714. St Patrick's golden era

Football in Zabbar has a long and chequered history. Many teams were formed in this southern village but none has managed to reach any great heights.

This is not to say that the club has not had its golden moments. However, the disappointments outweigh the success achieved by the club.

While keeping all this in mind, today's article delves into the golden pages from the history of St Patrick FC. For them, the best years were between 1980 and 1983 when the club went through the most exceptional period in their history.

It all began in 1979-80 when St Patrick won the national youth league. It was an honour the club had never won before. Then, in 1980-81, the youngsters were introduced en bloc into the Third Division.

The team included future stars such as Pawlu Grech, Toni Zammit, Charlie Calleja, Eugenio Burnell, Joe Farrugia, Ray Zammit, Ray Camilleri, Ian Duncan and Peter DeRaffaele.

These talented lads teamed up with experienced players Eugenio Duca, Ray Azzopardi, Joe Baldacchino and John Bezzina to make the season a memorable one for St Patrick.

They ended season 1979-80 by winning the Third Division cup after beating Dingli Swallows 2-0 in the final.

Football enthusiasts from Zabbar will surely remember the 1980-81 campaign. The Saints were the talking point of the Manoel Island Ground that year with their neat, free-flowing football.

Their main challengers for promotion were Naxxar Lions and Tarxien Rainbows but the Saints won both direct encounters to make sure of section honours.

From there, they went on to win the Third Division title for the first time after beating Sta Venera Lightnings 2-1 in the section decider. A fine season came to a fitting end when the Saints overcame Mqabba Hajduks 1-0 in the Third Division Cup final and Kalkara United 5-4 on penalties in the Sons of Malta Cup final.

In 1981-82, St Patrick celebrated their 70th anniversary with the Second Division title.

There is only one way to describe the Saints' achievements that year. They dominated the competition from start to finish, winning 10 out of 14 matches and drawing the other four.

The team, under the guidance of ex-Sliema Wanderers and Malta centre-half, Edward Darmanin, was formidable in every department but their best weapon was in attack - 'Dunda' Bezzina. He finished as the league's top scorer.

The only disappointment in an otherwise perfect season was the 0-1 upset to Gudja United in the Division Two Cup final.

In 1981-82, St Patrick, led once again by Darmanin, continued with their impressive run of success. This time their main objective was the First Division championship and promotion to the Premier League. Thus, in three eventful years they moved from the depths of the Third Division to the dizzy heights of the top flight.

Altogether, during that period they remained unbeaten for 39 consecutive league matches.

St Patrick were, without a shadow of doubt, the revelation of the season. They were only beaten by Birkirkara in the league but, when the two teams finished on equal points, the Saints turned the tables on their rivals with a 2-0 victory in the championship decider.

FA Trophy run

The Saints were always on top form in the league but showed their best in the FA Trophy. They were the only First Division team to beat Premier League opponents.

They eliminated Zebbug Rangers in the first round and in the quarter-finals, they beat Sliema who had just been relegated from the Premier League.

In the semi-finals (May 22, 1983), the Saints were faced with a bigger obstacle as they had to play Valletta who were keen to make up for a rather poor season.

This was only the second time the Saints had reached the semi-finals of the FA Trophy. The other time was in the 1960s when they lost 2-1 to Floriana. Their dream of an FA Trophy final, however, was shattered by a solitary goal from Nardu Farrugia late in the game.

1983-84 was a difficult season for St Patrick who were now past their prime. The difference in standard between the Premier and the First Division was too much to bridge. They slipped back into the First Division but not without a fight.

In the first phase, they only managed a victory against Birkirkara and a draw against Floriana. Then, in the Relegation Pool, they beat Zurrieq and drew against Birkirkara but lost the all-important game against Floriana 1-0 and were relegated.

This game brought to an end the best years in the club's history... a period which every Zabbar fan remembers with fondness and a sense of nostalgia.