testimonial match is a bit of a chore that needs to be done and got out the way.

Shocking way for the club to treat arguable the greatest captain and in my eyes the club aren't really bothered that it will be a limp end to his time here.

[Royal Lady]

Mr Mad doesn't like testimonials does he, even when a significant proportion of the money is going to charity it now seems.

[bigmike]

Do you have a source for that figure?

Yes A very reliable source who I spoke with when I was collecting a signed picture that I Purchased at the quiz night and action for Murtys Testimonial.

It was also quoted in the reading evening post and I believe on the the BBC website.

I am not gonna drop the persons name but if anyone would know the correct figure this person would

[Shaka's Giant Hands]

Mr Mad doesn't like testimonials does he, even when a significant proportion of the money is going to charity it now seems.

Yeah, I remember all the fuss he made about Parky's game a few years back. I understand that he must almost begrudge paying the wages week in week out but surely he should remember that Murts wasn't always on Premiership/top end Championship wages in his time here.

Again I just feel for the guy, he has got his head down and rolled with the punches over the years and gets treated like this, then there's Shunt who can't get away quick enough, shown no loyalty to the club (I'm not going to turn this into a SHunt bashing thread) but he gets rewarded with a nice juicy contract to keep him quiet for 6 months. Just seems wrong to me.

[Sun Tzu]

I genuinely feel for Murts at the moment. He is probably one of the most honest and approachable footballers in 'the modern game' and it just appears that the testimonial match is a bit of a chore that needs to be done and got out the way.

Shocking way for the club to treat arguable the greatest captain and in my eyes the club aren't really bothered that it will be a limp end to his time here.

Given that the club aren't organising the testimonial that's a bit unfair.

I've been amazed all year that the testimonial events have generally been pretty low key and sadly the game looks like it is following the same pattern.
Players seem caught by the fact that to get a good crowd they need attractive opposition, who want too much money to make taking the risk practical.

It's hard to see how testimonials can be viable for anything but superstars, who are the people who least need them !