Melita football club opens €1m complex

Ariadne Massa

Mingling with the children, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi looked like he could be tempted to play a game instead of going back to official meetings. Photos: Chris Sant Fournier

The excited chattering of young boys drifted from the spanking new complex of the Melita Amateur Football Club, their feet itching to try out the newly laid, Fifa-approved turf.

Instead, they waited patiently for the official speeches to end, cheering and clapping loudly when Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi inaugurated the club's €1 million project in Pembroke on Sunday, a ceremony that coincided with the club's 75th anniversary.

"This is a historic moment for the club. Despite the numerous obstacles in our path, we forged ahead and never settled for second-best," club president Anton Naudi said, beaming proudly.

The club, which is run by volunteers, including professional coaches who give their time to train the players, has a lot to be proud of.

The new project includes a full-size 11-a-side football pitch, which can even host the Champions League due to its high standards; a gym; full lighting system; the extension of the bar and restaurant; and a car park.

It was funded with the help of the government, the Malta Football Association, and the parents of the 370 players who are members of the club and nursery.

Recounting the club's history, Mr Naudi recalled how Melita FC was first founded by Ġiann Bencini in Sliema in 1933. It then had to move to Pembroke in 1944, after the MFA issued new regulations that there could only be one club in each district, and Sliema had its own Sliema Rangers club.

He spoke of the club's determination to retain its status of amateur, which they succeeded in achieving after several deliberations with the MFA that recognised the club's sense of value and discipline.

Education Minister Dolores Cristina said Mr Bencini would never have dreamt that the club would develop into what it is today, where the life of youngsters was entrusted into the hands of those who sought to give them a better future. Dr Gonzi praised the club for never settling for second best, and hoped this culture could be adopted nation-wide, so that Maltese never accepted mediocrity.

"I believe this should be a national message. We should never accept anything that is second-rate. We should always strive to excel," he said.

After the inauguration ceremony, the young football players were off, running along the new pitch and practising their penalty shoot-outs.