The month of June will undoubtedly go down in the annals of football history when lovers of the game were shattered by severe allegations of corruption in the highest echelons of this noble game.

Come July... and we witnessed sparkling displays of honest endeavour in the pursuit of sporting excellence on the lush green lawns of beautiful Wimbledon. But this month amateur football most surprisingly offered me a crumb of comfort from quarters least expected.

Recently the amateur Hotspurs Football Club of Victoria in Gozo celebrated the end of season, not to commemorate any special honour but in a spirit of conviviality involving past players and administrators of various generations as well as personalities from the whole political and social spectrum of Gozitan society.

This event was to me a long trip down memory lane as my tenuous connections with Gozitan football surfaced, recalling my uneviable distinction of having Gozitan football suspended for four years.

In November 1958 I was posted as head of school to a Gozitan village and I was immediately snapped up by the energetic Colin Cauchi to play for the Calypsians F.C.

However, the Gozo Football Council could not determine whether I was a legitimate Gozo player working and living in the sister island or a Maltese player on whom there were certain restrictions.

On the positive side I must point out that I set up the first Qala Primary School football team in 1968, a team that formed the basis of the future Qala FC.

I understand that the Victoria Hotspurs End of Season Bash was indeed a very informal and highly enjoyable party which other clubs should emulate to bring out the socialising power of football.