There was a time not so long ago when the only way the Maltese could savour football with an international flavour was in friendly tournaments.

Hundreds of stories have been written about the famous tourneys organised by ‘Meme’ Scicluna but it seems that some people can never have enough.

So, today I want to satisfy the curiosity of one of my readers who asked me to write about the first-ever foreign clubs to visit our islands.

Before the war and right up to the end of the 1960s, Christmas time was the peak sporting period on our shores.

It was during Yuletide that bold swimmers would plunge into the cold water of the Grand Harbour for a long-distance swim for charity.

There was also a time after the war when hundreds of people would gather at the Floriana parade ground to watch the waiters of Balzunetta play football against the lodging-house assistants.

Our old-times used to say that this game was quite an occasion.

However, the highlight of the season’s festivities was always the traditional tourney.

Every year classy European teams would forsake their frozen pitches to bask in the warmth of the Maltese sunshine and enjoy our hospitality.

Huge crowds used to cram the old Gzira stadium in those days to see which of the local clubs could lower the colours of Il-Ġodda (the newcomers) as the visitors were affectionately known by the Maltese.  Time and again the local teams were soundly beaten but the crowds were never disappointed.

It all started way back in April 1923 when Melita FC, of Tunisia, made football history by becoming the first foreign club to visit Malta. To be exact, however, we have to say that before this date three other foreign teams had already played in Malta but Danton, Verity-Republique and Tegetthoff were naval teams and not official football clubs.

Melita FC were not a great team. They were rather a small club made up mostly of Maltese and French immigrants.

They were a novelty, however, and the locals gave a huge welcome to two pre-World War One football greats – Masu Hicks and Karmenu Tabone – who played for visitors Melita FC.  The former St George’s stalwarts had emigrated to north Africa.

Midfielder Tabone captained the team. Hicks, of course, was one of the best full-backs of his era.

Two other famous Maltese players who played for Melita FC at the time were Sant and Xuereb.

Melita played three matches in as many days at the stadium.

They  lost their first match here to Floriana 1-0. The only goal of the game was scored by Ġuże Alamango.

The next day they lost 2-0 to Sliema Wanderers, with goals from Eddie Conti and George Rule, and they suffered a heavy 7-2 defeat against the Combined Services XI.

Besant helped himself to four of the Services team goals, Walstow scored two and centre-half Mitchell got the other one. Klibi and Sant replied for Melita FC.

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