Football in Malta
Encyclopedia
Football in Malta
is run by the Malta Football Association
and was introduced to the Maltese Islands during British
rule in the mid-19th century. 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 association runs the national football team
, as well as administering the Maltese Football League and the Maltese Cup
for club sides.
championship in the 1909-1910 season was won by Floriana. The league regularly changed in numbers as teams changed administrators, dropped out of the league, and new teams re-entered. 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 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 continued to dominate up to the Second World War between them.
Unfortunately due to the Second World War, the league had to break-off since many Maltese players were drafted in to the defence of the island during the early 1940s when the Maltese archipelago were heavily involved in the North Africa conflict due to its 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. 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 1940s, doubling the size of the number of registered clubs within ten years. Many of today’s familiar names joined the league including Valletta
and Hibernians
Interest in the Maltese league continued throughout the 1950s, 1960’s and 1970’s with fifteen more clubs joining the league including Birkirkara FC in 1950 . It was however Hibernians and Valletta
who put together a good challenge to Sliema Wanderers and Floriana, winning eight championships between them, and three league trophies.
The 1980s saw the monopolization of Sliema Wanderers and Floriana 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, Ħamrun 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
enjoyed a golden age in the 1990’s winning five championships and four league cups. A re-juvenated Floriana won the championship in 1993 , as well as two league cups, and Sliema Wanderers, Ħamrun Spartans and Hibernians also picked up notable honours.
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. Other teams to have made relative impact were Żurrieq in the 1980s and Valletta
in the late 1990s.
, the Maltese First Division
, the Maltese Second Division
, and the Maltese Third Division
. They are all currently sponsored by the Bank of Valletta
. In parallel runs the Maltese Cup
, currently known as the U*Bet FA Trophy for sponsorship reasons.
and the English Premier League), slow paced football, low interest, relatively unknown players, lack of professionalism and perceived corruption. This has improved since the promotion of Qormi
to the top tier, a team which has had a strong following ever since getting promoted. A phenomenon also occurred in the lowest tier, where Zejtun Corinthians
and Naxxar Lions, two sides from relatively large localities, started to push for promotion from the Maltese Third Division during season 2009-10. This ended up in a rivalry between the two teams who boasted stronger squads when compared to the other Third Division teams, thus attracting larger crowds than usual. However attendances remain relatively low in numbers. It is important to note that very few statistics are available.
or English
as an official language. This created pro-British and pro-Italian factions within the Maltese, virtually halving the population in two. This rivalry now remains subtly in the nation's main political parties, but also in football, where as said before Maltese prefer foreign leagues to the Maltese one. During World Cups Maltese generally side with either the English or the Italians. Popular foreign clubs are mainly Man Utd
, Liverpool, Juventus, Milan and Inter. Popular national teams are mainly England
and Italy
, with Brazil
in the third place, followed by Germany
and the Netherlands
to a lesser extent. These foreign fandoms generally divert attention from Maltese football to the detriment of the Maltese leagues and the Malta national football team
.
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
is run by the Malta Football Association
Malta Football Association
The Malta Football Association is the governing body of football in Malta.It organises the Maltese Football League and several other competitions, including the knockout competition for the top teams, called the FA Trophy...
and was introduced to the Maltese Islands during British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
rule in the mid-19th century. The sport at the time was new to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and was used as a means of entertainment for the soldiers stationed in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
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 association runs the national football team
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
, as well as administering the Maltese Football League and the Maltese Cup
Maltese Cup
The U Bet FA Trophy, formerly known as the Rothman's Trophy, is a football competition that takes place in Malta.Widely known as the F.A. Trophy, it was a gift from the British by The Football Association in 1933. This followed a match between England and Italy, played in Rome in May 1933, to where...
for club sides.
History
The first MalteseMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
championship in the 1909-1910 season was won by Floriana. The league regularly changed in numbers as teams changed administrators, dropped out of the league, and new teams re-entered. 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 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 continued to dominate up to the Second World War between them.
Unfortunately due to the Second World War, the league had to break-off since many Maltese players were drafted in to the defence of the island during the early 1940s when the Maltese archipelago were heavily involved in the North Africa conflict due to its strategic position in the Mediterranean sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
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. 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
Malta Football Association
The Malta Football Association is the governing body of football in Malta.It organises the Maltese Football League and several other competitions, including the knockout competition for the top teams, called the FA Trophy...
in the 1940s, doubling the size of the number of registered clubs within ten years. Many of today’s familiar names joined the league including Valletta
Valletta F.C.
Valletta Football Club is a Maltese football club based in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Valletta F.C. has the strongest support on the island...
and Hibernians
Interest in the Maltese league continued throughout the 1950s, 1960’s and 1970’s with fifteen more clubs joining the league including Birkirkara FC in 1950 . It was however Hibernians and Valletta
Valletta F.C.
Valletta Football Club is a Maltese football club based in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Valletta F.C. has the strongest support on the island...
who put together a good challenge to Sliema Wanderers and Floriana, winning eight championships between them, and three league trophies.
The 1980s saw the monopolization of Sliema Wanderers and Floriana 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
Rabat Ajax
Rabat Ajax Football Club is a Maltese football club based in Rabat. The last promotion to a higher division was achieved in 2007/2008 when they defeated Balzan Youths 3-0 in a promotion decider to secure a place in Division 1...
(formed 1930) won in 1985, and 1986, however the real surprise came from one of Malta’s oldest clubs, Ħamrun Spartans who won the league three times in 1983, 1987 and 1988 , and won a five league trophies. Floriana
Floriana
Floriana is a town in Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. Floriana is the birthplace of many famous Maltese, amongst which the composer of the national anthem, 'L-Innu Malti', Robert Samut; former Bishop of Malta Dom Mauro Caruana, the poet Oliver Friggieri, and Swedish Idol winner...
did win the league trophy in 1981, although unfortunately were relegated to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
’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
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
league’s top tier to contribute to an entertaining and high quality semi-professional football league. Valletta
Valletta F.C.
Valletta Football Club is a Maltese football club based in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Valletta F.C. has the strongest support on the island...
enjoyed a golden age in the 1990’s winning five championships and four league cups. A re-juvenated Floriana won the championship in 1993 , as well as two league cups, and Sliema Wanderers, Ħamrun Spartans and Hibernians also picked up notable honours.
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
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
’s largest town has regularly picked up honours since propelling itself into the history books. Other teams to have made relative impact were Żurrieq in the 1980s and Valletta
Valletta F.C.
Valletta Football Club is a Maltese football club based in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Valletta F.C. has the strongest support on the island...
in the late 1990s.
The Early League Format
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 |
Current System
Currently the Maltese national and official system consists of 53 teams within 4 tiers. These are the Maltese Premier LeagueMaltese Premier League
The Maltese Premier League, known as BOV Premier League for sponsorship reasons , is the top level league for football in Malta. The league was first competed in 1909...
, the Maltese First Division
Maltese First Division
The Maltese First Division is the second-highest division in Maltese football, behind the Maltese Premier League and above the Maltese Second Division. The league has been running for many years.12 teams take part in the league...
, the Maltese Second Division
Maltese Second Division
The Maltese Second Division is the third-highest division in Maltese football, behind the Maltese First Division and above Maltese Third Division...
, and the Maltese Third Division
Maltese Third Division
The Maltese Third Division is the lowest league level in Maltese football. There are currently 22 teams participating in the league....
. They are all currently sponsored by the Bank of Valletta
Bank of Valletta
Bank of Valletta is Malta's longest established financial services provider and one of its largest. Domestic operations include a national network of 45 branches, 6 regional business centres, corporate centre, and a wealth management arm...
. In parallel runs the Maltese Cup
Maltese Cup
The U Bet FA Trophy, formerly known as the Rothman's Trophy, is a football competition that takes place in Malta.Widely known as the F.A. Trophy, it was a gift from the British by The Football Association in 1933. This followed a match between England and Italy, played in Rome in May 1933, to where...
, currently known as the U*Bet FA Trophy for sponsorship reasons.
Other competitions
Other football competitions run in Malta include:- the women's footballWomen's football (soccer)Women's association football has been played for many decades, but was associated with charity games and physical exercise in the past before the breakthrough of organized women's association football came in the 1970s. Before the 1970s, football was basically seen as a men's game...
league: First DivisionMaltese First Division (women)The Maltese First Division is the top level women's football league of Malta.After several failed attempts in the 1970s and 80s to create a lasting women's football competition, successful tournaments of San Gwann and Luxol St... - the Youth League - Commonly known as the Minors' League
- the Maltese CupMaltese CupThe U Bet FA Trophy, formerly known as the Rothman's Trophy, is a football competition that takes place in Malta.Widely known as the F.A. Trophy, it was a gift from the British by The Football Association in 1933. This followed a match between England and Italy, played in Rome in May 1933, to where...
- the Maltese Super CupMaltese Super CupThe Maltese Super Cup is a cup tie held in Malta between the league champions and the cup winners of the previous year. It is the first officially match played before the start of the season.-Finals:* Champions vs Cup Winners...
- played between the winners of the Maltese League and Cup - the Youth Leagues (not to be confused with the previous one) - organised by the Youth FAMalta Youth Football AssociationThe Youth Football Association . It started with the founding of the Educational Sports Centre at Marsa in 1972. That was the very first nursery in Malta. Hundreds of Children attended once or twice a week to train in football, basketball, athletics and gymnastics...
for boys aged up to 17
Viewership and Attendances
In the latest decades, particularly the 1990s the Maltese leagues have not boasted of high attendances except for particular derby matches or league deciders. This has often been attributed to various reasons, including the higher quality of foreign leagues (especially the Italian Serie ASerie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
and the English Premier League), slow paced football, low interest, relatively unknown players, lack of professionalism and perceived corruption. This has improved since the promotion of Qormi
Qormi FC
Qormi Football Club are a Maltese football club from the city of Qormi, which currently plays in the Maltese Premier League.-History:Qormi Football Club was founded in 1961 after the amalgamation of Qormi Youngsters and Qormi United, which is from where the club acquired its motto Fl-Għaqda s-Saħħa,...
to the top tier, a team which has had a strong following ever since getting promoted. A phenomenon also occurred in the lowest tier, where Zejtun Corinthians
Zejtun Corinthians F.C.
Zejtun Corinthians Football Club are a Maltese football club from the town of Zejtun, which currently plays in the Maltese First Division.Founded in 1943, the club has rarely ventured higher than the lower divisions of Maltese football.-History:...
and Naxxar Lions, two sides from relatively large localities, started to push for promotion from the Maltese Third Division during season 2009-10. This ended up in a rivalry between the two teams who boasted stronger squads when compared to the other Third Division teams, thus attracting larger crowds than usual. However attendances remain relatively low in numbers. It is important to note that very few statistics are available.
English and Italian rivalries
As said before, most Maltese people prefer to watch English and Italian leagues. This traces its beginning to the nation's political past, where in the 1930s a hot political issue was the Language Question, i.e. whether Malta had to adopt either ItalianItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
or English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as an official language. This created pro-British and pro-Italian factions within the Maltese, virtually halving the population in two. This rivalry now remains subtly in the nation's main political parties, but also in football, where as said before Maltese prefer foreign leagues to the Maltese one. During World Cups Maltese generally side with either the English or the Italians. Popular foreign clubs are mainly Man Utd
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Liverpool, Juventus, Milan and Inter. Popular national teams are mainly England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, with Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in the third place, followed by Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
and the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
to a lesser extent. These foreign fandoms generally divert attention from Maltese football to the detriment of the Maltese leagues and the Malta national football team
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
.