Toys for tots: Lille fans rise to the occasion once more
There was plenty to celebrate at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday evening -- not only di did the hosts beat Paris FC thanks to a double by Olivier Giroud, but the club's loyal fans prepared for the holidays by donating toys. Learn more about Les Dogues' charitable initiative in our latest.
A NEW tradition
The holidays are just around the corner, and there's no better way to celebrate them by thinking of those less fortunate. Club across Ligue 1 McDonald's have a variety of charitable initiatives, but none is perhaps as striking as LOSC's newly minted tradition of fans throwing children's toys onto the pitch at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy at halftime, just in time for distribution ahead of the holidays.
It's a tradition that only started in 2023, but it's one that has had a massive impact in the Nord department of France. Organized by Le Chagnot Tourcoing Nord, one of Les Dogues' most well-known supporters' groups, the tradition is one in which any fan can participate, and the supporters' group had hoped to set a new record of more than ten thousand donations on Sunday.
Lille fans throw toys onto the pitch to support disadvantaged children 🧸
A beautiful tradition ❤️ pic.twitter.com/6KlOT9CyFf— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) November 23, 2025
More than one way to donate
The head of the supporters' group, Franck Deffenain, also underscored that fans could donate not only by attending the match, but by dropping toys off at a central location in Tourcoing, a town that lies just to the north of Lille, near the Belgian border. While Lille are the only such club in France to have this sort of initiative, Deffenain hopes that it can be replicated by other clubs across Ligue 1 McDonald's.
The idea, he says is that "each child in need can have a small Christmas gift," and he also cited Spanish club Real Betis as an example. If the images (see above) are anything by which to go, it's clear that fans of Lille have been more than generous, and that the spirit of charity is alive and well in the north of France.
