Scottish Europhile insists his blood is '100% German' after life-saving transplant

A Scotland fan in Munich to watch his team play in their opening Euros match has spoken about how his life was saved by a bone marrow transplant from a German donor almost 25 years ago.

Allie Brown, 41, from Haddington, East Lothian, had a bone marrow transplant when she was 16.

Prior to that, he had been treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (a type of blood cancer) for four years and the disease recurred three times.

He said: “I support Scotland but my blood is that of a German donor.”

Scotland face Germany on Friday in their opening match of Euro 2024.

“I'm really excited to be playing Germany in the first game of the tournament, I'm really lucky to have got tickets and I can't wait,” Brown said.

“I'm 100% German so the country will always be close to me, but on Friday night I'll be shouting and singing for Scotland.”

Brown received a bone marrow transplant from a German woman through the stem cell charity Anthony Nolan, which he founded in 1974.

The program matches donors with patients and was founded by Shirley Nolan to find a suitable donor for her son Anthony, who had a rare blood disorder.

No suitable organ could be found for Anthony, who died aged seven in 1979, but the charity has since supported more than 26,500 transplants around the world.

Brown said he keeps in touch with his donors through Facebook and uses Google Translate to communicate.

“My donor gave me the most amazing gift. She gave me 24 years of life and continues to give me life, for which I am so grateful,” he added.

“We exchanged photos and my partner sent her a message of thanks. Saving a life is not just a gift to that person, it's a gift to their family and friends too.

“That's why it's so important that everyone who is able to donate an organ registers with Anthony Nolan so that we can save other lives just as it saved my life.”

Henny Braunard, chief executive of Anthony Nolan, said: “It's fantastic to see Ally supporting Scotland in Germany, the home country of his life-saving donor.

“Sadly, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer every 13 minutes in the UK and for people with blood cancer or blood disorders, a stem cell transplant may be their last chance of survival.

“As the Euros get underway, we are calling on football fans aged 16 to 30 to join the stem cell register and get involved in the One Million United campaign.

“With just a quick swab test, you could be part of our potentially life-saving team and give someone like Allie a second chance at life.”