Testimonial Matches- help needed

[MorrisNielson]

This is what I have for VP Testimonials.

Mon May 5 1975 Villa Park Stoke City W 3-1 Graydon, Leonard 2 Att 16067 Mick Wright Testimonial
Mon Apr 26 1976 Villa Park West Bromwich Albion L 0-1 Att 15800 Fred Turnbull Testimonial
Thu May 26 1977 Villa Park Midland Select XI L 1-6 Att 5000 Charlie Aitken Testimonial
Wed May 7 1980 Villa Park Birmingham City L 2-3 Geddis, Gibson Att 18204 Ron Saunders Testimonial
Tue May 18 1982 Villa Park England XI W 3-2 Little 2, Morley Att 9229 Brian Little Testimonial
Tue May 14 1985 Villa Park England XI L 1-4 Withe  Att 5451 Dennis Mortimer Testimonial
Fri May 17 1985 Villa Park West Bromwich Albion D 3-3 McMahon, Evans, Six Att 5664 Benefit Match for Bradford City
Wed May 11 1988 Villa Park Wolverhampton Wanderers W 2-1 Shaw, A.Gray Att 7258 Nigel Spink Testimonial
Fri Aug 19 1988 Villa Park Walsall W 4-2 A.Gray, Evans, S.Gray, McInally Att 7789 Allan Evans Testimonial
Fri Aug 9 1991 Villa Park Wolverhampton Wanderers L 2-3 P.Mortimer, Yorke Att 17612 Paul Birch Testimonial
Tue Sep 8 1992 Villa Park Birmingham City W 2-0 Richardson, McAvennie Att 6998 Jimmy Dugdale Testimonial
Mon May 10 1993 Villa Park Stoke City W 4-1 Yorke, Carruthers, Platt, Farrell Att 4450 Gordon Cowans Testimonial
Tue Dec 6 1994 Villa Park All Star XI D 1-1 Saunders Att 2396 Tony Barton Memorial Match
Tue May 9 1995 Villa Park Birmingham City W 2-0 Scimeca, Yorke  Att 12014 Paul McGrath Testimonial

Alex Cropley’s was away - Mon Aug 23 1982 Portsmouth W 4-3 Withe, Walters 2, Mortimer

[Pat McMahon]

Why did we have a testimonial for McGrath?

[nigel]

I cried because nobody would take me to the pele game
what was that game all about
ive never forgiven em for that

I think it was for our AV floodlights, but not 100% sure.
We hired a separate generator as there were a lot of power cuts at the time.

I'm pretty sure we also played Bayern Munich that season, too.

If I recall correctly, we beat Pele's Santos 3-1 and Beckenbaur's Bayern 2-1

[castlefields_villan]

I cried because nobody would take me to the pele game
what was that game all about
ive never forgiven em for that

I think it was for our AV floodlights, but not 100% sure.
We hired a separate generator as there were a lot of power cuts at the time.


I was at the Santos game in February 1972 - I though it was a prestige friendly ?

As previously mentioned the game was in doubt as it was in the days of strikes and power cuts etc.. and the club hired a generator to allow the game to go ahead; however I'm almost sure it meant only 3 of the 4 floodlights could be on at any one time and a decision was made to swap the one that wasn't used in the first half, to be on for one of the other ones at the start of the second half - and Santos almost threatened to walk off in disagreement.

I thought we drew 1-1 against Bayern Munich in 1973 - we did score one goal without reply in another game I remember against them nine years later.

[Oscar Arce]

I cried because nobody would take me to the pele game
what was that game all about
ive never forgiven em for that

We beat Santos 2-1 and I think the Bayern match was 1-1 from memory.

I think it was for our AV floodlights, but not 100% sure.
We hired a separate generator as there were a lot of power cuts at the time.

I'm pretty sure we also played Bayern Munich that season, too.

If I recall correctly, we beat Pele's Santos 3-1 and Beckenbaur's Bayern 2-1

[nigel]

I cried because nobody would take me to the pele game
what was that game all about
ive never forgiven em for that

I think it was for our AV floodlights, but not 100% sure.
We hired a separate generator as there were a lot of power cuts at the time.

I'm pretty sure we also played Bayern Munich that season, too.

If I recall correctly, we beat Pele's Santos 3-1 and Beckenbaur's Bayern 2-1

We beat Santos 2-1 and I think the Bayern match was 1-1 from memory.

Thanks.

[DeKuip]

This is what I have for VP Testimonials.

Mon May 5 1975 Villa Park Stoke City W 3-1 Graydon, Leonard 2 Att 16067 Mick Wright Testimonial
Mon Apr 26 1976 Villa Park West Bromwich Albion L 0-1 Att 15800 Fred Turnbull Testimonial
Thu May 26 1977 Villa Park Midland Select XI L 1-6 Att 5000 Charlie Aitken Testimonial
Wed May 7 1980 Villa Park Birmingham City L 2-3 Geddis, Gibson Att 18204 Ron Saunders Testimonial
Tue May 18 1982 Villa Park England XI W 3-2 Little 2, Morley Att 9229 Brian Little Testimonial
Tue May 14 1985 Villa Park England XI L 1-4 Withe  Att 5451 Dennis Mortimer Testimonial
Fri May 17 1985 Villa Park West Bromwich Albion D 3-3 McMahon, Evans, Six Att 5664 Benefit Match for Bradford City
Wed May 11 1988 Villa Park Wolverhampton Wanderers W 2-1 Shaw, A.Gray Att 7258 Nigel Spink Testimonial
Fri Aug 19 1988 Villa Park Walsall W 4-2 A.Gray, Evans, S.Gray, McInally Att 7789 Allan Evans Testimonial
Fri Aug 9 1991 Villa Park Wolverhampton Wanderers L 2-3 P.Mortimer, Yorke Att 17612 Paul Birch Testimonial
Tue Sep 8 1992 Villa Park Birmingham City W 2-0 Richardson, McAvennie Att 6998 Jimmy Dugdale Testimonial
Mon May 10 1993 Villa Park Stoke City W 4-1 Yorke, Carruthers, Platt, Farrell Att 4450 Gordon Cowans Testimonial
Tue Dec 6 1994 Villa Park All Star XI D 1-1 Saunders Att 2396 Tony Barton Memorial Match
Tue May 9 1995 Villa Park Birmingham City W 2-0 Scimeca, Yorke  Att 12014 Paul McGrath Testimonial

Alex Cropley’s was away - Mon Aug 23 1982 Portsmouth W 4-3 Withe, Walters 2, Mortimer

There was also a 3-3 draw with Coventry Monday 20 April 1970 for Charlie Aitken (his first Testimonial). Att 9,512. Scorers McMahon, Anderson, Godfrey / Rafferty, O'Rourke, Machin.

I remember going to a Testimonial at Villa Park for the referee Jack Taylor in 1977, three years after he referred the World Cup final. Midlands XI v Ron Greenwood's England XI. The Midlands team was: Brian Little, John Gidman & Dennis Mortimer (Villa), Jim Montgomery, Tony Want & Terry Hibbitt (Blues), Bryan Robson, Derek Statham & John Wile (Albion), John Richards & John McAlle (Wolves) and Barry Powell (Cov).  I haven't remembered that - it was from a photo in the following Villa programme. Attendance just under 7,000 on a miserable November night.

Considering some of the players not involved (Andy Gray, Alex Cropley, Trevor Francis, Laurie Cunningham, Cyrille Regis, Willie Johnston, Kenny Hibbitt, Tommy Hutchison, Terry Yorath, Ian Wallace) could the five clubs muster up such a decent line-up between them nowadays?

[Virgil Caine]

I cant believe there have been so many - however it seems that the Premier League has put an end to the number of true testimonials ( i.e a reward for 10 years loyalty to one club).

Looking at the helpful list from MorrisNeilson ( thank you) I am surprised how poor the attendances were, some of the stated figures are weird when comparing them. The top four being Ron Saunders, Paul Birch Mick Wright and Fred Turnbull? Seems incredible that Sid only managed to muster  4,450 for his testimonial!
My  thanks to all contributors, it has certainly helped to jog some memories.

[ldavfc4eva]

Some very sad attendances there, although some are on crap days for a football match. Monday/Tuesday? Pretty shite.

[dave.woodhall]

Sid's was boosted by about 2,000 Stoke fans, who mostly turned up as he was rumoured to be signing for them. Instead he came back to us.

[MorrisNielson]

Sid's was boosted by about 2,000 Stoke fans, who mostly turned up as he was rumoured to be signing for them. Instead he came back to us.

I think Sid's might be the game where the Stoke kit man came on as sub. There was a film about him a year or so ago.

Also, I’ve missed out 1978 for some unknown reason.......

Mon Sep 25 1978 Villa Park Aston Villa 1974/75 L 1-2 Jenkins Att 6381 Testimonial for Keith Leonard
Mon Oct 30 1978 Villa Park John Robson XI D 6-6 Deehan 4, Gregory, Cropley Att 14699 Testimonial for John Robson

[144 Hard Boiled Eggs]

Was there one in the 80's where George Best played?
I remember the Santos game with the queue for the Holte End stretching almost to the expressway (I think I eventually got in at half time).

[dave.woodhall]

Was there one in the 80's where George Best played?
I remember the Santos game with the queue for the Holte End stretching almost to the expressway (I think I eventually got in at half time).

That was the Bradford game.

[wittonwarrior]

some poor attendances there.  Remember 76 we played Eintract Frankfart at home something to do with Dunlop  and we got something like 23,000 and of course the Rangers game was around 17,000 both of which were "friendlies" or meant to be.

[castlefields_villan]

some poor attendances there.  Remember 76 we played Eintract Frankfart at home something to do with Dunlop  and we got something like 23,000 and of course the Rangers game was around 17,000 both of which were "friendlies" or meant to be.

I remember going to the Eintracht Frankfurt game - I was given a ticket for the old Upper trinity Road - was this just a friendly ?

Also - was this before or after the Rangers game ?  I remember both were in the Autumn of 1976-77