Football digs deep for tsunami

The FIFA/UEFA Match for Hope is perhaps football's most prominent response to the tsunami disaster, but the sporting community across Europe has been making efforts of its own.

Greek offer
The Greece team which won UEFA EURO 2004™ offered their services to FIFA's fund-raising efforts, pledging to play a friendly game against the opponents of the federation's choice with the proceeds going to help relief efforts in Asia.

Individual efforts
Greek clubs were also digging deep, with many making anonymous donations to the special bank accounts opened to allow the public to pledge money. Panathinaikos FC, Olympiacos CFP and AEK Athens FC also gave memorabilia to be auctioned for charity on national television.

Dutch auction
A peculiar public auction also marked part of efforts in the Netherlands. As uefa.com reported a few weeks back, €2,500 was raised for the appeal by revellers who stole the centre spot at SC Heerenveen's Abe Lenstra stadium. A subsequent TV auction raised a further €1,000.

Big contribution
"A new piece of grass, and the pitch is as good as new again," said Heerenveen chairman Riemer van der Velde, whose club have raised around €20,000 for the appeal. The players and staff of AFC Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven have stumped up €150,000 between them as well as getting involved in other activities to benefit the tsunami victims.

Gent game
Over in Belgium, the 22 January game between KAA Gent and Club Brugge KV saw both clubs' shirt sponsors decide to emblazon the kits with the Belgian tsunami appeal emergency number 1212 - a move which helped to create a very desirable item for club supporters.

Unique kit
The unique shirts were then offered to fans in a special internet auction. Gent's shirts raised a combined total of €10,195, while Brugge's drew in an impressive €28,845, with the two shirts of captain Timmy Simons raising €3,015 on their own. All the proceeds of the auctions went to charity.

Irish game
A special match in the Republic of Ireland saw a team of government ministers and members of the Irish parliament take on a team of staff from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI)and the Soccer Writers' Association of Ireland, as part of a €100,000 fund-raising drive.

Political goal
Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern turned up to watch as the FAI side, coached by Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr, won 5-3. The politicians were boosted by the presence of former international striker Niall Quinn, but former Celtic FC goalkeeper Packie Bonner's heroics in the FAI goal may have made the difference.

Generous players
To add to the fund, Ireland's senior players have agreed to donate their match fees from the upcoming friendly international against Portugal to the cause. A similarly generous gesture is being made in the forthcoming friendly between Moldova and Romania with both sides having pledged half of their match fees to the fund.

Malta digs deep
Finally to Malta, where Malta Football Association (MFA) president Joe Mifsud responded to FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter's appeal to the world footballing community by setting up a special MFA tsunami fund. The MFA executive committee has now asked all members of the Maltese footballing community to contribute at least €2.25 each to the fund before it closes at the end of January. A small island, perhaps, but one with a big heart.