The decision taken by the MFA Board to Investigate Corrupt Practices to demote Vittoriosa Stars to the First Division was on everyone’s lips yesterday.

As everyone might be aware by now, the Board reached a guilty verdict on Friday, but it was only on Monday that the club was informed of the decision, that is, two days after they played their Premier League match against Sliema Wanderers. That match has now been nullified.

It has also become known that the Stars have also been fined e4,000 and it is only in this case that the club will be able to appeal. However, The Malta Independent is informed that if the club fails to pay the fine, the Stars will not be allowed to take part in any of the MFA competitions.

Moreover, the decision will also hit the Stars badly in the sense that First Division clubs are only allowed one foreign player. An MFA source said that the club should be well aware of the association’s rules, adding that it will have to terminate the contracts of their foreign players, except for one of them.

There were more developments yesterday, especially after it was learnt, through a release sent by the MFA Media Officer Mark Muscat, late on Monday/Tuesday night, that according to the rules of the MFA, the punishment has to be implemented.

The MFA release is the following:

“After the Executive Committee analysed the decision which the Board to Investigate Corrupt Practices finalised on Monday, which states that Vittoriosa Stars FC are to be relegated with immediate effect to the First Division, and wherein the rules of the MFA state that in case of appeal, this will not have an effect on the decision taken by the Board, except in cases of monetary fines, Vittoriosa Stars FC will not form part of the Bank of Valletta Premier Division League 2009/10, which, therefore, will be composed of nine (9) teams, and instead, Vittoriosa Stars FC will form part of the BoV First Division league 2009/10 which thus will be composed of eleven (11) teams.

Following this decision a number of changes will have to be made to the fixtures of the BoV Premier Division League 2009/10 and the BOV First Division League 2009/10.

This decision thus nullifies the match between Vittoriosa Stars FC against Sliema Wanderers FC played last Saturday except the disciplinary actions taken in said game.

The Executive Committee decided that Vittoriosa Stars FC are to be given the opportunity to participate in the Maltco Lotteries First Division Knock-out competition.

The Executive Committee also decided that the BoV Premier Division League match between Valletta and Floriana, originally scheduled to be held on Friday 28 August at 7.30pm, is now being played on Saturday 29 August at 7pm.”

However, later yesterday evening, through another media communication, the MFA clarified part of the statement to make it clear that the club has the right to appeal.

On Monday evening, the Executive Committee did not decide on what action the MFA will be taking vis-à-vis the two St George’s players – Andrea Gatt and Lawrence Mizzi – who had also admitted their guilt in Court and were subsequently fined and given a suspended sentence. No mention either was made of club vice-president Manwel Ancilleri, who is also charged with wrongdoing in the same case, but has so far maintained his stance that he had nothing to do with the case, which is still pending in the Law Courts.

From the MFA’s release, it became evident that the MFA Executive Committee was against any team, whichever it could be (that is, Msida SJ, Hamrun S. – both relegated from the Premier League last season - or Pieta H. – who finished third in last season’s First Division) benefiting from the decision relegating the Stars to the First Division.

A source close to the MFA told The Malta Independent yesterday morning that it will be no surprise were Marsaxlokk to suffer a similar fate when the decision on their alleged corruption case for the November Marsaxlokk-Msida SJ match, is reached next week.

When asked what will happen if Marsaxlokk also were to be demoted, the same sources said that in such circumstances, the MFA will act accordingly, giving the impression that in that case, it was highly likely that the Executive Committee will decide to retain an eight-team Premier League and a 12-team First Division, just for this season.

In the meantime, the MFA secretary, Joe Gauci, is busy re-scheduling the Premier and First Division programmes. With Monday’s decision, the Premier League’s number of matches has been reduced by 18, while that of the First Division has been increased to 18.

But with next week’s decision over the Marsaxlokk case looming, it could be troublesome days for Mr Gauci ahead. If Marsaxlokk are also demoted and the Premier League is reduced to eight teams, we will have not only a new programme, but possibly also a change in the format of the League.

The MFA source also told The Malta Independent that such decisions will probably be taken next week. These might include a decision that no team will be relegated this season, therefore the scrapping of the Championship and Relegation Pools could be possible, though the league might be played over three or four rounds between the eight teams.

New programme

The weekend’s new programme now is as follows:

Saturday 29 August: 5pm Marsaxlokk-Dingli S.; 7pm Valletta-Floriana

Sunday 30 August: 5pm Tarxien R.-Birkirkara; 7pm Qormi-Sliema W