Rabat win tough relegation battle

The first few seasons of the 1960s showed a steady decline in the standard of the game in Malta and a drop in attendance figures.

By 1963, things had got so bad that the Stadium Management threatened to close the ground if the situation did not improve.

According to official figures, the stadium registered a loss of £250 in season 1962-63. The clubs questioned these figures but, at the same time, no one could deny that the management would have been justified to close its shutters unless the ground yielded a good profit.

Of course, if the stadium closed its doors, then Maltese football would have folded and experienced a quick death.

Faced with such grim scenario, the MFA attempted to remedy these faults by reducing the number of teams in the First Division from eight to six in a couple of seasons.

It was hoped that this move would create more interest at both ends of the standings. The council ruled that in 1963-64 and 1964-65 two teams would be relegated at the end of the season and only one promoted from the Second Division.

The First Division clubs did not welcome this idea, especially the perennial relegation strugglers. But there was nothing they could do.

In football, like in everything else, it is always the one who pays the piper that plays the tune.

At the start of the season, few people gave Sliema Wanderers a chance to win the championship. The punters' favourites were Valletta and Hibernians.

The Wanderers boasted a fine crop of youngsters but their lack of experience counted against them. Sliema, however, recovered from their early-season jitters and were soon on track for the championship.

Sliema champions

The championship issue finally hinged on the second round meeting between Valletta and Sliema which was played on April 19, 1964.

An early goal by Ronnie Cocks was enough to take the championship to Sliema for the first time since 1956.

The 1963-64 league championship was a good campaign but the excitement was not restricted to the top half of the table only.

With two teams out of eight to be relegated, the battle for survival was more intense than usual.

Rabat, Melita and St George's were the main candidates for the 'big drop', although the Saints seemed destined from the start to go down into the Second Division.

Having transferred Alfred Delia to Hibernians and Leonard Mizzi to Valletta, they looked doomed from the very beginning of the league campaign.

On the other hand, Melita were determined to fight till the very end for their league status.

They waged a ceaseless fight and only threw in the towel when all was lost. Yet, despite their extraordinary sportsmanship and all-out effort, the Amateurs found the pace in the First Division too hard to keep up with.

When Melita finished the first round a point ahead of Rabat it looked as if they would, after all, avoid relegation.

Rabat had a very unhappy season. In the first round they could only gather three points from seven matches. The Magpies' position, however, did not really reflect their strength.

At times, they played really good football and there were matches when they threw away victory in the dying minutes of the game.

In the home stretch, a ding-dong battle between Rabat and Melita was to determine the team accompanying St George's into the Second Division. Their second round meeting was, therefore, vital for both clubs.

Rabat won the all-important match 2-1 following a blunder by goalkeeper George Borg.

Despite this negative result, Melita could still force a decider had Rabat lost their last match to Floriana.

Melita's fate was sealed when Rabat, not really unexpectedly, beat Floriana 4-1 to assure themselves of a place in the top flight.