The testimonial is an old concept in football and in recent times looked to be heading the way of the dodo.
I’m glad to see therefore that Dundee and Arbroath intend to arrange them for Cammy Kerr and Bobby Linn respectively.
At one time, long-serving players at clubs could be assured that their contributions would be recognised but, as players move on more often and more quickly, the concept of the testimonial has faded.
It’s good, then, to see two fine servants being recognised for the outstanding loyalty and commitment which Cammy and Bobby have shown at Dens and Gayfield.
Neither player will retire rich off the back of their testimonial years with the various events which mark out these occasions, but they give fans the opportunity to mark the contributions that players such as these two have made in terms of their longevity.
They also help to strengthen the bond between club, community and supporters in acknowledging the special place which players who have shown great dedication deserve.
As a product of the Dundee youth system Cammy Kerr has donned the dark blue first team jersey 181 times, while in eight years at Gayfield Bobby Linn has chalked up over three hundred appearances.
Both men represent the kind of fidelity to one club which is becoming more unusual with each passing season.
As an example of the fast-changing nature of football, in the last week two agents have contacted me looking for numbers for folk at clubs as the preparations for next season begin.
One is based in Europe and one in England and I’ve known both for years.
It’s not unusual for agents, in this case one an ex-player, to contact journalists to put them in touch with the movers and shakers at football clubs, or to try to get a sense of who might be looking for what kind of player
What is different is how quickly the contacts are changing, with the result that agents operating outside of Scotland but who once knew folk here in positions of power are seeing them alter so often that their contacts books are becoming dated very quickly.
It’s not just players who come and go with increased short-term frequency, it’s also managers and technical or sporting directors too, who often seem to be just passing through.
That gives football an increasingly unstable and impermanent feel at many clubs.
The days when players stayed at the same club for years are getting rarer and that’s why it’s important to mark in a special way the staying power of those who give long and illustrious service like Cammy Kerr and Bobby Linn.
They represent the best of football.
Permanence a vital commidity
Virtues like commitment and loyalty should never go out of fashion and in football it’s perhaps time for them to play a greater role in the game again.
There will always be change in the game, but it also needs a degree of permanence.
I can’t think of two more deserving recipients of a testimonial year than these two.
