37 years ago.... and the novelty rolled on and on!
It is a pleasure to watch teams trodding out of football tunnels with match officials and each player having a young mascot by their side and holding hands.
It may be a novelty for some European club sides but believe it or not Valletta FC introduced full team mascots 37 years ago! The occasion was to celebrate the winning of the 1973-74 league title, which was the first success for the Citiuzens after more than a decade in the wilderness; their previous championship success was in fact at the end of the 1962-63 season.
I was head coach of the successful 73/4 edition which had actually clinched the league championship thanks to a last-minute victory over Hibernians in our penultimate match.
The fans had a few days to prepare their celebrations’ programme for Presentation Day and I must admit that they did a great job with bands and floats and a second Carnival parade on the day that mattered.
During that time the match squad consisted of eleven players plus five reserves and I remember discussing the idea of fielding sixteen mascots with the late lamented club official Guzeppi Salinos for the last match which was against Qormi FC. Originally ‘ic-Chief’, as he was affectionately known, wasn’t in favour which was not surprising as he was too conservative and took some time to be convinced that most of my players would like to have ‘their’ mascot.
Mr Salinos must be credited for making the necessary preparations as he had quietly ordered a set of 16 numbered red tops with VFC lettering. The players covered the invoice but had to ensure that the kids wore white shorts, white stockings and football boots, of course. Till this day I still don’t know why red tops were provided instead of the traditional all white strip.
Perhaps it is worth mentioning that the match that clinched the issue was played on Easter Sunday of 1974 at the Empire Stadium, Gzira, thanks to a Tony Giglio, Carlo Seychell and Eddie Vella much rehearsed set-piece as the former’s swerving kick beat the Hibs’ barrier and goalkeeper Freddie Mizzi to give Valletta FC their ninth title. We had polished the skill during a training session at Tal-Qroqq on Good Friday. The goal couldn’t have come at a better time during the match to realise our dream. It took us hours to get back to the club in St Lucia Street in town from St George Street in Gzira and much, much longer on the day when the team lifted the Johnnie Walker Cup.
FIFA mascots
The situation inside the crammy dressing room was rather confusing with so many kids, players and committee officials but everyone smiled and looked happy as the proud champions trodded out of the dressing room accompanied by 16 children in a most enjoyable festive atmosphere before international referee Paul Bonnet whistled for kick-off.
Presentation Day was a memorable occasion not solely for the thousands of fans that packed the popular Valletta side.
It could be rightly assumed that Valletta FC were the first Maltese club if not in Europe to parade a full team of mascots! What is a fact is that the pattern caught on everywhere.
FIFA had introduced World Cup mascots eight years before when the 1966 edition was held in England and World Cup Willie was everywhere. Likewise Juanito dominated the next edition held in Mexico and in 1974 the Germans went a step forward as they paraded Trip and Trap.
UEFA decided that Eurochampionships should also have a mascot but the idea was only realised in 1980 with Pinocchio stealing the show in the edition that was staged in Italy.
The 2012 edition which will be held in Poland and the Ukraine have two yet unnamed spiky-haired brothers wearing the colours of the two nations. Their names will be announced on 4 December.
Kids’ day
Today on match days the tunnels of most European stadia are full of players and kids, boys and girls; the clubs don’t have just one mascot per team but for every player.
It is a pleasure to see kids and famous footballers coming out hand in hand! Mascots also accompany match officials these days. It helps to reduce pre-match tension though FIFA claims that the idea of fielding matchday child mascots is a way of bringing families together.
It is usually the Supporters Clubs that handle the requests. It comes at a cost as parents who register their off-springs have to pay a hefty fee, and may have to wait for four or five years before getting the chance, if they do at all! Usually clubs accept registrations while ensuring that the kids will not be older than 12 on the available day.
Football followers find it hard to believe that the Malta FA was the first national European Association to introduce substitutes in our competition rules. The team mascots could be yet another ‘first’ in the European football scene.
I feel proud of that historical day way back in spring of 1974.