Although they may be halfway across the world, the members of The Singtims, Singapore’s Celtic Supporters’ Club, are keen to ensure that they carry on the charitable legacy of Celtic’s founding father, Brother Walfrid.
The Singtims are the very first CSC to sign up to Celtic FC Foundation’s monthly giving initiative, Walfrid’s Wish, with the club contributing £3 per month on behalf of each of the members for the next year.
The CSC has been a home-away-from-home for Celtic supporters in Singapore since the late 1990s. Their organic start began when Singapore-based supporter, Harry Murphy, met another young fan, Tom Flaherty, in a Celtic chatroom. They learned that Tom had been in school with Harry’s daughter and when Tom soon landed in Singapore for a new job, the two had a beer – and an epiphany.
Like many expats around the world living outside Scotland, they could not bear to be parted from their beloved Celtic, and the seed was planted to form their very own Celtic Supporters’ Club. It didn’t take long before it became apparent that there were hundreds of others like them in Singapore and so, the CSC was formed. Notable founding members included Hugh Doherty, Michael Craig, Kevin Dickie, Jack Wallace and Mark McCann.
Fast forward 25 years and things have changed a lot from the days when the CSC would await VHS tapes of matches so they could watch them. Today, they manage to catch nearly all of the matches across available platforms and members are kept up-to-date via Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp. A Singtims podcast may also be on its way soon.
In those 25 years, however, charity has always played a key part in the CSC’s existence, as they have committed all the money collected through membership and merchandise sales over the years, to a host of charities in Singapore and beyond, including Celtic FC Foundation.
The Singtims’ relationship with the Foundation has been ongoing for a number of years, with funds raised in the past supporting flood victims in Brisbane, Australia, as well as the Foundation’s 67 Kitchens project in partnership with Mary’s Meals, in Malawi and Zambia.
Now, this latest show of support sees them follow in the footsteps of Brother Walfrid, by becoming Champions of Celtic FC Foundation, via Walfrid’s Wish.
To mirror the charitable vision of our Founding Father, monies raised through Walfrid’s Wish are devoted to supporting those, primarily on our doorstep but also further afield, who are facing poverty and this was key in the CSC’s motivations to get behind the initiative.
Speaking of their support, Sean Begley, President of The Singtims said: “The Singtims are proud to once again support Celtic FC Foundation through the Walfrid’s Wish monthly giving initiative. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit families hard all around the world, and it feels good to be able to play our small part from our far-flung corner of the world, to help alleviate some of the suffering it has caused.
“The Foundation’s continuing outreach efforts remind us that Brother Walfrid formed Celtic Football Club as a means to feed the hungry. In signing up to Walfrid’s Wish, The Singtims and our members are showing our commitment to the Foundation’s cause for the long haul.
“We very much enjoyed our meeting with members of the Foundation team during their visit here a couple of years ago and we took an early decision to support the charity’s efforts. Walfrid’s Wish gives us a way to fulfil the Club’s original objectives.
“Our Bhoys and Ghirls are some of the most generous I’ve met anywhere, and we’re all-in with the Foundation’s work. There’s not a single member who doesn’t support Brother Walfrid’s beliefs.”
Gerard Sillars, Vice President added: “Our role as a supporters’ club and especially during the pandemic, is to support the work of the Foundation, and by doing so, encourage other CSCs around the world to do so as well. It’s the ethos of who we are as Celtic supporters, to give to those who are not as fortunate as we are.
“We currently have 40 active members but this can be as many as 120 at any one time. It’s hard to tell exactly how many given the transient status of ex-pats around the world. But we know that each and every one of our members are behind us in offering our ongoing support to the Foundation.”
Celtic FC Foundation would like to thank The Singtims for their incredible support and we would be honoured if other Celtic Supporters’ Clubs would consider signing up to Walfrid’s Wish. If your CSC is interested in registering for monthly giving, please get in touch at [email protected].
Or to register as an individual, you can sign up and donate HERE.
Thank you for your magnificent support.
