December 1996
Tue 31 - Following the disappointing results obtained by Hibernians and Floriana, in Summer 1995 and 1996 respectively, in the UEFA - Intertoto Competition, Maltese clubs are no longer eligible to participate in this competition. Therefore Maltese participation in the UEFA Competitions next season will be as follows: the Premier League Champions will be participating in the Champions League - Preliminary Round, the League Runners-up in the UEFA Cup - Preliminary Round and the Rothmans Trophy Winners in the Cup Winners Cup
Mon 30
- David Carabott (Hibs) is moving closer towards Floriana while Jonathan Holland probably will not be given the release by the Greens. Meanwhile B'Kara requested striker Adrian Mifsud from Rabat Ajax but he certainly would not be released by the Magpies.
Sun 29
- Premier League Sliema W. vs Naxxar L. 1-1, Hamrun S. vs Valletta 2-4
- Division 1 Marsa vs Tarxien R. 0-1, Mosta vs Zurrieq 3-5
- Division 2/3 Knock Out: Quarter Finals Siggiewi vs San Gwann 3-2 pen. (1-1), St. George's vs Qormi 2-0, Luqa SA vs Kirkop U. 2-0
- Gozo - Premier Victoria H. vs Xaghra U. 3-2
- Gozo - Division 1 Xewkija T. vs SK Victoria W. 1-1
Sat 28
- Carmel Formosa joined Pieta` Hotspurs from Hamrun Spartans for a transfer fee of Lm 11,000. Meanwhile David Carabott (Hibs) could join Hamrun Spartans or Floriana. The closing date for transfers is the 31st December.
- Former Sliema coach John Calleja could join Mark Miller as assistant coach. Earlier on, Calleja resigned from the coaching staff of the Sliema Wanderers Youth Nursery
- Premier Division Hibernians vs Lija Athletic 3-0, Floriana vs Pieta` Hotspurs 5-0
- Division 2/3 Knock Out: Quarter Final Sirens vs Balzan Youths 2-5
- Gozo - Premier Nadur Y. vs Sannat L. 1-0
- Gozo - Division 1 Qala SJ - Gharb R. 4-2
Thu 26
- David Carabott (Hibernians), Martin Gregory (Floriana), Kevin Sammut (Hamrun), Joe Galea (Rabat) and Antoine Zahra (B'Kara) were suspended for one match by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner.
- Promising Floriana youngster, Jonathan Holland has requested his release from the Greens since he is not a regular choice for manager Ron Fenton.
- Former Pieta` defender Stoyan Poumpalov, who was still suspended for one match after being released by the Hotspurs, signed for Third Division side Ta' Xbiex. It is understood that after Ta' Xbiex play their next competitive match, he would be released so that he can probably join First Division club St. Patrick.
Mon 23
- Brian Talbot will be resigning from his position as coach of Hibernians following the disappointing results obtained by the Paolites, after the next match against Lija. He will be replaced by Mark Miller as player-coach. Miller joined the club last month after leaving Sliema Wanderers with whom he was first a player-coach and then, coach only.
Sun 22
- Premier League Sliema W. vs Hibernians 3-0, Valletta vs B'Kara 0-1
- Division 1 Ghaxaq vs Sta. Lucia 2-3, Mellieha vs Dingli S. 3-1
- Division 2 Gzira U. vs St. George's 1-1, Gozo vs Mqabba 4-3
- Division 3 Kirkop U. vs Msida SJ 5-2, Attard vs Ta' Xbiex 4-0
- Gozo - Division 1 SK Victoria W. vs Qala SJ 0-5, Munxar F. vs Xewkija T. 1-4
Sat 21
- Premier League Floriana vs Naxxar L. 4-1, Rabat Ajax vs Hamrun S. 1-2
- Division 3 Senglea A. vs Sta. Venera L. 1-2, St. Andrews vs Zejtun C. 5-1Gozo - Division 2 Kercem A. vs St. Lawrence S. 1-0, Oratory Y. vs Zebbug R. 1-2
Fri 20
- Women's Football League Qormi vs Hamrun 2-2
Wed 18
- Spain beat Malta 3-0 in the World Cup Qualifiers with 3 goals by Julen Guerrero in the 8th, 26th and 33rd. After suffering three goals in the first half, the Maltese defended carefully in the second half while the Spaniards seemed quite happy with the 3-goals. Darren Debono and Guillermo Amor were both sent off in the second half. Guerrero profited from a defensive blunder to score his first goal and netted the second from a cross by Guardiola after Juan Antonio Pizzi had headed against the post. Guardiola provided a stream of passes throughout the match and from another of these Guerrero claimed his third goal. Pizzi had a header cleared off the line in the 55th minute.This match brings the year 1996 to an end for the National Team, a year full of disappointing results including the three 6-0 defeats against Yugoslavia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The Maltese team did not even win a single match, notching only 3 draws, two against UAE and another one against Slovenia.
- The MFA Disciplinary Commissioner suspended Cedric Caruana (Rabat Ajax) and Simon Agius (Mosta) for one Trophy match each.
- Valletta FC coach Edward Aquilina had the ban regarding following the team from the reserves' bench, against him lifted by the Board of Appeals.
Tue 17
- Malta Under 21 lose 0-3 to Spain in a match at the National Stadium at Ta' Qali. An excellent performance by goalkeeper Mario Muscat kept the score so low. The Maltese went close to goal in the first half when a freekick by Ian Ciantar
Sun 15
- Rothmans Trophy Naxxar L. vs Dingli S. 4-1, Lija A. vs Ghaxaq 1-3 (after extra time)
- Division 2 Siggiewi vs Balzan Y. 6-1, Vittoriosa S. vs Pembroke A. 0-5
- Division 3 Gharghur vs Mgarr U. 2-0, B'Buga SP vs Luqa SA 0-2
- Gozo - Premier Xaghra U. vs Nadur Y. 1-2, Ghajnsielem vs Sannat L. 2-1
Sat 14
- Rothmans Trophy Tarxien R. vs Xghajra T. 4-5 (after penalties), St. Patrick vs Mosta 2-3 (after penalties)
- Division 3 Melita vs Attard 2-0, Kalkara U. vs Kirkop U. 1-2
- Gozo - Division 1 SK Victoria W. vs Munxar F. 4-1
- Gozo - Division 2 Kercem A. vs Oratory Y. 3-0
Fri 13
- Rothmans Trophy Sta. Lucia vs Pieta` H. 2-3 (after extra time), Mellieha vs Rabat Ajax 3-5, B'Kara vs Zurrieq 0-1, Marsa vs Hamrun S. 0-6
- Division 2 Gudja U. vs Zebbug R. 0-0, Qormi vs Marsaxlokk 6-0
- Division 3 Ta' Xbiex vs Sirens 1-7, Msida SJ vs Fgura U. 0-1
- Republic Cup A one-day-tournament (30-minutes-matches) played between Gozitan Premier League clubs: Preliminary Round Xaghra U. vs Sannat L. 3-4 (pen.) Semi-Finals Ghajnsielem vs Nadur Y. 0-1, Sannat L. vs Victoria H. 0-1 Final Nadur Y. vs Victoria H. 2-3 (pen.)
- Gozo - Division 1 Xewkija T. vs Gharb R. 2-0
- Gozo - Division 2 Zebbug R. vs Marsalforn SP 2-1
- Women's Football League Ta' Xbiex vs Lija A. 0-11, Hamrun S. vs Melita 0-2, Rabat Ajax vs St.Patrick 11-0, Gozo FC vs PlanETS 5-0
Thu 12
- Clive Mizzi (Pieta` H.) won the Player of the Month Award for November.
Wed 11
- The MFA Disciplinary Commissioner suspended Darren Attard (Hibs), Matthew Naudi (Lija A.), Adrian Mifsud (Rabat Ajax) and Micheal Degorgio (Hamrun S.), all for one match.
Tue 10
- Women's Football League Rabat Ajax vs Gozo FC 4-0
Sun 8
- Premier League B'Kara vs Hamrun S. 0-0, Hibernians vs Floriana 0-1
- Division 1 Xghajra T. vs Marsa 2-3, Zurrieq vs St.Patrick 1-2
- Division 2 Qrendi vs Gzira U. 0-1, San Gwann vs Gozo FC 1-0
- Division 3 Zejtun C. vs B'Buga SP 1-1, Sta. Venera L. vs Gharghur 6-1
- Gozo - Division 2 Oratory Y. vs Marsalforn SP 4-0, St. Lawrence S. vs Zebbug R. 0-4
- Sat 7 Premier League Rabat Ajax vs Pieta` H. 1-2, Lija A. vs Valletta 0-8
- Division 1 Tarxien R. vs Mellieha 3-0, Dingli S. vs Mosta 0-3
- Division 3 Kirkop U. vs St. Andrews 0-6, Attard vs Senglea A. 0-0
- Gozo - Division 1 Qala SJ vs Xewkija T. 1-2
Fri 6
- Women's Football League Hibernians vs Hamrun S. 1-2, St.Patrick vs Ta' Xbiex 2-0
Wed 4
- The MFA Disciplinary Commissioner suspended 8 Premier League players: George Taliana and Emanuel Micallef (Lija A.), Orazio Sorbello and Edmond Lufi (Hamrun S.), Alexander Ivanov (Pieta` H.), Joseph Farrugia (Rabat Ajax), Justin Tellus (B'Kara) and Ivan Gauci (Naxxar L.)Valletta wrote to their reserve goalkeeper Sean Sullivan ordering him to start attending training sessions regularly. Sullivan had signed for the Citizens in August after he was assured a regular place in the first eleven but instead was relegated to the reserves' bench.Second Division club Qrendi FC are facing serious problems which could lead to the folding up of the club. The club does not have enough money to pay the players' salaries which on the other hand are not attending training sessions. Qrendi currently do not even have club premises and are facing legal actions regarding the rent of their previous premises.
Tue 3
- Women Football League Lija A. vs PlanETS 2-0, Melita vs Qormi 1-0, B'Kara vs Mosta 0-1
Sun 1
- Premier League Pieta` H. vs Hamrun S. 1-2, Valletta vs Sliema W. 3-2
- Division 1 Tarxien R. vs Mellieha, Dingli S. vs Mosta postponed
- Division 2 St. George's vs Vittoriosa S. 3-0, Mqabba vs Siggiewi 0-1
- Division 3 Luqa SA vs Fgura U. 1-1, Mgarr U. vs Sirens 1-2
- Gozo - Premier Nadur Y. vs Victoria H. 1-2
- Gozo - Division 1 Qala SJ vs Xewkija T. postponed
- Gozo - Division II KO Zebbug R. vs St. Lawrence S. 2-0
- Women Football League St.Patrick vs Plan ETS 4-3