I realised what a significant loss it would be for towns across the country if their local SPFL club’s survival was threatened. This is the start of our journey, together

SAYS SPFL GAME CHANGER

SCOTTISH football has been stuck on pause for three months as clubs scrabble around for a remedy to the unforeseen carnage brought by the coronavirus crisis.

But SPFL bosses hope the intervention of James Anderson and his millions might just be enough to see the play button pressed for every one of its members next season.

The Edinburgh-based investment manager yesterday delivered a £3million gift aimed at ensuring none of the 42 clubs that make up the SPFL are lost to the Covid-19 crisis.

It is the biggest personal donation in Scottish football history.

As part of it, all 42 clubs are eligible for a £50,000 wedge to help them ride out the storm that’s been caused by the pandemic.

But Anderson isn’t finished there and in a lasting act of generosity he has enlisted investor pals to provide further funding in the coming years, insisting this donation is just the “start of our journey together”.

The crisis fund will begin filtering down to the most needy a week on Monday, with one key stipulation. The money cannot be used for staff or player salaries – instead it is to help clubs tackle the Covid-19 storm with biosecure facilities and also to have knock-on community benefits.

Should any clubs break those terms they’ve been warned the SPFL Trust won’t hesitate in clawing it back.

Hearts fan Anderson, who has pumped millions into the Jambos in the last six years, has gifted a whopping £2.5m to the league, a figure bolstered by another £625,000 through Gift Aid.

Of that, £2.1m will be made available for clubs and should the SPFL’s big hitters choose to forgo their share, the remainder will be dispersed in a second round of funding. The rest will be used for community initiatives.

That will be enough to cover the cost of testing kits for three months and making facilities bio-secure, thus providing hope that football can return in some shape or form for the 42 clubs sooner rather than later.

And the remaining £1.025m will then go directly to the SPFL Trust for community projects.

Anderson was introduced to the SPFL by Hearts supremo Ann Budge but Trust chief executive Nicky Reid said: “James has made this donation without qualification or preconditions relating to anything involving the SPFL