Just been reading about Vincent Kompany and his intentions for the use of any cash generated from his testimonial for ten years Service at the Club. He joined City from Hamburg in 2008 and is going to donate every single penny raised to support an effort with Manchesters Lord Mayor Andy Burnham in an attempt to end homelessness in the Manchester area. What a wonderful gesture. Just goes to show, that not all Premiership players are totally motivated by greed. Here's hoping the folks of Greater Manchester give genererously to what is a very worthy cause.
Always comes across as a decent bloke who's down to earth. Fair play to him. Will make a decent pundit I think too if he goes down that route.
When footballers earned relatively little and retirement began in their 30's, a testimonial raised a bit of cash towards their future. Maybe put it towards a pub. Nowadays the wages are so obscene that a testimonial seems pointless. Hence most footballers that are due a testimonial will still have it and donate the proceedings to a charity of their choice. Kompany is the rule rather than the exception although 10 years at one club these days is extremely rare. Bobby Hassel was a dying breed. These days the club will get shut if they're not good enough, over the hill or if they are worth a few bob. Maybe Hammill, Roberts etc would like to have completed their careers at Oakwell but for different reasons, the powers that be got rid.
I bet robbie Fowler hasn't donated one of his two hundred houses to any homeless. Fair play to kompany.
As far as I'm aware Robbie Fowler does a lot of work with disadvantaged kids, supports various children's charities and the like.
Ok, obviously the cause needs some money, nobody should be homeless.. But put some perspective on the situation in terms of worshipping this gesture from someone who has already made tens of millions so it's no skin off his nose to not see a payday on a testimonial. Probably earns about £7 million per year, then all his investments... It's like me retiring and donating £15 to the same cause on the scale of things. I'm not knocking the gesture, just the clamour of how brilliant these mega million earners are making such a sacrifice.
But he's in no way obliged to do it. It's still a fantastic gesture. Vincent Kompany has always come across as articulate, intelligent and an all round very decent human being, and this would appear to confirm that impression as being accurate.
