Sheffield United has today confirmed a groundbreaking sponsorship deal with the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) that will see the 2008/2009 Hong Kong FA Cup titled ‘the Sheffield United FA Cup’. Sheffield United’s agreement with the HKFA has been announced in partnership with the Chengdu Blades Football Club in China.
In January 2006, Sheffield United’s acquisition of China’s Chengdu Blades marked the first foreign ownership of a Chinese football club. Since then Chengdu Blades has cemented a new-found status in the Chinese Super League. This unique partnership in world football saw the introduction of the Chengdu reserve team playing in the Hong Kong League under the name of Sheffield United Hong Kong.
Having formally signed a sponsorship agreement with Chengdu Blades FC Ltd, Brian Leung, Chairman of Hong Kong Football Association, invited Kevin McCabe, Chairman of Sheffield United, and Tony Xu, Chairman of Chengdu Blades, to be the guests of honour to draw the fixtures for the first round of the HKFA Sheffield United FA Cup.
Kevin McCabe said: “It is a great honour for Sheffield United and Chengdu Blades to be invited to sponsor the Hong Kong FA Cup. It demonstrates our commitment to supporting the growth of football in China and Hong Kong, whilst we continue to make the ‘Blades’ a global football proposition.”
The HKFA Sheffield United FA Cup will commence on 12 May 2009, with Sheffield United Hong Kong drawn against Sham Shui Po. The Final of the HKFA Sheffield United FA Cup will be hosted at the Hong Kong Stadium on Sunday 31 May 2009.
Source: www.prnewswire.com
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