Maltco's decision to include the Malta-Hungary fixture on its betting cards caused quite a stir last month. It was apparently the first time that punters had the opportunity to place a bet on a match that involved the Maltese national team.
I was always under the impression that the legislation governing sports betting in Malta prohibited the inclusion of local matches, or those that involved participation by a Maltese team, on the betting card.
Apparently this is not so as betting on the Hungary game was heavily advertised and from what I can gather, football enthusiasts greeted this decision with open arms... the Malta game was one of the recurring choices on the coupons.
Although there may be very valid reasons for such a decision, the fact remains that in this day and age the internet plays an integral part of our daily life and international betting companies often include the matches of the Maltese national team on their betting schedules.
Given that our national team does not enjoy a history of encouraging results, betting on our opponents obtaining a victory is a sure win and as a result, punters will only find themselves a few pounds richer given the insignificant odds offered on such a result.
This is practically always the case when one of the European minnows is in action though I wonder how many punters in Europe ever dreamt that lowly Liechtenstein would manage a draw against Portugal and a resounding 4-1 win in Luxembourg.
Perhaps the thrill of football betting rests on the fact that a minority of people are willing to risk the impossible.
Who would have thought that Greece could go on to win the Euro 2004 when they had lost their opening two matches in the qualifying group and looked down and out for a berth in Portugal last summer?
For the match against Hungary, most local punters were tempted to try their luck at guessing the correct score of the game. With the national team trailing by a solitary goal till the final minute of the game, many of those who had gambled their money on a 1-1 draw and were not present at the stadium, were probably biting their nails to learn the final outcome of the match.
Our boys did push gallantly forward to level the score but they were undone in a harsh manner as a second Hungarian goal provided an anti-climax to an otherwise exciting finale which could have seen tiny Malta battling back for a merited draw and Horst Hesse maintaining his unbeaten record against the Magyars.
It remains to be seen whether Maltco will continue to adopt this policy of including Malta's international matches on its cards or whether this practice will occasionally be extended to domestic league matches.
Although this would be a risky move, which can backfire in some quarters, it would be interesting to study whether locals would be willing to bet on the outcome of domestic football matches and whether there will be any cause for suspicion at the final result of some matches.
But this is all speculation as to date our football fixtures are all excluded from the betting list and the Hungary-Malta World Cup qualifier may only have been a one-off.
Malta now plays Croatia in March. Plenty of time to ponder on the correct score or a double result right?
On a lighter note, British journalist Jeffrey Bernard, who passed away in 1997, once wrote, "In most betting shops you will see three windows marked 'Bet Here' but only one window with the legend 'Pay Out'.
Food for thought I guess, but then again, never say never.
A tragic death
The sporting community was saddened this week when the news spread that young Darren Dimech had died tragically during a practice off-road session.
Dimech was a dedicated fellow who spent most of his free time navigating the course at Ta' Qali. He had already won a couple of races organised by the Assocjazzjoni Sport Muturi (ASM) this season and had set his sights on competing abroad next year.
Hailing from a family of motor sport enthusiasts, it was no surprise that Dimech took to this sport with great enthusiasm. Although ASM is a small federation, it has managed to garner a lot of support over the past few years and sizeable crowds are always present to watch the events on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
The association has also gone through great lengths to establish strict procedures to ensure that drivers comply with safety standards for their own good. Dimech was a talented rider but I guess such sport does have an above average element of risk.
Since September, we have mourned the loss of three other lives who were all footballers. While Darren Agius died on the pitch, Luke Cassar and Menrick Yeomans died in a car crash.
Dimech may no longer be thrilling his family and friends with his tricky manoeuvres at Ta' Qali but his memory lives on and I am sure that the ASM will come up with an annual event in memory of this young lad who died doing what he loved most.