Andrew Fenech Azzopardi says he feels like a "little boy" again, as he walks onto the Melita FC synthetic turf in Pembroke.

“It’s the game I loved all my life,” says Andrew, who at 55 is the youngster of a group of footballers after an hour-long match on a summer Monday evening.

Twice a week, rain or shine, a group of elderly men meet up to play a friendly match of football, kicking it back to their youth and keeping them a tight-knit team.

With an average age of 66, the group has been meeting for over three decades to play their weekly games, battling through health problems such as heart attacks as they refused to retire from their passion.

It all started back in 1991 when 47-year-old retired footballer Tony Callus gathered with friends and veteran players in Memories, a bar in Paceville, to discuss their future with the sport they love.

“We finished playing [with the Malta Football Association] and we said, why not start meeting for kicks,” Callus, 78, recalled.

After approaching the bar to sponsor their football kits, Memories football team was created which saw them begin competing in GIDA, a weekly Sunday league.

Over three decades later, Memories has not faded into the past as the team continues to meet twice a week for friendly matches while a younger Memories team continues to play in the league.

Founder of the group and Memories football team, Tony Callus now watches from the sidelines due to problems with his knee.

“We never missed a season,” Callus said about Memories’ 32-year league appearance, and watching the veterans play friendly matches from the sidelines due to his health.

But, unless retirement is the only option, many of the team have faced health issues and continue to attend the matches.

An example of the group’s sporting spirit is Anton Camilleri, 76, who had a heart attack four years ago which led to doctors installing a pacemaker for the ex-professional footballer.

The teams gather for a shoot.

“My cardiologist told me to keep going,” Camilleri said, as the 76-year-old currently sees no end to his post-professional football career.

Julian Holland, 71, recalled when one of his mates asked to join the group by promising the former Floriana FC player that he was in a fit condition to play.

“I said, ‘you can’t play because to play here you have to have an ailment,’” Holland said with a smile.

“You’ve got to be semi-handicapped,” he laughed.

Alex Montanaro, 71, starting off the match.

“Foreign coaches complain that they play twice a week. And I’ve been telling [the guys], let’s send them a photo,” Holland continued, as the group meets every Monday and Thursday to play.

“We will say, ‘listen, guys, we play twice a week, hardly any recovery from Monday to Thursday,” Holland joked.

Kick-off

Allowing Times of Malta to document one of their many matches, the self-proclaimed “geezers” greeted each other as some stretched while others put on leg braces to prepare for the friendly game.

Meanwhile, the ribbing had already begun.

The line-ups for one of the group’s many matches.

“You played against England and now you are going to play with a torn trainer,” someone shouted at Camilleri.

Camilleri played against England in 1971, facing off against what was close to the same squad that won the country their only World Cup title in 1966.

Shrugging off the affectionate abuse, the players filed onto the field and took their positions for the eight-a-side match.

Here, I’m like a little boy again... It’s the game I loved all my life

To pick the teams, a different player is chosen each week to pick the players, giving the more senior members of the group priority and then filling in the remaining slots.

The players are divided into two teams, Black and White, which dictate the kit colour they will have to wear on the day.

Despite the friendly atmosphere, their games are not without some sporting passion.

The match usually lasts an hour, Callus explained as he watched from the side, with no half-time or water breaks for the dedicated athletes.

Despite the friendly atmosphere, the veterans’ matches are not without their dose of competitive complaints and sore losers.

“Are the teams balanced,” is a recurring question that pops up before every match as, even with nothing but boasting rights to play for, the 50-, 60-, and 70-year-olds turn into something akin to competitive teens once they are together.

More action from one of the matches.

Cries of “handball” and “foul” echoed around the Melita football ground, the enemy team quick with their response.

“As if (u mur 'l hemm),” they shouted.

“We become kids for five minutes, you know, and then we go back,” Camilleri said.

Finishing with a 3-1 score in favour of the team in Black, the players called it a sweaty evening after an hour of exercise, making their way to the restaurant for some food and a drink.

“I would have preferred that we won, but we take football as a fun game here,” Alex Montanaro, 71, said following his team’s loss.

The action is happening on the other side of the pitch.

When asked about his performance after his team lost the match, 76-year-old Camilleri said that he could have done nothing better as the goal is not to win, but to meet up for a game.

“The most important thing is that we keep as a group.”

Joking that he was the best player on the pitch, Holland emphasised that anyone able to make it to the match every week at their age is a good player.

Rain or shine, they are there every Monday, Holland continued, as even during COVID or the recent heatwave, the team did not miss their weekly ritual.

“It’s always an honour to be here playing with these guys,” Fenech Azzopardi, 55, said.

Tony Callus, 78: “Football is important, but for us, it was more important to meet for a beer”.

Glad that his team won, Ray Azzopardi, 69, emphasised that the social aspect of meeting friends is more important than scores.

“Remaining active gives you a healthy life and a happy life too,” he said.

Callus echoed his team’s sentiment, focusing on their commitment to continue their relationship with the sport and, more importantly, each other.

“Football is important, but for us, it was more important to meet for a beer,” he said with a grin.