Salvu Sammut − Sliema Wanderers.

On November 11, 1943 football fans all over the island heard in dismay that Salvu Sammut, better known as ‘l-Għarawri’ in local football circles, had crashed into a car while cycling back from work down Paola Hill.

He was rushed to hospital suffering from severe head injuries and concussion.

For a few days he fought bravely for his life but then there was a turn for the worse and on November 23 Sammut gave up his gallant fight.

More than 70 years have passed from that horrible day and Sammut has never been forgotten. He was only 28 when he died and still at the peak of an illustrious career.

Sammut had won all the honours that the local game could offer and earned the admiration of all who saw him in action.

But, how could one describe the achievements of this great footballer?

Perhaps, it would be better if I describe what many of his admirers considered to be his greatest performance.

The 1931-32 championship is remembered for the fine football displayed by the teams which took part, particularly Valletta United and Sliema Wanderers.

One match stands out from the rest, if only for the great performance produced by Sammut for the Wanderers against Ħamrun Spartans.

The Spartans, strengthened by Ġuże Alamango, were routed 6-1. The hero was Sammut as he scored four of Sliema’s goals.

Straight from the kick-off Sammut received a pass from Robbie DeCesare, evaded the tackle of two defenders and sent in a great shot past goalkeeper Sanges.

Alamango equalised four minutes later but Sliema soon regained the lead.

Cauchi released Joseph Sammut who deftly passed the ball first time through Sanges’s legs and into the net.

Joseph Sammut scored again a few minutes later to give the Blues a 3-1 lead at half-time.

The second half was hardly four minutes old when ‘l-Għarawri’ rounded off a brilliant dribble by shooting in via the upright.

At that stage Ħamrun pulled back Alamango in an attempt to stop Salvu Sammut from doing further damage, but the centre-forward beat Bonnici on the run and once again whipped the ball past the goalkeeper.

Ten minutes later he scored a classic goal to complete the rout.

A natural centre forward, Sammut started his career with Sliema Rovers in the Amateur League.

From the Rovers to the Wanderers was only a step away and Sammut soon became the regular leader of the Sliema attack.

Then, when Tony Nicholl burst onto the scene, Sammut moved to the inside right position.

Greatness is a word loosely used in football but there is no other adjective which could describe the highly-gifted Sammut.

The ball clinging to his magical feet, he would dash to a dribble along the goal-line. Pushing the ball along the line, he would dart around his opponent and bang the ball in from two metres out or push it back to an advancing colleague for the stab at goal.

That was Sammut in a nutshell. He was quick-witted, graceful, strong and fast.

Mention of Sammut inevitably brings to mind a happy period in the history of Sliema Wanderers. The immediate pre-World War Two period belonged to them.

In his career Sammut spent just one season away from Sliema. That was in 1939-40 when he joined St George’s.

Some old-timers from Cospicua still talk of that eventful year when under Sammut’s leadership they won the Christmas Cup and finished runners-up in the league to revive some of the club’s old glory.

The outbreak of the war, however, interrupted what could have become a very fruitful partnership between Sammut and St George’s. During the war he returned to Sliema to what everyone hoped would be another successful run in a Blues shirt.

The gods, however, deemed otherwise.