I am writing to you to express my feelings of disgust and deep disappointment with the appalling lack of organisation at the so-called Legends match between England and Italy at Ta’ Qali. The match had been billed as a showpiece event packed full of ‘Legends’ from both Italian and English football past.

The price of Lm12 certainly raised my eyebrows, but for the chance to see Ian Rush and John Barnes play, two of my favourite players of all time, I was prepared to pay this exaggerated price. The fact that neither of these players turned up at the game was not the first of the night’s disappointments. Arriving at a 2/3 empty stadium I failed to see how my ticket in the north end could warrant the Lm 12 price tag, especially in light of the thousands of empty seats around the ground.

My friends and I decided to make the most of it and in the way British people are accustomed we ordered a few beers. However some horrible oversight had evidently occurred as 10 minutes before the game was scheduled to kick-off we were informed that the beer had all run out. This was somewhat of a surprise at an event sponsored by a beer company. What is confusing to me is how they had comically miscalculated the catering needs of what was even by the organisers’ undoubted biased view point a very poor turn out. Having been told via the official website that day that ‘limited numbers of tickets’ would be available on the day one would surely have expected the organisers to perhaps have provided proper catering facilities.

Once the game did kick off a full hour later than scheduled (one can only guess the organisers were hoping for a late influx of supporters, perhaps stuck on the Gozo Ferry?) the pace was pedestrian. My granny, I feel, may not have looked out of place at times, and the quality shown from the ‘legends’ was not particularly awe inspiring and the dead atmosphere in the ground, all combined to create an utterly forgettable experience.

I am told the match ended 5-1 to Italy. However as my friends and I left at half time (fully sober) I am unable to confirm this. I would look at the website, but I have realised the content may sometimes be ‘exaggerated’, shall we say.

Yours in disappointment.

Owen Jones

Mosta