Businessman donates £3m to help Scottish clubs and communities through crisis

Every football league club will be able to apply for a £50,000 grant to help during the Covid-19 crisis - thanks to the biggest personal donation made in the history of the game in Scotland.

James Anderson, a fund manager and partner with Baillie Gifford, has gifted £3,125,000, inclusive of gift aid, to the SPFL Trust.

A Covid-19 crisis fund is to be launched by the organisation, to which all clubs will be able to apply for a grant - provided they are able to demonstrate it will support the community they are based in.

The trust insists the donation has been made without any conditions relating to the structure of the leagues or governance of the SPFL.

Meanwhile, plans for a new project called Scottish Football United will also be brought forward. It aims to bring together clubs, leagues, governing bodies and national and local public agencies, to create a focal point for future crisis planning and support.

A new restricted fund will be set up, The Anderson Fund, which will be used to fund new projects that demonstrate a positive impact on health, attainment, or inclusion as well as any general related support during the Covid-19 crisis.

The trust says that during the crisis, SPFL clubs have been involved in more than 150 different community projects - many of them set up from scratch.

Mr Anderson has intimated he intends to provide further funded support, an other benefactors may be part of these future donations.

Nicky Reid, SPFL Trust chief executive, said: "We extend our heartfelt thanks to James for this unprecedented gesture. It will enable clubs to access vital funds during these exceptional times, whilst ensuring they can also continue to support the important community work that has been taking place over recent months.

"In Scotland, we often criticise our game, but during this crisis we have seen – once again – that SPFL clubs and their associated charities are trusted to support communities across Scotland. Every club is doing their bit, and so we hope the grants we will now make available will go some way to supporting these efforts.

"James’s donation will also be used to launch one of our biggest ever initiatives, Scottish Football United. We hadn’t expected to be funded for this project until 2022, and so to be able to launch this year is fantastic.

"This project is limitless in its scope of ambition, as we aim to bring together the wider Scottish football community with a broad range of public agencies and organisations, so that football in our country can be best prepared to be at the centre of the response to future crises. We do a lot already, but we will do so much more."

Mr Anderson said: "Football is at the heart of communities across Scotland, and there are not many societal organisations that bring people together nowadays, to catch them in a net when they fall. When Covid-19 struck, I realised what a significant loss it would be for towns across the country if their local SPFL club’s very survival was threatened.

"This isn’t just about the passion on the pitch, which is why we love the game, but about the responsibility our clubs take in communities across Scotland. I’ve seen first-hand over the last few years what a difference clubs can make to people’s lives, and so I am very pleased to have been able to offer my support at this difficult time.

"I’m also committing my ongoing support to Scottish football by way of confirming I will make further donations. I have also introduced others who share my values and who are committed to do the same.

"This is the start of our journey, together. I have great faith in the SPFL Trust, and confidence that they – and SPFL clubs along with their charitable trusts - will take this opportunity and make a great success of it."

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "This extremely generous donation from James will help protect all of our clubs from the very worst effects of Covid-19, enabling them to return to playing as early as it’s safe to do so, whilst continuing to reach out and support communities as they have done throughout the pandemic.

"We know the positive power our clubs have within their communities. During this crisis, they have stepped up to support thousands of socially isolated and vulnerable people who desperately needed help.

"On behalf of every one of the SPFL's 42 clubs, I want to sincerely thank James for his timely and extremely generous financial support at this critical moment."

We have contacted local clubs to find out if they intend on applying for a grant.

A video interview, provided by the trust, is available at the top of this article.