FOOTBALL fans banded together yesterday to launch their response to the refugee crisis, with a T-shirt to raise funds for the medical team operating in the Calais refugee camp.

Philosophy Football’s “Refugees are Our Football Family” T-shirt campaign has been backed by the Football Supporters Federation, Football Action Network, Football Against Racism in Europe, Football Beyond Borders, Kick it Out, the Hope not Hate campaign and the fanzine When Saturday Comes.

The much used notion of “the football family,” regularly parroted by the sport’s Establishment, inspired the aptly titled “outfitters of intellectual distinction” to produce something that would illustrate that the crisis gripping Europe offers an opportunity for the phrase to acquire some real meaning.

Mark Perryman, co-founder of Philosophy Football, said the ambition is “to raise a lot of money going directly to where the help is needed most backed by hundreds, thousands, of fans wearing the message that ours is a football culture that is open, welcoming with a human generosity of spirit.”

While design guru Hugh Tisdale explained that “the united club colours [used on the T-shirt] symbolise football as us, not me, that’s the game at its best, a community of localities and nations together.”

All profits will go to Doctors of the World who staff the only medical clinic operating in the Calais refugee camp with other clinics in refugee camps across the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.

Alongside the fundraising efforts, a show of symbolic solidarity has also been announced with the outfitters appealing for donations of old club scarves to be sent in a convoy from Wembley to Calais — in response to the appeals from charities for woollen items as winter approaches.

Mr Perryman described the trip as a journey of hope “from one home of football, a powerful symbol of the kind of humanitarian hospitality all fans can be proud of.”

The action joins the co-ordinated plans for “Refugees Welcome” banners to be displayed by fans at grounds across the country this weekend after fan-owned clubs such as Dulwich Hamlet and FC United began the show of solidarity.

• Refugees are Our Football Family T-shirt available from www.philosophyfootball.com

• You can donate your clean, good condition club scarves before Friday October 9 to Philosophy Football, PO Box 11140, Harwich CO12 9AP. (Please include your name, address and email.)