A selfless Scotland supporter gave away a £900 World Cup ticket for free to a young fan who had been scammed. John MacLean, a Scot who has lived in the United States for the past 16 years, handed over a prized ticket for Scotland's opening World Cup clash against Haiti after hearing a young supporter had been left heartbroken by a ticket fraud.
Steve Clarke's men ran out 1-0 victors thanks to a John McGinn strike in the nation's return to the World Cup, a first win at the global showpiece tournament since 1990. John's kindness came after Greig McBride revealed one of his younger brother's friends, Jack, had been devastated after being scammed out of a ticket for the match.
John had paid $1,200 (£893) for the ticket and was looking to sell it before the match. But after hearing about Jack's plight, John stepped in without a second thought.
Rather than try to recoup some of the money he paid for the sought-after brief, he offered it to Jack for free. Sharing the story on Facebook, Greig wrote: "John is Scottish but has been living in the United States for the past 16 years. When he heard that one of my little brother's friends, Jack, had been scammed out of a ticket for Scotland vs Haiti at the World Cup, he stepped in and did something incredible. Without hesitation, John gave away the ticket — which he paid $1,200 for — so that a young Scotland fan wouldn't miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
He added: "He didn't know Jack and wasn't expecting anything in return. He simply wanted to help a fellow Scotland supporter who had been left devastated after being scammed. In a world where we hear so many negative stories, this was a genuine act of kindness that deserves to be recognised."
The remarkable act of generosity quickly struck a chord with football fans, prompting Greig to launch a fundraising page in a bid to repay some of the kindness shown by John. Over £1,200 has been raised in less than a day through a GoFundMe campaign.
Greig wrote: "It would be amazing if we could give something back to John and show our appreciation for his generosity. Please share this far and wide, and if you're able to contribute, every donation is greatly appreciated. Let's repay a little of the kindness that John showed to someone else."
Fans couldn't believe John's generosity and shared their amazement on social media. Hellen Brannan said: "Well done John! You know what they say - you can take the Scottish people out of Scotland, but you’ll never take Scotland out of the Scottish people."
Margaret Traquair wrote: "Absolutely one in a million John. Thank you to the moon and back. You're always going to be our boy. Scotland is so proud of you."
Nikki Hammerton added: "How kind. It gives us hope in what can be an often cruel world."
