First Division club St Patrick are aiming to get promoted to the Premier League this season.

While introducing their new players for the coming season, the Zabbar club president, Charles Caruana, said they had a difficult start to the season. “We had already began our training when we ended without a coach who left for pastures new, taking with him some of our players as well. This created a problem for us as we had to appoint a new coach. We contacted Alfred Attard, who was with Sliema W. and he quickly accepted our offer. The president said: “On his advice we started to rebuild the squad and now we can say that we are looking towards being promoted.”

Caruana also said that he hoped the decision on the alleged corruption cases, which also involve the first division, is taken by next week, so that play resumes as quickly as possible, even if the League’s start is scheduled for November. But on 20 September, we were drawn to play our first KO match, and we are keen to get going,” he said.

New coach Alfred Attard said he had been there only a month but had noticed a lot of improvement since then. “At first I had a problem with lack of players, but the enthusiasm of the committee and their commitment to the club enabled me to move on looking forward with great optimism.

“I accepted their offer because I am always looking for a challenge. At present I can say we have a competitive team, but I am also waiting to see how competitive the other teams are. I have been very much impressed with the abundant talent from the club’s own nursery and I intend to make use of such home-grown talent who will form the basis of the club in future,” he said.

Speaking about the new faces at the club, he said: “We have five newcomers, among them an Under-19 German-born Serbian international who started the new season at Sliema. He is Daniel Milovanovic, who also has German nationality. I am sure all the St Patrick clan will be proud to have this youngster among them.

“The other newcomers are James Mercieca from Floriana, Ryan Mifsud from Birkirkara, David Gauci and Browen Bugeja from Hibernians and Yanis Tonna from Sliema W.”

Attard said he could notice improvement with every match they were playing at friendly level. “We will certainly be doing our very best to see the club earn promotion to the Premier League. We are very happy with the squad available at present. My players are determined and united in their efforts to move up to a higher level, possibly next season,” he added.

Friendly match results so far: v. Zebbug R. 2-1; v. Luqa SA 4-0; v. St Venera 4-2; v. Mqabba 2-0; v. Tarxien R. 1-2; and v. Msida SJ 0-1.

He will be assisted by Ludwig Bartolo throughout the season. Charles Gauci is the kit manager.

Manwel Schembri, head of the club’s nursery, said they were very proud that the St Patrick FC nursery was one of few which had obtained an A licence regularly from the MFA.

He added it was certainly one of the best in the southern area of the island as it catered also for children from Marsascala.

Schembri said it started in 1988 with just 10 children, but today it boasts around 200, mostly coming from the south of the island.

Schembri added that they had now also engaged former Pieta and Malta goalie Saviour Darmanin to train the nursery’s goalkeepers every Thursday this season.

The main sponsors of the club are Eurosport and The Wholesaler, but the committee is working hard to get more sponsorship deals.