COLLABORATION BETWEEN M.F.A. AND K.S.U.FOR WIDER SUPPORT FOR OUR NATIONAL TEAMS

An initiative for collaboration between the Malta Football Association, the Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU) and other representative bodies, M.U.S.C. and E.S.N., was announced during a Press Conference held yesterday at the University Campus.   Norman Saliba,MFA Head of Marketing,addressed the Press Conference. He said “this initiative is another in the series of activities held by the MFA during these last couple of years in a campaign aimed at creating further awareness of our national teams. The campaign is taking representatives from the various categories of the national football teams to primary and secondary schools (both state and private), football nurseries as well inviting the general public for an open training session, and utimately organising stadium tours for school children.’ Saliba added that these initiatives were backed up by a number of attractive ticket incentives that were put on offer for matches of our senior team. Amongst other such incentives there were free tickets for the South Stand for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Latvia, discounts to those who bought tickets for the Malta vs Greece match from this same competition, when tickets were bought on Premier League match days from the stadium, the issue of the GOAL CARD prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the Loyalty Discounted Block Ticket for the last two home matches against Denmark and Bulgaria, and needless to mention, free entrance of youngsters from local football nurseries for every home international match. Today’s initiative is yet another incentive being offered.  This time round University Students are being given a 20% discount on tickets at the South Stand for Friday’s World Cup qualifier between Malta and the Czech Republic if these tickets are bought on the campus. The MFA’s Head of Marketing said that the association’s investment in the technical aspect of the game is starting to reap fruit, and recent performances by our senior national team are definitely improving. ‘We have gone from a time when local fans would have left the stadium in disappointment because of the team’s dismal performance, to a time where fans are ending up disappointed as was the case in our recent matches, because the team was unlucky not to have obtained positive results.  Improvement,however, still needs to be sustained by sound support from the fans. And this is the reason why we are still working on furthering greater awareness,’ the MFA Head of Marketing added. Norman Saliba concluded with a mention of  the numerous international commitments of our national teams until the end of the current season, with the highlights being the senior team's final matches from the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifers and the unique opportunity for our Under 17 side to  participate in a UEFA Competition Finals which will be held in Malta in May 2014. President Thomas Bugeja explained that KSU was very happy to embark on this collaboration with MFA together with MUSC and ESN, as part of its holistic plan to continue promoting sports on campus. This collaboration would see the KSU office become an official ticket point of sale for MFA tickets, with a special price of 8 euro on tikcets forthe South Stand for students buying the tickets from the said premises.  KSU continued to emphasise the importance of investment in sports facilities, to ensure that the University of Malta has the student facilities it deserves, not only for the benefit of local students, but also to make the University of Malta a more attractive University for potential foreign students. In conclusion, KSU hoped that this initiative would prove to be successful as a starting point with greater collaboration between KSU and the MFA, as part of its holistic strategy for sports on Campus which also included the setting up of a University of Malta futsal team in the near future.  Mr. Louis Agius speaking on behalf of South End Core said that he considers this a s a revival of old acquaintances since it was a similar type of collaboration that gave birth to S.E.C. at this same venue. Agius stated that S.E.C. will be looking at the University Campus as being the prime ticket office for its members to buy tickets for Malta's international match against the Czech Rep. and will play an important role in the pre-match activities which KSU, MUSC and ESN will be organising at the University Campus.  At the end of the Press Conference Norman Saliba (MFA - Head of Marketing) presented a signed national team shirt to KSU President Mr. Thomas Bugeja.