Football fans raise over $12k for boy who can’t afford tickets

• Swindon Town FC received a note and some coins from a boy who signed off as “Joe Aged 6 1/2.”
• The boy said that the team is his favorite, but his mother couldn’t afford to get him tickets to see them play.
• The team has enlisted the help of the community to track down the boy and raise funds for his tickets.

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When a boy wrote to his favorite football team saying his family couldn’t afford food and tickets to their games, the team enlisted the help of the community to track him down. And the community pooled funds that have reached over £9,000!

Swindon Town FC received the following note from a boy who signed off as “Joe Aged 6 1/2.”

“Mummy doesn’t have any money to come to Swindon games because she has no money for food and has to pay for my dinner at school,” Joe had written.

“I like Swindon Town Harry McKirdy. I will come one day,” he continued.

Joe had also taped three coins — a 20p, 5p, and 1p — at the bottom, indicating they were “for Harry.”

Harry McKirdy is the League Two team’s forward and is a fan favorite.

PLAYER NEWS ⚽️ | A big congratulations to our guy Harry McKirdy, who has won the @PFA @VertuMotors League Two Fans’ Player of the Month award for January!

🏆🥳🎉#STFC 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/LoSSEm2cdJ— Swindon Town Football Club (@Official_STFC) February 14, 2022

Swindon Town FC was touched by the letter and asked if anyone could help them track down Joe.

📢 | We have received this letter from Town fan Joe, aged 6 and a half.

We'd really love to get in touch with Joe, but we don't have a return address.

If anyone recognises the writing or thinks they know who Joe is, please email [email protected]#STFC 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/JFgLgNm2Lz— Swindon Town FC (@Official_STFC) February 15, 2022

“We have received this letter from Town fan Joe, aged 6 and a half,” they wrote. “We’d really love to get in touch with Joe, but we don’t have a return address. If anyone recognises the writing or thinks they know who Joe is, please email [email protected].”

Several locals showed their support for Joe and his mother, with many offering to pay for their tickets and other expenses.

One comment read, “If you manage to find Joe I’d like to pay for a week’s worth of food shopping for them. Please keep us informed.”

One fan, Mark Bevan, started a fundraiser, which has already surpassed its £1,000 target. As of Thursday night, it has raised £9,000 — and it’s still going!

Mark wrote on the fundraiser details, “Swindon Town FC have been contacted by a young boy called Joe who unfortunately doesn’t have the privileges of being able to attend football matches!”

‘This is where football comes together,” he continued. He called for everyone to get together and pool funds to give Joe “an experience for life.”

“Just to confirm that 100% of these proceeds will go to the club to support Joe & his family,” he assured everyone.

The football club thanked everyone and said that they are still searching for Joe as of Feb. 16. Joe’s note also inspired them to “set up a food bank donation point” together with the team supporters, Great Western Reds, and food bank Swindon Food Collective.

Source: Daily Mail