Lanarkshire clubs can grab a slice of a £3m windfall after the SPFL Trust reached an agreement with businessman James Anderson.
Motherwell, Hamilton Accies, Airdrieonians, Albion Rovers and Clyde are amongst the clubs who will be eligible to receive a £50,000 grant for support during the Covid-19 crisis, provided they can prove it is for the benefit of their community.
The donation comes without qualification or preconditions relating to future structure or governance at the SPFL.
Funding will also be used to accelerate the launch of a new national SPFL Trust programme, Scottish Football United, which is expected to engage clubs, leagues governing bodies and a range of public sector organisations.
A separate fund, called The Anderson Fund, will also be established and Mr Anderson, who is a fund manager and partner with Baillie Gifford, has confirmed he intends to provide further funding.
He has gifted the charity £3,125,000 inclusive of gift aid.
A Covid-19 crisis fund is to be launched by the SPFL Trust, to which all 42 SPFL clubs will be eligible to apply to, for a fixed grant of £50,000. Clubs will be able to use the grant, provided they are able to demonstrate support for the wider community in which they are based. This will be a condition of the grant.
Scottish Football United was to be launched in 2021 or a 2022 launch, but the SPFL Trust has immediately began putting plans in place.
In principle, Scottish Football United will bring together clubs, leagues, governing bodies, with national and local public agencies to create a focal point for future crisis planning and support. This will enable Scottish football to react and support communities quickly, and at scale.
A restricted fund, The Anderson Fund, will be used to fund new projects, which demonstrate a positive impact on health, attainment, or inclusion as well as any general related support during the Covid-19 crisis.
All 42 SPFL clubs have been involved in the response to the crisis, demonstrating their capacity to support those in need, quickly and effectively. Across the SPFL, over 150 different community projects have been built, many from a standing start, to respond to the crisis created by the pandemic.
SPFL Trust CEO Nicky Reid 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’ 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.”
James 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,” he said.
“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.”
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