Wycombe Wanderers captain Joe Jacobson believes his testimonial against Cardiff City this weekend will be ‘a good benchmark’ to test themselves against higher league opposition.
The fixture at Adams Park will celebrate the 36-year-old’s 10th season with the Chairboys, but he wants the game to be treated as if this was a competitive match.
The Bluebirds finished in a disappointing 21st in the Championship last season and only avoided relegation to League One after Wanderers’ Thames Valley rivals, Reading, suffered a six-point deduction for breaching an EFL business plan.
📣 Be at Adams Park on Saturday 29th July (k.o. 3pm) to join the celebration of a decade with Joe Jacobson at his testimonial fixture against Cardiff City!
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) July 27, 2023
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But with a new man in charge and with some impressive signings, Cardiff have been tipped for a promotion push for the season ahead.
Jacobson told the Free Press: “It’ll be a competitive game and for us, it’ll be a good benchmark as they’re a good team.
“They were in the Premier League a few years back and have signed some good players, most notably Aaron Ramsey who has got all the experience at the highest level.
“I have had the pleasure to play with him when I was younger along with Sam Vokes who is a lot younger than me, and if they can attract players like that, then they are a club on the up.
“I want to see them compete at the top end of the Championship as I think that’s where they deserve to be.”
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Jacobson, who is from the Welsh capital, started his career with the Bluebirds and played two first team games for his boyhood team before departing in 2007.
Next up for Wycombe Wanderers
— Chairboys on the Net - Paul Lewis (@GasmanCOTN) July 26, 2023
Joe Jacobson's testimonial v Cardiff City on Saturday 29th July 2023. JJ is in the top 20 Wycombe Wanderers app makers of all time, with close to 400 games, + 44 goals. He was born in Cardiff & made his pro debut with the #BlueBirds in April 2006 🤝 pic.twitter.com/E4mp4TltD8
He has since gone on to face them on a handful of occasions since leaving 16 years ago and even scored against them for Wycombe in April 2021.
This was in a Championship fixture which saw the Chairboys lose 2-1 at the Cardiff City Stadium.
He continued: “One thing I wanted was to have a proper game because of the timing.
“I didn’t want to have a young Premier League team which we had the option of doing, and I didn’t want to go against what the gaffer wanted to do for his pre-season plans.
“So I thought a game against a Championship team would be competitive as it’ll give us a good reading of where we are now, and Cardiff is where I grew up and they’re my hometown club.
🐐 Excited to celebrate @joe_jacobson’s testimonial against Cardiff. Incredible guy on and off the pitch. Created a legacy that will last a lifetime.
— Matt Cecil (@mattcecil87) July 24, 2023
Press call on Thursday AM, game day is Saturday at 3pm. Tickets at https://t.co/ZBqrwhHr2m. pic.twitter.com/y8Xpnv0uMY
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“It’s where I started my career and thankfully, they agreed to do it.
“I’ve got great memories as a kid going to watch Cardiff both home and away, and thinking about it, when we were going through the teams, Cardiff was one that I was thinking about.
“They’ve been great in terms of organising things.”
The match will kick-off at 3pm.
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