647. Harry Samuel - Floriana FC and Floriana Tigers

Towards the end of 1991, I paid a number of visits to St Vincent de Paul, the old people's home, to see a relative of mine. During the course of those visits I made friends with a spirited pensioner who, I was soon to find out, was a keen supporter of Floriana FC.

Always eager to know more about the good old days of Maltese football, I struck up quite a friendship with my new friend, Barry.

One day he told me that the popular Floriana footballer of the 20s, Harry Samuel, was a resident of the place.

Therefore, I made it a point to visit Samuel at the earliest opportunity. Unfortunately, I never got round to seeking the old football maestro and some weeks later it was reported that Samuel had died at the venerable age of 89.

Those who remembered Samuel were stunned by the news but how many people really knew him? The years pass and memories fade and the exploits of great men are sometimes forgotten.

Samuel was not just a footballer but also a good cricketer, administrator and, above all, a gentleman. His was an age of great sportsmen. It was a time when to take part was more important than winning. Yet, despite this philosophy which regarded pique and antagonism in sport as bad sportsmanship, he had his share of triumphs.

Born in 1903, Samuel came from a great football family. His older brothers, Salvu and Guzi, were members of the Floriana team which dominated Maltese football before the First World War. When his brothers left to the US at the end of the war, Harry kept up the family tradition and joined Floriana FC.

He made his league debut as outside left on November 6, 1920 against Paola United.

He scored two goals that day, showing from the start all the skills and prowess of his brothers. It was not long before his skills were fully acknowledged and Harry was moved to the inside-left position from where he could stamp his class on the team.

He stayed with Floriana all his life. Bet-ween 1920 and 1929 he won five championship medals, one cup and three Cassar Cup medals. He was picked to play for the Amateur XI five times.

A great amateur player he never made a penny from the game, and, as far as can be ascertained, he was never even cautioned by a referee for bad sportsmanship during a match.

In 1922, he helped to form the famous Floriana Tigers team which dominated amateur football in the 20s. Samuel was not only a prominent member of the team but he also coached the side. Under his guidance the Tigers were amateur champions four times and Amateur Cup winners twice.

Samuel's biggest disappointment was perhaps that he was never picked to play for the full MFA XI. It is a fact, however, that he spoilt his own chances when he chose to play for the Tigers in the Amateur League rather than Floriana FC in the First Division.

In those days, before the final unification of the game in Malta, there existed a great rivalry between the Malta Football Association and Malta Amateur Football Association. There was very little co-operation between the two bodies.

On his retirement from the game in 1929, Samuel did not give up football. He was elected on the Floriana committee where he served faithfully until 1935 when he was elected Council Member of the Malta FA, a role which he retained up to the end of the Second World War.

It is also possible, although this is yet to be confirmed, that he was one of the founders of the famous Constitutionals FC of Paola which later on changed name to Hibernians FC.

Samuel died in 1992 and with his demise went the last shreds of the great amateur era of Maltese football.

karm_bald@yahoo.co.uk