Midas touch for Sliema Wanderers' chief navigator

There are unique occasions in life which are treasured for ever. The main ingredient in such instances is success. And when this is achieved on a rampant scale, on different planes and almost simultaneously, the elation is beyond description.

Ask Robert Arrigo. In a period of a few weeks he brought the touch of Midas, turning into gold everything he got in contact with. Indeed, it has been a truly remarkable period for the Sliema Wanderers FC chief navigator.

Breaking into the limelight on the national political front after having earlier been returned on the council of his locality with a massive vote, was the next natural step for this Sliema-born man. He did so with panache when, at the first time of asking, he was elected MP for the Nationalist Party on April 12.

And now, Sliema Wanderers, the team he steers on the football front, made it a fairytale cherry on Arrigo's sumptuous 2003 cake by winning the championship title. Unlike his success in the elections, there was nothing new in the Wanderers' feat this year.

The Blues have long been steeped in winning football honours. Their array of silverware in domestic competitions is arguably second to none. This was their number 24 league title, and the second, besides the other entire spectrum of annual prizes, since the Wanderers' top man took up administrative responsibilities at the club in January 1996.

It has certainly been the sweetest taste of success for his team. It coincided with his personal achievement in politics. He couldn't have asked for more. The man's taciturn character disguises a business nous which has been translated into a pattern of how a top football club on the island can be administered.

Efficient management was a key factor and the various components of the Sliema Wanderers well-oiled set-up functioned smoothly.

Speaking to me in his office in St Julian's soon after Sliema were confirmed champions last week, Arrigo said that the team's title triumph was a natural sequence of events which could only lead them to the top. Patience and persistence were backed by sound technical and organisational upgrading. Hence this year's success story in the race for the title.

"We laid a good foundation. For the past three years we finished second and now we went one step further. Two to three key players we obtained this year made the difference. Added to that we had a new technical tandem of Edward Aquilina and his understudy Hugh Caruana. They both did a very good job.

"The squad was of good quality with seven players in the national squad and another as U-21 captain. Each player in the 16 to 18-strong group had ample experience in top-flight football. So we had quantity and talent," Arrigo said.

"On top of that, all the manjack responded at one time or another, playing their part with vital goals as well as contributing to the team's collective strength. This they did unselfishly throughout the season."

Of course, the only sour taste for the Wanderers this year came when they were beaten three times by the outgoing champions Hibs.

Sunday's heavy 5-2 defeat, at the hands of the Paolites, was certainly an anti-climax after they had made sure of the title.

Referring to the club's recent trend of engaging some of the top players more than drafting in youngsters groomed through the nursery, the Sliema president said that the club's policy is to work on several fronts to enhance the standards at all levels.

"We decided to upgrade all our squads. The first team has to have top quality players, while the junior strings are gradually being given the possibility of taking up new challenges when playing 'on loan' for other clubs.

"We loaned out our U-19 squad, with a view to monitoring the players' progress in tougher competitions. As a consequence we have also upgraded the U-16s and most of the players in this category are in the Youths U-19 team. This was forced upon us due to the scratching of the reserves league."

As to whether the administration intended to strengthen the squad, the Sliema boss would not be drawn into any talk of going for another foreigner or, perhaps, a big name.

A call on his mobile phone interrupted our conversation and it was evident that the topic centred on a possible recruit. A name of recent international standing was mentioned.

"We have hundreds of such calls, with a view to possibly finalising a capture," retorted Mr Arrigo when faced with my awareness of what could be in the offing.

He then went to more mundane talk when stressing that Sliema "don't intend to strengthen their squad. The team has quality and quantity. We can maintain high aspirations for further success."

Without any doubt, the Sliema president has experienced a gamut of emotions in recent years. These ranged from expectations ending in disappointment - the Blues' near misses in terms of more prizes are cases in point - to elation at having reached much-desired pinnacles.

This time round the succession of jackpots in different spheres of the Blues' mentor's activities, has set the seal on a memorable 2003.

Behind the easy-going man, there was a firm resolution that success in the end would come. And it duly arrived.

A 14th century saying, "Ease and success are fellows," has never been more apt in the case of Robert Arrigo.