Football in Malta : more and more stars in the firmament

Abstract

Soon after World War One broke out, Malta was turned into a veritable encampment, to play its part as a recuperating centre for the troops involved in the Middle East warfare, with the hospitals at Cottonera and lmtarfa full to capacity. This influx brought in its wake quite a good number of skilled footballers, many from professional clubs in Britain. Many of these had been grouped, or drafted into the Motor Transport Corps and soon a formidable side began to emerge from their quarters at Ghajn Tuffieha. The Mile End Ground too was taken over to house the Army Camps and for the first time in five years no competitive football was played there or anywhere else.