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Malta: Super Cup Match Opens Season  x12
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October 5, 2004 
Telegraph.co.uk, UK
> Page Views 1557
SUPER CUP MATCH OPENS SEASON.
The hockey season gets under way on Sunday at 10.00am with the Super Cup Final between Rabat Depiro and Floriana Young Stars. This game is the traditional opener between the League Champions and KO winners. With Rabat Depiro having notched up the double, Young Stars take their place in this competition as losing KO finalists.
With the unfortunate demise of Celtics YS, this years National League has reverted to a five-team competition. The summer has seen a more then usual number of player movements amongst the teams. Arguably, the two best moves of summer were Qormi’s acquisition of Chris Bugeja from Celtic YS together with the experienced Andre Ghigo and Frank Bugeja and Branko Radojevic moving from White Hart to Rabat.
Scoring eleven out of his side’s total of fourteen goals last season was no mean feat for Chris Bugeja when one considers that he was playing for the weakest side in the league. An even bigger surprise was the fact that he did not return to his former side Young Stars but opted to move to Qormi. The experience of these three players combined with the talented youngsters already in the Qormi formation will certainly make them a hard team to beat.
Rabat Depiro also added a useful player to their formation when they managed to entice Branko Radojevic from White Hart. Together with Radojevic, Reno Cremona also moved from White Hart to the Champions and despite the fact his best years have passed, Cremona still bags tons of experience that can always come in useful at tricky moments. One will have to see how the two will integrate into the already well-oiled machine that is Rabat.
Young Stars have basically kept last years squad intact bringing in a number of former Celtics players to strengthen their bench, the most notable being up coming goalkeeper Waylan Abdilla who will be providing safe cover for James Mizzi in the Young Stars goal. Another group of former Celtic players have joined White Hart as Tony Tabone continues rejuvenating his squad. Goalkeeper Galea, the Agius brothers and Patrick Meli are all that remain from then side that dominated the scene in the early nineties. White Hart’s last major honour goes back to season 2001/02 when they lifted the KO.
One has to go back even further, to season 1998/99, to find Sliema Hs on the honours list. That season they won the KO competition and from then on it has been a series of poor results and runner up positions. Barring the return from White Hart of their former veteran player Ray Bezzina, Sliema have made no changes from squad that last season, on the last day of the League piped Young Stars to the runner-up spot. If they manage to improve on that performance it will certainly be no mean feat.
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Comments on this article
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Anthony Tabone
10-08-2004 3:42 am
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White Hart
Hi Henry,
Just for the record!
We practically dominated the eighties the nineties and we also have the honour of winning the "millenium" championship. As you have reported, The time has now come to think ahead and we have decided to rope in, very young (15/16 year olds). Even the players we have managed to register on loan from YS are more or less of the same age. We DO NOT expect to win any honours for at least 3 years, but, I can assure you, that after this transition period the team will metamorphose into a force to be reckoned with.
Cheers Henry,
Tony
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anybody out there
10-08-2004 9:53 am
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qormi here we come
IS THERE ANY BODY OUT THERE?
Better watch out because here we come......
Pink Floyd
Let us show them what we are made of!
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Frank Bugeja
10-09-2004 6:22 am
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transfer listed.
Nice Report Henry! Keep it up. We need to have good reports in the news papers so as advertise our game.
As for Anthony Tabone, i have to forward him my compliments. He has a very young team but with the experience provided by David they are playing very good hockey.
yes they will surely be a very good team in a couple of years. But even this year I am sure that they will cause some very serious problems to the title chasers.
Well done. It is clear that now all clubs are investing in their youth. Keep it up.
Frank
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Observer
10-10-2004 1:27 pm
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To Frank
Just one comment regards your post..... not all clubs are investing in their juniors..... not Rabat for sure. Its a pitty for a club with so many dedicated people towards the hockey game in Malta.
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Shawn Falzon
10-11-2004 6:10 am
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Reply to Observer
Dear Observer and All
It is to be noted that our senior team, has a nucleus made up of the same players that had competed in the U/14 leagues. We are a team that definitely know what an investment in juniors would give in return. We are significantly experiencing such return today.
May I also add that this group of Rabat players has dominated in all levels, from Juniors to Seniors, as the years go by. It has only been in the recent years that Junior titles had not been won by our club.
We recognise the fact that the life-cycle of this group of players is at its maturing stage, and we intend to fully exploit its potential. Our club, the youngest of the bunch, still lacks manpower which limit our areas of focus. However this does not limit our contribution towards the Association and hockey in general.
I must refer to the European Club Challenge II that we organised last May whilst also adding that our application to host has once again been accepted by EHF for next year. With out going in to details, the experience and exposure such events provide is invaluable both to our club and to all those involved, especially in the light of the upcoming European Nations Challenge. With thanks to all those who gave a helping hand, this event was historic.
Finally, I must say that the juniors is an item on our club's agenda and we will, sooner or later, make our presence felt in the juniors once again.
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Frank Bugeja
10-11-2004 6:16 am
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Oberve this ....
I can tell you that 65% of the team Rabat have put together is built on the kids brought up by Robert Aquiline.
It is only lately that their junior section has fallen back. But on the other hand who has not done so lately.
I would say that only Hotsticks have been consistent. All the others have all passed through a difficult patch at one point.
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Ivan Magro
10-11-2004 9:41 am
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Frank
With regards to your comment, YS were also consistent in the junior's sector since the days i started hockey (cause obviously i can't comment prior to that period). From my knowledge we always participated with at least one team per category, that is, Uner 14 and Under 16. A clear proof of this is the fact that uptill a few years ago we regularly sided two teams in the senior competition with a good number of young players taking part in both teams. Grejmpads had to be stopped since we didn't have enough experienced players to take care of the team as well as the young players and thus it had to be stopped.
Last year we had Celtics which once again had a big number of young players forming part of it. Unfortunately we couldn't keep it this year round but still, we can proudly say we have a good number of young players.
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Frank Bugeja
10-12-2004 7:04 am
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Dear Ivan
This is not the case. There were times when we did not compete in the under 14 because no children were available. We lost this section for 3 years running. I was involved personally to build up a group of kids to fill in this blank.
But do not worry. Ask me for the details and i will forward them to you.
This is not the place. But, yes Young stars also passed through a difficult period.
I confirm.
Well after all, i do not give a thought about it. For me no problem.
just carry on.
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Shawn Falzon
10-12-2004 11:16 am
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Juniors
Take it lightly! I only replied because the observer address our club directly.
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BUTTER
10-18-2004 11:42 am
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FEJN U IL HEY
YOU DON T HAVE NOTING TO TELL US NOW HEY JA KUKKU
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David Schiavone
12-02-2004 4:46 am
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Hughes the best!
Alfred Edward is a great player... keep it up mate
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