All clubs affiliated to the Malta FA will have voting rights in future elections, irrespective of the division they play in, after a series of amendments to the association’s statute were unanimously approved during an extraordinary general meeting on Wednesday.
Under the revised statute, the delegate and council member of each of the 52 clubs (Gozo FC have applied to withdraw from MFA competitions) will be eligible to vote during the association’s annual general meeting and all clubs will have an active representative in the Malta FA council.
Before Wednesday, 40 council members and delegates representing the Division Two and Three clubs could vote in the annual general meeting while those in the Premier League and Division One (20 before the reform of the national leagues) had two votes each.
The approved amendments mean that Malta FA head Norman Darmanin Demajo has made good on his electoral pledge to grant equal voting powers to all clubs. Furthermore, the overhaul of the national leagues necessitated a revision of the distribution of votes as the number of clubs in each division has changed.
From season 2011/12, the Premier League and Division One championship will feature 12 teams each while Division Two and Three will each comprise 14 teams. At the last Malta FA council meeting, held soon after the EGM, the winners of the player of the year awards in all divisions bar that of the Premier League were announced. The winner of the 2010/11 MFA footballer of the year award will be unveiled at the association’s awards ceremony on July 1.
Mqabba striker John Paul Muscat was voted as best Division One player and Adam Smeir, of Rabat, took the Division Two prize.
The best third division player accolade went to Luqa’s Lee Baldacchino. Pietà’s Zach Muscat was named as best player in the youth league with Birkirkara’s Rachel Cuschieri grabbing the women’s award.
In futsal, ZC Excess players swept the board as Florin Anton claimed the award ahead of team-mates Carlos Scicluna and Clint Cope.
Rabat, who were promoted to Division One last season, were the overall winners of the Fair Play Award. Mellieħa and Marsaskala were second and third respectively.
In the Premier League, Tarxien Rainbows had the best disciplinary record to top the fair play classification.