November 2005

Wed 30

• First Division Naxxar L. vs San Gwann 4-0, St. Andrews vs Lija A. 3-2

Tue 29

• Third Division Ta' Xbiex vs Mgarr U. 1-3, Siggiewi vs Santa Lucia 1-2
• Champions Sliema Wanderers will be facing Hibernians in the semi-finals of the Quadrangular Tournament for Top Clubs, formerly known as the Super 5 Tournament. Holders Birkirkara take on Valletta in the other semi-final.
  This season, the tournament no longer carries a sponsorship and hence the change in the name.
  The tournament was first held in 1990. Since then, Floriana and Valletta won the Super 5 Tournament four times, Sliema Wanderers and Birkirkara three times and Hamrun Spartans once.
  The two semi-finals will be played at the Centenary Stadium. Birkirkara vs Valletta will be played on Monday 26 December while Sliema vs Hibernians will be played on Tuesday 27.
  The final will be played at the National Stadium on Friday 30.
  If the result is draw at the end of the 90 minutes, no extra-time will be given and penalty kicks will decide the issue.
• Holders Qormi will be facing Gharghur in the quarter-finals of the quick KENO Second & Third Division Knock-Out.
  The draw was held at the MFA Headquarters in Valletta by Maltco Lotteries representative Mario Cassar on Tuesday.
  In the other quarter-finals, Zebbug Rangers were paired with Mellieha while Balzan Youths will be meeting Gzira United.
  The only teams from the BOV Third Division - Sirens and Pembroke Athleta will be facing each other in the other quarter-final.

Mon 28

• Third Division Kalkara vs Zurrieq 0-4, Zejtun C. vs Luqa SA 2-2

Sun 27

• First Division Naxxar L. vs San Gwann and St. Andrews vs Lija A. postponed
• Second Division Attard vs Gzira U. 0-2, Vittoriosa S. vs Gudja U. 1-1, Gozo vs Zebbug R. 0-0
• Third Division Kirkop U. vs Pembroke A. 0-4, Sirens vs Sta. Venera L. 0-2
• Women's League Melita vs Sta. Venera L. 2-2, Mosta vs Hibernians 0-4

Sat 26

• Second Division Gharghur vs Dingli S. 1-2, Melita vs Mellieha 2-0
• Gozo - Second Division Victoria H. vs St. Lawrence S. postponed
• Gozo - GFA Cup Xaghra U. vs Nadur Y. postponed

Fri 25

• Gharghur have parted ways with coach Mario Mifsud by mutual consent and have appointed ex-St Venera Lightnings and Luqa St. Andrew's coach Kenneth Costantino. Mifsud had joined the club this summer following the departure of Martin Gregory.
• The official inauguration of the new Birkirkara F.C. Youth Nursery synthetic football pitches was held on Sunday 20th November.
  These pitches were officially opened by the Hon. Tonio Fenech Parlamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Birkirkara FC Youth Nursery Honorary President Mr. Geoffrey Montebello, Birkirkara F.C. Chairman Mr. Victor Zammit and Birkirkara F.C. Youth Nursery Chairman Mr. Henry Bray.
  Birkirkara F.C. Youth Nursery Chairman thanked the numerous volunteers who all helped in realising this dream come true. Henry Bray also thanked the board of Directors of the mother club, Birkirkara FC for their assistance. Amongst the distinguished guests present, together with the many parents and children, was Mr. Victor Zammit, Chairman of Birkirkara FC, members of the board of Directors, The Hon. Tonio Fenech, Hon. Dr. Tonio Borg, Hon. Dr. Chris Cardona MP, Hon. Joe Debono Grech MP and Dr. Mark Fenech, the club's legal advisor.
  Mr. Victor Zammit thanked the Nursery for their continuous efforts in seeing this project become a reality and asked for more support from the various government entities.
  The Hon. Tonio Fenech, Parliamentary Secretary stated that he was more than satisfied in seeing such projects carried out for the benefit of the younger generations and he was proud to have assisted in this project, on behalf of the Maltese government.
  The grounds were then blessed by Dun Vincenz Demicoli, the club's Spiritual Director and two commemorative plaques were unveiled.
  These pitches are equipped with the latest available UEFA approved synthetic grass and necessary light equipment for one to enjoy playing the game of football. Anyone interested in making use of these facilities may contact Mr David Borg on 79443422 or 21482232 or by sending an email to nursery@birkirkarafc.com for any ground reservations or further information.
• During the Extraordinary General Meeting held by Mosta Football Club at the club premises last Friday, prior to the election of a new President and additional committee members, the committee in office presented the attending club members with the club's official stance regarding the departure of Mr. Paul Zammit from the club.
  All present members unanimously agreed to issue the statement as an official press release by the club, signed by secretary Joe Muscat, a copy of which is the following:
  "In view of the fact that the committee of Mosta FC was never asked for its version of facts regarding the depature of Paul Zammit, the committee would like to clarify a number of points.
  1. Paul Zammit had never met or asked to meet the comittee to discuss his future with Mosta FC.
  2. The first indication that Paul Zammit was about to leave the club was given on Sunday November 6, after the FA Trophy match against St. Patrick, when he informed a committee member that he had discussions with another club and was willing to join them.
  3. Paul Zammit never consulted the players or the assistant coach as regards to his future. In fact, since no training was scheduled for Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th November, the players only got to know what was happening through media sources.
  4. The Mosta FC committee had never encouraged Paul Zammit to leave the club.
  5. Since Paul Zammit seemed to be determined to leave the club, he was allowed to leave and the committee started searching for a new coach for the rest of the season.
  6. The committee received a number of complaints from supporters claiming they sent sms's during sports programmes on TV but these were not transmitted during the said programmes."

Wed 23

• Despite not playing any competitive or friendly matches, Malta climbed another two places in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Malta is now 123rd.
  Malta is 46th among the other European countries. Ahead of Malta are Georgia (100), Northern Ireland (101, up 3), Moldova (108), Armenia (110, down 1) and Azerbaijan (113, down 1). Behind Malta are Liechtenstein (124, up 2), Andorra (127, up 1), the Faroe Islands (131, up 3), Kazakhstan (139, down 1), Luxembourg (152) and San Marino (157).
  The next commitment for Malta is the Malta International Tournament which will be held between February 25 and March 1.
• Hamrun Spartans striker Gaetan Spiteri, named BOV Player of the Month for October 2005, was presented with the BOV Trophy by Rosanne Petrococchino, Manager of BOV’s Hamrun Branch.
  The presentation of the BOV Player of the Month Trophy was held at St. Joseph’s Home in St Venera. This institution was chosen by Gaetan Spiteri as the beneficiary of the monthly donation that is being made available by Bank of Valletta to the Player of the Month for presentation to a local charity.
  During this event, the Hamrun player presented the cash donation to Fr. Silvio Bezzina, Director of the St Joseph’s Home.
  Also present was John Farrugia, Vice-President of the Malta Football Association, and Antoine Attard, Treasurer of the Hamrun Spartans Football Club.
  Asked to comment Mr Attard said that Gaetan Spiteri is a remarkable player gifted with speed and versatility and during these few months has proven to be a central figure to his team.
• Three Premier League players were suspended by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner after collecting a fourth yellow card or being sent off last Sunday.
  Hamrun Spartans had two players suspended for one match - Steve Sadowski and Jonathan Magri Overand. They will be missing the game against Pietà Hotspurs on December 11.
  Sliema Wanderers defender Mauro Di Lello was also suspended for one match - the game against Mosta on December 4.
  Coaches Anthony Garzia of St. Andrews, Ilir Pelinku of Mellieha and Mario Mifsud of Gharghur were all banned for two matches.
  In Division 1, Larry Lagana (St. George's) was suspended for one match while Christian Glass and Karl Vella Petroni, both of Gharghur, were suspended for three and two matches respectively in Division 2.
  Keith Xuereb and Firas Aboulezz (Attard), Ryan Galea (Gzira), Josef Borg (Kirkop), Daniel Galea (Naxxar) and Johansen Spiteri (Sta. Lucia) were suspended for one match in the Youth League.

Tue 22

• Second Division Gzira U. vs Qormi 1-3, Balzan Y. vs Vittoriosa S. 0-4

Mon 21

• Second Division Melita vs Gozo 4-0, Gudja U. vs Zebbug R. 0-1

Sun 20

• Premier League Mosta vs Marsaxlokk 1-3, Hamrun S. vs Sliema W. 1-1
• First Division Mqabba vs St. George's 0-0, Tarxien R. vs Senglea A. 1-0
• Third Division Birzebbuga SP vs Ghaxaq 4-0, Xghajra T. vs Rabat A. 0-6
• Women's League Rabat A. vs Mosta 1-2, Qormi vs Birkirkara 0-11
• Gozo - First Division Nadur Y. vs Xaghra U. 2-0, SK Victoria W. vs Ghajnsielem 0-0

Sat 19

• First Division St. Patrick vs Naxxar L. 4-1, Marsa vs St. Andrews 1-1
• Gozo - Second Division Zebbug R. vs St. Lawrence S. 0-3, Oratory Y. vs Qala SJ 2-2
• The national team should be having a new coach in a few weeks time. The Executive Committee has in fact given the go-ahead to the Bureau of the Malta Football Association and president Dr Joe Mifsud to make the final proposals to the main candidate for the post.
  The matter has been in discussion during the last two meetings of the Executive Committee. During the first meeting, outgoing national coach Horst Heese was asked for his opinions on the matter.
  This news emerged from the meeting of the Council of the Malta Football Association which was held on Thursday.
  Other news to emerge from the meeting was that the Croatian FA paid the expenses of damages at National Stadium after the incidents caused by a group of Croatian supporters during the Malta vs Croatia World Cup 2006 qualifier on 7 September 2005.
  The MFA expressed appreciation and thanked the public, the local Football Nurseries, the BOV, Council Members, the entertainers and all those helped in making the Malta v Bulgaria World Cup 2006 qualifier a memorable occasion.
  Four Referees and eight Assistant Referees were confirmed on the FIFA Panel for 2006. The Referees are Messrs Joe Attard, Adrian Casha, Anton Zammit and Chris Lautier. The Assistant Referees are Messrs Philip Agius, Ingmar Spiteri, Joe Rapa, Konrad Borg, Nicholas Debattista, Alan Camilleri, Joe Camilleri and Charles Micallef. Messrs Konrad Borg and Ian Miller were confirmed as international Futsal Referees.
  Meanwhile Maltese FIFA Referees and Assistants were given very good ratings when controlling several matches abroad over the past weeks. Referee Adrian Casha and assistant referee Alan Camilleri controlled matches from a tournament involving youth teams from Iceland, Sweden and Andorra. Referee Chris Lautier and assistant referee Konrad Borg controlled matches from another youth tournament while referee Anton Zammit, assistant referees Joe Rapa and Joe Camilleri and fourth official Marco Borg controlled Netherlands vs Macedonia Under-21.
  Mr. Lars-Christer Olsson, UEFA CEO wrote to the MFA President thanking our Association for their part in making the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on 7 and 8 November 2005 in Malta an excellently-organised event.
  MFA Vice-President Mr. Ludovico Micallef informed the Council of technical details for the planned construction of 35 Mini-Pitches around Malta and Gozo under the UEFA Jubilee Mini-Pitches Project.
  MFA Vice-President Mr John Farrugia informed the Council of the new regulations to be found in the new UEFA Licensing Manual to be enforced as from season 2008/2009. The necessary amendments to relevant MFA regulations are to be approved by the MFA Council by not later than the end of March 2006. Small countries will meet to see to their special needs re these regulations and present common proposals. Mr. Farrugia appealed to clubs to lay the ground so that these new Licensing criteria will be abided with when the time comes.
  The UNESCO 60th Anniversary celebrations will be marked in Malta BOV Premier League match between Sliema Wanderers and Birkirkara on December 13. Both clubs have informed the MFA that they have given their consent to this.
  The November and December BOV Player of the Month Award will be incorporated in one Award as there will only be a few matches during November. However, The MFA requested the sponsors so that the cash presented to a charitable institution chosen by the award winner will cover the amount for two months.
• Former Mosta FC president Mr. Charles Abela was re-elected to the post of president following an Extraordinary General Meeting which was held on Friday. The EGM was necessary following the resignation of Frans Debono.
  Mr. Abela, who had been at the helm of the club for six consecutive years up till the end of last season, had twice guided Mosta FC to Premier League promotion.
  Additional members were also elected to the Mosta FC committee, which has now grown to 15 members. New committee members, apart from the President are Vice-Presidents Michael Attard and Charles Pace, and ordinary members Anthony Deguara, Anthony Formosa and Jimmy Mifsud. They join members Joseph Bonnici, Stephen Borg, Rita Camilleri, former President Frans Debono, Kevin Fenech, Martin Galea, Treasurer Joseph Gauci, General Secretary Joseph Muscat and Mark Scalpello.
  In his inaugural speech as club President for a third term, Mr. Abela thanked everyone for the support shown towards him during the past couple of days, in which he was carefully assessing the situation at the club, a situation he considered a comeback call he could not leave unanswered.
  As regards Paul Zammit’s departure from the club, Mr. Abela criticised the coach’s way of leaving the club, especially in view of what the club had done for him. The committee was angry at some unfounded comments released by the ex-coach. Although Abela praised Zammit’s professional training techniques, he stated that the former coach should have been more respectful to the club which had launched his coaching career. The club however wished Paul Zammit the best of luck for his career.
  The new President also had words of criticism towards local football television programs, which he claimed were interested in only one version of the proceedings and never gave Mosta FC the opportunity to express its views regarding the matter. Ironically, two requests for Mosta FC’s representation on television programs arrived during the day preceding the extraordinary general meeting, which had to be turned down as both invitations clashed with the club’s EGM date.
  The club’s objectives at the beginning of the season were to avoid relegation from the Premier League. Though lately, results have not been coming the Blues’ way, the season was still in its early stages. Mr. Abela remarked that on most occasions, the performance of the team in the league was quite satisfactorily and he truly believed that if the committee, squad, sponsors and supporters all pull towards the same end of the rope, Mosta FC can make history this season by retaining its Premiership status.
  The committee has considerably increased its strength-in-depth, reaching a record number of 15 members. Bearing in mind the club’s current fortunes, this is a most encouraging sign. In fact, Abela pointed out that besides being at the bottom of the standings in the league, the financial position of the club had deteriorated substantially, leaving the club in a struggle to match its financial demands. Notwithstanding all these difficulties, Abela was confident that with the help of the sponsors who had contributed so much to the club during his previous six-year Presidency, for which the club was thankful, things could be turned around. The President reiterated his faith in the present squad but urged the Mosta community towards increased efforts to sustain the club in every possible way. With a population nearing 20,000 residents, Mosta should do its utmost to have its team firmly represented amongst the elite of the Premiership sides.
  Mr. Abela, while thanking the committee who had been working for the past months, went on saying that everyone must now forget about past overtures and look forward towards a better future at the club.
  The President went on to officially unveil Mr. Charles Agius as the new club coach. ‘Il-Ginger’, as the new coach is affectionately known in the Mosta circles, returns for a second spell as Mosta FC first team coach. In fact, he had led the club in the First Division for one season in the late nineties. Agius, who also donned the Mosta FC colours during his playing days, had won several titles at youth level with the Blues, prior moving on to the youth ranks of the MFA and more recently, being engaged by Birkirkara’s youth nursery. Mr. Iro Curmi was confirmed as Assistant Coach.
• The Pepsi Football Festival Season 2005/06 was launched yesterday by the Youth Football Association (YFA) during a meeting held for all Youth Nurseries at the Farsons Brewery.
  The games for Under-10 and Under-12 teams will be held between November and May with a participation of forty-three teams. The Under-10 matches will kick off on Saturday, 19th November and will be played at various grounds. The Under-12 matches kick off on Saturday, 3rd December and will all be played at the Centenary Stadium.
  “It has always been important to the YFA to make sure all matches are played on artificial turf, in order to further develop the standard and skills of young football players. The Under-10 matches will be played in various grounds such as Floriana Ground, Infetti Ground in Birkirkara, Gudja Ground, University Ground, St. Patrick’s Ground in Zabbar and Hibs Ground in Paola,” said Mr Alfred Cacciattolo, Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Pepsi Football Festival.
  Fr Hilary Tagliaferro, President of the YFA, stressed the importance of discouraging competition and pressure on winning. “Small-sided games are the ideal opportunity to give all children a chance to play. In this way, we can develop young players’ football talent without undue pressure. It is also important for parents and coaches to understand that a focus has to be made on fair play so that whilst developing children’s football skills, we are also building their characters,” said Fr Hilary.
  The parents of the players and the general public are invited to watch the games.
  “Pepsi has a long-standing history of sponsorship agreement with the YFA. This is the perfect opportunity for a brand that is associated worldwide with the game of football to reach a young target market. During the Pepsi Football Festival, whilst improving their football skills, children are also developing social skills and enjoying themselves playing at a game they love,” said Mr Ivan Filletti, Marketing Manager, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc.
  Ms Alison Schembri, Pepsi Brand Executive said that Pepsi is associated with football giants such as Alessandro Nesta, David Beckham, Ronaldinho and many others from different countries that are competing in the World Cup. “It is an honour for these children to be associated with a global beverage brand that is now synonymous with a sport loved the world over.”
  Fr Hilary concluded by thanking Pepsi for its long-standing support of children’s education through football and their cooperation in the organization of the festival.

Fri 18

• Second Division Mellieha vs Gharghur 4-3, Dingli S. vs Attard 7-0
• MFA President Dr Joe Mifsud made it clear that no individual could organise friendly matches while speaking during a press conference during which he replied to comments by Robert Cutajar on Net Television's Replay regarding the match Italian Serie A side FC Messina Peloro were due to play in Malta last week.
  Dr Mifsud started by saying that the past two months were two months of successes - two prestigious draws by the national team, the highest number of points ever obtained by the Under-21 side and the successful hosting of the UEFA Executive Meeting. He said the attack launched by Cutajar during the programme targeted not only himself but the Malta Football Association, the MFA General Secretary and the national coach - the key figures behind these successes.
  The MFA president said that on November 8, the association had received an notification regarding a press conference which was announcing a friendly match between a local selection - Replay XI - and FC Messina. Later that day, FC Messina sent a fax confirming their availability to play a friendly match.
  The MFA General Secretary, Mr Joe Gauci, informed the Federazione Italiana Gioco Calcio that there had been no application for a friendly match.
  Only a team from a member club or member association was in a position to apply to stage such a friendly match.
  In fact, the MFA Rules and Regulations regarding Participation at International Levels - Regulations for the Control of Matches with Foreign Teams - Consent required to play Foreign Teams state:
  

  (i) Matches against Selection/s of Leagues and Clubs of Foreign Associations may only be played after obtaining the consent of the Malta Football Association.
  (ii) Member Clubs and Member Associations wishing to play foreign teams must apply in writing for the consent of this Association ate least ten (10) days before the date of the intended match.
  (iii) The Council shall have the power to refuse permission to play against foreign teams if the application is not sent ten (10) days before the date fixed for the intended match.

  
  According to the FIFA Statute, permission for such friendly matches are required from both football associations.
  The FIFA Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes, Section III - Interclub and interleague matches, Article 8 - Authorisation state
  

  1. No interclub or interleague matches between teams from different Members shall be played without the express authorisation of the Members concerned. The Members shall include a provision in their regulations stipulating at what point in time the clubs are required to seek authorisation and, in addition, the sanctions to be imposed if this rule is breached.
  2. A Member shall inform the Members concerned of every match which it knows has been arranged and played in their area of jurisdiction and for which permission was either not sought or given.
  3. Scratch teams consisting of Players not belonging to the same club or Member shall not be permitted to play clubs or teams representing Members or similar teams unless authorisation has been granted by the Members concerned and the Confederation on whose territory the match is planned.

  
  According to UEFA regulations, besides football associations and clubs, there are the Licensed Match Agents who could organise friendly matches. However there are no licensed match agents in Malta.
  Dr Joe Mifsud said the attack on the MFA and its officials was the only the result of hatred towards the association and its officials. He said the MFA was being accused of harming the country's reputation when after all, the association was only abiding to the FIFA regulations.
  The MFA president said Mr Gauci and Mr Heese definitely did not deserve to be attacked in such a way considering that what they did was their duty. Had the national coach allowed national team players to join the Replay XI and play this match, they would have been subject to suspension in UEFA competitions.
  Dr Mifsud concluded by saying he will not let anyone ridicule the association by people who are trying to do harm and as long as he is the president of the association, no individual would ever be allowed to organise such matches.
• Youth League and BOV Third Division matches which were due to be played between Wednesday 23 and Friday 25 November have been postponed as the Police Commissioner will be unable to provide police officers for football matches due to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which will be held in Malta between Friday 25 and Sunday 27.
  Youth League Section A matches St. Patrick vs Floriana, Pietà Hotspurs vs Mosta, Balzan Youths vs Valletta and Sliema Wanderers vs Birkirkara have been postponed to a date which will be announced at a later stage.
  The BOV Third Division League Ta' Xbiex vs Mgarr United and Siggiewi vs Santa Lucia have now been postponed to Tuesday November 29 at 18:00 and 20:00 respectively.
  All matches programmed for Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 are on as scheduled. There are two matches from the BOV Second Division on Saturday 26 while on Sunday, two matches from the BOV First Division, three from the BOV Second Division, two from the BOV Third Division and another two from the Women's League.

Wed 15

• Melita Cable will be the Official Sponsor of the Gozo Football Association's First Division League as well as the GFA's Player of the Month award for seasons 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08.
  The agreement between the two parties, which was announced during a press conference at the Westin Dragonara Resort, St. Julian's on Tuesday, was signed by GFA President Joe Cordina and Melita Head of Sales and Marketing Franco Degabriele.
  Addressing the press conference, Franco Degabriele expressed his satisfaction for the successful conclusion of this agreement with the Gozo Football Association.
  "We are pleased that Melita will now be associated with football in Gozo. We acknowledge that football is widely followed in Gozo and that there is a lot of talent in the sister island which deserves support and encouragement."
  Mr. Degabriele went on to say that Melita is enthusiastic in entering in this sponsorship agreement with the intent to support the association in its endeavours to improve football in Gozo and hopes that the funds will help in improving the standards of the game in Gozo.
  Degabriele, a former player of two Gozitan clubs - Xaghra United and Victoria Hotspurs, remarked that "while playing in Gozo, I have experienced the enthusiasm and dedication of Gozitan support and I'm sure that with this agreement, the Association will continue producing a compelling league to the thousands of Gozitans who follow the game."
  Supporters will benefit from this sponsorship. In fact, Melita Digital or Onvol subscribers will be given a 20% discount on tickets for GFA matches at the Gozo Stadium.
  GFA president Joe Cordina explained that from now on the Gozo FA First Division League will be called the ONVOL First Division. The Player of the Month award will be called the Melita Digital Player of the Month.
  The GFA President expressed his satisfaction at the positive conclusion of this agreement that will see Melita supporting the most followed sport in Gozo.
  "We are extremely satisfied that Melita is associating itself with the GFA and we are confident that this new collaboration will be beneficial to both parties. We are proud to have such a prestigious name supporting us throughout the coming three football seasons and we are sure that having Melita as the Official Sponsor will contribute towards the success of the Gozo FA First Division League."

Tue 14

• Third Division Sta. Venera L. vs Kirkop U. 4-1, Zurrieq vs Sirens 1-1

Mon 13

• Third Division Luqa SA vs Kalkara 1-3, Zejtun C. vs Fgura U. 0-1

Sun 13

• FA Trophy St. Andrews vs Marsa 0-1, Naxxar L. vs Senglea A. 1-3 pen
• Second Division Zebbug R. vs Balzan Y. 0-0, Vittoriosa S. vs Gzira U. 0-0
• Women's League Hibernians vs Melita 4-1, Sta. Venera L. vs Raiders 1-0
• Gozo - First Division Ghajnsielem vs Xewkija T. 0-1, Sannat L. vs Kercem 1-2
• Following the resignation of Mr. Francis Debono from the post of President at Mosta Football Club, the club will be holding an Extraordinary General Meeting on Friday 18th November 2005 to elect a new club President.
  The important meeting, commencing at 7.30pm, will take place at the club's premises in Eucharistic Congress Road, Mosta and will include the election of a club President to serve until the end of season 2007-08. Interested persons may also contest an election to serve in the club's committee for the remaining term of the current season.
  Interested parties may collect an application form from the club's premises and return it to the club secretary Mr. Joseph Muscat at "74, Triq il-Mithna l-Qadima, Mosta". Applications will be accepted until Thursday 17th November 2005.
  All paid Mosta FC members are invited to attend and actively participate in this meeting, Everyone's contribution is required to achieve the club's objectives. The club would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Francis Debono for the sterling service he contributed to the club during the term of his Presidency.

Sat 12

• FA Trophy Pietà H. vs San Gwann 0-2. Mqabba vs Msida SJ 0-3
• Gozo - First Division Xaghra U. vs SK Victoria W. 2-0
• Gozo - Second Division Oratory Y. vs Gharb R. 2-2

Fri 11

• Second Division Melita vs Gudja U. 0-2, Qormi vs Dingli S. 3-1

Wed 9

• Paul Zammit is the new coach of Valletta FC. Zammit replaces JJ Aquilina who quit the Citizens last week.
  Paul Zammit joins Valletta after they reached an agreeement with Mosta thanks to which the former Sliema, Rabat, Hibs, Hamrun and Mosta player was allowed to sign for Valletta.
  According to the club's official website, www.vallettafcofficial.net, Paul Zammit is expected to sign a two-year contract later on Wednesday. He is also expected to conduct the first training session on Wednesday evening.
  Zammit started his coaching career when he was still a player with Mosta. He first acted as a player-coach and since last season, he hang his boots to concentrate on coaching.
  Mosta will now have to search for a new coach.
  The Blues are lying at the bottom of the BOV Premier League table with just five points from ten matches. They were also eliminated from the U*BET FA Trophy as they lost to First Division side St. Patrick 3-1 on Sunday.
  Meanwhile the new destination for JJ Aquilina could be Floriana. JJ Aquilina had played for the Greens during the 80's.
  Floriana are still without a coach following the departure of Jimmy Briffa early in September. Technical director Jan Artz is currently acting as care-taker coach.
• The friendly match between a Maltese selection, playing under the name of Replay XI, and Italian Serie A side Messina which was due to be played on Friday has been postponed.
  This was announced in a short statement by the Italian club which said that the match could be played later on this season.
  National team players and players of Valletta and Pietà would have been available to play for Replay XI.
• Gordon Failla of St Patrick was suspended for one match in the U*BET FA Trophy after being sent off in the first round match against Mosta on Sunday.
  Jason Cassar (Attard) and Etienne Farrugia (Dingli) were suspended for one match while Marco Sultana (Vittoriosa) was suspended for three matches.
  Clayton Gusman (Marsa) and Roderick Hili (Msida) were suspended for one match in the Youth League.

Tue 8

• Third Division Santa Lucia vs Ta' Xbiex 2-0, Pembroke A. vs Siggiewi 0-1
• The UEFA Executive Committee has decided on the shortlist of three bidding candidates for UEFA EURO 2012. The three selected bidding candidates, who progress to the second phase of the bidding process are: Croatia/Hungary, Italy, and Poland/Ukraine.
  The results of the voting ballots, from the 12 members eligible to vote were as follows: Italy (11), Croatia/Hungary (9), Poland/Ukraine (7), Turkey (6) and Greece (2).
  The second phase of the bidding process will involve the submission of even more detailed dossiers by 31 May 2006, followed by site visits to the shortlisted countries in September, with a final decision scheduled to take place in December of 2006. Although the bids from Greece and Turkey were not selected, both candidate bids were given warm praise by the UEFA Executive Committee for the content and professionalism of their submissions.
  UEFA Chief Executive Lars-Christer Olsson, who was addressing a press conference at the end of the meeting said that there were five good bids. "They were so close and it was only a question of details."
  The UEFA CEO went on to say that although Italy stood in pole-position, this did not necessarily mean that Italy is not pre-destined to host the European Championship in seven years' time. In fact, although Italy have already hosted such major events in past, according to the evaluation report, Italy needs to improve in matters of safety and security.
  According to Olsson, the short-listing of Croatia/Hungary and Poland/Ukraine is a sign that Eastern European countries are now catching up and are able to organise such events.
  A number of other decisions were taken during the meeting the UEFA Executive Committee which was held in Malta at the Corinthia Palace Hotel, Attard.
  A coefficient ranking system for future UEFA European Under-21 Championships was approved. The principle of the ranking system shall take into account the performance of the last two European Under-21 qualifying competitions.
  
  Therefore for the UEFA European Football Championship 2006/07 the coefficients shall be made up of 50% from the qualifying performances from the 2002-04 and from 2004-06 qualifying competitions. For the play-offs for the qualifying for the European Under-21 Championship 2006 final tournament, it is noted that the silver goal rule as per the existing regulations is no longer applicable, and should the teams be level after 180 minutes there will be period of extra-time, in accordance with the revised Laws of the Game, and with the away goals rule.
  The principles for allocating vacant places for the UEFA Intertoto Cup as of 2006 were also approved. The main access list will be reduced in accordance with the number of associations that express their wish to participate. A stand-by list will be created, at the bottom of the access list, for the vacant places and these places will be allocated to the associations in coefficient ranking order.
  The competition format for the UEFA European Women’s Championship was also changed. Therefore as from the UEFA European Women’s Championship 2007/09 there will be no longer two divisions but there will be an open qualifying competition, with a host automatically appointed, and a qualifying round followed by a group phase of 30 teams (6 groups of 5 teams). The final tournament is enlarged from 8 to 12 teams.
  The format for the UEFA/CAF Meridian Cup was also revised in order to serve a more educational aspect, with a four-day conference of national youth trainers from both confederations starting in Barcelona on 2nd March 2006. The playing part will comprise a double header match between an all-star European under-18 side and an African under-18 team.
• Marsaxlokk FC suffered a 0-3 defeat to English non-league team Salisbury City FC in a friendly match at the Hibernians Ground.
  The Southseasiders were a depleted side as they lacked several players due to injuries.
  Salisbury City, who play in the Premier Division of the Southern Football League, scored three goals in the first half.

Mon 7

• Second Division Mellieha vs Gozo 3-1, Attard vs Gharghur 1-0
• The members of the UEFA Executive Committee, led by UEFA President Mr Lennart Johansson, met Prime Minister Dr Lawrence Gonzi at the Auberge de Castille on Monday evening.
  Dr. Gonzi stated that it is with great pleasure that Malta welcomes the UEFA Executive Committee Meeting, reminding the fact that Mr Johansson was elected as UEFA President way back in 1990 when the UEFA Congress was staged in Malta.
  "A lot has changed since then on our island. Malta now makes part of the European Union, and through the sterling work carried out by big entities such as UEFA the game of football in our country has grown to being the number one sport on the island. I do augur that as you commenced your new post as President of UEFA in 1990 in the right direction, I do wish you to continue your work here in Malta in the same right direction" concluded Dr. Gonzi.
  The UEFA President thanked the Malta Football Association for giving the UEFA Executive Committee the chance to meet in Malta. "I also would like to thank Dr. Joe Mifsud for his sterling work and for the excellent organisation by the Malta Football Association," stated Mr. Johansson.
  Mr. Johansson also commented that it was with great pleasure that he got to know that the Prime Minister himself practiced the game of football as a player in his earlier days.

Sun 6

• FA Trophy St. Patrick vs Mosta 3-1, Floriana vs Tarxien R. 3-0
• Second Division Dingli S. vs Vittoriosa S. 0-0, Gzira U. vs Zebbug R. 0-0
• Gozo - GFA Cup Victoria H. vs Sannat L. 1-2, Gharb R. vs Oratory Y. 2-3
• The Malta women's national team suffered a 4-1 defeat to Slovenia in another match from the European Qualifying Competition for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2007.
  Slovenia were leading 1-0 at the end of the first half. Dionne Tonna notched the temporary equaliser but Slovenia managed to score another three goals.
  The women's national team plays two matches in four days away from home against Bosnia-Herzegovina on March 25 and Croatia on March 29. Malta then hosts Slovenia on April 26 and Bosnia Herzegovina on June 7.
• The Malta Under-19 side managed to take the lead in the final match from Group 3 of the UEFA Under-19 European Championship First Qualifying Round against Cyprus but ended losing 1-2.
  A goal by Jonathan Pearson had put Malta ahead but the Cypriots scored twice to claim the three points.
  In the first two matches, Malta lost 0-6 to Norway and 0-3 to hosts Israel.
• Marsaxlokk FC will be hosting English non-league team Salisbury City FC for a 3-day training camp from Monday 7th November to Wednesday 9th November.
  The two teams will be playing a friendly game at the Hibernians Ground on Tuesday, kick-off 6pm.
  Salisbury City play in the Premier Division of the Southern Football League.
  All Marsaxlokk FC fans are invited to attend this friendly game, and to extend their hospitality to the visiting team’s players, coaching staff and fans.

Sat 5

• FA Trophy Marsaxlokk vs Lija A. 3-0, St. George's vs Hamrun S. 1-2
• Gozo - GFA Cup Qala SJ vs SK Victoria W. 0-0 (4-2 pen), St. Lawrence S. vs Zebbug R. 5-0
• Valletta coach JJ Aquilina handed in his resignation with immediate effect.
  According to the club's official website www.vallettafcofficial.net, Valletta discussed the matter during an urgent committee meeting which was held on Friday and have accepted his resignation.
  Aquilina was appointed as Valletta coach in summer 2004 and he managed to lead the Citizens to a creditable fourth place last season after a heavily disappointing seventh place in the previous season.
  However in the beginning of July, a few days after Valletta were eliminated from the Intertoto Cup following a 0-5 defeat at the Hibs Ground and a 2-2 draw in Podgorica against FK Buducnost, he had tendered his resignation - reportedly due to work pressure.
  But just ten days later, he returned to the job as Valletta coach.
  Valletta are currently joint-sixth in the BOV Premier League with eleven points from ten matches - three wins, two draws and five defeats.
  In the coming days, Valletta will be searching for a new coach. Valletta have no commitments this month and their next game is on December 3 against eternal rivals Floriana.
• On Monday, 17th October 2005, Premier School of Football held the first of a series of informative talks for boys who attend the school and their parents. The talk which was well attended, treated the subject of 'Time Management'.
  Mr Alex Delia, Premier School of Football's administrator, explained the importance of time management in the running of everyday life. If a good plan is organised for each day, children can manage their time better, thus resulting in less pressure for everyone.
  At the end of this meeting, an award for the school's most improved player for the month of September was given. This award is being given in line with the school's main objective and philosophy; being that to inspire and instill confidence in the youngsters attending the school and to praise them for their efforts.
• D6 Handball Club will be organising a 5-a-side football tournament on the synthetic pitch at the St. Martin's College on Saturday November 13.
  The participation fee is Lm 45 while a deposit of Lm 10 is required. Each team should supply a ball which could be used during the tournament and should nominate a person who would serve as a referee.
  Those interested should apply by sending an email to info@d6handballclub.com or phone 79617913.

Fri 4

• Third Division Rabat A. vs Birzebbuga SP 1-1, Mgarr U. vs Xghajra T. 0-0
• Hamrun Spartans striker Gaetan Spiteri won the BOV Player of the Month award for October.
  The diminutive Spartans forward was a central figure in his team's encouraging comeback after the Spartans had started the season in subdued fashion.
  Gifted with speed and elasticticity when in possession, the Hamrun hitman netted excellent goals against Valletta and Msida St, Joseph, his last one against the Saints being a remarkable left-footer from outside the area.
• Malta lost their second match from Group 3 of the UEFA Under-19 European Championship First Qualifying Round against host country Israel by three goals to nil on Friday.
  The match kicked off under a heavy downpour and in the opening period the compact Maltese yielded almost nothing to keep their net intact.
  Ten minutes into the second half, however, Malta conceded the first goal. Israel doubled the score in the 66th minute and four minutes later they sealed their victory with another goal.
  Malta's line-up: Henry Bonello, Edmond Agius, Brandon Bonnici, Steve Borg, Tyrone Farrugia, Clifford Gatt Baldacchino, Ben Camilleri (Duncan Pisani), Jonathan Pearson (Anthony Vassallo), Joel Sammut Vazquez, Dylan Zarb (Roberto Brincat), Angus Buhagiar.
  In the other Group 3 match, Cyprus surprisingly beat Norway 1-0. If Cyprus beat Malta on Sunday and Norway beat Israel, the latter two teams will go through to the next stage of the competition on goal difference.
• Youth player Jean Paul Buttigieg of Naxxar Lions was suspended for three months by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner.
  Sergio Cappitta of Secodn Division side Balzan Youths was suspended for one match while Michael Zammit (Sta Venera) and Oswald Zammit (Tarxien) were banned for one match.

Thu 3

• The Malta women's national team coach Pierre Brincat selected eighteen players for the forthcoming European Qualifying Competition for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2007 against Slovenia on Sunday at the Matija Gubec Stadium in Krsko.
  It will be a very difficult game for Malta considering that Slovenia have maximum points from two matches after beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 at home and Croatia 5-3 away from home. The latter had beaten Malta 4-1 at Ta' Qali in the only game played so far by the local side in this World Cup qualifying campaign.
  The players selected by Brincat and his assistant Alfred Zammit are:
  goalkeepers Nina Dimech (Birkirkara), Rita Tagliaferro (Hibernians);
  defenders Maria Azzopardi (Hibernians), Rebecca D' Agostino (Birkirkara), Chantal Fenech (Birkirkara), Leslie Ann Galea (Hibernians), Natasha Pace (Melita), Alexia Scicluna (Birkirkara), Anne Marie Vella (Mosta);
  midfielders Tessie Agius (Hibernians), Jane Coates (Mosta), Marisa Deguara (Mosta), Roxanne Gatt (Mosta), Karen Lia (Mosta), Dorianne Theuma (Hibernians), Dionne Tonna (Hibernians); forwards Ylenia Carabott (Hibernians) and Kathleen Saliba (Hibernians).
  Sunday's game will be controlled by FIFA referee Ms Venera Muradova from the FA of Azerbaijan.
  The Malta contingent, headed by Mrs Anna Agius, Head of Delegation and Member of the MFA Women's Football Committee, leaves Malta on Friday at 11:30 on flight AZ 885.
  After this game, Malta plays two matches in four days away from home against Bosnia-Herzegovina on March 25 and Croatia on March 29. Malta then hosts Slovenia on April 26 and Bosnia Herzegovina on June 7.
• The MFA Technical Centre will be organising another instructional meeting on Monday 14th November 2005 for holders of Foundation, YDD and CCC Licence coaches. This meeting will commence at 17.30 hrs.
  All coaches are advised to be punctual for this instructional session.
• The player-manager of the Coca-Cola Football League One side Walsall, Paul Merson is interested in signing Sliema Wanderers goalkeeper Murphy Akanji.
  Speaking to BBC Sport, the former Arsenal player said "We're also looking at a Nigerian keeper who's played for his country."
  Merson revealed that he failed in a bid to sign former England goalkeeper David Seaman for Friday's FA Cup tie at Merthyr Tydfil.
  Walsall regular goalkeeper Andy Oakes is injured and Sunderland have refused permission for on-loan Joe Murphy to play.
  Murphy Akanji joined Sliema in summer 2001 from Julius Berger. He made a number of appearances for the Nigerian national team in 2001 and 2002.

Wed 2

• Malta opened its commitments in the Group 3 Mini-Tournament of the UEFA Under-19 European Championship First Qualifying Round with a heavy 6-0 defeat at the hands of Norway after changing ends 2-0 in arrears.
  Malta had threatened only once when Ben Camilleri hit the post with a header.
  The next match for the Maltese side, managed by Edwin Camilleri and Mark Miller, will be against host country Israel on Friday. Malta will then face Cyprus on Sunday 6.
  Malta’s starting line-up: Henry Bonello, Edmond Agius, Steven Bezzina, Brandon Bonnici, Tyrone Farrugia, Jonathan Pearson, Ben Camilleri, Domnic Mifsud, Angus Buhagiar, Dylan Zarb, Joel Sammut Vasquez.
• Five Premier League players were suspended for one match after picking their fourth yellow card or being sent off during the weekend.
  Hamrun Spartans striker Gaetan Spiteri will be missing the game against Sliema Wanderers on November 20. Defenders Digger Okonkwo of Mosta and Carlo Mamo of Marsaxlokk are ruled out of the clash between Mosta and Marsaxlokk, also on November 20.
  Msida midfielder Roderick Bajada, who was sent off in the win over Mosta, will be missing the game against Birkirkara on December 3 while Dean Gera of Pietà will be serving a one-match ban in the game against Hibernians on December 4.
  In Division 1, St. George's striker Trevor Thomas was suspended for four matches while another St. George's player Patrick Muscat was handed a one-match ban. Floyd Farrugia of Tarxien was also suspended for one game.
  Gharghur assistant coach Gino Gauci was suspended for two matches.
  Clive Lanzon (Attard) was suspended for two matches in the Youth League while Dexter Vassallo (Msida), Nicola Del Re (Qormi) and Emanuel Cutajar (Sta. Lucia) were banned for one match.

Tue 1

• The UEFA Executive Committee will be meeting in Malta on 7 and 8 November 2005. The meeting will be held at the Corinthia Palace Hotel, Attard.
  The morning of the second day will mainly be dedicated to the selection of a shortlist of three bidders who will progress through to the second phase of the bidding process for hosting UEFA EURO 2012.
  There are five bids: Croatia/Hungary (joint bid), Greece, Italy, Poland/Ukraine (joint bid) and Turkey. A final decision on the hosts will eventually be taken in December 2006.
  The Executive Committee will also discuss the new model for the 2007 CAF/UEFA Meridian Cup, under the Meridian Project which provides for football co-operation between Europe and Africa.
  The Meridian Cup is set to continue under a new format, with plans entailing a competition part, comprising a two-legged match between two continental all-star Under-17 teams, and an educational part consisting of joint training sessions and meetings of coaches from Europe and Africa.
  Principles for allocating vacant places in the UEFA Intertoto Cup will also be discussed. At its last meeting in Rome in September, the Executive Committee decided on a new format, under which three rounds will be played in the competition, instead of five. The eleven winning sides from the Intertoto Cup third round will enter the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. The 49 participating associations will have one place in principle.
  Other items on the agenda include the ranking system for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship and the competition format for the 2007/09 UEFA European Women's Championship.
• Twelve football teams took part in the 4th AEGEE-Valletta Burger King Football Tournament powered by Kristal and Powerade which was held on Saturday. Tournament was held at St. Martin's College Swatar and kick off was at 13.00.
  In the first round teams were divided in 3 groups of 4 teams each and from the very first matches it was evident that is was going to be a well balanced tournament played in an atmosphere of friendship and fair play. After the first phase six teams made it to the second round and were again divided in 2 groups of 3 teams each. Here the competition became tougher since a place in the final match was awaiting the winners of each group.
  Libertadores and Selected managed to win the second phase groups and made to the much awaited final match. Although in the first round Selected managed to beat Libertadores this time round it was a completely different story. Libertadores played a very good game and managed to win by 4 - 1 to become the new champions. Best player of the tournament was voted the goalkeeper of Libertadores Sahid Samura.
  Finally the organizers of the tournament would like to thank Food Chain Ltd, General Soft Drinks Co. Ltd, Ms. Antoinette Casha from di-ve.com, Mr. Antoine Busuttil from maltafootball.com and Mr. Peter Borg from Campuslifemalta.com for sponsoring and promoting the event respectively. Special thanks also goes to Mr. Victor Cumbo and all AEGEE-Valletta crew for their help during the tournament without which the tournament couldn't be such of a great success.
• A fund raising activity was organized by the Friends of David Cluett Foundation last Friday, October 28th, 2005 at Villa Arrigo, San Pawl tat-Targa, under the auspices of the Transplant Support Group and Life Cycle.
  The Foundation was primarily set up to help David's recovery and rehabilitation and to hopefully cover any medical expenses that might have been incurred had he needed.
  Unfortunately David has left us now but his legacy and memory will live on. His generous contribution of all his vital organs namely, pancreas, lungs, liver, kindneys and heart, to four persons, who are now living a much better life, has given the Foundation a different aim.
  Organ Donation is essential. It helps people live a better life. Our Foundation Trustees have unanimously decided to help creat a stronger awareness through David's memory and with these functions we hope to get more people aware of how important and vital organ donation can be when such occasions arise, such as the one David went through in his last four months. David has given us a mission to help people in need.
  The Friends of David Cluett Foundation is now an Organ Donor Awareness group, who, with the Transplant Support Group and Life Cycle, will work hand-in-hand to create a stronger awareness on this very important subject.
  It was for this main primary purpose that this event took place.