Nearly 200 people gathered at Edami, a Lebanese bakery in east London, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Lajee Celtic, a grassroots sports club based in the Aida Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. The event highlighted the club’s growth from a local football project into an international symbol of solidarity.
The celebration featured Palestinian flags, traditional manousheh bread, and Lajee Celtic shirts worn by supporters including football legend Eric Cantona and actor Hannah Einbinder.
Lajee Celtic’s origins and development in Aida Camp
Martin, an organiser for Lajee Celtic who travelled from Glasgow for the event, described his first visit to Aida Camp over a decade ago as life-changing. He noted the unique connection between Celtic Football Club’s Irish identity and its diaspora community, which helped inspire the project.
Mohammed al-Azzeh, director of the Lajee Centre which supports youth in the camp, recalled how relationships with friends from Scotland and Ireland led to the idea of creating a football academy. After his first visit to Glasgow in 2012, discussions about the academy began to take shape.
By 2015, players from the camp had travelled to Belfast to play a match, marking a significant step in the club’s development.
Solidarity through football and international support
The club’s profile rose notably during the 2016 Champions League draw when Celtic faced Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva. Despite warnings of fines, Celtic supporters displayed Palestinian flags in the stadium, an act led by the Green Brigade ultras. UEFA fined Celtic following the incident.
The Green Brigade responded by launching the Match The Fine For Palestine campaign, not to pay the fine but to support Palestinian organisations, including the establishment of the football academy in Aida Camp. Al-Azzeh described this as a pivotal moment that helped shape Lajee Celtic’s identity.
The club now unites young Palestinians from Bethlehem, Hebron, Jerusalem, and refugee camps, fostering community beyond just football.
Challenges and recent competitions amid conflict
Lajee Celtic is participating in organised football competitions for the first time. The club had planned to enter the Palestinian league three years ago, but the competition was cancelled due to the outbreak of war in Gaza. Despite ongoing movement restrictions and disruptions, Lajee Celtic has entered the Thousand Martyrs Cup, named in memory of the 1,014 athletes killed in Gaza since October 2023.
Bassil Mikdadi, founder of Football Palestine, emphasized the club’s role as a model for European football fans to support Palestinians directly, describing it as “connective tissue” between communities.
Expanding impact beyond football
Martin highlighted that proceeds from Lajee Celtic merchandise fund youth development and sports initiatives in Palestine. Wearing the shirts is seen as an individual act of solidarity across cities like Glasgow, London, and New York.
The club has broadened its activities to include sports such as boxing and table tennis, creating opportunities for young Palestinians both locally and in the diaspora.
Al-Azzeh shared a poignant memory from 2025 when the team played friendlies in Cape Town, South Africa. Samir al-Amir, a coordinator with Lajee Celtic who had spent over 19 years in Israeli prisons, experienced the sea for the first time during the trip. Al-Azzeh said, “Without Lajee Celtic, I’m not sure Samir would have ever had that opportunity. That illustrates why the project is so important.”
