CELTIC Football Club is delighted to welcome some very special guests from Romania to tonight’s match as 14 young people, currently in Scotland on a soccer exchange trip will be visiting Celtic Park.

The young men, who have experienced real disadvantage in the Constanta district of Romania, and some of whom have been brought up a local orphanage, are part of a football team set up to offer support and protection to vulnerable young people and to teach life skills via football.

The visit is taking place in conjunction with STAND International. It started as a joint project between two Scottish homeless charities in 2003, with the aim of encouraging and facilitating homeless individuals to take up volunteering opportunities in their own communities.

In 2005 this was extended to include homeless volunteers participating in short-term volunteering opportunities overseas. Projects involved renovation and construction work and providing outdoor activities for disadvantaged children and orphans in a number of countries in Eastern Europe.

As a result of the projects' success STAND International was established in 2006. The acronym STAND comes from Start A New Day, denoting the idea that participating in projects allows those involved to re-evaluate the opportunities they are presented with in life and to consider a new more positive start to their involvement in and contribution to their own communities.

Morag Crichton, project co-ordinator at STAND International, said: “We are delighted to be working with Celtic to give these young people a day to remember and we thank the club sincerely for their support.

"It is difficult for us to comprehend just how difficult the lives of these young men have been and our focus now is to do all we can to provide support, care and opportunity. We are sure this visit to Celtic Park will be another very positive step in their lives.”

Everyone at Celtic Football Club is delighted to welcome our guests from Romania to Celtic Park.

Celtic welcome special guests from Romania to Cluj game