Valletta's Spiteri returns after two-year lapse

Twelve members were elected to serve on the Malta FA Executive Committee (Exco) for 2009/10.

Joseph Gauci, of Birkirkara, and Valletta official Paul Spiteri, were the only two candidates for the two seats assigned to Premier League clubs.

Spiteri, whose association with Valletta FC spans almost 30 years, has been re-elected to the Exco after an absence of two years. He replaces Hibs official Jesmond Abela who didn't seek re-election.

No vote was required to determine the two Division One representatives after one of the three original candidates, St Patrick's official Charles Caruana, withdrew his candidature. Thus, Joseph Sammut (Pietà Hotspurs) and Bjorn Vassallo (San Ġwann) were confirmed as Exco members for another one-year term.

Salvu Vella (Mellieħa) and Charles J. Scerri (Lija Athletic) contested the vote for the sole vacancy reserved for Division Two.

The election went Scerri's way after the Lija president collected 54 votes to Vella's 44.

David Abdilla, Lawrence Callus, Joseph Cassar Naudi and Donald Spiteri contested the election for the two posts reserved for council members in representation of other member associations.

Cassar Naudi gained the largest number of votes, 66, 10 ahead of Spiteri who was also elected.

The race for the two seats for council members in representation of member clubs in general featured six nominees, namely Caruana, Vella, Victor Cassar, Malcolm Dimech, Raymond Micallef and Antoine Portelli.

Portelli (Msida SJ) and Cassar (Ħamrun Spartans) received the assembly's mandate to form part of the Executive Committee with 43 and 42 preferences respectively, bringing the total of new Exco members to five.

Joseph Farrugia, (Division Three), Joe Micallef (Youth FA) and Charles Calleja (Gozo FA) were uncontested.

Yesterday's elections evoked significant interest among those attending the MFA annual general meeting, especially the supporters of the two candidates for the last MFA presidential vote two years ago, namely Joe Mifsud, the current incumbent, and Norman Darmanin Demajo.

Some used yesterday's ballot to gauge the mood of the club delegates and council members amid soaring expectations of another vitriolic race for the MFA presidency between Dr Mifsud and Darmanin Demajo next year.