Ħamrun Spartans teams leave their mark in Manchester
Aberystwyth experience for Pembroke Athleta
Three teams from the Ħamrun Spartans FC Youth Nursery had plenty to cheer about at the recently-held Manchester International Summer Cup 2008 as they secured a winners' cup and two finalists' trophies.
This is a significant achievement considering that all the three teams taking part, U-10, U-12 and U-14, managed to reach the final in their respective categories.
The Under-14 team topped their tournament after beating Brandon Bees in the final. The Spartans boys paraded the trophy during the inauguration of the new artificial pitch at the Victor Tedesco Stadium yesterday evening.
Ħamrun's U-10 team notched seven successive wins on their way to the final where they lost to FC Hyde.
For their part, the Under-12s made it to the final after winning four matches and losing only one. In the final, they lost 1-0 to CMB who scored the winner from a penalty. The Spartans youngsters had beaten CMB earlier in the competition.
The contingent of 44 players, eight officials and 33 parents visited Old Trafford and the City of Manchester Stadium during their stay in England. The participation of the Ħamrun teams in the Manchester International Summer Cup was supported by mySmoothie, the nursery's new sponsors.
Meanwhile, the U-9 and U-10 teams of the Pembroke Athleta Nursery took part in the Welsh Super Cup, held in Aberystwyth last month. This was the second time the Pembroke nursery figured in this annual tournament as last year, they were represented by their U-12 team.
Pembroke's Under-9 players recorded a series of fine wins on their way to reaching the final where they lost 1-0 to the strong academy team of Barlows. The Pembroke boys also participated in a mini-tournament and played two friendly matches during their stay in Wales.
In the Under-10 category, Pembroke finished with a record of one win, one draw and three defeats.