In 2013, the English FA, the oldest football organisation in the world, celebrated its 150th anniversary.

It is, therefore, safe to say that up to 1863, football was only being played in the United Kingdom.

Here, however, there is an interesting story.

The Malta Times of Wednesda, December 24, 1863 gives an excellent account of a game of football played at the ditch outside Porte des Bombes under the old Cambridge Rules.

This game, which can be more appropriately described as a rugby encounter, is probably the first ball game ever played on our shores and possibly one of the very first outside the UK.

This article is important because it shows that football in one form or another was being played in Malta by the British right at the very first years of its existence.

This is a great honour and we should be proud that a small country like ours can boast such an early date for its baptism in the greatest game in the world.

It is a pity though that no-one thought of marking such an important date in the history of the game on our islands.

The article goes like this:

“Football – A most exciting game of this truly English pastime was played on Saturday last in the ditch outside Porte des Bombes, between Officers of the Garrison and Officers of the Royal Navy.

“The number arranged for the match was 22 on each side; but from unavoidable circumstances, when the sides mustered, they were found to be 22 of the Royal and 17 only of the Garrison.

“The preliminaries having been settled, and the laws of the game explained for the information of the players, the game commenced, the Garrison having won the toss for ‘kick-off’. A severe struggle ensued and after a well-contested fight of 35 minutes resulted in a ‘goal’ to Royal Navy.

“Without delay, another ‘kick-off’ set all hands hard to work, the Garrison playing as if they meant business and tested by the heaps of ‘floored’ at each ‘bully’, two of the Garrison being disabled, one from a severe fall on broken glass, and another from a nasty-one in the wind; but the Navy proved too strong, and a well-sustained struggle of 25 minutes resulted in a second goal to the Blue-Jackets.

“After a few minutes breathing-time, a third game commenced, which was also bravely contested; but after a struggle of 20 minutes, a third goal to the Royal Navy closed the proceedings, and the combatants left the field of battle, their limping gait and mud be-plastered garments speaking plainly that the afternoon’s amusement had been no child’s play.

“The return match is fixed for Thursday (today). We recommend all our readers who like to see fun and sport to go and witness it, and we wish all the players a good game and sound wind and limbs.”

Although no Maltese took part in that game, some of our ancestors must have been present.

Soon they were joining in and before long a great love-affair developed between football and the Maltese.

Football here developed in stages with many stops and starts until it was adopted as our national sport.