In a new series of blogs to Wednesdayite.com each Director on the current board will be writing a blog to enlighten everyone what their own role within Wednesdayite actually entails.

In the second of the series Director Irma Kennedy takes you through her weekend spent helping to facilitate the visit of the FBC Saronno Academy team.  The FBC Saronno first team have just been promoted to Serie D and Irma tells us all about the younger team's visit to Sheffield and her involvement in that. 

FBC SARONNO VISIT SHEFFIELD – MAY 2010

The weekend started early for me, meeting up with the FBC Saronno group from Italy who arrived in Sheffield on Thursday evening.

For those of you that are not aware, there is a special link between FBC Saronno and Sheffield Wednesday.  100 years ago an Italian business man visited Sheffield, took a trip to Hillsborough to watch Sheffield Wednesday, fell in love with the club and the kit, bought a full squad set, returned to Italy and founded FBC Saronno.  In their early days, the club played in that Sheffield Wednesday kit and to this day, still play in blue and white stripes.

During the past few years, both our club and Wednesdayite have been building up a strong relationship with represenatives from FBC Saronno.  Each May, Saronno’s academy team comes over to Sheffield where Sean McAuley and his coaching staff offer coaching sessions and matches are organised between the two academy sides.   Also in May each year, our own academy team travels to Italy to take part in a tournament which has included top teams such, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus.

On Saturday morning my fellow Director, Richard Davies and I went to the Niagara to watch one of the academy games, which our lads won 4-1.  I then accompanied the group to the Beres Sandwich Shop to try one of their famous pork sandwiches – which went down very well!

Wednesdayite then hosted a bowling night at Hollywood bowl where the good looking Italian lads caused quite a stir amongst the girls (and women) at the venue!  Afterwards we returned to the Garrison Hotel, where the group were staying, and enjoyed a nice meal and social evening, joined by our Chairman, John Gath.

The Italians were fully aware of the importance of the game on Sunday.  Many of the young lads bought shirts, hats, scarves etc from the Megastore in support of our team and joined us in the Wednesdayite lounge pre-match.  Six of their academy players helped me with the surfing of the flag which gave them an opportunity to go pitch side and take some really good photographs of our players and the ground.

After the game, they were hoarse after shouting in support of our team and they were as disappointed as ourselves in not beating the drop.  Somewhat of a contrast to FBC Saronno’s success this, their centenary year, where they achieved promotion.

Despite this, the Italians had a very enjoyable time here in Sheffield, cementing even further the good relationship being built, a relationship that we and they hope to strengthen and to make this extraordinary story that links our two clubs known to all our fans.

This coming weekend, three Wednesdayite Directors, John Gath, Richard Davies and myself (at our own cost) will be travelling to Saronno (which, by the way, is a lovely small town just on the outskirts of Milan) in support of our young academy team in this tournament and to meet representatives from both FBC Saronno and their supporters group.

FBC Saronno have been celebrating their centenary throughout this current season and their celebrations will close at the end of the tournament, they have had a magnificent season, finishing top of their league and gaining promotion.  It is only a small club but it has a fantastic community spirit where fans really do become involved .  I had the pleasure of attending last year’s tournament and its arrangements, welcome and hospitality was second to none.

I hope when Saronno visit Sheffield again next year, we can involve more of our own fans in a social event.  Watch this space .....................

Irma.

If becoming a Wednesdayite Director is of interest to you and you feel you have something to offer, not just on a matchday but on all projects Wednesdayite work on, then we are holding our annual elections this summer.  For more details on how to get involved click here.

'FBC Saronno officials with Wednesdayite Directors'