Celtic donate £30,000 from ticket sales to help Syrian refugee crisis

A group of Syrian refugees arrive on the island of Lesbos after traveling in an inflatable raft from Turkey, near Skala Sykaminias. Picture: UNHCR/Andrew McConnell

The football club decided to donate one euro from every ticket sold for the Celtic v Fenerbahce match last Thursday to assist with providing emergency aid to those affected by the current refugee crisis in Europe.

On its website, the club said it was delighted to be one of the first to respond to this appeal, in conjunction with the European Club Association (ECA).

The sum of £30,445.67 will be donated to help the many thousands of people fleeing the war zone.

Celtic midfielder Stuart Armstrong added: “Through the many images we receive on a daily basis we can all see the real difficulties that so many people are facing.

“It is magnificent that such a wonderful donation has been made to help these people affected across Europe.

“It is fantastic that Celtic and our fans have joined forces in this way and we hope this will be of some support.”

Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: “For many weeks now, we have watched in horror and sadness as this crisis has developed.

“Clearly we are not able to comprehend what these people, in their thousands, and of all ages are going through, but we felt compelled to help in any way we can.

“Celtic was formed in 1888 to help people in need and our strong social dimension will always be fundamental to what we are.

“We are pleased and proud that today these values remain such an important part of our ethos.”

“Celtic is delighted to be a part of the European Club Association and we were very pleased to be part of this ECA initiative.

“The scale of this crisis is so great, however we hope this significant donation can provide some positive assistance to people affected.”