Through Arsenal Malta Supporters Club (AMSC), the UK Premier Football Club Arsenal FC has strengthened its ties with Malta for the forthcoming Emirates Airline Young Footballer Challenge 2007.

Arsenal FC is sending two senior officials from its Community Department for the 4th edition. Sponsored by Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, and approved by the Malta Football Association, the Challenge will take place tomorrow morning (26th May 2007) at the Centenary Stadium, Ta’ Qali.

Paul Shipwright, from Arsenal Soccer Schools and Martin Davis, Sports Development Officer, will be visiting Malta to assist the Maltese adjudicating panel at the Emirates Airline Young Footballer Challenge 2007. They will be conducting a special coaching session for all the young participants of the competition.

Paul Shipwright joined Arsenal’s Community Department in 2003. He is responsible for all partnered soccer schools in the U.K. and overseas. Currently, Paul manages 14 franchise partners in the UK and 12 overseas, who provide more than 20,000 young people with Arsenal coaching and a link with the Club. Paul also organises the annual ‘Arsenal International Soccer Festival’, an event which brings together 200 football teams from all over the world in competition. He is a UEFA qualified coach and a member of the Football Association Coaches Association.

Sports Development Officer Martin Davis began his association with Arsenal in the Community in 1994 as a 17 year old Youth Training Scheme Trainee. In 1996, he started working full time for the department and now spends a lot of his time coaching in England and overseas, including visits to Ukraine, Singapore, Portugal, Cyprus and Egypt amongst others. He is currently managing the YTS Scheme and is responsible for the development of the young community coaches. He also has responsibility for the successful residential soccer school projects. Martin is the face of Arsenal’s ‘tricks ‘n’ flicks column in the Arsenal magazine, showing young readers how they can learn new skills and tricks. In 2004, Martin showed that he was more than just a tricks expert when he was invited to take part in Martin Keown’s testimonial match at Highbury – playing in front of 38000 people and scoring the opening goal! He is a ‘B’ certificate UEFA coach and a member of FACA

The visit of Mr Shipwright and Mr Davis has been made possible through the initiative of the Arsenal Malta Supporters Club and they are guests of the Corinthia San Gorg Hotel in St Julian’s.

In 2004, Emirates signed the biggest sponsorship deal worth £100 million in football history with Arsenal FC. The agreement also included Emirates’ naming rights to Arsenal’s new £357 million, Emirates Stadium, for the following 15 years.

Malta is continuing to build on the success of the previous three editions of the Emirates Airline Young Footballer Challenge. The concept of this challenge was developed in Malta by Emirates Airline.