Pre-Season Friendlies 2023/24

[Magicman]

Would have hoped for a team more connected to Fozzie or the current team v his best players to make a DCFC team from last 10 years .

[jimtastic56]

10 minutes ago, Magicman said:

Would have hoped for a team more connected to Fozzie or the current team v his best players to make a DCFC team from last 10 years .

Would have been nice to play his boyhood team Dundee. Some of his Scottish friends would love to come down to Sunny Derby.We have to be careful- Stoke won’t turn up with all the stick they are getting.

[Rammy03]

It's not a testimonial 

[angieram]

15 minutes ago, Rammy03 said:

It's not a testimonial 

What is it then?

[CBRammette]

Was looking forward to this. Love Fozzy but Stoke? Would love to hear how that discussion went? Even if it has to be a pre-season friendly cannot think of a fixture less likely to make me travel from Cambridgeshire. Throw in a seat between Johnny Russell and Gorgeous George and I may consider it. But Stoke????? How do we think any fans they have there will add to the atmosphere and celebration of Fozzy? 

[Rammy03]

1 hour ago, angieram said:

What is it then?

A glorified pre season friendly

[Henrycav81]

8 hours 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.

Johnny Russell plays in the MLS their regular season doesn’t finish until October how would we feel if say mcgoldrick flew off to the states to play in a testimonial in November 

[QuitYourJibbaJivin]

5 hours ago, Henrycav81 said:

Johnny Russell plays in the MLS their regular season doesn’t finish until October how would we feel if say mcgoldrick flew off to the states to play in a testimonial in November 

I think this is main issue about getting the band back together. A lot of the team are still playing pro football and some levels, no way would their clubs sanction them to play in a random game. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were classed as uninsured if not playing for their parent club.

[angieram]

8 hours ago, Rammy03 said:

A glorified pre season friendly

Don't tell Fozzy then, he thinks it's his testimonial! 

[Srg]

Probably in the minority here, I’m aware, but I don’t get the whole bringing back players from the last 10 years. With the failures we had, and the pain which ultimately nearly lead us to extinction, as much as I’m pleased Forsyth gets some recognition, I just want to look forward and not harp on about bygone “success”of losing play off finals. I’d rather forget, and build again. 

[ilkleyram]

9 hours ago, CBRammette said:

Was looking forward to this. Love Fozzy but Stoke? Would love to hear how that discussion went? Even if it has to be a pre-season friendly cannot think of a fixture less likely to make me travel from Cambridgeshire. Throw in a seat between Johnny Russell and Gorgeous George and I may consider it. But Stoke????? How do we think any fans they have there will add to the atmosphere and celebration of Fozzy? 

You could just buy a ticket and support fozzy even if you don’t go though

And Stoke were good enough opposition for Colin Boulton

[Tamworthram]

53 minutes ago, Srg said:

Probably in the minority here, I’m aware, but I don’t get the whole bringing back players from the last 10 years. With the failures we had, and the pain which ultimately nearly lead us to extinction, as much as I’m pleased Forsyth gets some recognition, I just want to look forward and not harp on about bygone “success”of losing play off finals. I’d rather forget, and build again. 

I understand your point (although it could be argued that we did have some degree of success given the number of play off semi finals and finals we reached) but I’m not sure testimonials are really meant to be about looking forward. Aren’t they meant to be a reflection and celebration of the period the player in question has been at the club?

[MadAmster]

I cringed when I read "Stoke" and "Fozzy's Testimonial" in the same sentence. My memory immediately flashed back to, IIRC, 2008 and a pre season game at Pride Park. A two footed lunge, both off the ball and off the pitch, by Carl Dickinson basically ruined Giles Barnes' career. He was nowhere near the same player after that. He was offered, again IIRC, £5M to take injury induced retirement with the club also receiving an amount from the insurers. Giles wanted to try and resurrect his career. Fair play to him for wanting to try. That he never reached his previous level and got nowhere near his potential has me wondering if he ever regrets not taking the money?

I sincerely hope today's Stoke players are rather more charitable than Dickinson was although I have a suspicion Giles had wound him up as he was wont to do to opponents.

[Wolfie20]

19 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

 

I sincerely hope today's Stoke players are rather more charitable than Dickinson was although I have a suspicion Giles had wound him up as he was wont to do to opponents.

Well at least that clogger Shawcross shouldn't be there.

[Caerphilly Ram]

Might be some useful info and perspective in this article for anyone concerned about Fozzy’s testimonial

[angieram]

1 hour ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

Might be some useful info and perspective in this article for anyone concerned about Fozzy’s testimonial

Thanks for sharing. Do you think we need a separate thread for this so it doesn't get lost amongst all the other pre-season friendlies? 

[Ghost of Clough]

7 minutes ago, angieram said:

Thanks for sharing. Do you think we need a separate thread for this so it doesn't get lost amongst all the other pre-season friendlies? 

This one?

 

[angieram]

5 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

This one?

 

That'll do. I'll bump it up!

[maydrakin]

On 26/05/2023 at 09:37, MadAmster said:

I cringed when I read "Stoke" and "Fozzy's Testimonial" in the same sentence. My memory immediately flashed back to, IIRC, 2008 and a pre season game at Pride Park. A two footed lunge, both off the ball and off the pitch, by Carl Dickinson basically ruined Giles Barnes' career. He was nowhere near the same player after that. He was offered, again IIRC, £5M to take injury induced retirement with the club also receiving an amount from the insurers. Giles wanted to try and resurrect his career. Fair play to him for wanting to try. That he never reached his previous level and got nowhere near his potential has me wondering if he ever regrets not taking the money?

I sincerely hope today's Stoke players are rather more charitable than Dickinson was although I have a suspicion Giles had wound him up as he was wont to do to opponents.

I read that Barnes said he wasn’t fit to play, but Clough said insisted that he did.  Seems after Barnes suggested he would like another shot at the top division then Clough was not so pleasant with him.

[MadAmster]

27 minutes ago, maydrakin said:

I read that Barnes said he wasn’t fit to play, but Clough said insisted that he did.  Seems after Barnes suggested he would like another shot at the top division then Clough was not so pleasant with him.

Clough? We're talking 2008. We didn't have a Clough at the club in '08.