Three years in the top flight - FINAL PART

A comment by Sportswriter Henry Calleja after the first two outings says it all about the performances of the Exiles team on their third consecutive appearance in the First Division League of 1998. He wrote that Exiles “were not the same team which was admired by the sporting public the previous seasons….. there was something that’s not clicking in the team. He hoped that Exiles would rise to the occasion and give a decent fight to the other four big guns”.

The decision by the Club Committee to participate was indeed a bold one considering that Valletta United opted to participate in the Second Division whilst the previous year’s champions of the lower division San Giljan refused promotion as they felt that the disparity that existed between the two divisions was too ample.

Team picks up after Slow Start

With the number of participating teams reduced to five, the Swimming Association had no option but to organize the league over three rounds. Exiles started the campaign with two dismal displays, suffering defeats at the expense of Marsascala (5-16) and Sliema (3-13) before reacting with a sparkling show against Neptunes (5-7). The Press had to eat nearly what they had predicted earlier when the team nearly shocked the Reds. Practically it was an immense team effort and was rewarded by a shower of praise by the spectators and the Press especially Silvio Borg who had marshaled the team to an impeccable feat.

Both Sirens and Exiles had a disappointing start indeed; when they met for the first time in the season, both teams were lying pointless at the bottom of the table. The clash ended with the St Paul’s Bay team winning 6-3 to leave Exiles at the end of the standings. It was indeed another positive match for the Exiles side. It seem as though the players were responding to Dirk Dowling’s therapy. The momentum was maintained in the next match versus Marsascala, the former 1997 champions. Exiles were within a whisker of earning their first point in three seasons with a gallant display. They could have salvaged a point but in the last twenty seconds of the match they failed to connect with their opponents to finish once again on the losing end (4-5), with a meagre consolation of shaking the guts of the adversaries on the day. Once again, the players left the deck with their heads up high.

The going gets tough….. indeed

With the exception of another positive outing against Neptunes in the second round when Exiles lost with a minimum score of 3-5, the team gave the impression of throwing in the towel. The grittiness was lacking and the players failed to respond to Dirk Dowling’s incessant encouragement. A look at the results obtained said it all; double scores and divergence in the goal difference. The title chasers Sliema and Neptunes unleashed their prowess against our young side; the former were constant in their pounding throughout all the three encounters whilst the latter paid back for the close shaves in the previous two outings when they flogged Exiles 19-2 in the third and final match.

The final bow from the first division was an honourable defeat of 10-5 at the hands of Sirens who were out of the final reckoning early in the season after a disastrous start.

The players forming the Exiles team were Antoine Sciberras,  Simon Camilleri Kamsky, Michael Grima, Michael Camilleri, Cain Pavia, Edwin ‘Junior’ Pisani, Silvio Borg, Mark Attard, Karl Borg, Kurt Engerer (ex Sliema), Malcolm Jones, Simon Camilleri, Ivan Muscat and Stevie Grech.

Au Revoir Dirk

Dirk was also in charge of the National Team. This did not in any way affect the sterling commitment given to the Club during his two-year stint at Exiles. This had come to an end. As we will see in articles that follow, Dirk will return twice to take over the first team.

In 1999 he joined Sirens and accompanying him was Exiles’ product Ivan Muscat a promising youngster longing for an opportunity to play top class Waterpolo.

It was all worth it

There were the positive aspects during the team’s three years’ stay in Malta’s top Waterpolo division; the press coverage (both in the newspaper and television) was more than sufficient to justify the bold decision of participation; the possible opportunity for promising players to prove their skills and the large attendance at the matches acknowledging the preparation of the teams whilst providing the all-round excitement surrounding this fascinating team sport. 

In the next article we will see how the Exiles Committee wanted to ensure that the players’ concentration does not sag when Sasko Popovski was appointed as the next coach.