As the national anthem was being played at the Ta’ Qali football stadium on Tuesday, 4,000 supporters at the south stand rose as one, bearing red and white boards to form a Maltese flag.
There was a lot of work behind that patriotic gesture that kicked off the Malta v Italy World Cup qualifier at 8.45pm. Keen supporters who make up the South End Core Group had been there since dawn, hanging banners, distributing the colourful boards, planning the choreography and setting up a sound system.
By the time the game started they were all geared up – in red shirts with Forza Malta in bold print and colourful feather hats – to support the national team: 13 drums, two trumpets and non-stop chants to keep the spirits up.
“Whatever the score, our support never dies,” Louis Agius, South End Core founder, said.
True to their word, they kept on singing stadium chants, willing the boys in red to score until the referee blew the final whistle.
The two trumpeters must have been gasping for breath more than the players by the end of the game.
The South End Core abides by only one philosophy: positive support. Which is why they were particularly upset by Italian media claims that Maltese supporters were hurling racist abuse at Italian striker Mario Balotelli.
“He gets booed and insulted wherever he goes. I’m strongly condemning it, don’t get me wrong, because I’m all for positive support but the public react to behaviour on the pitch,” he said, insisting there was nothing racist about the chants in the stadium on Tuesday.
The South End Core has been around since 2007 with their support act debut being the Malta v Turkey match on September 8, coinciding with the anniversary of the Great Siege in 1565.
“What set it off was the England v Malta match three months earlier. The stadium was packed but the fans were not organised,” Mr Agius recalled.
He got together with three friends and decided to hold a meeting to plan a pre-match party in Buġibba for the Turkey game and then carcade to Ta’ Qali for the match.
“Word got round and, for that first meeting, about 25 people turned up, including some willing to sponsor the whole thing,” he said. They never looked back.
“We had our ups and downs; a lot of downs to be honest, because when you’re a supporter it all depends on the results,” he added.
If the team is doing well, fans turn up in large numbers; if they’re doing badly, it’s a different story. “And, unfortunately, in Maltese football it’s not like we often get good results.”
How do they feel about supporting a team that is stuck in a losing streak?
“True fans support their team whether they win or lose and, after all, it’s our country. Good results are rare in our case because we know our limitations but we always hope for the best,” he said.
Their support is not limited to home games. Often, a group of about 100 follows the national team whenever they play away.
“For the Italy v Malta game in Modena last September, there were about 300 of us singing the national anthem till the last minute. We impressed the Italian players, I can tell you that.”
They could not attend the Bulgaria v Malta match, which was played behind closed doors in Bulgaria after FIFA imposed a punishment on the host nation.
“That was quite a disappointment: we had been organising it for about two months and 130 of us had booked flights and accommodation.”
In a snow covered pitch, the Maltese players fared badly, losing 6-0. Mr Agius defended the national team: “Bulgaria came at the wrong time under wrong weather conditions.”
Does their presence and support affect the team’s performance?
“I hope so!” said Mr Agius, with a laugh, adding that whenever the stadium was packed, Malta performed well.
He recalled the Moldova v Malta match. “By half-time, we were losing 3-0 but we kept on cheering, and they made an incredible comeback. They still lost but the score was a very respectable 3-2.”
The South End Core does not limit itself to boosting the moral of footballers; you’ll also see them cheering the national waterpolo and rugby teams whenever they are playing.
The rugby scene is a happy one. Attendance over the past years has shot up to 4,000 supporters at each national game and tickets are always a sell-out.
“And the results are coming. The national team is among the top 40 in the world,” he noted.
Supporting national teams took a lot out of them, he said, but they did it with passion, often even taking days off work whenever Malta was playing.
“Maltese love merrymaking and carcading and we are channelling that in the right direction: support for our national sports teams,” he said.
Next up is the Malta v Switzerland rugby match on April 6. His advice: “Just turn up and cheer.”
More information on facebook.com/ groups/southendcore/?fref=ts.