Football club give up search for little boy after fans raise £10,000 for him to attend matches

2 March 2022, 12:57

By Alice Dear

The mystery boy, called Joe, sent a letter to Swindon Football Club last month with 26 pence attached to it.

Swindon Town Football Club have announced that they are giving up their search for a little boy who wrote to them explaining he couldn't attend matches because his mum couldn't afford it.

The boy, called Joe, went viral last month when the football club shared the sweet letter on their Twitter page.

In the letter, he explained that his mum didn't have money to take him to a Swindon match because "she had to pay for my dinner at school".

He added that his favourite player is Harry McKirdy and attached 26 pence in coins to the letter for the player.

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Swindon Town FC were eager to find the young boy and put out appeals on social media hoping Joe's family would respond.

Meanwhile, football fans set up a JustGiving page to raise money to send Joe and his family to a Swindon match.

The page has raised a massive £10,000 since it was launched.

In an update posted on their website, Swindon Town FC wrote: "Swindon Town Football Club, unfortunately, have to advise that despite extensive media coverage, we have not been able to locate Joe, and will have to bring the search to a conclusion."

They added: "With Joe remaining elusive, any donations and proceeds from the JustGiving page will be used to support children who are in a similar position.

"Half of the money will be passed on to the Swindon Food Collective - a local independent food bank that currently feeds c.7500 people per year, of which one third are children - with whom Swindon Town FC recently announced a partnership.

"The other half of the money will go to the STFC Community Foundation and will be spent on giving children and families similar to Joe's, the opportunity to experience a matchday package at SN1. STFC Community Foundation will work in partnership with local schools to identify children and families for this scheme that are experiencing financial hardship. This will allow over 300 children to enjoy a professional coaching session, have a pre-match lunch and watch a first-team match at The County Ground."

They added that in the future, if Joe is found, they would be offering tickets to him and his family to attend a match as a mascot and meet his favourite player, Harry.

If he comes forward, Joe and his family will also be treated to season tickets for the remaining matches of this season and the next.

If you know who Joe is, you can get in contact with Swindon Town FC by emailing supporters@swindontownfc.co.uk.