Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/682623
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 MAY 2016 Sport 50 THIS beautiful new piece of silver- ware was introduced by the manu- facturer, English company Thomas Lyte. Kevin Baker, CEO and found- er of Thomas Lyte, expressed his excitement for the fact that his company has been approached by the English FA to redesign and manufacture a new FA Trophy for Malta. This, according to Baker, follow- ing the manufacture of the English FA Cup in 2014, the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and the Copa America this year, is another fantastic pro- ject for the company to be involved with and it has been quite a jour- ney with a lot of work behind the scenes in order to take forward the heritage of the 1934 FA Trophy into the future. The new FA Trophy will be 65cm in height, and 7 kilogrammes in weight, six of which are solid silver. The trophy will be produced with the traditional methods of silver- smithing, by hand. The new Tro- phy will carry forward the main features of the current FA Trophy, with the player holding the ball aloft being the top part on a silver pedestal, also featured on the cur- rent trophy, containing the exact wording which symoblises the bond between the English FA and the Malta FA, the globe and the base will remain identical, with the effigy of the football match found on the current trophy also retain- ing its place. The new trophy has been de- signed in the shape of the old Cas- sar Cup, which was another his- torical competition of the MFA in which the best two British service teams used to play against the two best Maltese teams for the cup. Veterans recall the passion of these matches with the Maltese football aficionados all rooting for the Mal- tese teams against the British ones. Dr Chris Bonett, MFA vice-pres- ident, explained during the lauch of the new trophy design that the concept for the new trophy came about with the combination of two circumstances. The first being the general consensus at the MFA that the current trophy had to be withdrawn due to the heavy dam- age in has incurred in the last 81 years, to be restored and put in an important place to be enjoyed by everyone, and the second being the generous offer made by the Chair- man of the English FA, Greg Dyke to the President of the Maltese FA, Norman Darmanin Demajo, to participate in the funding of this trophy in order to renew the bond between the two football associa- tions, which bond had already been created with the current trophy. Dr Bonett continued by stat- ing that the design for the new FA Trophy has been approved by the Executive Committee of the MFA in the past weeks, and the actual trophy will be presented by the English FA to the MFA before the match between England and Malta, at Wembley Stadium, on the 8th October 2016. The Malta FA is confident that the new FA trophy will, "renew our history; renew the bond between the English FA and the Maltese FA; and most impor- tantly it will renew the passion of the local fans for the local game," concluded Dr Bonett. FOOTBALL The 3D design of the new FA Trophy was unveiled yesterday by the Malta Football Association during its annual Awards night The Malta FA unveils the new FA Trophy Hibs end 114-year wait for Scottish Cup glory with dramatic win over Rangers Hibernian's 114-year wait to win the William Hill Scottish Cup is over after skipper David Gray scored a stoppage-time winner to beat Rangers 3-2 at Hampden Park ANTHONY Stokes, on-loan from Celtic, opened the scoring for Hibs in the third minute and the Easter Road side threatened to increase their lead before Ken- ny Miller equalised in the 27th minute with a header. Stokes hit the post with a drive a minute later before Miller head- ed against the crossbar but there was little doubt the Light Blues were the happier with the inter- val scoreline. However, in the 64th minute Gers midfielder Andy Halliday hammered the ball past Hibs keeper Conrad Logan from 20 yards before Stokes headed in from a Liam Henderson corner to make it 2-2. In the second minute of stop- page time, Gray headed in an- other Henderson corner to send the Hibees fans wild with delight with the trophy on its way to the Leith for the first time since 1902. The end to Hib's hoodoo meant they also became first lower league club to win the trophy since East Fife in 1938 and it sparked a pitch invasion from Easter Road supporters at the end of the match which encouraged Gers fans to come on as well. Mark Warburton named only 16 players in his squad, as he had done in the semi-final against Celtic, while Alan Stubbs opted for a front pairing of Jason Cum- mings and Stokes. It was the Easter Road strike duo who combined to give the Leith side the early lead. With the Rangers defence sleep- ing, Cummings sent Stokes down the left channel and he cantered into the box with right-back James Tavernier trailing and with Rob Kiernan standing off, he slipped the ball past keeper Wes Foderinghan at the far post. It was a goal of stunning sim- plicity and minutes later the shaky Kiernan was turned eas- ily in the box by Cummings but defender Danny Wilson blocked the shot. The Ibrox side looked disjoint- ed but found themselves level when Miller beat Leith defender Darren McGregor to a Tavernier cross to bullet a header past Lo- gan. Moments later, with the Gers fans still celebrating, Stokes took a McGinn pass and drove a 25-yards shot off the inside of the post with the ball rebounding wide. But Rangers had shrugged off earlier nerves and in the 32nd minute Miller's header from a Barrie McKay corner cannoned off the crossbar. It was turning into a thrilling final, the first between two sec- ond-tier clubs. With five minutes of the first half remaining Foderingham made a fine save from Stokes and then from Cummings follow- ing the resultant corner before Stokes heads wide from Gray's cross. The Republic of Ireland forward drew another good save from Fo- deringham with a powerful drive from 25 yards in the 50th minute but the Govan men survived the corner. However, it had turned into a more even contest but in turned in favour of the Champi- onship winners in the 64th min- ute when, from 22 yards out, Hal- liday arrowed a shot past Logan. Hibs looked demoralised as Rangers took control but there was another twist on its way. Stokes blazed a shot over the bar in the 76th minute but three min- utes later he was more accurate when he escaped the attention of Tavernier to head in a corner from substitute Liam Henderson, on for Liam Fontaine. Foderingham denied Stokes again in stoppage-time but from the corner Gray headed in to become a Hibs legend although there will be ramifications after the scenes at the end.