The Malta Football Association (MFA) is one of the oldest in the world, having being founded in 1900 with the first national league being organised in season 1909-1910. There are several important landmarks in the history of Maltese soccer, especially since Malta played its first official international friendly match against Austria in February 1957. The result was a narrow 3-2 defeat for Malta.

It took until 1959 for the MFA to join FIFA, the world’s soccer governing body. FIFA also joining UEFA, the European soccer governing body, the year after in 1960. From then onwards, Malta become an ever-present in international competitions at national teams as well as at club levels.

The MFA is structured by having 53 member clubs, as well as 10 member associations. The clubs compete in four divisions; the premier, first, second and third.

Despite no Maltese team having ever won a prestigious honour in the international scene, both on a club or national team level, the history of any soccer club is valuable and interesting because it gives its supporters a better and perhaps more complete insight to its present identity.

The title of this Feature and much of the information contained has been ‘borrowed’ from a short write-up by Mr. A.G. Vella in a Souvenir Programme of a friendly international soccer match played between Hamrun Spartans F.C and Watford F.C at the National Stadium Ta’ Qali, Malta on Sunday 20 May 1990.

It is very unusual to come across an antique collectible in the form of a group photograph from 1926 taken at J. Cassar Photo Studio in Hamrun of the Committee of a Maltese soccer team from such a distant era. But this was the case in point with the photo shown in this Feature giving the names of the eleven men who were in charge of the then, St. Joseph F.C. Hamrun.

Few are those contemporary Hamrun supporters who are aware that for a certain period in its long history, their club was known as St. Joseph F.C. Hamrun as evidenced in the photo shown herein and that the team used as its training and playing ground, the area on the bastions close Portes des Bombes in Floriana. And perhaps, a lesser known fact among the Maltese sporting public is that this team was known with the catch-phrase of “Ta’ Werwer’ (Maltese for ‘the terrors’).

This team was the first to win a Maltese soccer championship after Floriana F.C. and before other Maltese prestigious teams such as Sliema Wanderers, Hiberians, Valletta and others.

Hamrun Spartans were officially born in 1907. By season 1913-14, they were an already established team on the local scene so much so that they brought their first championship to Hamrun by just managing to overcome the then local giants of Cospicua St. George’s by a whisker, on goal average. Their second League success came four years afterwards when they finished again in joint top spot with St. George’s of Cospicua. This time the Spartans were crowned Champions of Malta by beating the same Cospicua boys in their decider match. One of the players who stood head and shoulders above the others in this first successful period was Gejtu Psaila (il-Haċċ). He was a dominating figure in every position he was put to play.

Apart from these two odd title wins, the Spartans could hardly find enough players to compete among the elite throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The historians had to wait for almost thirty long years to find again the name of the Spartans among the top of our local soccer.

The ‘modern’ post war Spartans came to life again through the popular Hamrun figure, Anglu Farrugia, who launched a very humble team under the strange name of Liberty. In a short span of two seasons the Liberty reached the top sphere of Maltese soccer, sending thousands of Hamrun supporters delirious with joy.

Changing their strange name of Hamrun Liberty to the traditional and romance name of Hamrun Spartans. Sparta is an ancient Greek city famous for military prowess to the 4th century BC and known for its disciplined and brave warriors.

Hamrun Spartans justified their promotion to the premier league soccer by lifting the then, Super Cup, the coveted Cassar Cup for the first time in their history and then the cherished Johnnie Walker Championship in their very first season among the ‘bigs’. This was season 1946-47. Apart from these two titles, they won another Cassar cup title in 1948-49 season. The Spartans remained among the forerunner throughout the late 1940s and 1950s.

The 1960s turned out to be very lean years for the men in red and black. They limped through these years and were relegated into the Second Division football in the beginning of the 1970s precisely after twenty five years amongst the elite of Maltese soccer. In the mid-1970s, they returned back to their proper place in the First Division, but they had to wait until their 75th anniversary year to start the new Hamrun era.

The new National Stadium at Ta’ Qali brought good luck to the Spartans because in 6 years they brought more honours to Hamrun than they did in 35 odd years at the Gzira Stadium.

On the 75th anniversary, in season 1982-83, the club was back at the top winning the title after an absence of 36 years. Hamrun also managed to win the FA Trophy during that season. That was the beginning of an era under the guide of president Victor Tedesco. The team was strengthened with top players like Raymond and George Xuereb, Edwin Farrugia and Carlo Seychell. Alfred Cardona was their coach. After a lot of disputes with the Immigration Division, Victor Tedesco managed to sign two foreigners, Englishmen Peter Hatch and John Linacre - the first foreigners to play on the island after a long period of time.

The Spartans set a new record being the first local team to win both the home and away legs in a UEFA competition after beating Ballymena of Northern Ireland. In a decade, Hamrun managed to win three league titles, three FA Trophies, the Super Cup and Euro Cup twice each.

After such successful campaigns, the Spartans faced financial difficulties. The team had to transfer its best players until finally they were relegated to the First Division in 1998-99. After one year, they were promoted back to the Premier League after winning the Division 1 title without being defeated.

The last four seasons were years of ups-and-downs. They were relegated to Division 1 at the end of season 2003/2004, winning promotion as First Division champions in 2004/05, being relegated in 2005/06 and winning the First Division championship once again in 2006/07.

From season 2007/2008 Hamrun Spartans where back on the right track for fighting for honours. During the season 2007/2008 Hamrun Spartans met all their objectives and even more ended up in the final of the F.A. trophy against Birkirkara F.C. losing with honours in the last minute by a 1 goal difference. This season was also a great success to its supporters after winning the Malta Best Support Award.