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Haber lands top community award with Blades

Haber lands top community award with Blades and other SUFC related news…

Malta international goalkeeper Justin Haber has landed a top community award with his English Championship club.

He has been crowned Sheffield United’s Community Player of the Year. It is the first season United, sponsored by the Malta Tourism Authority, have created the awards for players as the club’s community programme continues to grow.

Haber, along with the Community Young Player of the Year Aymen Tahar, was involved with a number of activities with local people during the season, including Playing for Success, Kickz and Fit for School. The duo were presented with their awards by The United Initiative’s Mark Todd and head of community Sue Beeley at Bramall Lane.

Sue said: “This is the first year we have presented these awards and the two players richly deserve the recognition. It is an opportunity for us to show our thanks to Justin and Aymen, who have spent many hours of their own time supporting the club’s community and charitable activities.

“They have attended and been well-received at a number of special presentations and events, helping to put smiles on many young faces. We hope that presenting Community Player and Young Player of the Year awards will become an annual event at Sheffield United.”

Haber joined United in the summer of 2008, while Tahar, a regular for the Blades reserves this season, made his first-team debut as a substitute against Hull City in the FA Cup in February 2009.

Sheffield United stars and Malta put their shirts on farm charity

Some of Sheffield United’s players visited Sheffield’s Whirlow Hall Farm to show the special shirts they in the promotion clash against Swansea City.

Through the Malta Tourism Authority's unique sponsorship of the Blades, the branding of the Farm appeared on the red and white stripes instead of the usual visit Malta branding for the Blades.

Also, in association with Air Malta, the Authority provided the opportunity for a group of ten children from the city to visit the island in a special exchange trip which will see ten Maltese come to Sheffield where they will be hosted by Whirlow Hall Farm. In recognition, usual back of shirt sponsors, the Valad Group, agreed that Air Malta branding should appear in its place for the promotion clash.

Players, including Irish Under 21 international Stephen Quinn, England Under 21 international Kyle Naughton and Maltese international goalkeeper Justin Haber, showed off the shirts to children and staff at the farm.

The move to support the farm - an educational trust working largely with inner city children and young people with special needs and disabilities - and the offer of a special trip for ten of those same youngsters could not have come at a better time for the farm charity.

Like many other charities, it has seen a decline in donations and is in urgent need of a boost to funds through the initiative which will also see the special shirts being auctioned off.

Sheffield United Corporate Director Andy Daykin, whose club has just announced a two year extension of its partnership with the Malta Tourism Authority, during the presentation said: "This is a remarkable gesture from the Malta Tourism Authority supported by the Valad Group. The players are supporting the initiative and today’s visit to the farm and meeting the children is part of that backing."

Alex Incorvaja, Director - UK & Ireland, from the Malta Tourism Authority, said: "We wanted to put something back into the region. The aim of this initiative is to help provide a long term future for the farm and the children who use the remarkable facilities. By giving up our usual shirt branding for the Swansea game we want to raise awareness of Whirlow's current situation and show its need for help."

Brian Bartolo, Air Malta’s General Manager Marketing & Product, said:

“Air Malta is excited to be associated with Sheffield United FC and the Whirlow Hall Farm Trust that assists children and young people with special needs or disabilities. Through Air Malta’s assistance two groups of children from Malta and Sheffield will be visiting Whirlow and spending a couple of days at this educational facility.

This year we are celebrating our 35th anniversary and this assistance forms an integral part of our anniversary festivities. Over the years, Air Malta has been at the forefront of Corporate Social Responsibility activities assisting various philanthropic organisations in similar projects.”

Whirlow Hall Farm Trust, which was founded 30 years ago, has seen nearly 300,000 children visit the classroom in the countryside on a daily or residential basis.

Joan Ward, head of fundraising at Whirlow Hall Farm said:

“It was great to have the players bring the shirts to the Farm - Malta Tourism Authority's decision to let Sheffield United wear shirts with our name on is great exposure for the charity.

We rely on charitable donations, as has been well publicised, and we hope this initiative helps raises the profile of the charity so that the city of Sheffield can benefit from the farm for many more years to come.”

Sheffield Clubs for Malta summer visit

The Malta Tourism Authority is pleased to announce that both Sheffield United Football Club and Sheffield Wednesday Football Club will be holding separate training camps in Malta this summer. Both teams will be announcing their respective programmes in the coming days. It is also expected that a number of supporters will be joining their teams in Malta for the duration.

Commenting on this, MTA CEO Josef Formosa Gauci said that “This initiative further cements the excellent relationship that has developed between the MTA and Sheffield United, which is now being extended towards the city of Sheffield as a whole. In this respect, we are delighted to welcome Sheffield Wednesday to the island of Malta for the first time”.

The possibility of a football derby being played in Malta between the two Sheffield clubs has been looked into, but for logistical reasons it will not be possible this summer.

MP’S football team presented with Sheffield United FC t-shirts

The Maltese members of parliament football team was today presented with Sheffield United kits sporting the Maltese Cross and the visitmalta.com logo, kindly donated by Sheffield United FC (SUFC).  The presentation was made by SUFC sponsors, the Malta Tourism Authority on behalf of the club represented by the Chairman Mr Sam Mifsud and CEO Mr Josef Formosa Gauci. Present on behalf of the MP’s football team were members of parliament Mr Carmelo Abela, Mr David Agius and Mr Gino Cauchi. 

The MPs football team participates in a number of charity-oriented events throughout the year.