A real star...Niall Quinn's £1 million gift for charitygreenspun.com : LUSENET : Unofficial Newcastle United Football Club BBS : One Thread |
Sunday Times today: Footballer to give £1m testimonial to charity JUST when it looked as if it was all over for football's sporting image, along comes one of the game's Premiership players with a £1m gift for charity.Football has been reeling from affray charges against Leeds and Chelsea players, pitch invasions, crowd trouble at matches and accusations of greed against stars seeking the equivalent of annual salaries as weekly pay cheques.
For one night, Niall Quinn, the Sunderland and Republic of Ireland forward, promises to change all that. He is giving away all the proceeds of his testimonial match in May, believed to be an unprecedented act by a top player. Instead of a Ferrari or two, his money will buy hospital equipment in Britain and Ireland and school books in Africa and Asia.
For the first time at a big game in Britain for many years, the crowd will not be segregated into camps of rival fans.
Nor will the players who join Quinn, 35, for the match at the Stadium of Light receive the customary Rolex watches or cases of champagne. Rather, they will open an envelope from a child thanking them for paying for his or her education for the next five years.
Sunderland home games regularly attract crowds of nearly 50,000. If tickets are £20 a head, the testimonial should easily raise £1m. Quinn's benevolence in surrendering a fortune that would mean he never had to work again will shame some sections of the football world.
Sunderland's opponents for the testimonial will be the Republic of Ireland, who will stop off on the way to the World Cup in Japan to play the game on May 14. "This is something I have always wanted to do and I am delighted Sunderland are allowing me to make the game happen," said Quinn. "This is me fighting my demons, my way of saying 'look, I am sorry for giving in to the temptations'. I have abused the privileged life I've had and if this match is anything, it is me paying my debt."
The 6ft 5in Quinn, whose home in Co Durham adjoins a stud farm, is known for his big-heartedness. He is part of a syndicate that owns racehorses named after Irish sporting heroes, including the mercurial Alex "Hurricane" Higgins. Quinn traced the down-at-heel former snooker star, kitted him out in clothes and took him to Ireland for two race meetings, where he received a rapturous reception. Quinn plans to reward the players at his testimonial in a unique way. "Dennis Wise, after his testimonial, was reported to have given all the players [at Chelsea] a Rolex watch," he says. "That's fine. That was his call. "Unfortunately for the fellows in my game, our plan is to give them each an envelope on the night. Inside will be a letter from a child in the underdeveloped world whose education has been sponsored by the player's participation in the game. When the players walk away from the stadium, they will know I have given them something more valuable than another piece of crystal."
The bulk of the money raised will go to children's hospitals in Sunderland and Dublin. Quinn said his first visit to Great Ormond Street children's hospital in central London as a teenage player at Arsenal, six days before Christmas, had awoken him to the suffering of children. "It was the unit where the terminally ill kids were looked after. I hadn't a clue," he said. "I asked the nurse some simple question and she said she was just hoping all the kids would live to see Christmas Day. It knocked me down and it's had a lasting effect."
Graham Howard, the spokesman for the Sunderland Royal hospital, one of those that may benefit, said: "What he is doing is brilliant. The amount of money he is able to raise on one night is mind-boggling.
"Niall comes around the hospital with the players every Christmas. It has become the highlight of the year. They bring presents and sign autographs." Bob Murray, the Sunderland chairman, said: "Niall Quinn is an eloquent and exceptional person, a statesman in the game, and it is an honour for us to host this game on his behalf."
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
A Possible trend-setter?
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
That's a fantastic effort - more than just a gesture as he should be able to raise some serious money. He's gone way up in my estimation (though I have to confess I would have quite liked him if he played for anyone other than Sunderland, always seems like a decent guy). Not sure where they're going to find 50,000 Mackems to pay 20 pounds a head though - or where they'd put them in a 42000 (or whatever it is) stadium either!!!
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
There's also a full feature interview with him in the Sunday Times, which led to the news story. Fascinating stuff, and explains it's something he told his wife Gillian he'd do some time ago:Sunday Times feature extract:
He was on 73 caps before the two Euro 2000 playoff matches against Turkey, but strained his back two days before the first game. He missed that one, played in the second and got to 74. It was then the FAI said there would be no more testimonials.
While all this had been going on, he and Gillian had talked often about his testimonial. He understood why the public questioned the morality of highly-paid footballers having these matches, and said that when his turn came round, he would give away the proceeds. At the time, his weekly wage was counted in hundreds and Gillian said she would shoot him rather than let him give all that money away. He never wavered, but the FAI’s decision on testimonials denied him the opportunity.
Just over a year ago, Sunderland’s players had a day at York races. Quinn spoke with Bob Murray, the Sunderland chairman, who remarked that he was very unlucky not to have got a testimonial for Ireland. When told that the proceeds would have gone to charity, Murray was taken aback and offered Quinn a benefit match.
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
Bearing in mind the cause, I'd think any football fan - Sunderland, Newcastle, Irish, or whatever would pay at least £20 a ticket.
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
Didn't a certain now Newcastle coach give all the proceeds of a Testimonial v Celtic to charity ?I still admire Quinns gesture and hope that it may set a precedent.
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
This is great news. It's the only way for the testimonial system to go (at least as far as Premiership players are concerned.) Hopefully it will ensure a full house and give the player a night to warm his heart for a much longer period of time than the odd extra million in his bank account could do.
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
Fantastic gesture from a very decent blerk: a good ambassador for the game at a time when so many are doing their best to screw it up.Wouldn't mind going actually - I wonder how Toon fans, shirted up, would be received at the SoS?
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
Clarky's right - If I can be in the region, I'll definitely go. Though not in B&W, maybe in Emerald Green to wish the Irish team including Niall Quinn the best of luck for the World Cup. Will NQ play one half for each side? Following from that thought, it would be great to have an annual all-proceeds-to-charity NUFC-SAFC-Boro match, mixing players from the three teams together for a game. And then have competitive team penalties at the end (Michael Gray to take the last one). An event like that would be a great image booster for the North East.
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
It will not be free to get in you know. :-) I have had the pleasure to meet Niall on a couple of ocassions and I can assure you that he is a 1st class person.Here is a little story that'll prove my point.
Sunderlands massuer,Micheal Holland ,is a long term Newcastle fan.He is from the denton area of Newcastle. One day he took Niall out for a drink in his local,The sporting arms in Scotswood. Now I know of locals who will not enter there.However within the hour Niall was the guest of honour and had all the customers eating out of his hand so to speak.And this is a pub which is (so I am told) decorated in Newcastle colours and loyalist propaganda (although I do not know why)
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
Fair play to the bloke. It's a fantastic gesture.
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
I echo all the sentiments on here. As said at the time, I wish Rob Lee had done similar.
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
Wonderful gesture. Definitely the way testimonials should go for these players, right on down to not handing out expensive gifts. The letters from children is a wonderful gift and a good reminder to players of how little it takes to make such a big difference in another person's life. If I were going to be over there, I would definitely want to go...dressed in Irish colors of course! :-)
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
A great idea but I have to feel it won't get the crowd it deserves. I am in no way knocking the Sunderland support but, the desire for people to turn out is greater when there is a buzz about a place. SoL doesn't have that buzz at the moment and really, really who of the regulars would be thinking of going and paying a hoped for £20 to watch a non competitive game ?There is too much football to be seen on the box, a special charity event, whereever it is held needs to be special. Beardsley's was as it was billed as a Geordie thing and it was a big party, the Quinn thing would need to invire a lot of 'personalities' to play.
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
I'm waiting for the call...................
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
Has NQ actually set the ticket price at 20 quid yet or is that just media speculation ?Top man. I'd definitely be going if I was anywhere in the north at the time. IMO it's important to help set these sort of precedents - if he were to get a massive crowd it might make other players sit up and think.
If anyone hears that it's possible to contribute to the fund online would they please post the details up on here
-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002
LT, the full article said that NQ wants to give £500k to a Sunderland hospital and the same sum to one in Ireland. Hence the £20 per head. Good luck to him. I'd like to go if tickets are avail and I'm in the area at the time.
-- Anonymous, January 21, 2002