Colchester United to donate proceeds from Forest Green game to Ukrainian refugees
The Us are also asking the FA for permission to wear special yellow and blue kit
Colchester United has announced its going to donate the proceeds from their upcoming game against Forest Green Rovers to refugees from Ukraine.
The U's have peldged to doante all gate receipts from the game, scheduled for March 21, to the relief effort for people fleeing the conflict.
Colchester will also ask the FA for permission to wear a special blue and yellow kit to show solidarity for Ukraine.
The kit will later be auctioned off to raise further cash for good causes.
U's owner and chairman Robbie Cowling says he will ask for complimentary tickets to be paid for by fans and has pledged to personally pay for any free tickets issued by either team.
In a statement, Cowling said: "I’m sure many of you are feeling devastated by the events in the Ukraine.
"The generations in my family that came before me, including my parents, grandparents and great grandparents, fought for the freedom and the peace that I have been fortunate enough to enjoy during my lifetime.
"The same is likely to be true in many of the families that attend Colchester United games.
"I appreciate that there will be some of you who have not been so fortunate and may have come to Colchester to escape regimes where such privileges could not be taken for granted in the way that I have been able to.
"All I have been able to do so far is watch the news and marvel at the kindness being shown by those people in the countries that neighbour the Ukraine such as Poland and wonder what can be done to help those refugees that have been forced out of their homes and their normal lives and into a foreign country and an uncertain future.
"I hope you can get behind this event, and any other ideas for how the club can do more on that evening will be gratefully received."