scotlandia.com - sarajevo tartan army

This time, I am very glad to let you know all the logistics details for the Appeal.

We would like to thank to the Territorial Army both in Glasgow and Edinburgh who have agreed to act as pick up points, before the stuff is shipped out to Bosnia on 14 December. So, the handover presentation will be arranged in Sarajevo just before Christmas.

Pick up of collected football strips will be done 2pm - 7pm every Tuesday, from now to 10 December (or earlier, subject to weight limit) at the following locations of 52 Lowland Regiment:
- A Coy, East Claremont Street, in Edinburgh (map here)
- C Coy, Hotspur Street, Maryhill, in Glasgow (map here)

Thanks to everyone who contacted us with suggestions and proposals. We are hoping to publish regular updates on the progress of the Appeal. Moreover, all the people involved will be mentioned on the website, at least once the Appeal is over if not before. Thank you all.

Once again, pick up will be done 2pm - 7pm every Tuesday at two locations of 52 Lowland Regiment (East Claremont Street in Edinburgh, and Hotspur Street, Maryhill in Glasgow).

Well, it is just two days since the ‘Bubamara’ Appeal for football kits went public and here is quite a good update:

First of all, BIG thanks to Queens Park Football Club who was the first one to respond to the Appeal and donated tracksuits and wet weather jackets! Thanks to Lorraine from WWTA who helped with contacts at Queens Park FC, and who is following with contacts at the Scottish FA.

We are well advanced now with the collection points both for Glasgow and Edinburgh. Details will be published soon and most probably the collection will be done once per week until the closure date.

Closure date is now identified as 10 December, as we hope to have the shipment done on 14 December. In addition to that, we might have weight limit, so the closure might occur earlier. Details will follow in the next update.

Thanks to Ally from St Andrews who will be happy to be a contact for anyone from St Andrews and Dundee area and to deliver the strips to the collection point in Edinburgh.

Thanks to Davie from Edinburgh who works on involving three primary schools in Edinburgh. Thanks also to Sean from Edinburgh who works on involving another primary school in Edinburgh.

Thanks to David from Edinburgh area for suggestions on contacts for East Fife FC. Thanks to Graham from California (who served in the Army in Bosnia) for his suggestions to contact Major League Soccer, but unfortunately we would be faced with transport problems in that case.

Sorry if I missed anyone this time. Thank you all.

New update will follow in next 2-3 days. Best wishes from Sarajevo.

MacMirza

Dear Tartan Army friends (known and unknown),

This is an appeal for football kits (and other football gear) for a children’s football school in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Please read and think if you can help in any way. Thank you.

‘Bubamara’ background info
The football school ‘Bubamara’ (Ladybug) was formed in Sarajevo in 1993, during the war. It was Predrag Pasic, ex-player of FC Sarajevo and VfB Stuttgart (1985-87) and member of Yugoslav Team for WC 1982. Pasic stayed in Sarajevo during the war and decided to start a wee football school to help Sarajevo kids to forget about the war and its consequences.

‘Bubamara’ is nowdays proud to gather about 600 kids, not just in Sarajevo but in 5 more cities in Bosnia. Kids are 5-18 years old, and about 300 of them are U-11. They organize not just football training sessions and tournaments, but also lectures of English language, computers and swimming summer camps.

In addition to that, the school has been working with kids with special needs, trying to increase awareness of people with mental handicaps. Pasic has been President of Special Olympics Committee and has received an award from UEFA for his contibution to promotion of sports.

The idea for ‘Bubamara’ Appeal
The idea for the Appeal came about one month ago when I met Bill (William Wallace TA) here in Sarajevo. He mentioned that WWTA has done something similar for kids in Sierra Leone and it might be possible to do something for kids in Bosnia, baring in mind post-war difficulties. I contacted ‘Bubamara’ then and arranged a meeting. Pasic is a very simple and modest guy and welcomed the idea, especially since the school (registered as an NGO) does not have support from governmental institutions.

A letter was sent to Mr David Taylor to SFA, asking for a possibility of donating some old football strips and other old stuff which can be of good use for the kids from ‘Bubamara’. WWTA will be making contacts with Queens Park FC as there is a possibility for their support.

We have already identified a way of how to transport the donation and hope we might be able to have it in Sarajevo around the Christmas/New Year time.

What can YOU do to help the ‘Bubamara’ Appeal?
* The most simple way - if you have any football kits (strips, shorts, training wear, etc) that your kids do not need any more, think about donating them. The collection point will be organized through WWTA in Glasgow and I will post the details shortly.

* If you have a contact at your local football club or you are aware of a such possibility, please do contact them and let me know. Or please let me know who to contact and I will email them directly.

* Important - for now, we have only one collection point in Glasgow (WWTA) so I would be thankful to any individuals or TA clubs/groups which would organize a collection point in other cities in Scotland (even if it is only a couple of hours, one day during November). Please contact me if you can do this.

* Currently, we didn’t think about any money contribution but if some people think this might be easier for them, we can think about that. In-kind donations are preferred option.

In the incoming days (and months), I will be posting progress updates regarding the ‘Bubamara’ Appeal both here and on Tartan Army Message Board

If you need to email me, please use macmirza@scotlandia.com

Greetings from the city which is building a new and a better future! Thank you!

Alba Gu Brath

Just a wee note that I might be preparing another version of ‘Prepare your liver’ unofficial guide, this time for Slovenia. The guide will be available well in advance, in Spring 2005.

Some TA footsoldiers who went to Zagreb in October 2000 will remember the guide (the first one!) released some time before the match. I prepared another one, for Bydgoczs in Poland in March 2001. Finally, Hearts fans who travelled to Sarajevo last year received one too.

Slovenia, when you hear the noise of the Tartan Army boys… make sure there is enough beer in the country!

Awrabest!