The early post-war period produced one of the greatest footballing families in the history of our game. The Bennetti brothers were three, Willie, Joe and Charlie.
Ġużi was the second of the brothers to hit the headlines. The first on the scene was Willie. Tall and lanky, he soon caught the eye with his ball-juggling and masterful midfield play. He played many fine games for Floriana and the MFA XI in his comparatively short career.
One game that readily comes to mind was the 1944-45 FA Trophy final against Sliema Wanderers.
Willie capped a brilliant per-formance with a goal which took the FA Trophy to Floriana.
The score was 1-1 when he gained possession in midfield and dribbled his way past the Blues defenders. Once inside the penalty area, he coolly placed the ball past the great Harry Edwards.
Like Willie, Ġużi was a half-back, but his style differed from that of his elder brother.
What he lacked in skills, he made up with his non-stop running. Ġużi started his career in 1946 with Floriana, winning the FA Trophy in his first season with the Greens.
In 1948-49, however, he joined Ħamrun Spartans with whom he stayed for two eventful seasons.
The Reds were a leading light in those days and during his short period there Ġużi won the hearts of the Ħamrun supporters with his whole-hearted commitment to the game and his running in the vital midfield area of the pitch.
He crowned this exciting period of his career with a Cassar Cup winners medal.
Ġużi missed the 1950-51 season through injury but the next year he was back in the half-back line for Floriana. Fitting well in the Ajax team, he was one of the mainstays who guided the Greens through the greatest period in their history.
Between 1952 and 1955, Ġużi won two championship and two FA Trophy medals. His best performance was in the 1947 FA Trophy final when Floriana beat Valletta 3-0.
When a last-minute hitch forced the Floriana selectors to drop their regular centre-half Salvu Meilak, Ġużi stepped in to fill the gap. He played a ‘blinder’ as an attacking pivot and had a big share in his team’s final triumph.
Ġużi was selected many times for the MFA XI and was one of the 11 heroes of the memorable encounter with SK Austria of 1948.
He took part in many a battle with his younger brother Charlie.
Affectionately known as In-Najsu, Charlie was a prominent member of the famous Ajax team.
Despite his tender age, Charlie’s potential was apparent from the very start. Frankie Tabone, the coach and mentor of the Ajax and a shrewd football judge, was so impressed by the youngster’s ball control and distribution that he marked him out as a great prospect.
Charlie’s accurate passing had all the marks of greatness about them.
He possessed a deadly left-foot shot which was remarkable coming from a player whose slight build belied his shooting power.
Like his elder brothers, Charlie took part in several representative matches at all levels of the game. He completed a great trio of footballing brothers who delighted fans of all colours with their sheer talent.
Charlie continued playing with Floriana and Rabat FC well into the 1960s but Ġużi retired at the end of the 1956-57 season, leaving behind him many fond memories of those golden days of Maltese football when crowds of 20,000 were a common fixture in league matches.