555. Shaw brings the glory days back for Floriana

In 1948, football in Malta was bursting at the seams with activity. It is difficult to point at another season before or since when so many events were going on at the same time.

The 40s were a time of change. The organisation of the game was moving forward at a fast pace and the league was quickly taking the shape it has today.

The clubs, on their part, were making every effort to organise themselves and in an attempt to improve the standard of their players they embarked on ambitious plans to sign foreign coaches.

The first to take the plunge were Floriana FC. With the famous Ajax team maturing steadily, a man with a firm hand and experience was required to continue the good work started by Frankie Tabone to help weld the youngsters into a formidable team.

In September 1948, Floriana engaged former Doncaster Rovers, Huddersfield Town, West Bromwich Albion and England full-back George Shaw as player-coach.

Shaw had played for 15 years in the English First Division.

He had started his career with Doncaster. In 1924 he was transferred to Huddersfield for a fee of £1,700, which in those days was a small fortune.

Huddersfield, led by the great Herbert Chapman, were at the time passing through the greatest era in their history. During Shaw's stay, the club won the championship twice.

In 1928, Shaw moved to West Brom for another big fee and in 1931 he helped the Midlands club to win the FA Cup.

His lion-hearted performance in the final earned him an England cap. In 1935, West Brom reached the cup final again, but this time Shaw had to settle for a beaten finalists medal. Three years later, Albion were relegated but Shaw remained loyal to the club until the war interrupted his career.

Taking charge of Floriana FC at the start of the 1948-49 season proved to be no easy task for Shaw.

The squad had plenty of raw talent but with very little experience. In the league, the Greens could only manage a poor fourth place but towards the end of the season it seemed to come in gear.

On Saturday, March 12, 1949 Shaw's boys beat champions Valletta 4-1 in front of one of the biggest crowds of the season.

Floriana's display against Valletta sent their long-suffering supporters into an ecstasy of delight after their long list of disappointments in that particular season. On a warm afternoon, the Greens lasted the pace better and their speed on the ball seemed to increase as the game grew older.

The young Ajax players played a great game that afternoon, but none played better than Pullu D'Emanuele who mesmerised the City defence with his runs down the wing, capping a great performance with two fine goals. This victory dethroned Valletta and handed the championship to Sliema Wanderers on a plate.

This was the start of an eventful era for Floriana. The Ajax, now wearing the colours of Floriana FC, reached their peak between 1949 and 1953 when the club won the league title four years in succession and completed two Triple Crowns. Surely this is a valid claim for the title of the greatest Maltese team of all time, if there ever was one!

The statistics which accompany this article speak for themselves. In 1948-49 Shaw's team missed the championship but then they ran riot and beat champions Sliema Wanderers 5-1 in the FA Trophy final.

The next season the team matured beyond recognition winning the championship after a titanic struggle with Hamrun Spartans and Sliema Wanderers. The Greens added the Cassar Cup and the FA Trophy to their league title for good measure.

In 1950-51, Shaw continued his good work at Floriana, leading the team to another League Championship. It was Shaw's last season in Malta.

During that campaign he took the team to the United Kingdom for the Festival of Britain tour.

This tour made football history and Floriana became the first Maltese team to play in Britain. The Greens played against Chelsea, Doncaster Rovers and West Brom.

It was a great honour for Floriana but coming as it did towards the end of the season when competition was at its peak, it disrupted the fixtures and was to be the cause of a hot dispute between Floriana, Sliema and the MFA.

That, however, is another story.