Pre-Season Friendlies 2023/24

[ilkleyram]

12 minutes ago, David said:

I like Leigh, but he's way off with his follow up tweet on how it's meant to be competitive for both clubs.

That is not true at all, it's a game where his team mates come back, have a kick about and raise money.

Feels like Forsyth has been shafted with this.

Dundee v 13/14 team would have made a lot of sense, this just stinks.

Stinks of what, though? The first tweet makes it clear that all the club does is provide the facilities and that the decision about opponents is with Fozzy and his committee. Perhaps Fozzy wanted it played this way - get it out of the way at the start of the season/no great organising to do/warm weather/Saturday afternoon kick off/local opponents etc.  If you get players coming from all over the country/world (Johnny Russell) then presumably there’s expenses to meet and greater financial risk never mind the problems of finding a midweek/night date.

[David]

Just now, ilkleyram said:

Stinks of what, though? The first tweet makes it clear that all the club does is provide the facilities and that the decision about opponents is with Fozzy and his committee. Perhaps Fozzy wanted it played this way - get it out of the way at the start of the season/no great organising to do/warm weather/Saturday afternoon kick off/local opponents etc.  If you get players coming from all over the country/world (Johnny Russell) then presumably there’s expenses to meet and greater financial risk never mind the problems of finding a midweek/night date.

It does, and that the committee chooses an opponent weighing up the costs. 

You only have Johnny Russell playing outside the UK, few grand to fly him over first class and a hotel should not be a major issue.

Surely the club could cover those costs, assuming they are not included in FFP submissions.

Also the follow up tweet suggests it needs to be a competitive game, why? Testimonials are not meant to be competitive in any way.

That suggests it will be our first team squad, that's just not what testimonials are.

Sounds like a standard pre season friendly where we give him the ticket profits. I'm not sure that would fill Pride Park.

[Millenniumram]

Imagine playing for a football club for 10 years and your reward is a game against Stoke. Think I’d retire

[Foreveram]

So everyone’s looking forward to Matlock and no one’s looking forward to Stoke, just about sums them up.

[Zag zig]

Just now, Millenniumram said:

Imagine playing for a football club for 10 years and your reward is a game against Stoke. Think I’d retire

Imagine expecting fans to come and celebrate your achievement by playing Stoke, many will repeat chuffing STOKE!! Someone has lost the plot here, saving costs maybe, but it’s a false saving if fans don’t turn up.

Much as I like Fozzy, I doubt 4 of us will bother. When you think of glamour fixtures we’ve done for past testimonials, this just sucks.

[Simmo’s left foot]

Thats a really poor decision and he deserves more in my opinion. Something like Shaun Barker's testimonial would be better.

In fact "A Shaun Barker type" game to coin a phrase. 

 

How about the Derby 2014 allstars (Managed by Mac and simmo) v a Derby County 11 managed by Roy mac?

Edited May 25, 2023 by Simmo’s left foot

[Srg]

I’m outraged. It’s gone from a game I wasn’t going to go to to a game I definitely won’t go to. 

[jono]

I’m going 100%. Will need to see the team after a longish break, give Fozzy a big cheer, really hope Jonny Russel comes .. that would be icing. 
 

couldn’t give a toss if it’s Stoke or an all star 11 from 2014 or mickleover sports. It’s a day out and a chance to acknowledge a loyal and effective player. If it gets turned in to a pre season game for the clubs greater benefit, so what ? All games outside the competition are part of fitness and sport. Fozzy will get some bunce, we get to see a game. Meh, whatever. COYR

[ilkleyram]

38 minutes ago, David said:

It does, and that the committee chooses an opponent weighing up the costs. 

You only have Johnny Russell playing outside the UK, few grand to fly him over first class and a hotel should not be a major issue.

Surely the club could cover those costs, assuming they are not included in FFP submissions.

Also the follow up tweet suggests it needs to be a competitive game, why? Testimonials are not meant to be competitive in any way.

That suggests it will be our first team squad, that's just not what testimonials are.

Sounds like a standard pre season friendly where we give him the ticket profits. I'm not sure that would fill Pride Park.

Perhaps the rules and regulations (including tax rules) forbid the club getting involved in anything other than lending the stadium out for the event. Perhaps Fozzy and his committee decided this is what they wanted to do as his testimonial (not yours or mine). Perhaps they didn’t want to take a financial risk.

Anyway I’m going. And we won’t fill PP anyway - we didn’t fill it for Shaun Barker and we didn’t fill the BBG for Alan Hinton (the biggest testimonial gate in my lifetime) - even though it will be a reasonably competitive game as preseason goes. I would much prefer to watch that than a constructed fun eleven match with joke penalties and 30 substitutions.

[Zag zig]

16 minutes ago, ilkleyram said:

Perhaps the rules and regulations (including tax rules) forbid the club getting involved in anything other than lending the stadium out for the event. Perhaps Fozzy and his committee decided this is what they wanted to do as his testimonial (not yours or mine). Perhaps they didn’t want to take a financial risk.

Anyway I’m going. And we won’t fill PP anyway - we didn’t fill it for Shaun Barker and we didn’t fill the BBG for Alan Hinton (the biggest testimonial gate in my lifetime) - even though it will be a reasonably competitive game as preseason goes. I would much prefer to watch that than a constructed fun eleven match with joke penalties and 30 substitutions.

Biggest gate I suspect was Ted McMinn testimonial, when there was no segregation and Rangers fans pretty much took over. Wonder what the receipts were for that? Different player and situation but shows with the right fixture, you can draw the crowds.

[sage]

I'll go

It's Derby County

It's Fozzy 

Why wouldn't I 

 

[angieram]

14 minutes ago, sage said:

I'll go

It's Derby County

It's Fozzy 

Why wouldn't I 

 

This.

Although I would have liked a more "Derby County" event, I will go and make it a celebration, Fozzy deserves us all to do this.

Hopefully there's going to be lots else happening besides the actual friendly.

If you're on Instagram you can keep up to date by following @fozzytestimonial 

[oodledoodle]

1 hour ago, Zag zig said:

Imagine expecting fans to come and celebrate your achievement by playing Stoke, many will repeat chuffing STOKE!! Someone has lost the plot here, saving costs maybe, but it’s a false saving if fans don’t turn up.

Much as I like Fozzy, I doubt 4 of us will bother. When you think of glamour fixtures we’ve done for past testimonials, this just sucks.

I'm going. I support Derby, and Fozzy, not the opposition. What an absolutely awful take you have.

[1of4]

Haven't Stoke injured one of our players whenever we've play them pre-season? Any game against Stoke can never be deemed as a friendly never mind a game suitable for a testimonial match.

[David]

1 hour ago, ilkleyram said:

Perhaps the rules and regulations (including tax rules) forbid the club getting involved in anything other than lending the stadium out for the event. Perhaps Fozzy and his committee decided this is what they wanted to do as his testimonial (not yours or mine). Perhaps they didn’t want to take a financial risk.

Anyway I’m going. And we won’t fill PP anyway - we didn’t fill it for Shaun Barker and we didn’t fill the BBG for Alan Hinton (the biggest testimonial gate in my lifetime) - even though it will be a reasonably competitive game as preseason goes. I would much prefer to watch that than a constructed fun eleven match with joke penalties and 30 substitutions.

You might be right, if this is what he wants fair play.

Just think Leigh's tweets haven't helped calling this a competitive game.

[ilkleyram]

1 hour ago, Zag zig said:

Biggest gate I suspect was Ted McMinn testimonial, when there was no segregation and Rangers fans pretty much took over. Wonder what the receipts were for that? Different player and situation but shows with the right fixture, you can draw the crowds.

Good shout that.

[B4ev6is]

I was hoping it would be against forest smash them and get brain clough troupy back.

[Zag zig]

59 minutes ago, oodledoodle said:

I'm going. I support Derby, and Fozzy, not the opposition. What an absolutely awful take you have.

Sorry, I’m normally a happy clapper season ticket holder, have been for a long time with family. So I’ll happily donate to any testimonial fund of Fozzy but watching us play Stoke who I’ve seen plenty of times doesn’t appeal to me.

If it were a league or cup game I’d be there, but I was hoping for something a bit romantic like his old playing mates, or maybe against someone a bit more exciting opposition than Stoke, different opinion to yours no doubt; thanks for the put down.

[Guest]

Just playing devils advocate here.

Would it really be wise to have a jaunty friendly (like Barker’s) in pre season?

The lads need to be getting fit and firing.

Strikes me that a Barker type game would happen later in the season, perhaps during an international break.

Being in L1 though we don’t have that luxury of slotting it in further down the line.

Grant you though, Stoke is odd. Could have been a more attractive game for him. He seems a humble lad though and I’m sure he’s not arsed. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Diego

[SSD]

For someone who's given 10 years of his career to this rollercoaster of a club, Stoke at home for a testimonial match is pretty naff. Fozzy is probably too polite to say much, since he's been given a new contract.

My only thoughts are they've picked a local big team so they can potentially sell more tickets and raise more money for charity. I'm not thrilled with the choice. I don't particularly want Stoke fans in the stadium either for a charity match. They're not the friendliest of folks.