Richie H - big game

By Charlie Summerbell
June 7 2011

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has agreed to bring his Premiership squad the short journey down the A19 to play Hartlepool United for the Richie Humphreys testimonial match just days before the start of the new 2011-12 season. 

The game will be played at the Vic on Tuesday August 2, just four days before Pools kick-off their new League One season the following Saturday.

Humphreys told the club webite: “I am absolutely thrilled to be playing Sunderland for my testimonial game.

“It is going to be a fantastic curtain-raiser to the beginning of the season.

“I want to say a very big thank you to Steve Bruce and to Sunderland for agreeing to play in my testimonial.

“It means a great deal to me and I can’t wait for the game to come now.”

It’s one of those footy occasions when everybody says nice things about each other, so Bruce has responded in kind by saying: “Richie has been a fantastic servant for Hartlepool and to achieve what he has at one club in the modern game is absolutely terrific.

“He has set a great example to his fellow professionals and we are delighted to be able to honour his career by taking part in his testimonial.”

In ten years at Pools, Humphreys has played in 480 senior games, and in February he became the club’s record-holder for appearances when he made it 473 games, passing a record held by Watty Moore for more than 50 years.

No wonder Pools fans voted him player of the century.