THE SPFL Trust has revealed that Celtic, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock will donate all of their £50,000 SPFL grant from James Anderson to charity.

All 42 SPFL clubs have now successfully applied for their grant from the charity’s Covid-19 Crisis Fund, and payments are being processed. 

Each of Scotland's 42 professional teams will receive £50,000, once signed Condition of Grant letters have been returned, with payments now underway.

The new fund was established to support clubs and their communities after James Anderson gifted the SPFL Trust £3,125,000 inclusive of gift aid.

Clubs were able to secure the grant, provided they demonstrate support for the wider community in which they are based.

A number of other clubs have directly referenced that some of the funding will support community activity via their own club charities. 

Aberdeen have asked for the grant to be made directly to the AFC Community Trust to support the re-opening of community and training facilities.

Celtic will give their grant to the Celtic FC Foundation, to support their Football for Good Fund.

And Kilmarnock will pass their £50,000 to the Kilmarnock Community Sports Trust to support projects which help reduce social isolation and improve health and wellbeing in East Ayrshire.

For other clubs the money will enable the re-opening of stadia across the country, once enabling community programmes to start to plan for face to face delivery, in a bio-secure environment.

At the same time, taking this approach will allow many clubs to be able plan for a return to football, which will be vital to their long-term survival.

At least 17 clubs across the SPFL have indicated they intend to purchase Covid-19 testing kit, with the intent to make access to these facilities available to the wider community. 

In addition, clubs will be using facilities to support deep cleaning, the purchase of PPE equipment, signage and markers; some are looking to purchase thermal imaging temperature check equipment.

A small number of lower league clubs also plan to use some of the grant to install in-stadium broadcast systems to enable supporters to watch matches live, when the season starts, on the basis that games may be behind closed doors.

SPFL Trust chief executive Nicky Reid said: “We are pleased to have confirmed in just seven days that all clubs have met the eligibility criteria to secure their grant. Once signed Condition of Grant letters are returned to the SPFL Trust, payments will be quickly processed.

“I’m really heartened by the way clubs have embraced this process. All have thought carefully about how they would use their grant, to help get operations back up and running, get stadiums bio-secure and therefore open for community engagement, again.

“As part of the commitment to transparency, all clubs will evidence to us how they use their grant, and we’ll make sure we share some of those stories of impact.”