At the start of the 1971-72 season, St Patrick emerged favourites to win the Second Division cham-pionship.

They played the best football in the early stages but then the Saints began to falter and what seemed certain at first began to look more and more improbable as the season progressed.

On the other hand, St George’s did not shine at the start of the league but they kept steadily on their way chalking one positive result after another.

Vittoriosa missed promotion but their performances helped in no small way to make the 1971-72 campaign one of the best for many seasons

In fact, it was only when they beat St Patrick 5-1 in their first round direct encounter that they took over the mantle of leading contenders.

In the meantime, Vittoriosa Stars were also showing promotion potential.

The Stars were certainly the revelation team that season.

In the end, Vittoriosa missed promotion but their performances helped in no small way to make the campaign one of the best for many seasons.

St George’s won the championship in style. They only lost two games in the league but apart from those setbacks they never really lost grip on the proceedings.

With experienced players of the calibre of Grima, Scicluna, Bonnici, Mizzi, Grech and Waite the Saints were well above the other contenders.

With the championship safely tucked up in their belts, St George’s turned their attention to the knock-out.

However, they did not show the same meticulous play that characterised their league campaign.

Against Mosta and Msida they struggled to scrape through and they were rather lucky to beat Vittoriosa in the final.

Fortune, however, has its favourites but one surely could not begrudge the Saints the fruits of a very successful season.

The cup final was played on June 21, 1972.

At first, the game was rather quiet and uneventful but then St George’s won a corner-kick on the right.

Goalkeeper Gatt left his charge and punched the ball towards his full-back Bertu Carter.

The Stars captain, presumably thinking that the whistle had gone for an infringement, stopped the ball with his hand.

Referee Tonio Briguglio pointed to the spot and Grima sent Gatt the wrong way from the spot.

But just before half-time, the Stars equalised when Ancilleri blasted the ball home past a wall of Saints’ defenders.

The second half had barely started when St George’s once again took the lead.

Calleja advanced deep into the Stars’ half and floated the ball to the unmarked Bonnici who hit past Gatt. Bonnici was in a clear offside position but the linesman did not notice the infringement.

The Stars hit back and Brincat was called on to stop a header from Mifsud.

A minute later, the ball fell to Ancilleri whose pot at goal was handled by Calleja but despite the protests of the Stars’ players the referee waved play on.

At the other end, the Saints scored a third goal.

Waite rounded three players close to the by-line and cut back to the unmarked Grima who had no difficulty in planting the ball into the net.

The Stars did not give up but luck was against them.

Theobald saw his humdinger hit the crossbar, Ancilleri’s shot crashed against the post and George Agius sent in a sizzling shot which rattled the bar and landed in the keeper’s arms.

However, Vittoriosa did reduce the score.

Only seconds were left for the final whistle when Theobald left the goalkeeper standing with a well-placed shot.

The game ended with the Stars striving to save a game which they fully deserved to win if fate did not deem otherwise.