"1970"

First participation in the ASA

Did you know that Exiles competed for the first time in the Second Division League of the ASA in 1970 under the name of MSIDA EXILES?

Affiliation was difficult in those days as the then Rules of the ASA stated that there could be only one club representing the town or village. Of course Exiles were constantly blocked from joining the Association and various attempts were made using the press to voice our complaints.

Encouragement was forthcoming from every section of society however this did not help materially our cause. Being left outside the ASA was frustrating until it dawned on the Officials of the Club that they had to pursue a different route from the one we were persisting on; of trying to convince the ASA to change its statute. The idea was to make an approach to the district committee of the MPFA (Malta Playing Fields Association) Msida to make use of their Lido (on the Ta’ Xbiex coast road).

A club delegation met Mr Joe Cassar Naudi (affectionately known as a referee in the football scene as iz-Zebra) who liked the idea and was very helpful indeed to see his nearly desolated premises being revamped by the Exiles crowd. I remember distinctly  tens of club members volunteering to transfer the  equipment to our new base. The laying of the ‘masri’ in shallower waters and the holding of the first friendly matches. It was quite a challenge to make a change the habit of our members and the players as this involved taking route buses or driving cars to our new venue. The determination was consistent and summer of 1969 passed with a fresh mentality of making sacrifices of staying away from our favourite spot ‘that it-torri’.

Autumn came and the Committee put in application as Msida Exiles. The premises were inspected by the ASA officials, representatives of the Club were interviewed by the Council and Exiles were accepted with Joe Sapienza the then Secretary of the Club being nominated as the first Council Member. Joe who was at University studying to become an Architect, also designed the first version of the current ASA logo depicting the dolphin on a Malta flag.

Our first team made it’s official debut on Sunday the 12th July 1970 in the morning at Ta’X biex Pitch losing 0-2 to Marsaxlokk scored by F X Vella.

K.Farrugia

Statistics proved by Willie Montanaro Junior