Baskal Scicluna, seen here wearing the colours of Valletta United. In 1932-33, Scicluna caused the Cassar Cup semi-final, between Floriana and the Worcestershire Regiment team, to be abandoned.

When the time came for the start of the 1932-33 Cassar Cup, Maltese football stood on the brink of a precipice.

On one side lay the memories of many a tragic defeat in the competition, on the other glittered the coveted trophy.

The Maltese challenge that season was provide by Sliema Wanderers and Floriana. However, although considered to be one of the strongest clubs, Floriana had no right to be included in the competition.

In fact, Hibernians, joint leaders of the First Division that season, should have partnered the Wanderers in the semi-finals line-up of the Cassar Cup.

The Malta FA, however, deemed otherwise and Floriana were chosen solely on the strength of their reputation. Sure enough, this aimless wrangling did not breed confidence in the Maltese teams at that particular era of our game.

The time which should have been devoted to practise and training was more often than not wasted on disputes and arguments.

The Services, on the other hand, prepared continuously for the major football test of the year. They were armed to the teeth and determined to fight to the last ditch.

This view was fully confirmed in the Cassar Cup semi-finals.

On February 18, the Fourth Flotilla eliminated the Wanderers from the competition by a single-goal margin.

The Wanderers conceded the vital goal 20 minutes into the second half when during one of the Fourth Flotilla team’s many attacks, Brittain gained possession and lobbed the ball into the net.

Sliema reacted and had many occasions to draw level but while everyone admitted that the Flotilla were the better team, the Blues were unlucky not to have forced a decider.

The match between Floriana and Worcestershire Regiment lasted only 79 minutes. The Army champions were leading 5-0 when Floriana full-back Baskal Scicluna assaulted and knocked out the referee following an alleged offside goal by Malin.

Large numbers of spectators jumped on to the pitch and in a twinkling, all was bedlam. The match was naturally abandoned.

There is no doubt that poor refereeing provoked the incident. The service referee was so awed by the occasion that he hardly knew what he was doing.

Floriana had the majority of the crowd behind them on that occasion.

Excitement was running high and when the referee took decisions unfavourable to the civilians, the temper of the crowd rose and this rubbed on to the players.

The blow delivered to the referee was the inevitable climax.

Scicluna’s antics

When the match was abandoned, Scicluna, who was being escorted to the dressing rooms by the police, ran towards the enclosure where he was applauded and hailed as a hero by a bunch of hot-heads.

The Cassar Cup committee held an urgent meeting on February 24, 1933 to consider the situation created by this unpleasant incident in the semi-final.

The committee, realising that the future of the competition and the relations between Services and Civilian teams would be jeopardised by further incidents, reluctantly cancelled the final.

They eventually decided that the cup was to be shared for six months each by the Worcestershire Regiment and the Fourth Flotilla XI.