Tuesday, September 4, 2007

FA CUP AND LEAGUE CUP IN MALTA- CHELSEA SUPPORTERS CLUB MALTA


VISIT OF THE

F.A. CUP & CARLING CUP

TO MALTA

7 / 8 SEPTEMBER 2007


THE CUPS BY THE POOL

B B Q

AT THE SUNCREST HOTEL QAWRA

ON : FRIDAY – 7th SEPTEMBER

FROM 8.30p.m.

TICKETS FROM :

GINO LOMBARDI : 9983 3436

JOE ANASTASI : 9945 2820

WINSTON MIFSUD : 7991 0500



Leeds United Supporters Club Malta featured in Leeds United Magazine


Leeds United Supporters Club Malta and Leeds' ambassador in Malta Hilary Attard were featured in the June edition of the Leeds magazine. The article is being reproduced here:


FANZONE

LOVE LETTER FROM VALLETTA
There is a Maltese-shaped corner of the Mediterranean that is forever Leeds…


Arthur Graham scored a hat-trick and Paul Hart made it 4-0 in the UEFA Cup 1st Round first leg away victory over Valletta on September 19, 1979.
That was the first time Leeds played a Maltese side in European competition (the second was the home leg two weeks later, which we won 3-0) and our first game in Europe since the ban following clashes with police in Paris during the European Cup final of 1975.

It was also the first time Hilary Attard saw his beloved Leeds –and he did so in an official capacity.
“It was a pleasure and an honour to be involved with the squad from their arrival at the airport until they left Malta with a handsome 4-0 win,” he said.
“After the match Iaccompanied the full squad with their directors to a great dinner dance where they met all the Maltese supporters and my great friend and Number 1 Leeds fan, Gary Edwards.”
How, living in the sumptuous surroundings of the Republic of Malta in the heart of the Mediterranean, did he start to support Leeds?
“I read a big article in a football magazine called Goal in 1968 on how Don Revie transformed the side from a Second Division team to a real championship contender.
“It was so inspiring that I caught the Leeds United bug. It bit me over 35 years ago and I have been infected ever since. I am so proud of this infection that I don’t want to be healed!
“I am a Maltese Leeds United fanatic by the grace of God and a proud adopted Yorkshireman.”
That enduring love was cemented recently with him setting up the Real Malta Leeds United Regional Members Club.Why the‘Real’?
“It hurts me a lot when Leeds fans join us just when we are winning. During the Champions League adventure they used to turn up in numbers. For this reason I formedthe ‘Real Leeds Malta Fans’ in order to separate the genuine and occasional fans. Leeds United is a quality side so all Ineed here is quality not quantity”
Attard is known as the ‘Leeds Ambassador’ on the island, having been featured in the Maltese Times as the Number 1 Maltese Leeds fan. He’s also received a memento from the Mayor of Leeds for all his hard work in promoting Leeds United on the island.

Attard describes Elland Road as “the Holy Grail” and makes the lengthy pilgrimage at least twice a season. And whenever Leeds are live on the box the Maltese Whites gather at the Cherry Tree Pub in StPaul’s Bay.
Among the 50 or so Malta Whites in regular attendance is Mark Briffa and his dad Chris, who says he owes his love for Leeds to Bobby Charlton!
“Back in the ’60s,” says Chris, “all my friends were into Man United and Bobby Charlton. I wanted to be different and knew that Bobby had a brother Jack that played for another club. I decided to support that club andthe rest is history.”

In our promotion winning year of 1990 Briffa senior recalls how he responded to the news that we’d won at Bournemouth to go up.

“I listened to it on the radio. Iwas so ecstatic I collected my kids, packed them in the car and drove off around my hometown of Sliema hooting my car horn incessantly. It was a one-car Leeds United celebration!”

Andy Starmore

To join the Real Malta LURMC contact Hilary Attard by email at hilary01@ maltanet.net



Monday, September 3, 2007

Jibda l-Kampjonat Spanjol


The following article by Mark Mizzi was published on L-Orizzont on Thursday 30 August 2007

L-ewwel gurnata tal-kampjonat Spanjol wasslet ghar-rebha ta’ Real Madrid fid-derbi kontra l-girien Atletico Madrid u z-zelqa ta’ Barceolona fi dro ta’ minghajr gowls kontra Racing Santander.

Id-derbi ta’ Madrid kien idonju ghall-ftuh tal-Liga fejn it-tim ta’ Bernd Schuster irkupra minn gowl zvantagg biex rebah 2-1 u beda l-impenji tieghu fil-kampjonat fuq l-aqwa nota possibbli. Atletico marru fil-vantagg b’gowl spettakolari ta’ Aguero izda l-kaptin ta’ Real Raul u wiehed mill-akkwisti l-godda Wesley Sneider dawwru telfa f’rebha. Ghalkemm din ghada l-ewwel gurnata tal-kampjonat, ir-rebha ta’ Real Madrid diga tista’ titqies bhala risposta ghall-kritici tat-tim u ta’ Schuster wara serje ta’ rizultati negattivi f’loghobiet ta’ hbiberija u t-telfiet kontra Sevilla fis-Super Cup Spanjola.

Kontra Santander Barcelona bdew b’nofs pass falz u dro ta’ 0-0 huwa l-anqas rizultat li tistenna minn tim li tant ghandu alternattivi fl-attakk. Rijkaard ghazel li ma jibdiex bl-erba’ kanuni Messi, Henry, Ronaldinho u Eto’o flimkien. Henry dahal wara siegha loghob izda dan xorta ma ispirax lill-Katalani jsibu x-xibka minkejja li lejn it-tmiem Santander spiccaw b’ghaxar plejers meta tkecca s-sostitiut Smolarek.

Zewg sorprizi fl-ewwel gurnata kienu r-rebhiet ta’ Almeira fuq Deportivo La Coruna u ta’ Villareal fuq Valencia. It-tim promoss ta’ Almeira kiseb rebha ta’ 3-0 b’gowls ta’ Negredo, Soriano u Crusat. Villareal ukoll kisbu rebha ta’ 3-0 grazzi ghall-gowls ta’ Tomasson, Rossi minn penalty u Cazorla. F’din il-loghoba Valencia spiccaw b’disa’ plejers minhabba t-tkeccijiet ta’ Villa u Joaquin.

Fuq nota ferm aktar serja minn kull loghoba u kull rizultat, l-internazzjonali Spanjol ta’ Sevilla Antonio Puerta sofra attakk tal-qalb waqt ir-rebha ta’ 4-1 fuq Getafe’ u sal-hin li fih gie ppreparat dan l-artiklu, kien ghadu f’kundizzjoni kritika fl-isptar.

Sfortunatament il-Liga dan l-istagun beda fuq nota kontroversjali li m’ghandha x’taqsam xejn mal-futbol innifsu. L-argument dwar id-drittijiet televizivi iddomina l-ewwel gurnata tal-kampjonat u minhabba n-nuqqas ta’ qbil li hemm bhalissa ghad fadal element ta’ incertezza dwar x’se jintwera fuq it-televizjoni u anki l-hinjiet ta’ certu partiti.

Bhal f’kull kampjonat iehor l-ewwel gurnata mhux bil-fors hija indikazzjoni ta’ kif se tizviluppa l-kompetizzjoni fix-xhur li gejjin. Real Madrid hadu l-pass kuragguz li jkeccu l-kowc Fabio Capello li wassalhom ghar-rebh tal-kampjonat. Capello irnexxileu jasal ghal dan it-tragward f’cirkostanzi mill-aktar difficli fejn, kif qal huwa stess, wiret dressing room dominata mill-politika interna u l-klikek. Huwa kien ukoll imxekkel mid-dirigenti tal-klabb li ma tantx kienu joqoghdu lura li jindahlu bhalma gara fil-kaz ta’ Beckham fejn issa gie zvelat li kienu l-istess dirigenti li gieghlu lil Capello jeskludi lill-internazzjonali Ingliz mill-iskwadra meta dan tal-ahhar iffirma kuntratt ma’ LA Galaxy.

Ghal Madrileni li tirbah il-kampjonat mhux bixxejjed. Il-mentalita ta’ dan il-klabb hi li l-unuri jridu jaslu b’futbol sabih, li jpaxxi l-ghajn u li jirrifletti t-tradizzjoni ta’ storja glorjuza. Min-naha l-ohra Capello huwa kowc pragmatiku u prattiku. Ir-rizultat huwa l-aktar element importanti u kif jigi huwa sekondarju. Capello gie b’missjoni li jerga jgib l-unuri f’Madrid wara perjodu rarament xott. Huwa lahaq dan it-tragward izda c-cirkostanzi li wiret u li hadem fihom ma hallewhx jaghmel dan b’futbol attraenti bizzejjed ghad-dirigenti tal-klabb. Ir-rizultat kien it-tkeccija tieghu u l-hatra ta’ Bernd Schuster li, almenu mill-akkwisti li ghamel, jidher li se jkun ferm aktar avventuruz u offensiv minn Capello.

Wara Cannavaro, Reyes, Emerson (li issa nghaqad ma’ Milan), Gago, Higuain u Van Nisterlooy l-istagun li ghadda, il-klabb akkwista aktar plejers fosthom Pepe, Royston Drenthe, Wesley Sneider, il-gowlkiper Jerzy Dudek, Christoph Metzelder, Javier Saviola, Arjen Robben u Gabriel Heinze. Jekk dan it-tibdil kollu hux ghaqli jew le ghad irridu naraw. Kull meta jinbidel kowc jinbidlu wkoll il-plejers ghax il-kowc il-gdid ikun irid il-plejers tieghu ghas-sistema tieghu. Biex jikkonferma dan, mal-hatra tieghu Scuster mill-ewwel indika li numru ta’ plejers mhux se jkunu fil-pjani tieghu ghax dawn huma plejers ta’ Capello. Din l-incertezza u l-element ta’ inkonsistenza fit-tmexxija u fil-bazi tat-tim setghet wasslet biex dan is-sajf plejers bhal Kaka, Fabregas, Cristiano Ronaldo u Michael Ballack ghazlu li jibqghu mal-klabbs rispettivi taghhom minkejja interess qawwi mill-kapitali Spanjola.

Ir-rizultat tad-derbi apparti, il-loghob ta’ hbiberija wera li Schuster irid jiehu z-zmien biex jghaqqad lil dawn il-plejers flimkien u jibda jilghab is-sistema li jixtieq. Hu stess ammetta li l-iskwadra ghadha mhix kompleta u biha huwa mpossibbli li jilghab kif jixtieq. Schuster qed jitlob ghaz-zmien u l-pacenzja- xi haga li l-klabb ta’ Real Madrid ma tantx hu maghruf ghaliha.

B’kuntrast mac-campjins, Barcelona jidher li xtraw aktar bil-ghaqal u qaghdu attenti li jakkwistaw il-plejers fil-pozizzjonijiet dghajfa sabiex ikollhom skwadra kompleta u aktar kompetittiva. Il-Katalani sahhew id-difiza bi plejers bhal Abidal u Yaya Toure li flimkien ma Gabi Milito jaghmlu t-tim aktar solidu. Thierry Henry inghaqad mal-attakk fenomenali ghad-dizpozizzjoni ta’ Rijkaard li bir-ritorn ghal-kundizzjoni fizika tajba ta’ Lionel Messi u Samuel Eto’o flimkien mal-Braziljan Ronaldinho ghandu jkollu problema ta’ ghazla li hija l-ghira ta’ kull maniger fl-Ewropa.

Kritika li qed tigi mmirata lejn Barcelona tirrigwarda l-awtorita tal-kowc Rijkaard. Hemm min qed jirrimarka li b’tim mimli plejers kbar u ta’ isem, l-awtorita ta’ kowc relattivament zghir tista’ tigi mminata. Dan mhux bil-fors huwa l-kaz. Rijkaard huwa kowc b’personalita izda fuq kollox huwa ex-plejer li fil-karriera tieghu rebah hafna u dan jaghmel is-sitwazzjoni ferm differenti milli kieku dawn il-plejers kbar kienu mmexxija minn kowc bla personalita u li qatt ma rebah fl-oghla livelli tal-futbol internazzjonali.

Wara stagun mill-aqwa, Sevilla jibdew dan il-kampjonat bhala holders ta’ erba’ tazzi li huma it-Tazza UEFA, is-Super Cup Ewropeja, it-Tazza tar-Re u s-Super Cup Spanjola.

Wahda milla-aktar armi mportanti li kellhom Sevilla matul l-istagun li ghadda kienet certament l-attakk. Minkejja nteress qawwi fl-attakkant prolifiku Kanoute dan gie konvint jibqa’ mal-klabb u dan juri li Sevilla qed jippruvaw isiru klabb li jzomm l-ahjar plejers tieghu u mhux klabb li jbiegh. Din tista’ tkun id-differenza bejn klabb kbir u klabb normali. Sevilla qed juru snienhom ukoll fil-kaz ta’ Daniel Alves. Dan il-plejer qed jinteressa lil diversi klabbs fosthom Chelsea u Real Madrid. Minkiejja li l-plejer qal li jrid jitlaq, Sevilla qatt ma ccaqilqu mit-talba originali taghhom u qed jghidu li sakemm l-ebda klabb ma jilhaq it-talba taghhom, Alves mhux se jithalla jitlaq.

Sfortunatament ghall-klabb il-plejers illum ghandhom wisq sahha fejn jidhlu trasferimenti u Alves issa qed jipprova jisforza lil Sevilla jittrasferuh billi jibbojkottja t-team fejn irrifjuta li jinghaqad mal-iskwadra ghal-loghoba tac-Champions League kontra AEK Athens fil-Grecja. Dan huwa nuqqas ta’ professjonalita mill-plejer li pero jirrifletti s-sitwazzjoni prezenti fejn il-plejers li jilgahbu ghall-flokk u ma jaqghux taht il-kategorija ta’ mercenarji saru l-minoranza assoluta. Fil-ftit sieghat li fadal biex jaghlqu t-trasferimenti Sevilla ghandhom sitwazzjoni delikata f’idejhom ghax fil-waqt li iridu jzommu sodi kontra x-xewqat ta’ Alves u tal-klabbs li jriduh, iridu joqoghdu attenti wkoll li ma jhallux din is-sitwazzjoni tiddistabilizza ‘il klabb u l-plejers l-ohra.

Il-mohh wara s-sucessi ta’ Sevilla huwa l-kowc Juande Ramos izda anki hawn il-klabb qed jiffaccja sitwazzjoni delikata. Kif rajna l-gimgha l-ohra Ramos gie avvicinat minn Tottenham biex jiehu post Martin Jol fit-tmexxija tal-klabb ta’ Londra. Matul il-gimgha smajna hafna dikjarazzjonijiet minn Ramos u minn Tottenham li fl-inkonsistenza u fit-tibdil tal-verzjonijiet taghhom minn gurnata ghall-ohra, flok xejjnu l-ispekulazzjoni, ikkonfermaw li l-offerta saret u hafna huma konvinti li l-offerta ghal Ramos ghadha miftuha. Ghal Sevilla tkun hasra li zewg kolonni mportanti li wasslu lit-tim ghal tant successi jistghu jiddistabilizzaw lill-istess klabb izda jekk il-klabb joqghod attent u jaghraf johrog minn din is-sitwazzjoni minghajr danni, m’hemm xejn x’izomm lit-tim mill-Andalusija li jkollu stagun iehor poizittiv.

Valencia wkoll investew tajjeb u hadu lill-attakkant Nikola Zigic minghand Racing Santander. Dan il-plejer kien qed jinteressa diversi klabbs ohra izda issa nghaqad ma’ attakk li diga kien jinkludi plejers bhal David Silva, Fernando Morientes u David Villa. Barra minn hekk ghal Valencia se jkunu qed jirritornaw plejers bhal Edu, Baraja, Vicente u Del Horno li kollha tilfu hafna mill-istagun li ghadda minhabba injuries.

Fl-ahhar granet tas-suq tat-trasferimenti Valencia rnexxielhom ukoll jeghlbu l-isfida ta’ Everton biex hadu lill-midifelder Portugiz Manuel Fernandes minghand Benfica. L-istagun li ghadda Fernandes kien misluf ma’ Everton u dawn kienu konvinti li kien irnexxielhom jakkwistawh b’mod permanenti. Fernandes sahanistra kien diga mar jara loghoba f’Goodison Park u t-trasferiment kien prattikament konkluz izda Valencia dahlu fl-ahhar mumenti biex ikkonvincew lil dan il-plejer jinghaqad maghhom.

Valencia kienu xi ftit vantaggjati fuq Everton minhabba r-regolamenti dwar id-drittijiet fuq il-plejers minn partijiet terzi. Fernandes mhux kollu kemm hu propjeta ta’ Benfica u wara s-saga Carlos Tevez, Everton ma setghux jidhlu ghal xi trasferiment li ma jinvolvix biss ‘il klabb li qed jittrasferixxi l-plejer. Dan tawwal il-process tat-trasferiment u ta cans lil Valencia jidhlu biex jakkwistaw lill-Portugiz ghax fi Spanja m’hemm l-ebda regola li ma thallix terzi persuni jkunu nvoluti fid-drittijiet ekonomoci fuq il-plejers.

Fost il-klabbs l-ohra li mistennija jkunu protagonisti hemm Real Zaragoza li nehhew lil Gabriel Milito u akkwistaw lil Ayala bi profit ta’ aktar minn 14 –il miljun Ewro. Atletico Madrid tilfu lill-attakkant Fernando Torres izda l-klabb ma baqax lura milli jinvesti bis-shih u fost l-ohrajn akkwistaw lil Jose Antonio Reyes u Simao Sabrosa.

Kolox ma kollox il-kampjonat Spanjol ghandu jerga jtina spettaklu ta’ futbol tekninku u ecitanti. B’Real Madrid jippruvaw jirbhu b’mod attraenti, Barcelona jsahhu t-tim biex jehdulhom il-kuruna ta’ campjions u l-klabbs l-ohra ta’ fuq ma’ joqoghdux lura mill-investiment, id-divertiment ghandu jkun garantit.

Mark Mizzi