www.swieqiunitedfc.

com

Message from the President

Dr Justin Fenech
I would like to thank you for taking interested in Swieqi United FC (SUFC) - the football club which was established in 2009 to represent Swieqi, Ibrag and Madliena in the Malta Football Association (MFA). It was not an easy task establishing a football club, especially in a locality where the majority of residents are still not well integrated and the opportunities for funding are quite limited. Nevertheless, thanks to the initiative and energy of a number of Swieqi residents and their friends, SUFC has managed to grow both on and off the pitch. In our rst season (2009-10) the club placed 8th out of 10 teams and in our second season (2010-11) 6th out of 11 teams. Our third season in the MFA 3rd division has started quite well. Having only managed to retain 5 players from the previous year (primarily due to the fact that our young club has very few players on its books and no youth nursery) our new Head Coach, Roland Sollars, made it a priority to build a disciplined and committed squad, made out of 24 players who would be able, on and off the pitch, to foster those principles that SUFC stands for. After 11games, SUFC nd themselves in 8th place (out of 14 teams) with 4 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses. As an executive committee we aim to keep on working in order that SUFC may continue to grow in a sustainable and consistent manner. I would thus like to take this opportunity to invite you to help us in any way possible. It is through your support that we can keep the SUFC dream alive! I would like to conclude by thanking all the members of the Executive Committee, the SUFC Coaching Staff, the SUFC 1st Team and all our sponsors and supporters.

Message from the Secretary

Michael Calleja
The SUFC Committee has been working ever so hard to make sure the club acquires both a ground and a clubhouse. As was stated by Norman Darmanin Demajo at our Business Breakfast held at the Cavalieri Hotel, in order to guarantee its survival, a club is in need of facilities. We have been working on this for the past 2 years and we are hoping to be able to have our own training pitch sorted by the beginning of next season. This in turn will allow us to launch our youth nursery. On a brighter note, we've not only seen stability in the team but also in the committee as every member from this season has his/her own portfolio which has made work more efcient and quicker. Dr. Justin Fenech continues to lead the Committee, with Gavin Ellul Vice-President for Team Matters and Roger Strickland Jr. Vice-President for Business Affairs. Ralph Agius Fernandez and Robert Dingli continue working day and night on local matters and events, whilst Christine Scholz and Hani Arebi are dealing with the clubs nances and marketing, respectively. Mauro Miceli is in charge of MFA relations and, on his return from Erasmus, Jordan Bonello will be dealing with the clubs media department. As 2011 come to a close, we have reected on a good year of work and progress. The club is moving steadily in the right direction, though nances remain a huge problem at a voluntary organisation run mostly by students and young professionals. Nevertheless, we continue to surprise everyone (even ourselves!) as we keep putting in sterling performances week in week out! I wish to thank everyone associated with Swieqi United FC i wish you all the best for 2012.

The season so far...

Gavin Ellul SUFC Vice President Team Affairs
Swieqi's season started off slowly, as predicted by new head coach Roland Sollars in pre-season. The team, boosted by a complete upheaval of playing personnel, took its natural time to gel and start producing the desired results. The Boys in Orange opened their 2011-2012 account with an exciting 2-2 draw at promotion hopefuls Fgura United, with new boy Timmy Hampton notching a late-match equaliser. Although still early into the season, Sollars' exceptional work on tness was already reaping its fruits. Swieqi's lowest point of the season arrived a match later as Ghaxaq F.C. produced a cynical display in a 2-0 win. Swieqi United lost again to Santa Lucija, but this match was a different kettle of sh. Against the Yellows, Swieqi played an exceptional match, dominating for long stretches albeit a man down, and being thwarted only by a superb performance from the Yellow's goalkeeper. The following four matches against Xghajra, Mgarr, Marsa and Kalkara showcased an extremely strong Swieqi defence, with four consecutive clean sheets. Swieqi were also very clinical in front of goal, converting much of the chances they created. The seasonal crunch match against Pembroke Athleta ensued - in front of a sizeable crowd,Swieqi United produced a courageous display. The Orange kept the table-toppers at bay with a very organised tactical approach. However Serbian wonder Vojko Martinovic had other ideas, and scored a great dipping free kick late into the match to give Pembroke the breakthrough they needed. In their following match the Swieqi boys could not display the same mental toughness to overcome Marsaskala's stiff defence - the match ending in a stalemate. Simon Psaila's late winner against Mtarfa in the last match of 2011 ensured that Swieqi'schristmas break would be a pleasant one. Our rst game after the festive season was a 1-0 loss against Mdina Knights. The Team worked hard and gave a great display but could not manage to break the Mdina defence and thus earn a deserved point.

2011 Events Review

Robert Dingli - SUFC Events Coordinator
This past year was the busiest year in the events department for Swieqi United in total two football tournaments, two pasta nights and two barbeques were organized for fans and players to get together. Here follows some highlights from our various events: Swieqi Uniteds football tournaments have grown in popularity this year, especially the Noel Muscat 5-a-side football tournament where teams battled it out for a 150 cash prize as well as a trophy. This years Noel Muscat 5-a-side tournament was won by Daniel Biancos team which included two ex-Swieqi United players. Swieqi United decided to bring the community of Swieqi closer together. We joined forces with local church group ZAK Ibrag in order to co-organize a BBQ which coincided with Swieqi day; as well as a pasta night in order to celebrate the localitys feast of the Immaculate Conception. On Wednesday 7th September, the church parvis was transformed into a BBQ area for an event that got everyone together to celebrate Swieqi day. Attendees were treated to a scrumptious BBQ food consisting of chicken, sausages and burgers as well as ample side dishes and tasty deserts. Tombla was held also held during the event keeping everyone guessing whether they would be the lucky winners. Following this successful event, SUFC teamed up yet again with ZAK Ibragg to organize a pasta night on Wednesday 7th December which was held in the Ta Ibragg Church Hall. Chef Monique Zammit prepared a three-type pasta buffet for guests. Also since the event coincided with the much anticipated Manchester United vs. Basel game, we managed to stream the game live although the result left the majority disappointed! Together with fellow committee member Ralph Agius Fernandez, we decided to work hard in summer on creating a much needed support-system for all SUFC matches. Numerous banners, ags and other support-related material were made / purchased to ensure that this year the support given to our players would be heard and seen by all! One must all mention that to date, support has been tremendous for Swieqi United matches making the game even more interesting and enjoyable! For xtures (including venues) one should consult our website www.swieqiunited.com for the latest xtures !

Results so far...
Swieq United vs Fgura Swieqi United vs Ghaxaq Swieqi United vs Santa Lucija Swieqi United vs Xghajra Tornados Swieqi United vs Mgarr United Swieqi United vs Marsa Swieqi United vs Kalkara Swieqi United vs Pembroke A. Swieqi United vs Marsaskala Swieqi United vs Mtarfa Swieqi United vs Mdina Knights Swieqi United vs Qrendi 2-2 0-2 0-1 2-0 1-0 0-0 2-0 0-2 0-0 1-0 0-1 1-1

Fixtures
Swieqi United vs Sirens Swieqi United vs Fgura Swieqi United vs Ghaxaq Swieqi United vs Santa Lucia Swieqi United vs Xghajra Tornados Swieqi United vs Mgarr Swieqi United vs Marsa Swieqi United vs Kalkara Swieqi United vs Pembroke A. Swieqi United vs Marsaskala Swieqi United vs Mtarfa Swieqi United vs Mdina Knights Swieqi United vs Qrendi Swieqi United vs Sirens 29th Jan 4th Feb 12th Feb 18th Feb 4th Mar 10th Mar 18th Mar 24th Mar 1st Apri 14th Apr 22nd Apr 28th Apr 6th May 12th May