Owls Avoid Blades In Malta

A mouth-watering Sheffield Derby clash - in Malta - is not set to go ahead despite the two clubs travelling there during the pre-season.

The Blades are travelling to Malta as part of their sponsorship deal with the Malta Tourism Authority, and Wednesday are set to follow suit. MTA CEO Josef Formosa Gauci said: "This initiative cements the excellent relationship that has developed between the MTA and Sheffield United, which is now being extended towards the city of Sheffield as a whole. In this respect, we are delighted to welcome Sheffield Wednesday to the island of Malta for the first time."

But Brian Laws and his troops won't land until the day after United are departing - putting an end to rumours that there could be a Steel City Derby clash on foreign soil.

Instead, Wednesday are set to face to Malta-based sides for their pre-season friendly fixtures and they're also set to stage off-the-field events with travelling Wednesdayites throughout the week they're there - from July 11-18.

Full details of the tour will be found on the official Owls website at www.swfc.co.uk.

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