The prestigious Garrison Cup.

This week, we retrace the roots of football in our country when the Maltese were still more or less mere spectators of the game.

In the late 19th century servicemen stationed in Malta could not bring their families with them on tours. With a lot of free time on their hands and perhaps a bit of money in their pockets, many of them turned their attention to the wine shops of Valletta, Floriana and Cottonera.

This created a huge problem for the authorities. There were many incidents between Maltese civilians and drunken servicemen but usually such news did not reach the press.

Things got so bad that, in 1871, Reverend J. Laverach took the initiative to open the ‘Soldiers and Sailors Home’ in Piazza Maggiore, Floriana. The place was intended to be a counter-measure to the wine shops and houses of low repute.

The home had a reading room with a well-stocked library, dining and smoking-rooms and also provided accommodation. The experiment was a success and in 1882 Reverend Laverach opened another branch in Strada Cospicua. In 1884, they moved to more commodious premises on Santa Margerita Hill.

The Soldiers and Sailors club, or the ‘Rest’ as it was known in Cospicua, was not only instrumental in keeping servicemen away from drink and the clutches of loose women but it also helped to turn their attention to healthier pastimes like football.

During the early 1890s, football had become so popular in Malta that many friendly matches were being played almost daily between Service XI’s.

It was a natural development, therefore, that a number of servicemen decided to form a committee with the aim of organising a competition based on the English FA Cup tournament.

The governor gave his permission and a historic meeting was held at the Malta Union Club on December 26, 1891, when the first round draws were held.

A handsome silver cup was bought for £30, a large sum for those days.

This trophy – the Garrison Cup – was last won by the Royal Malta Artillery in the 1960s and it is probably lying somewhere in the Army’s headquarters. The trophy would be an excellent addition to the proposed MFA museum if it can be retrieved.

Fourteen teams took part in the competition and all matches were played at Marsa between January and February 1892.

The Royal Scots Regiment won the cup after beating the 27th Company RA team in the final on February 19, 1892.

On their way to the final, the Scots beat the 6th Company RA, the 1st Welsh Regiment and the 1st Royal Berkshire Regiment.

The 27th Company RA eliminated the Essex Regiment, the 2nd Company RA and the team from Connaught Rangers.

The Garrison Cup was such a great success that it was decided to hold the competition annually.

In the following years, the competition was to grow in popularity among both the British and the Maltese and, when it was played, Marsa was always packed with enthusiastic supporters from all strate of the society.

In September 1892, the Superintendent of Gymnasia, Lieutenant Bolton ended his tour in Malta.

Before he left the islands, he presented the accounts of the Malta Garrison Association Football Challenge Cup to the committee and passed his books to his successor, Lieutenant MacDonnell of the 1st Royal Berkshire Regiment.

His report makes interesting reading because it gives a very good insight of the cost of football equipment in the 1890s.

However, to arrive to a realistic figure one must multiply the prices quoted by at least six times to make up for more than 100 years of inflation.