September 3 – Syria, currently 92nd in the FIFA world rankings, have turned to Sheffield United, who are 17th in the Npower Championship, to help them develop the sport there and to qualify for the World Cup.
The Blades, one of England’s oldest professional clubs, are already developing a unique model which has in place partnership agreements with other professional clubs around the globe, but this new venture concentrates purely on the sporting national interests of a country
Syria hope that the link-up with Sheffield United will help its population take advantage of the new expertise and facilities, improving their quality of life and providing opportunities for greater involvement in sport and help them qualify for the World Cup.
The country have never qualified for the final stages of the tournament.
The closest they have come was for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico when they were beaten in the final qualifying round by Iraq.
But the country, under coach Fajr Ibrahim (pictured), have qualified for the 2011 Asian Cup Cup in Qatar.
A five-man delegation from Sheffield United, encompassing expertise in a wide spectrum of football coaching and academy development, sports medicine, sports psychology, and administration has already travelled to Syria to carry out the initial stage of research.
Sheffield United’s chief executive chief executive Trevor Birch, who with chairman Kevin McCabe has rubber-stamped the Blades’ involvement, said: “As a club we are delighted and honoured to be asked to provide and oversee such a momentous programme.
“We are a forward thinking club and have confidence in our ability to work with our friends in the Middle East and ultimately deliver what they are looking for.
“It is a tribute to the success we have already had in our global partnerships that we have been chosen to be part of what could be a radical improvement in Syria’s sporting landscape and legacy to its population.
“The timing of our delegation’s visit has been carefully timed to coincide with the international break so that we do not divert important resources away from [manager] Gary Speed’s and the first team’s requirements.
“Ensuring that this remains the case throughout the project has been a fundamental part of our negotiations leading up to the partnership.”
Sheffield United were invited to help Syria by General Mowaffak Joumaa, the President of the Syrian Sports Federation, along with the Syrian Olympic Committee, personally invited United’s renowned team of experts.
The delegation will form a working party tasked with delivering a five-year plan that can transform the face of Syrian sport.
