With you on that Ryan, but it doesn't surprise me in the least.
My lad sponsored Croft's bootlaces last season and my daughter sponsored JYM. At the last game of the season all the kids who sponsored players were invited to come along before the game to meet their player and have their photo taken with them etc.
On the day the kids all met in the lounge and were all taken down the tunnel and out onto the edge of the pitch where they met their players and what have you. Virtually every other member of the squad gave their sponsoring child a gift - mostly it was a pair of signed boots or some signed training kit. A nice memento for the kid. LC managed to show up empty handed and late - had been more interested in sorting out his tickets for the Orient game I think. So we were left hanging a round a bit waiting for him to make an appearance. Thankfully my lad is only 4 so he never really twigged, but I just thought it showed a bit of a lack of thought/care. But as has already been raised by somebody else, some players are far more interested in the ‘party/glamour side’ of being a footballer than the serious responsible side.
Ah well.