considering you averaged about 14/15k last season, where were the missing 10k tonight?......an magnificent servant to your club deserves a bit more dont ya think?

Well for a testimonial game the gate was about average,and just do a lttle calculation what the receipts will have been and he has a year of efforst to make more

It's a combination of 6 Grand Finals, 4 Cup Finals, 4 WCC's (plus 1 shortly), 6 CC semi's and around 7 or 8 Testimonials that those 15k have paid out for over the last 10 years. Naturally when times are harder people are going to prioritise. And with all due respect, Fev isn't a pre-season game that will be a big draw for Leeds fans.

Having said that I would have hoped for a bit more than 4,000. Though I can't complain too much since I didn't go myself.

oops!!

This has always been the case, a majority of Leeds supporters are season ticket holders, about 11-12K. A friendly against a championship side just isn’t enough to entice those season ticket holders to put their hands in their pockets.

As Him mentioned earlier last year we had a full cup run and GF to attend last year. We’ve had someone’s testimonial for the last six (maybe more) years and most folk have already bought their WWC tickets.

Following a successful team gives you a fantastic feeling but it also empties your pocket quite quickly. When times get hard a lot of folk have to pick and choose the games they go to, last night cost me and the missus, with tickets, travel, food, beer etc. about £60. A normal home game on my season ticket cost about half that.

It really not a simple case of showing your support to a loyal servant of the club, it’s a case of having the funds to do so.

Its a bit like when someone retires in the office and a card comes around with a pot to put some money in for "a collection", sometimes they get lucky and theres enough to buy them a bunch of flowers to go with the card.

I just don't get the sports testimonial thing (and I've been to enough £50 a head chicken frikkin dinners in my time), it just doesn't happen in real life to real-time people - "Rob in accounts has been working for us for ten years now, we've declared 2012 to be his testimonial year, he'll probably get a cheque for £100,000 tax free at the end of it, but he deserves it..."

Just never happens does it ?

I think its the short career and traditionally low pay that lead to it. these days its harder to justify, though as Kev famously said players accept less pay to be part of this great time, the fans get to say thank you for his loyalty.

i didn't go but i bought my mrs the calendar ( why she wanted it when she has me to ogle i don't know) and went to a fundraising night.
you don't have to go to the game to contribute

Low pay ?
Really ?
Compared to another 17 or 18 year old ?

To do something they'd probably be doing for free at weekends if they were working on a building site through the week the players who make it into SL teams who get the testimonials have been very well rewarded during their careers - if Rob Burrow left RL tomorrow he'd more than likely have to take a drop in salary at whatever he chose to do instead.

The theme of "loyalty" crops up time and time again, its bull, they stay at a club either because they are being financially rewarded or because they enjoy the team bond there, or both, the thought that any player, Kevin Sinfield included would turn down a large salary increase because he feels some loyalty to the Leeds club carries as much weight as the decision I would make in my employment if the same thing happened to me, I enjoy my work and I enjoy the company and the team, but if I was offered more money elsewhere and the company couldn't match it, I'd be off and fook 'em.

Testimonials rarely get big crowds.
Given the opposition I reckon Friday compared quite favourably with:
Diskin - 5,759 v Bulls
Sinfield - 4,217 v Oldham
JJB - 5,329 v Hull

The weather wouldn't have helped either!

I did say traditionally low pay. these days I don't think its the case these days. I think its one of those things that is considered tradition now, and people find it hard to stop a tradition.

also as its an RFL thing they have a vested interest in keeping top players in the country/ code.

I took my wife and daughter to see Annie at the playhouse. They deserved that more than Rob dserved my £15 or whatever. Especially as the season is about to begin wihch means I'll be feckin off to the games or pubs for games on a regular basis.

Testemonial or not a freindly isn't worth my time. Especially when we have had one a year for the last 7 years or so at Leeds.

Like Tad says, I can support Rob's testemonial in other ways.

I sincerely hope that satisifies the posters who are dissapointed with my non attendance.

Wasn't aware there was a game on last night and wouldn't have attended had I been aware. Was even less aware that it was a testimonial game. In the well-paid, full-time professional era, there's no justification for testimonials whatsoever. My appropriate financial contribution to such unworthy causes shall be somewhere in the region of zero and zilch.

So you're telling us that you didn't attend a game you didn't know was being played - any more mind blowing revelations you wish to impart on us?

The personal satisfaction derived from not having made any contribution to the testimonial stash of some previous unworthy ungratefuls... one who buggered off within a nanosecond of cashing in... and another who is of the opinion - with some justification - that the fans are 'tools'.