Watch Maltese Football

It is no great secret that the world’s oldest football league is in the UK, as is the world’s oldest football league club, Notts County. What most people don’t know is that, due largely to its strong British links; Maltese football was not so far behind.

Though there is no clear record, it is widely accepted the game was introduced by the thousands of British sailors and soldiers, who were stationed on the island during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This British connection can still be seen in the name of some of the oldest Maltese clubs - St George's, St Patrick's, Hibernians and Sliema Wanderers – and just as much in the general jargon on the terraces during matches - corner, foul, off-side, come on Blues, play-to-the-whistle and ‘you must be blind referee’ - testifies to this historical attachment.

Some top Italian - mostly Sicilian - and Tunisian clubs, who were also started by British servicemen, initially recruited the best Maltese footballers for their earliest squads until they started to produce their own talents.


Footballing life has, of course, turned full circle since and most of those Italian clubs are today considered top European contenders, while Maltese football, minuscule as it has always remained, is concentrated on local competitions that from time to time produce their own solitary idol for the bigger clubs of Europe.

Michael Mifsud was the most recent export to enjoy a successful professional career. A product of Sliema Wanderers, he played for Kaiserslautern in Germany and Lillestrom before moving to the English Football League with Coventry and then returning to play for Valletta.

National league and cup competitions take place at the National Stadium in Ta' Qali, a former RAF airfield and now also home to the Craft Village. Derby matches and clashes between title contenders attract fairly big crowds. They also offer ample entertainment to the visitor, intrigued, as he or she must be with the unique support that often includes two rival bands playing team anthems amid a sea of contrasting colours. Getting tp the games is easy on the buses from Valletta.

The stadium has all the modern amenities, including an Olympic-sized indoor pool, state-of-the-art gymnasium and the administrative offices of the Malta Football Association, again one of the oldest in the world. 


Attending football in Malta is absolutely safe. No violence is tolerated and security measures are taken before and after every game. Matches in Malta are held at several venues although most clubs don’t have their own grounds. Premier League matches, for example, are either played at the national stadium in Ta’ Qali which is also where international games are held, at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, or at the Hibernians' Stadium.

The Maltese season runs from mid-August to early March. For fixtures and more information visit the Malta Football Association website.