Season 1933-34 saw the end of the old Empire Sports Ground.
The enterprising proprietor of the ground, Carmelo Scicluna, signed a contract with a British syndicate to hold greyhound racing at the Empire. Extensive alterations were needed and during the summer of 1933 the Empire was pulled down and work was started on a new stadium.
When the project was officially completed in January 1934, the First Division league could finally get underway.
Originally, five clubs had sent in their application – Sliema Wanderers, Hibernians, Qormi St George’s, Ħamrun Spartans and Sliema Rangers. However, before the draws were made, the Spartans and the Rangers withdrew from the competition.
To make matters worse, a dispute arose over the registration of Pawlu Friggieri between Sliema and Qormi which resulted in the latter pulling out as well.
This left the MFA with the unusual situation where only two teams were prepared to contest the championship.
Of course, these things only happen in Malta!
Faced with this strange and unusual situation, the MFA decided to hold the championship in the form of a rubber... three matches to be played with the teams winning most points being declared the winners.
The first of the series was played on January 25, 1934. This match developed into an all-out battle between Sliema’s forward line and Hibs’ defence. However, it was Hibs who scored first. Mifsud swept the ball into the Blues’ penalty area and Turu Theobald seized the chance to bang the ball into the net.
The Wanderers staged an immediate reaction. The ball was floated into the Hibs’ half and during a scrimmage, a defender diverted the ball with his arm in the box. DeCesare made no mistake from the spot.
Sliema started the second half on the attack and, after a few minutes, Tony Nicholl flashed the ball past ‘Gejta’ Azzopardi to give his side the lead.
Hibs, however, recovered from the setback and a few minutes later they were awarded a penalty.
Amid great excitement, Victor Miller coolly placed the ball in the net to make the final score 2-2.
On the eve of the second match, Hibs received the shock of their lives when they found out that their star defender Sidney LeCount was leaving the island on HMS Bacchus.
Hibs, however, still rose to the occasion. Displaying their traditional fighting spirit, they beat the Wanderers 2-1 to gain a formidable advantage over their rivals.
Despite their defeat, Sliema refused to give up hope on winning the championship. A draw in the final match of the series was enough to give Hibs the title but a victory for the Wanderers meant that a fourth and final game would have to be played.
This was the first big moment in Hibs’ history. In only a couple of seasons, the club had risen from an obscure amateur outfit to the peak of Maltese football. All the Maltese were behind them except, of course, those from Sliema.
At this point, however, much to their disadvantage, the competition was interrupted to make way for the Cassar Cup. Thus, the MFA, wittingly or unwittingly, gave Sliema a chance to regain form.
When the final match was eventually played it proved to be something of an anti-climax as Sliema won easily 3-0.
The team Sliema fielded against Hibernians was probably the best they had for many years. They dropped Sammut from the side that had won them the Cassar Cup. DeCesare was moved to full-back and young Ċensu Friggieri was roped in at half-back.
This change strengthened the defence and, with the attack in top form, the team seemed unbeatable.
For this match, Hibs included Ġuże Alamango, of Floriana, at centre-forward. The aging stalwart was still a valid player but he did not fit in the side and was completely overshadowed by Kelinu Azzopardi.
Sliema’s superiority was so complete that the game suffered as a spectacle. Much more was expected of Hibernians but they failed to reproduce the form which had made them so popular with the crowds.
The 3-0 result put the teams level on points making a decider necessary to solve the issue.
A cold shower, however, was in store for the public when, on April 14, Hibernians failed to make an appearance at the stadium for the decider.
At a meeting with the MFA, held in midweek, the Paola delegate informed the Council that his club could not make up a team by Saturday because several of their players were injured.
Up to the Friday before the game, the Council were still hoping that Hibs would honour the fixture but on the day of the match, the public was informed that Hibs were not playing and that Sliema would instead play against an Amateur XI.
It was a stupid and ridiculous way to end the season. In the circumstances the MFA perhaps should have postponed the match.
The public certainly thought so.