Maltese football

Maltese Football History

Football in Malta was introduced to the Maltese Islands during British rule in the mid 1800’s. The sport at the time was new to England, and was used as a means of entertainment for the soldiers stationed in Malta at the various barracks around Malta at the time. In 1863 a football association was formed which governed rules and regulations for this quickly changing sport, which was still in amateur competition stage and played in an un-scheduled format until 1909 when a league format was introduced.

The Early Years:- League Format:

The first league format featured five teams initially:

   * Floriana FC
   * Sliema Wanderers
   * St. Joseph's United
   * Boys' Empire League
   * Malta University

The first Malta Football Association Premier League (1st Division) 1909-1910

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against	Points
Floriana FC	4	4	0	0	6	0	8
Sliema Wanderers	4	2	1	1	5	2	5
St. Joseph's United	4	2	0	2	4	4	4
Boys' Empire League	4	1	1	2	7	4	3
Malta University	4	0	0	4	0	12	0

The first Maltese championship in the 1909-1910 season was won by Floriana FC. The league regularly changed in numbers as teams changed administrators, dropped out of the league, and new team re-enter. Up until the season of 1939-1940 this first league remained the only league in Maltese football, and was called the Maltese division one. Sliema Wanderers and Floriana FC dominated, winning all but four championships up to 1940. The Maltese football league trophy was implemented in the 1935 season which Sliema Wanderers and Floriana FC continued to dominate up to the Second World War between them.

The Post-war Maltese League

Unfortunately due to the Second World War, the league had to break-off since many Maltese players were drafted in to the defense of the island during the early 1940’s when the Maltese archipelago were heavily involved in the North Africa conflict due to it’s strategic position in the Mediterranean sea.

Normal league activity resumed in the 1945, after the end of the war with the league format of four teams joining including Sliema Wanderers and Floriana FC. The Maltese football association league format soon changed however, to a multiple tier format as from the 1946 season. The passing of the North Africa conflict saw the Maltese football associations largest interest with fifteen clubs registering to join the Maltese FA in the 1940’s, doubling the size of the number of registered clubs within ten years. Many of today’s familiar names joined the league including Valletta FC and Hibernians

Through the Swinging Sixties

Interest in the Maltese league continued throughout the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s with fifteen more clubs joining the league including Birkirkara FC in 1950. It was however Hibernians and Valletta FC who put together a good challenge to Sliema Wanderers and Floriana FC, winning eight championships between them, and three league trophies.

The Maltese League in the late 20th Century

The 1980’s saw the monopolization of Sliema Wanderers and Floriana FC finally come to an end with four different clubs taking most of the honours in this decade. The Inauguration of the new national stadium, Ta' Qali could have been a reason for this, with a large re-structuring of the Maltese league program to coincide with Maltese football’s new impressive home. Hibernians FC went on to win the Maltese league championship in 1981 and 1982, [[Rabat Ajax (formed 1930) won in 1985, and 1986, however the real surprise came from one of Malta’s oldest clubs, Hamrun Spartans who won the league three times in 1983, 1987 and 1988, and won a five league trophies. Floriana did win the league trophy in 1981, although unfortunately were relegated to Malta’s second league in the season of 1985.

           The last decades of the century saw the league format expand to its fourth tier, now with fifty clubs registered in the league. A diverse range of clubs now sharing the trophies in the Maltese league’s top tier to contribute to an entertaining and high quality semi-professional football league. Valletta FC enjoyed a golden age in the 1990’s winning five championships and four league cups. A re-juvenated Floriana FC won the championship in 1993, as well as two league cups, and Sliema Wanderers, Hamrun Spartans and Hibernians also picked up notable honours.

Present Day Maltese Football

           At present there are a number of clubs with the resources and capability of winning the championship trophy, which is now called the Maltese Premier League trophy. Birkirkara FC are the notable new force in the Maltese league, after winning their first championship in the year 2000, and the team from Malta’s largest town has regularly picked up honours since propelling itself into the history books. The below clubs are however considered to be the leading clubs in Malta in order of trophies won and league appearances:

Sliema Wanderers

Floriana FC

Valletta FC

Hibernians

Hamrun Spartans

Birkirkara FC

Following a domination of Sliema Wanderers, winning the championship concurrently for three seasons in a row (2003 , 2004 , 2005 ) Marsaxlokk FC have emerged as Malta’s eighth team to ever win the Maltese Premier league after winning the title in 2007.

External links

• [Malta Football Association Webpage]
• [Maltese Football League Fanzine]