We had quite a few thrills and spills in Euro 2008 this summer. Surprising results are part and parcel of football. Without them, this wonderful game would become predictable.

The English have a proverb that fits football perfectly - 'The bigger they are, the harder they fall'.

Intrigued by this phenomenon I took it upon myself to trace some famous upsets in the history of Maltese football.

Going back to 1912, I found what can perhaps be described as the first big upset in the history of Maltese football. St George's met 'little' Msida Rangers in the league. No one gave the Msidians a chance and it seemed a sure bet that they would be slaughtered by the Saints.

St George's attacked relentlessly from the outset but Msida goalkeeper Johnnie Perrin proved his worth with one of the greatest goalkeeping displays ever seen in Malta. Time and again, he saved what looked like certain goals.

At one stage, he blocked no fewer than seven shots in as many seconds and during this half, Perrin must have fisted, kicked or saved more than 40 shots at goal!

Then, when the St George's forwards tired out, Perrin's brother James broke clear of the opposing defenders and curled a shot over the Saints' goalkeeper Salvu Gili to give Msida a 1-0 victory.

In 1913-14, the Rangers did it again, beating the all-conquering Floriana 2-0. It was the Greens' first defeat in the league after 15 consecutives victories.

This loss caused havoc in the Greens' ranks. Accusations were hurled at some of their star players who responded by quitting the club.

The team's confidence was shattered and in their next game, they lost 0-1 to Valletta United. With this defeat, Floriana lost all hope of winning their fourth consecutive championship.

In 1929, Floriana endured another disappointing experience when they met HMS Barham in the 1929 Cassar Cup final. Barham had a very good team but Floriana were superior to the sailors. They took an early lead and defended it until the 89th minute.

So pronouced was the Greens' supremacy that Barham's amateur international centre-half and captain E.R.A. Beats shook hands with the Greens' centre-forward, Harry Samuel, congratulated him in anticipation of a fine win. Beats had hardly let go of Samuel's hand that the sailors scored twice in as many seconds to grab the treasured trophy from under Floriana's noses!

The surprises continued in the first post-war cup final. With seasoned players like the Friggieri brothers, Leli Cauchi, Sam Rodgers and Effie Borg, Floriana, who had just beaten Sliema 4-2, were expected to steamroller over Valletta in the Malta Cup final. Floriana scored first but Valletta rattled their rivals with two goals to win 2-1.

However, if one were to twist my arm to name the biggest upset in Maltese football I would name Luqa's victory in the Scicluna Cup against Hibs in 1949-50. The Hibs fans began celebrating well before the start of the game. However, after the match, it was the Paolites who left the stadium empty-handed.

I guess this is the beauty of football. These are but a few of the many thrills and spills which make the game so fascinating.