A PORTUGUESE charity has thanked the Tartan Army for donating money towards their children’s street football program.
ANFR were the latest recipient from the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal (Tasa) - a charity set up by Scotland supporters in 2003 which donates money to a local charity at every Scotland away game.
Ahead of the Nation’s League match between Scotland and Portugal on Sunday evening, members of Tasa as well as the deputy UK ambassador to Portugal Nigel Boud joined charity employees and some of the children on the program (below).
"Today a special visit to our space, the oldest group of football fans in the world took advantage of Portugal vs Scotland and personally delivered a donation to the charity,” the organisation wrote on Instagram.
"Thank you for the donation and for sharing this Sunday with us.”
One person responded: "What a great initiative from this group of football fans."
A Portuguese journalist who helped facilitate the donation also highlighted the charitable act in a viral Twitter/X thread.
“The Tartan Army sees football as an opportunity to showcase themselves as a people and a culture.
“In Germany, I was approached by a group of Scotland fans.
“Realising that I was Portuguese, they challenged me to something impossible to refuse. The two teams were due to face each other in a few months (they never miss a beat) and they needed support to put their plan into practice.
“This group has been working in Scotland for over 20 years. Nothing unusual there. But in that time they have done over 100 charity events across Europe, raising over £300,000. They want to leave a positive mark on the places they visit.
“The money donated by this group has already been used to build a playground in a children's hospital in Moldova, to buy incubators in hospitals in Croatia, to provide football training for children with disabilities (Germany), among many other things.
“Tomorrow, in connection with Portugal vs. Scotland, they will have made 102 consecutive donations in away games and, this time, they have chosen a Portuguese association.
“Football as an excuse to share and make the world a better place. It is worth remembering these fans.”
Scotland lost 2-1 to Portugal on Sunday after Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning goal in the 88th minute.
