Gathering Of Everton Fans
News taken from the STAR:-
EVERTON supporters from Singapore, Johor, the Klang Valley and even from Penang turned up in droves when Everton Supporters of Malaysia together with InterBev/Chang, the official sponsors of Everton football club, organised a special get-together for Everton supporters from around the country in conjunction with the recent FA Cup final.
There were Everton songs, prizes donated by Everton football club, and even impersonations of various Everton players like Felliani and Cahill. Even Sports Minister Dauk Ahmad Shabery Cheek and Malaysia Super League CEO Kuhan Foo were there to join in the festivities.
Everton is one of the oldest and longest-surviving EPL clubs. It has a rich history of producing world-class players and its youth academy is possibly among the best in the world. It is also known as the “People’s Club”, supporting people and helping the hopeless all over the world.
In Malaysia, Everton fans, together with Everton in Britain, were involved in a Rakan Muda programme in Johor in 2005, and in helping the Johor flood victims recently via donations and personal visits to the flood sites.
Some years back, Everton also trained 70 Malaysian coaches to help develop grassroot football culture in the country. And, Roshan Thiran, who heads the Everton in the Community programme for Malaysia, added: “The Everton fans run a community coaching clinic for kids of all backgrounds, including poor kids, every Saturday in Kelana Jaya.”
At the gathering, the children from the coaching programme joined the Everton fans and the Sports Minister in celebrating Everton getting into the FA Cup final.
Even though Everton lost to Chelsea, die-hard Evertonian JJ Abu Bakar, who started supporting Everton through the community academy said: “We lost but it’s a great achievement for Everton. Finishing fifth yet again, with Arteta, Jagielka, Yakubu, Anichebe, Vaughn and other key players injured for most of the season and without spending as much as other clubs, is a great result.”
Azwan Shah, another Everton fan who was involved in the community football academy, was not pleased about losing, but added: “This gathering, together with the sports minister, illustrates what Everton is all about. Even though we lost, we all had fun together and showed why Everton is the people’s club.”
Meanwhile, Shabbery Cheek said he was excited to be among so many Everton fans and pleased with the way they helped support grassroots football development via its academy.
He acknowledged that Everton had the best football development programme, as evident from its ability to produce stars like Wayne Rooney, and was looking forward to Malaysia producing its own Rooneys in the future.
He also plans to visit the Everton community academy and look for more EPL clubs and fans to follow in the footsteps of the Everton fans in Malaysia.
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