The need for a reform in the way the local football leagues are composed has been felt for many years. But the changes announced last week by the Malta Football Association will do little to improve the overall standards of the game in Malta and, secondly, they should have been implemented next season.

Let’s start from the second issue.

Nowhere in the world are competition rules changed during the course of the season. But this is what the MFA did. To speed up the process, it chose to immediately change the number of teams that will be promoted and relegated from each division – so the leagues started with one set of rules, and will end up with another.

The MFA shifted the goalposts midway through the season, rather than implement the changes it has in mind two seasons from now, using the 2011-2012 season as the period of transition – which is what serious associations do. Imagine the Champions League starting with one format and, midway through, UEFA chooses to change it. It’s ridiculous.

MFA president Norman Darmanin Demajo was elected last year with his slogan “clubs, clubs, clubs”; but it’s one thing doing one’s best to give the clubs a bigger say and help them financially, and it’s another thing ridiculing the game. The game’s credibility has been further reduced with the decisions taken recently.

Added to this, by increasing the number of teams that take part in the top division, the level of the game will go down, not up. The more teams there are in the top flight, the bigger the chance that the number of games with little interest will increase.

Some argue that the ideal number of teams in the top division should be eight. By having 10 we are already stretching it, let alone with 12.

The idea to halve the points at the end of the first phase of the Premier League should have been scrapped, as this gives an unfair advantage to teams that are chasing the top places. But, although there had been talk of removing this system, it has been kept.

The idea to have the FA Trophy based on the English model will have its positive and negative effect. On the one hand, giving every club the opportunity to take part will bring enthusiasm, but it opens the way to 6-0, 7-0 matches which are unattractive. But, at least, in this case the new format will wait until the new season.