Former Chelsea captain and legend John Terry, has explained the rationale behind charging fans £100 per autograph, News About Nigeria reports.
Terry, 42, emphasized that all proceeds from his one-man tour are directed towards his charitable foundation.
Terry’s four-night tour kicked off in Basingstoke, where fans were not only paying £25 for a ticket but were also asked to contribute £100 for a single autograph and £500 for an opportunity to dine with the football star.
Addressing the criticism on Instagram, Terry clarified that the most important detail often omitted was that all the money raised through the event goes directly to his John Terry 26 Foundation, which supports various charitable causes.
He said, “The big thing – and this is very important – the big thing that they forgot to mention is that all proceeds from these events that I’ve been doing – and the only reason that I signed up – is to raise money for my foundation, for the John Terry 26 Foundation.”
Terry established his foundation around seven or eight months ago with the intention of singlehandedly contributing to charitable endeavors.
His foundation’s goals include hosting gala dinners, organizing golf events throughout the year, and exploring various opportunities to raise funds for charitable causes.
Throughout his 22-year career, particularly during his tenure as Chelsea captain, Terry had closely collaborated with different charities, particularly those focused on supporting terminally ill and sick children.
This personal connection is said to have pushed him to establishing his own foundation and concentrate his efforts on it over the past few months.
He went on to explain, “Rather than doing it for one specific charity, I’ve been focusing on my own foundation in the last six or seven months. And this tour that I’m doing, this Q&A that I’m doing, is part of that.”
Terry acknowledged that he had initially refrained from publicizing the charity aspect of his events but felt compelled to address it due to the media’s misrepresentation. He emphasized that every money collected from these events would contribute to the John Terry 26 Foundation.
In addition to his charity work, Terry also mentioned his participation in a charity day for BGC in London, that commemorates the World Trade Center tragedy.
