Testimonial Matches

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HertfordBee

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Testimonial Matches

Kevin O'Connor's Testimonial this season will not only be the first one in ages (the last proper one was for Jamie Bates in 1996, although Lee Harvey had a benefit match in 1998), but it is also likely to be the last one awarded for long service by a member of the playing staff for many, many more years - if indeed there ever is another one!

Hopefully, he'll get a reasonable attendance but judging by previous benefit games if the crowd tops 2,000 he'll be very fortunate (unless it co-incides with a promotion celebration, of course!).

Details on the later testimonials have been very scarce with even attendances not published. Do any of the statisticians out there know what the attendances were for the matches held for Gary Roberts and Roy Clare, for example? I don't think they were ever revealed.

Back in the 1970's and 1980's the club used to reveal how much had been raised from testimonials but that hasn't happened for ages now. The last time a figure was announced was for Danis Salman back in 1986 but since then nothing has ever been published - unless anyone knows better.

I guess in current times, Kevin O'Connor would expect to get around £20,000 from his testimonial season?
 

Testimonial Matches

Okay - but I really meant testimonials that have been awarded by Brentford Football Club, more often than not resulting in 'testimonial seasons' with a series of fund-raising events, etc rather than participating in benefit games for ex-players. That's why I distinguished between Jamie Bates testimonial and the one-off benefit match that was held for Lee Harvey.

I think I'm right in saying that Orient awarded Andy Scott the benefit match and it would have been played at Brisbane Road had they not been undergoing work to build yet another tower block in another corner of the ground at the time!!
 

Testimonial Matches

Testimonials are really a thing of the past as very few players tend to show much loyalty to clubs anymore. This is not because they don't necessarily want to but more to do with freedom of contract along with short term contracts and the ability to move on to other clubs more freely, hence players these days rarely stay up to ten years at one club which qualifies and entitles them to a testimonial.
 

Testimonial Matches

didnt keith millen had one against spurs (1993) with a decent turn out.
and bob booker did against sheffield united with vinnie jones playing and dean holdsworth with players swapping shirts throughout the game for a laugh!
if the club sort a decent oppostion out kev could get a good crowd.
come bees sort a decent side out, maybe a half decent chelsea side seeing we let their ressies play at griffin park. back in the days we use to play them all the time in pre season.
 

Testimonial Matches

Testimonial Matches

Isn't it already sorted,Reading???
 

Testimonial Matches

Reading! well thats original these days!!! cant see that being a big turn out then! sick of seeing them in friendlies! shame really cos if a decent side they might have bought some fans
 

Testimonial Matches

stoney04 said:
Reading! well thats original these days!!! cant see that being a big turn out then! sick of seeing them in friendlies! shame really cos if a decent side they might have bought some fans
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It was KO choice of opposition. With Sonko, Hunt, Igamarrson in their side and Coppell & Downes coaching I can see why he made the choice.
If Reading were to win the Championship this season and the testimonial is played just after the season end, I could see quite a few Reading turning up to see the winning squad parade the trophy. :idea:
 

Testimonial Matches

Gee Bee said:
It was KO choice of opposition. With Sonko, Hunt, Igamarrson in their side and Coppell & Downes coaching I can see why he made the choice.
If Reading were to win the Championship this season and the testimonial is played just after the season end, I could see quite a few Reading turning up to see the winning squad parade the trophy. :idea:
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...and a lot of Bees fans will turn up to see us parade the League Two trophy. :sorted:
 

Testimonial Matches

Does anybody remember the testimonial when we beat QPR 2-1 with Alan Mansley hitting an excellent volley to win it? Probably around 1969? Could have been Peter Gelson's testimonial and there was a big crowd for it. One of my favourite nights at GP and Nelmes marked Rodney Marsh out of the game too.
 

Testimonial Matches

The first testimonial I remember was for Alan Nelmes and it was against Chelsea, preceded by a Rick Wakeman XI v the 1972 promotion-winning team in a 30 minute match. I think Chelsea won 6-1 or something, including a chested own-goal by Nelmes from the edge of the penalty area.
 

Testimonial Matches

Wise old Bee said:
Does anybody remember the testimonial when we beat QPR 2-1 with Alan Mansley hitting an excellent volley to win it? Probably around 1969? Could have been Peter Gelson's testimonial and there was a big crowd for it. One of my favourite nights at GP and Nelmes marked Rodney Marsh out of the game too.
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It was for Higgy
 

Testimonial Matches

Edmundo said:
The first testimonial I remember was for Alan Nelmes and it was against Chelsea, preceded by a Rick Wakeman XI v the 1972 promotion-winning team in a 30 minute match. I think Chelsea won 6-1 or something, including a chested own-goal by Nelmes from the edge of the penalty area.
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8-2 I think. :(
 

Testimonial Matches

Sheffield United when they had that hi viz vest away kit - did Vinne Jones play/go in goal that night? No idea who it was for though.....Booker?
 

Testimonial Matches

Wise old Bee said:
Does anybody remember the testimonial when we beat QPR 2-1 with Alan Mansley hitting an excellent volley to win it? Probably around 1969? Could have been Peter Gelson's testimonial and there was a big crowd for it. One of my favourite nights at GP and Nelmes marked Rodney Marsh out of the game too.
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Remember it well, it was my first season & I was aware of the animosity towards QPR.
The fact that many RaRas left early was a source of great amusement around us, although I didn't really understand why at the time.
Walking on air the next day as there were many QPR fans at school to mock.
Can't remember who it was for though.
 

Testimonial Matches

SammmeBee said:
Sheffield United when they had that hi viz vest away kit - did Vinne Jones play/go in goal that night? No idea who it was for though.....Booker?
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Didn't Wayne Turner play that night as well in a wig?

Get a wig la la la la la la la la la. Get a wig.
 

Testimonial Matches

We played West Ham in 1970? I think it was Dennis Pigotts? Moore, Hurst and Clyde Best
in their blue shirts with claret horizontal stripes. WHU won 3-0?
Remember the PSF v WHU in 66 just after the World Cup? Moore,Hurst and Peters came out on their own and waved to the crowd(about 8000). George Dobson scored the only goal and it felt like the Holy Trinity had been playing!
 

Testimonial Matches

macsalisbee said:
We played West Ham in 1970? I think it was Dennis Pigotts? Moore, Hurst and Clyde Best
in their blue shirts with claret horizontal stripes. WHU won 3-0?
Remember the PSF v WHU in 66 just after the World Cup? Moore,Hurst and Peters came out on their own and waved to the crowd(about 8000). George Dobson scored the only goal and it felt like the Holy Trinity had been playing!
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That was a testimonial for Peter Gelson in 1970.

the one in 1966 was for Ken Coote v West Ham. the pre season friendly was in 1968-69 season.

Pigotts was v Everton 1973 (won 3-0)

Is Peter Gelson the only Bees player to have 2 testimonials?
 
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Testimonial Matches

If Kev fcks off to Cheltenham/Wycombe before the end of the season, will he still get a testimonial?
 

Testimonial Matches

markbfc said:
Johnny Rainford had two joint testimonials from memory.
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Ken Coote had 1 shared and 1 on his own.

Johnny Rainford had 2 shared, 1 with Coote the other with Towers.

Denis Piggott had 2 on his own, but obviously for services to BFC, not playing!

Peter Gelson had 2 on his own. The ONLY player granted 2 individual testimonials !!
 

Testimonial Matches

jackie Graham had two benefit matches. One played at Addlestone.
 

Testimonial Matches

BUT! He wasn't awarded his 2nd as a Brentford player!
 

Testimonial Matches

HertfordBee said:
Kevin O'Connor's Testimonial this season will not only be the first one in ages (the last proper one was for Jamie Bates in 1996, although Lee Harvey had a benefit match in 1998), but it is also likely to be the last one awarded for long service by a member of the playing staff for many, many more years - if indeed there ever is another one!

Hopefully, he'll get a reasonable attendance but judging by previous benefit games if the crowd tops 2,000 he'll be very fortunate (unless it co-incides with a promotion celebration, of course!).
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Remember Batesy's had a disappointingly small crowd due to a tube strike. Bit of a crap day. :(

Lee Harvey's was far more enjoyable. Players well up for a laugh, bundling Lee on the touchline after he scored a (twice taken, having missed the first one) penalty, and Bob Taylor rubbing sand in his face. :)
 

Testimonial Matches

HertfordBee said:
Kevin O'Connor's Testimonial this season will not only be the first one in ages (the last proper one was for Jamie Bates in 1996, although Lee Harvey had a benefit match in 1998), but it is also likely to be the last one awarded for long service by a member of the playing staff for many, many more years - if indeed there ever is another one!

Hopefully, he'll get a reasonable attendance but judging by previous benefit games if the crowd tops 2,000 he'll be very fortunate (unless it co-incides with a promotion celebration, of course!).

Details on the later testimonials have been very scarce with even attendances not published. Do any of the statisticians out there know what the attendances were for the matches held for Gary Roberts and Roy Clare, for example? I don't think they were ever revealed.

Back in the 1970's and 1980's the club used to reveal how much had been raised from testimonials but that hasn't happened for ages now. The last time a figure was announced was for Danis Salman back in 1986 but since then nothing has ever been published - unless anyone knows better.

I guess in current times, Kevin O'Connor would expect to get around £20,000 from his testimonial season?
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https://griffinpark.org/forums/album.php?albumid=9 just put the cursor over the picture and it'll show the info i have.

i've scanned in covers of the testimonials since the war, anything you can add re scores or attendances, let me know!! Sad i know.................... :(
 

Testimonial Matches

Excellent work there Paul. Remember the Coote and Rainford one in May '61 - there was a torrential storm just before the ko and the pen area at the Oak end was literally under water for the first half. Cue for some spectacular sliding tackles and general larking around with the players deliberately sending waves of water over each other. Any other time it would never have been played but it was highly entertaining. Trying to remember who played for the all stars - Jim Langley of Fulham was one, also the actor James Robertson Justice who was spectacularly talentless but very funny to watch as he made the most of his huge bulk to flatten much more talented players. Can you help with more names Paul?

Think the only goal was scored for the Bees by a bloke named John Cartwright who was on trial from Crystal Palace, the only time he ever appeared in a Brentford shirt, which I think that season was amber and blue. Cartwright later became a top coach in charge of the England youth team and Arsenal first team amongst others.
 

Testimonial Matches

The Stan Bowles one?

Wasn't that jointly organised with QPR and Rodney Marsh?

According to 100 Years of Brentford the attendance was 'around 7,000'

Tottenham 5/12/87 Res 0-0.
 

Testimonial Matches

ChorleyBee said:
Excellent work there Paul. Remember the Coote and Rainford one in May '61 - there was a torrential storm just before the ko and the pen area at the Oak end was literally under water for the first half. Cue for some spectacular sliding tackles and general larking around with the players deliberately sending waves of water over each other. Any other time it would never have been played but it was highly entertaining. Trying to remember who played for the all stars - Jim Langley of Fulham was one, also the actor James Robertson Justice who was spectacularly talentless but very funny to watch as he made the most of his huge bulk to flatten much more talented players. Can you help with more names Paul?

Think the only goal was scored for the Bees by a bloke named John Cartwright who was on trial from Crystal Palace, the only time he ever appeared in a Brentford shirt, which I think that season was amber and blue. Cartwright later became a top coach in charge of the England youth team and Arsenal first team amongst others.
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blimey, a good memory for an old geezer ;), it was Cartwright who scored!

the All Star XI were: Baynham (Luton) Cohen (Fulham) Langley (Fulham) Obeney (West Ham) Brown (west Ham) Hewie (Charlton) Logie (Arsenal) Dick (West Ham) Grice (West Ham) Cook (Fulham) Key (Fulham)
 

Testimonial Matches

ChorleyBee said:
Old geezer? :nono:rofl

Thanks for that Paul.
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go onto my profile and you'll see loads of other stuff in my albums now, just click on show all albums. updating/adding stuff daily.
 

Testimonial Matches

Simon W said:
I remember a Dennis Piggott testimonial back in the 70's .. we beat Everton 3-0 I think on a Friday night !
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The night before Leeds vs Sunderland FA Cup Final.Remember that night well.
Danis Salmans testimonial was a cracking 4-3 win against a strong Spurs side,also a friday night iirc.

Alan Nelmes,also a friday night,was a night to forget.Had the piss taken out of me all night by the Murray Park massive CFC crew.All 8 goals celebrated like it was winning the league.
 

Testimonial Matches

Simon W said:
I remember a Dennis Piggott testimonial back in the 70's .. we beat Everton 3-0 I think on a Friday night !
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Day before the Cup Final if I remember rightly - could remember Everton and the score but not who it was for. Seemed as though Everton were in town for a party weekend
 

Testimonial Matches

Denis Piggott had two testimonials.
 

Testimonial Matches

Brain-dead Bee said:
Day before the Cup Final if I remember rightly - could remember Everton and the score but not who it was for. Seemed as though Everton were in town for a party weekend
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I'm fairly sure Roger Cross got into a fight with Everton's central defender Lyons that night as well.
 

Testimonial Matches

Celtic brought the biggest away crowd to Norwich tonight this season for Adam Drury's testimonial
Holt started for Norwich
Norwich won 2-0
 
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