By the late Nineteenth Century, Britain had colonies all around the globe. Naturally the British settled in their colonies and sent their armies and navies to guard their interests. Settlers and soldiers started to practice cricket, horse-racing and athletics. Later football was introduced under rugby rules and later association football took over. Soon clubs started being formed by the locals and these by time began challenging the British service-men. One can still find clubs bearing English names, such as Everton FC and Liverpool FC in Chile, Newell’s Old Boys and Boca Juniors in Argentina, Milan and Genoa in Italy. Malta with its strategic position in the centre of the Mediterranean was no exception, and regiments stationed in the Cottonera district soon started playing football in the open spaces and the hard parade grounds of the barracks. One of these regiments was the famous Shropshire Regiment 33 Coy. This regiment possessed one of the best football teams at the time. The soldiers used to practice and train in the open fields of Cospicua and many young locals used to act as ball-boys whilst watching these ‘crazy’ Englishmen sweating it out under the blazing Maltese sun.
Tradition has it that a kind army officer noticed the natural skill and enthusiasm shown by these lads and one day he decided to give them a brand new football for their use. Football soon became a craze in Cospicua and several teams were formed. St. Margaret’s ( after the Margerita Heights ), St. Andrew’s and Cottonera FC. Tired of playing against each other, the Cospicuans started to challenge small companies and later whole regiments and H.M.S. ships.
The Pioneers are formed
In the year 1890, these teams from Cospicua decided to amalgamate and form the Cospicua Pick Eleven. This team was named ST.GEORGE’S (most probably after St.George, the then patron saint of England ). Thus the great St. George’s club of Cospicua was formed. This club in the first years of the new century was to carry the unofficial flag of champion team of Malta, a club which challenged, and beat the best English teams on the island.
St.George’s vs Army & Navy Teams
On 16th March 1907, St. George’s played against HMS Suffolk on their home ground near Zabbar Gate. Nothing but the best was good enough for St. George’s and the Suffolks were certainly one of the best naval teams on the island during that season. No other Maltese team would venture to play against full teams of the Navy ships or Regiments. The fact that a team of the caliber of HMS Suffolk found it worth its while to meet St. George’s speaks volumes about the respect then enjoyed by the Cospicua Club. Naval football was well-followed in the Cottonera area. Many of the inhabitants of the Three Cities worked at the Dockyard and were frequent visitors to the naval ground of Corradino. In those days, teams like Suffolks, Venerables, Invincibles and many others were keenly supported by the Maltese as Liverpool, Everton and Manchester United are supported today. The Saints lived up to their reputation and ran out winners by the impressive score of three goals to nil.
Since than St. George’s had many successes. This was the first local team to win the Junior Football League during season 1908-09. They beat the than mighty HMS Duncan twice. First they beat them at Rinella on the 26th April 1909 by 4 goals to one. And than they played for a challenge cup at Corradino on the 16th April 1910 and St. George’s were eventual winners 1-0. During the season 1910-11 St. George’s won another important challenge cup against HMS Exmouth ( the best HMS Navy team of the period ). This match took place on 15th April 1911 at Zabbar Gate and St. George’s won 2-1.
St. George’s and local competitions
The famous St. George’s team at first did not take part in competitions organized for local teams. Indeed, they made the same fatal mistake experienced by the English national team. At the time they were so superior that they opted not to play against inferior opposition. Both teams paid dearly for this mistake because when they decided to take part, they found out that the other teams were now used to competitive matches and found it hard to fare well.
St. George’s won the MFA Cup during season 1911-12. During season 19-14, St. George’s became the first Maltese club to play in a foreign country. They visited Tunisia and played and played against Racing Club de Tunis, First Division Champions of Tunisia. And on the 12th April 1914, they beat R.C. de Tunis 6-1.During season 1916-17 they won the double : the League Championship and the KO Cousis Shield. For 4 times St. George’s finished top of the First Division League on equal points with another team. During season 1913-14 they lost the title to Hamrun Spartans on goal average. They were again beaten 2-1 by Hamrun Spartans in a decider during season 1917-18. During season 1929-30, St. George’s competing under the name OLD ST.GEORGE’S finished on equal points as Sliema Wanderers but since the decider was to take place the following season, Old St. George’s did not form a team that year and so the League was awarded to Sliema Wanderers. St. George’s were again hot favourites to win the League during season 1939-40 and finished on equal points as Sliema W. Although St. George’s drew with Sliema W. in the first round and beat them in the second round, they lost the decider 2-0. During the same season, St. George’s won the famous Christmas Cup. They again won the KO Cousis Shield during season 1926-27. In the KO Trophy they were twice losing finalists to Sliema W. 2-0 during season 1836-37 and against Floriana 3-1 during season 1949-50. During season 1927-28 St. George’s gave a walk-over to Floriana in the final of the MFA Cup protesting against the assignment of the match officials.
St. George’s being the pioneers of Maltese football suffered the same fate of other pioneer clubs in Europe. They should have lived to their past reputation and won more honours. In the past, before the Second World War, Cospicua was the hub of local commerce and business activities. However the Second World war brought to this area negative social upheavals and the lack of sponsorships was the main reason behind this lack of success in the post war era. Genoa in Italy and Sheffield in England suffered the same fate.
Birth of Maltese football
Football started to be played in Malta towards the end of the nineteenth century when the country, then a Crown Colony, was under the governorship of the British Sir Arthur Borton. As a matter of fact, local football owes its origin to the members of the British Services which were stationed in the colony.
Records prove that it was introduced as early as 1884 when soccer was played bootless on a piece of land known as 'Tal-Hawli', which could be described as anything but a football pitch, and this match was played between two Cospicua clubs Melita and Cospicua St.Andrew's, with the final score being a 1 - 1 draw . It is said that football boots were used for the first time in 1885 and a year later the referee's whistle was introduced at a match played in Zabbar in April 1886 between the Shropshire Regiment and Cospicua St. Andrew's, an encounter which finished in a 3 - 2 victory for the Shropshire Regiment.
The great St George's F.C. Champions 1917
St. George's are the pioneers of Maltese football. They were founded in the year 1890. In 1885 there were teams from Cospicua such as Cospciua St.Andrew's, Sta.Margherita, and St. George's. In 1890 they amalgamated and chose the name of St. George's, which was selected by the team captain of that time, Vincenti. St. George's were also the first Maltese football team to play abroad. On Sunday 12th April 1914 they played their first game in Tunis against Racing club and won by 6 goals to 3. On the next day they played against a selected side from Tunis and won by the big score of 8-1. In 1917 St. George's won the local, highest level football league and the knock out competition. Today after 117 years St. George's are in the first division. They have had some glorious days and some disappointments. We wish them luck for the future. Thanks to all, the players, the members of the committees and supporters of all times.