The recent football international between Malta and Italy in a World Cup qualifier, with 17,000 fans in attendance, was marred by the Malta Football Association’s pre-match administration.

Having booked early, as we knew that tickets were going to sell quickly, we managed to get tickets in Section C, Rows 25 and 23, with the appropriate seat numbers printed on these tickets. We thought that, leaving early, we had plenty of time to take up our seats an hour before the match was due to start.

Having arrived at the stadium, imagine our consternation when we found all these allocated seats to have been taken. Although the rows were marked, there were no numerals on the seats to indicate the allocated seats. In fact one ticket indicated that there were at least 89 seats in row 23 within this section. I did a quick calculation and it appeared that there was a shortfall of at least 15 seats. Our €30 seats were a sham.

This isn’t the end of the story. We, like many other supporters, had to sit on the cold concrete steps for the whole match while others stood along the back wall of this section.

I would like to learn the following from the Malta FA: why were tickets issued indicating rows and seat numbers in the full knowledge that these were phantom numbers? Why were there no stewards in attendance within this section? Why were fans allowed to obstruct exits and aisles when these were clearly marked in yellow paint? In other European countries these areas are free to access at all times. Why was this health and safety issue not considered? Clearly, this was an accident waiting to happen involving children and adults. Imagine Malta had scored from the penalty spot and perhaps the shot that hit the crossbar had gone in: the resulting euphoria and exuberance of fans could have resulted in a melée that might have seen fans getting injured.