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| - All 42 of Scotland's league football clubs have been awarded grants of £50,000 ($62,000, 55,000 euros) grants following a donation from philanthropist James Anderson. Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, together with Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, are set to hand the money over to their charity organisations, while others will use it for community initiatives. For clubs lower down the Scottish Professional Football League chain, the money will help them prepare for the new season starting on August 1 after the 2019/20 campaign was cut short by the coronavirus. Anderson, an Edinburgh-based investment manager, offered the SPFL £2.5 million, with a further £625,000 due from tax-related gift aid, to help the clubs cope with the impact of the pandemic upon their finances. Some 17 clubs will use the funding to buy COVID-19 testing equipment, which can then be shared with the wider community. Some lower league sides are installing broadcast facilities to allow fans to watch games that take place behind closed doors. Shaun Niven, vice-chairman of fourth-tier Stranraer, welcomed Anderson's cash input by saying Tuesday: "We face unique and uncertain times. However, what is certain is that most of us are keen to get back to normal as soon as possible and that means being able to stage live football. "At Stranraer FC this would have been almost impossible without the generous grant funding received. We can now look forward to seeing both SPFL action and community involvement again at Stair Park." The remainder of Anderson's donation will be divied into two new funds, one to support new community projects and the other to assist with future crisis planning. jdg/pb
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