“But could you make it on a cold, wet winter’s night for a friendly against Jordan?”
I was there with 399 fans. The date shows April 1985 but the bleakness of a dark Ta’ Qali stadium before the true spring warmth hit Malta made it feel a lot colder. The 3-1 win was a welcome change from the normal drudgery of watching the Maltese national team playing not to concede repeatedly.
That was an exciting time for Maltese football. Malta led against Spain and West Germany. It was the time of the golden generation: Carmel ‘il-Bużu’ Busuttil, Ray ‘il-Mundu’ Vella, John Buttigieg, Nardu Farrugia, Michael Degiorgio. I was young, impressed. Busuttil was successful in Belgium. Buttigieg went to Brentford.
In domestic football. Rabat Ajax won the league, Żurrieq were challenging, the Valletta/Ħamrun rivalry was at its height. When the passion of that rivalry was out in the open it was a terrifying event that made a 10-year-old squeeze his way back out of the crowds crushing their way towards the turnstiles on the “Valletta” side.
And I kept going back, to sit through the multiple embarrassing defeats for the national team, and the cloud of corruption that hung constantly over Ta’ Qali. The infamous 12-1 in Spain felt like a coming together of the two factors that would forever hold Maltese football back: a lack of a long-term development plan and the scourge of outside influencers having a say on results on the pitch.
Why, my friends asked, incredulously. It was the thrill of live action; the atmosphere, surrounded by the (mostly) men and the unique humour, the sound of the Italian football commentary on their radios, the smell of cigarette smoke wafting through the air. It was the connection with the players, some of them friends and acquaintances I knew growing up. What better place was there to be on a Sunday afternoon than ‘the stadium’.
There is no expectation of a miracle- Aidan Mifsud
They say it’s the hope that kills you. Maybe, better, it’s the hope that keeps you going. One day the MFA would come up with the plan that would make all of it worthwhile. We would be the Iceland of the Mediterranean. We could dream.
There have been highs since 1985. In Euro 2008 qualifying, Malta earned their highest number of points ever (5). The epic 2-2 draw versus Turkey marked the debut of the South End Core, the supporters’ group that has been an enthusiastic presence at every Malta match across Europe. That support has sparked a resurgence in interest in the national team, and a competitive Nations League showing had Maltese football back on locals’ radar.
When Malta fearlessly attacked Ukraine in the last qualifier in October, after the dismal showing in Italy a few days earlier, it was heartening to watch. That’s what we the fans love to see. Life has taken me out of Malta, but you can’t take the crazy, nonsensical love for Maltese football out of me.
I am as excited as I ever was to join the huge contingent of Maltese supporters at Wembley on Friday. There is no expectation of a miracle, only anticipation of a great day re-connecting with my Ta’ Qali days and hope for signs of better days for Maltese football.
Aidan MifsudAidan Mifsud is a sports science graduate of Loughborough University (UK) with a Masters in Sports Administration from AISTS, Lausanne. He moved from Attard to Toronto, Canada, where he works in sport management.