Tag Archives: Malta Football Association

Crunching the Data on Malta’s 2015/16 Premier League Play-off

Image Source: www.ugo.cn

Just a few days after Valletta F.C. were crowned Champions of Malta, keen nationwide football fans will now turn their attention to this Friday (6th May), as debuting BOV Premier League side St. Andrews F.C. fight to retain their place in the highest division of Maltese football for a second season.

The Pembroke-based club takes on Senglea Athletic F.C., who have enjoyed a fantastic first season in the BOV First Division, in an all-important play-off match which will be played at 19:30 (CET).

BOV Premier League

The final match in the BOV Premier League 2015/16 Season will be played on Friday, 6th May 2016 – a match which is that little bit more magical than the rest. (Image source: TVM Official Website)

The rise of both these clubs in recent years has been inspiring, and their fate for the 2016/2017 season will be decided in front of a passionate crowd at the Hibernians Stadium in Paola. This is due to a new league competition system, introduced as from the 2015/16 campaign, in which the tenth placed Premier League club (the division contains 12 teams) goes head-to-head in a play-off against the third placed club from the First Division.

“The rules are simple: the winning team will ply its trade in the Premier League next season, with the defeated side having to settle for First Division status. If the match is draw after extra-time, a normal penalty shootout will settle the score.”

Let’s take a look at the two clubs, and what each will offer to this enthralling fixture:

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Individualism… or the Lack of it!

By Andrea Vella

I am no Mourinho or Guardiola; but after undergoing the Level 1 and Level 2 Coach Education courses, together with the Licence Holders Course, organised by Premier Skills, I look back at my first three years as a football educator and realise how false my sessions used to be! Premier Skills have also opened my eyes to the problems I see with coaching in Malta today.

Andrea Vella

Andrea in his role as Academy Director of Swieqi United F.C. Image source: Jeffrick Cachia

I see many ‘know­-it-­alls’ and ex-­footballers who talk, talk and talk, believing they can coach purely because of their position or playing reputation, but who quite frankly, can’t! I see a lot of coaches who focus on their personal success and results when they should be focusing on developing players – it’s all about how many games they’ve won! I also see a lot of coaches who coach as a hobby or as a side job to earn some pocket money, without realising how delicate their role is.

“What most of the coaches have in common is that they don’t understand that coaching isn’t easy!” Andrea Vella

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