There is little doubt that the first team to be founded in the capital was that of the Malta Athletic Club, some time around 1886. We know for certain that on November 15, 1886, they played against the students of St Ignatius College at the Blue Ditch in Porte des Bombes. The Valletta team won that match 5-0.

The Malta Athletic Club was gentlemen's club, which had Maltese and English people enrolled as members. In 1896 they had premises at 289, Strada San Paolo. In 1911, when they were probably re-founded after a break of some seasons, they moved to the Grand Studio in Strada Reale. The Malta AC was responsible for promoting various sporting disciplines and, apart from football, they introduced cricket and roller skating. 

In 1911-12, they organised the Second Civilian Football League and in 1913 they formed the Melita FA. Later on, this association amalgamated with the Malta FA (which had been formed in 1910 at the University) to form one national association.

St George's Square were founded sometime between 1901 and 1904. They earned their name because they were formed in a wine-shop in St George's Square in front of the Main Guard. In those days this square was named Piazza San Giorgio. Some claim that the team was established well before this date but there is no evidence to support this theory. From the scant records which exist we know for certain that St George's Square FC played against the Drummers of the Royal West Kent Regiment on March 31, 1906 winning a high-scoring match 5-2 at Marsa in a blistering wind.

The Maltese team took advantage of the conditions in the first half scoring no fewer than five goals. In the second half, with the wind against them, they were forced to defend allowing the soldiers to pull back two goals. St George's played with the following formation: A. Consiglio, J. Bonello, P. Cardona, H. Gatt, P. Saliba, E. Gatt, L .Inglott, J. Falzon, L. Dimech, O. Azzopardi, A. Naudi.

We might state that the history in Valletta has started by the foundation of the Valletta United. Valletta United were known as the 'team of the square' simply because there club was situated in St.George's Square, that is just opposite the Grandmasters' Palace, infact, the Valletta United were actively representing the City people between 1904 and 1932 but though Valletta United was a strong team it had its positive times too. Obviously they were always behind Sliema and Floriana, whilst one must take into consideration that Sliema and Floriana always dominated the Maltese football before the second war.

Towards the end of 1903, some youths from Valletta formed another team, Valletta United. The idea was to form a club to represent Valletta on the lines of St George's FC and Floriana FC, hence the name United.


Infact Valletta United, amongst all the honours they obtained, they also won the Championship twice in 1914/15 and 1931/32. They were also runners up for two seasons 1925/26 and 1926/27 and then one of the United success was that of winning the Cousis Shield, which we know as the Knock Out Competition, and the word Trophy is even more familiar - they have won this twice in 1914/15, in fact they have done the double in that season and in 1920/21
 

One must take into consideration that these honours won by the Valletta United were all honours that did not allow Sliema nor Floriana to win them, even though they both dominated the local scene in those times, that is Valletta were the ones who started to break into this monopoly of the Sliema and Floriana Team. Valletta United were very active in the Championship of the first division and have in fact played 97 games.


During the period that the Valletta played within the M.F.A., that is from 1909 to 1932, somehow, when Valletta United won the championship in 1931/32, in the following season when they were obviously ready to defend the title, the Valletta United disappeared and obviously the title could not be won by them again, so the monopoly of Sliema and Floriana has recommenced.
 

Valletta United was not the only team that played in the highest Division of the M.F.A., in fact in the 1925/26 and the 1926/27 seasons there were Valletta Rovers who played in the highest Division of the M.F.A., then in the season 1937/38 and 1938/39 there were the Valletta City. The Valletta City were known as the market team. Obviously there were the St.Paul's and the Valletta Prestons - they were playing in the second division. The St.Paul's were always in a better division than the Prestons.  
 

The Amalgamation between St.Paul's and Prestons

It was 1935 that the M.F.A. started its campaign so that each city and village will be represented by one team, obviously during that time, as we have already said, the St.Paul's and the Prestons were the big teams so to say in Valletta City and negotiations for the amalgamation had to start and which amalgamation took long time and there were arguments between the two clubs. There was also War in between which impeded us from concentrating on amalgamation, but after the end of the second World War, football started again, so did the M.F.A. Competitions. On September 28, 1943, the amalgamation took place between Valletta Prestons and St.Paul's, originally the notes read that they are named Valletta St.Paul's but such name was immediately changed into the Valletta F.C.
 

Joseph Salinos known as the 'Chief'

In this amalgamation between St.Paul's Valletta Prestons there were number of people connected with, referring to these two Club's Committees, but particularly one must name Guze Muscat who was the President of St.Paul's, Emanuel Calleja and Joseph Salinos known as the 'Chief' who both were the 'factotum' of the Prestons, these three persons worked hard in fact they also formed part of Valletta F.C. for many years.
 

One must say that regulation number 3 of the statute, says that Valletta F.C. must recognize Valletta United, St.Paul's, Valletta City and Valletta Prestons as well as those who proceeds them. That is why Valletta F.C. prove that before the war they won the Championship twice, these had been won by Valletta United, but when the Valletta F.C. was founded the club's history was then different.


As we have already stated, the amalgamation took place in 1943 and on the re-opening of the M.F.A. activities, after the World War II, Valletta F.C. had a great success- do not forget , it was a team amalgamated between St.Paul's and Prestons and in the first season 1943/44, the M.F.A. had created the Malta Cup instead of the league. At first the Malta Cup, was the significant of being the Championship, but then the M.F.A. decided to be played on knock-out basis, owing that football had just been reviving after the war. Valletta F.C. became final against Floriana where we noticed the youthful of the Valletta Team which consisted of St.Paul's and Prestons' players against the big experience that the Floriana team had, but notwithstanding all this experience, the Valletta spirit has risen for this occasion and defeated Floriana by 2-1.
 

This beautiful Malta Cup is up to this day in our Club and it is one of the most precious honours that the Valletta F.C. have won, but we must also say that after the Malta Cup, the Valletta Team did not stop here, as this was not something created by chance. In fact, between 1943 and 1948, Valletta F.C. have won not less than three times, the Championship in 1944/45, 1945/46 and 1947/48 and they also won the Cassar Cup in the year 1943/44 just after they had won the Malta Cup in 1943/44.
 

When we mention the Cassar Cup, at that time this was considered as the true Malta Champion, because in this Cup very good British Services' Teams mixed with Maltese ones used to take part too. Then there was a stop from honours wins, in fact between 1948/49 and 1958/59 seasons, Valletta F.C. did not win any particular honours.
 

The start of more honours to come

Valletta F.C. started again with a train of honours, just at the end of the fifties 1958/59, 1959/60. They were Champions twice. If we look at every ten years of honours won by the Valletta F.C., we find that in the years of sixties, the Valletta F.C. were champion ones- in 1962/63, but then in the year of seventies, Valletta won the Championship three times, 1973/74, 1977/78, 1979/80 and in the eighties they also won two more times, 1983/84 and 1989/90.
 

Valletta FC League & Cassar Cup Winners 1958/59 (Left to Right): A. Borg, J. Zammit, J. Urpani, F. Zammit, J. Grech, J. Cilia, C. Mackay, M. Azzopardi, J. Darmanin, T. Taylor and W. Bone.	Valletta FC League Champions 1962/63 (Standing): C. Borg (Coach), T. Conner, W. Bone, J. Cilia, C. Williams, E. Schembri, T. Taylor, F. Zammit, J. Darmanin. (Squatting): M. Azzopardi, J. Urpani, P. Carbonaro, T. Calleja, J. Zammit, P. Gauci, J. Attard, and A. Stivala
Valletta FC League Champions 1973/74 (Standing): T. Formosa (Coach), D. Fenech, V. Gauci, J. Montfort, A. Debono, T. Ciantar, J. Borg, J. Micallef, F. Lapira (Masseur). (Sitting): E. Vella, C. Agius, V. Magro, T. Giglio, C. Seychell, C. Galea, and N. Darmanin Demajo.	Valletta FC League Champions & Winners of the Testaferrata Cup & The Independance Cup 1977/78 (Standing): L. Debattista (Coach): F. Grima, D. Fenech, C. Spiteri, J. Abdilla, R. Gauci, N. Darmanin Demajo, Joe Kerr (Masseur). (Squatting): C. Agius, C. Borg, N. Farrugia, V. Magro, L. Farrugia, R. Bone, C. Seychell and P. Portelli.

The best time for Valletta F.C. is the nineties, where Valletta F.C. won five from ten Championships: 1991/92, 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/1999 and 2000/01. This is in short the history of Valletta F.C. but obviously, Valletta did not only win the Championship, there was the history of the Trophy, one of the competitions that hindered Valletta F.C. most to win it; but now time passed on, and the Valletta F.C. has now become one of the teams that win the honours.

Enough to say that, between 1959/60 and 2000/01, Valletta won the Trophy not less than eleven times. As we have already said, then there were other competitions that Valletta won four times- between 1944/58/65 and 1968, as well as Scicluna Cup which was actually considered as the Cup of the Sliema team which they used to win every year, but it was the Valletta Team that has broken this Sliema monopoly, by winning this Cup in two seasons, in 1960 and 1963, Valletta have also won the Testaferrata Cup and also the Sons of Malta Cup which the latter Cup was won twice by the Valletta F.C. Another success by Valletta F.C. was the winning of the Lowenbrau Cup, which Cup is played between those three teams representing the Maltese Football in UEFA competition.
 

Valletta F.C. is the only Club that have won this competition not less than six times, most of them were consecutive seasons. Valletta F.C. have also won the Independence Cup three times and the Euro Cup also three times. Valletta also won the Super Five Cup for four times and the Super Cup for six times.

The Winning of Five honours in one Season

Valletta F.C. have also made a fine record when in 1996/97 they won the five competitions that the Maltese football offers. This was done by succeeding to win the Premier League, Rothmans Trophy, Super Five Cup, Lowenbrau Cup and Super Cup.  

Valletta FC Champions & Winners of five Cups 1996/97 Back Row ( L to R ): J. Camilleri, J. Chetcuti, D. Debono, S. Sullivan, R. Cini, S. Mifsud, A. Bonnici, S. Giglio, A. Farrugia Middle row ( L to R ): A. Coleiro (Masseur), D. Colombo, D. Braaunovic, D. Doncic, G. Agius, J. Agius, I. Woods, A. Caruana ( Kit Manager ). Sitting ( L to R ): J. Zarb, N. Saliba, J. Borg ( Team Manager) J. Caruana Curran ( President ), E. Aquilina ( Coach ), K. Laferla, I. Zammit Front ( L to R ): V. Fiteni & L. Galea.

The Most Remarkable Season 2000/01

In the season 2000/01, Valletta F.C. succeeded to break their own record when they won the five competitions organized by the M.F.A. and which record they made 1996/97, as in 2000/01, Valletta F.C. but this time they won six competitions offered by the M.F.A. Six competitions due to the fact that another one namely the Centenary Cup has been added, and which Cup confirms the 100th Anniversary of the M.F.A. foundation.
This Centenary Cup is most prestigious as in the final we defeated our rivals Floriana. One must mention that Valletta F.C. is the only team that ever won the five competitions organized by the M.F.A. as well as the six competitions namely: the Premier League, Rothmans Trophy, Centenary Cup, Lowenbrau Cup, Super Five Cup and Super Cup, all organized by the M.F.A. too, therefore with such a success we can say that the record of Valletta F.C. can only be beaten in a hundred years time.
 

Valletta FC Champions & Winners of Six Cups 2000/01 (Standing): J. Borg (Ass. Coach), L. Grima, D. Carabott, S. Pace, J. Chetcuti, D. Debono, D. Theuma, K. Manolov (Coach), J. Caruana Curran (President), K. Dvorak, J. Buttigieg, P. Mraz, J. Agius, J. Zerafa (Ass. coach). (Seated): Dr. P. Sammut, A. Coleiro (Masseur), R. Forace, I. Zammit, N. Saliba (Ass. Captain), C. Vella, R. Cini, S. Sullivan, K. Laferla (Captain), G. Agius, C. Oretan, A. Caruana (Kit Manager), J. Sammut (Ass. Kit Manager). (Front): K. Zammit, J. Bondin, I. Zammit, A. Sacco.

If we keep on going like this we can say that it is a history full of successes, consecutive victories and this is all due to the good organization that exists in the Valletta F.C., obviously with the players know how and with the enthusiasm of our supporters who are always there not only when the team is doing well but also when team is in a crisis- our supporters are always there to help and back up the team.

The First Trophy after seven years

In the summer of 2007 Victor Sciriha was elected president of Valletta F.C. Valletta were heavily involved in the transfer market and expectations were high. The Citizens started the season in the worst possible fashion, with a 3-2 defeat to eternal rivals Floriana.
 

Valletta’s poor start continued with a draw against Hibernians, a defeat to Sliema W. and a goalless result against Hamrun S. and Msida SJ. 
In January Juventus FC visited Malta as part of their training camp. A friendly match between Valletta and Juventus for the Betfair Cup 2008 was played at the National Stadium in Ta’ Qali. Two minutes from half-time, Juventus opened the score. Sebastian Monesterolo levelled matters for the Citizens a minute later.
 

The match ended 1-1, after a penalty takeout, Valletta won the Betfair Cup 4-3. Final score ended 5-4.
 

In the second round of the BOV Premier League Valletta returned to winning ways, 1-0 win over Birkirkara, a 7-0 against Marsaxlokk and a 4-0 over rivals Floriana. After wins over Msida, Mqabba, Ħamrun, Sliema and Marsaxlokk the club showed its winning ways. Valletta scored 58 goals against 23. Sebastian Monesterolo was the top scorer with 19 goals.  

Valletta claimed their 19th Premier League title on Saturday 3rd May following a very successful Championship Pool campaign. The Lilly Whites failed to reach the final of the U*Bet F.A. Trophy after losing 4-2 to rivals Birkirkara in the semi final. The squad consisted of Andrew Hogg (goalkeeper), Jonathan Bondin, Josef Mifsud, Kenneth Scicluna, Steve Bezzina, Ian Zammit, Justin Grioli, David Camilleri, Stefan Gilgio, Kurt Magro, Dyson Falzon. the foreign players were Heiner Backhaus, Sebastian Monesterolo and Frank Temile.

Valletta FC Champions 2007/08 (Standing): A. Hogg, J. Mifsud, D. Camilleri, K. Scicluna, S. Gilgio, H. Backhaus, P. Zammit (Coach) (Front): J. Grioli, I. Zammit, S. Bezzina, S. Monesterolo, G. Agius (Captain).