Appeal against Darmanin Demajo exclusion set for Monday

St Andrew's appeal against the decision of the Malta FA council to turn down the nomination of Norman Darmanin Demajo as one of the Division Two club's delegates, will be heard on Monday.

The case goes back to December last year when, at the last MFA council meeting for 2009, Joe Mifsud, the association president, took issue with St Andrew's request to replace one of their delegates with Darmanin Demajo. The latter currently occupies the role of vice-president at the Division Two club.

Dr Mifsud reportedly claimed that Darmanin Demajo, who was narrowly beaten by the current incumbent in the last Malta FA presidential election, had worked against the interests of the association in the past and therefore didn't deserve to be part of it.

The issue was eventually put to a vote. Seven voted in favour of a counter-proposal supporting Dr Mifsud's stance, seven voted against and several other members abstained. Dr Mifsud then used his casting vote to reject Darmanin Demajo's nomination as one of St Andrew's three delegates.

St Andrew's have since written a second letter to the Malta FA in which they expressed their disapproval at the decision to prevent Darmanin Demajo from becoming one its delegates and requested permission from the MFA council to appeal.

Having received the Malta FA council's go-ahead to take their case in front of the Appeals Board, St Andrew's last week filed their appeal which will be dealt with on Monday.

Darmanin Demajo and Dr Mifsud have been at loggerheads since 2000 when a bitter row between the two ended with the former stepping down as MFA Honorary Treasurer.

The St Andrew's vice-president is widely expected to run again for MFA president at this year's election. Dr Mifsud, who is also the UEFA vice-president, has yet to declare whether he intends to stand for re-election.