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| Sport in Hamrun | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hamrun Spartans FC Founded in 1907, the ‘Hamrun Spartans F.C.’ was already an established football (soccer) team by the 1913-14 season winning the title over St.George's. Again, four years later the team finished in the top spot with St.George's, then crowned Champions when they beat them in a play-off. Gejtu Psaila known by the nickname ‘il-Hacca’ was their top player at the time. In the 1920's and 1930's, the club went through a difficult period as most Hamrun players left to join other clubs. ‘Hamrun Liberty’, a new team, was formed and in just a couple of years was among the elite of Maltese soccer. On its return to the First Division in 1946-47, the club reverted to the ‘Hamrun Spartans’ name. Right away they won both the ‘Johnnie Walker Championship Trophy’ and also the ‘Cassar Cup’, winning the ‘Cassar Cup’ again in 1948-1949 season. Between 1947 and 1952 they were runners-up four times. |
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| Celebrating victory in the 1946 - 47 season with a carcade through Hamrun's main street. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| The team started losing its prowess in the 1960's until it was relegated to Second division in the 1969-70 season. After winning back a place in the First Division, the team was relegated once again in 1973-74. After two years marking time in the Second Division, Hamrun Spartans was back in the First Division and on its 75th anniversary, in the 1982-83 season, the club celebrated its winning the title after an absence of 36 years. To top the joy of the fans, Hamrun Spartans also managed to win the FA Trophy’ during that season. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| This all began under the wise presidency of Victor Tedesco and the strengthening of the team with top players like Raymond and George Xuereb, Edwin Farrugia and Carlo Seychell being acquired and the hiring of Alfred Cardona as coach. Victor Tedesco managed to sign two foreigners, Englishmen Peter Hatch and John Linacre after a lot of disputes with Immigration authorities. At this time, 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 10 years, Hamrun Spartans managed to win three league titles, three F.A. Trophies, the Super Cup and the Euro Cup twice each. But even after all this success, Spartans faced financial difficulties and had to transfer its best players finally being relegated to the First Division in 1998-99. Again came a period of ups and downs because even though after one year they were back in the Premier League, Spartans were once again relegated to the First Division at the end of the 2003-2004 season making another comeback in 2005. |  |
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| Above Left in photo: Victor Tedesco celebrating 1987-88 season victory. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Victor Tedesco, before giving all his energy to the Hamrun team as its president, used to manage a theatre company and before and during this time was a well known local actor. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| To show appreciation for his work with the club, they renamed the football pitch they had at the 'Mile End' after Victor Tedesco. In 2008 this pitch was furbished with artificial turf and floodlights for night-time use. ..........Picture Left. |
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| Click HERE to listen to a march composed for the Spartans supporters in the late 1960's to urge their team on. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Above: Left - Official Gear; Middle - Spartans winning team 1990's; Right - Supporters Sticker. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Hamrun Spartans winning record Season.............Division..............Position: 1999-00................1st..............CHAMPIONS 1990-91.............Premier..........CHAMPIONS 1987-88.............Premier..........CHAMPIONS 1986-87.............Premier..........CHAMPIONS 1984-85.............Premier..........Runners-Up 1982-83.............Premier..........CHAMPIONS 1951-52................1st..............Runners-Up 1949-50................1st..............Runners-Up 1948-49................1st..............Runners-Up 1947-48................1st..............Runners-Up 1946-47................1st..............CHAMPIONS 1919-20................1st..............Runners-Up 1918-19................1st..............Runners-Up 1917-18................1st..............CHAMPIONS 1914-15................1st..............Runners-Up 1913-14................1st..............CHAMPIONS 1912-13................1st..............Runners-Up 1911-12................1st..............Runners-Up |
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| Other Sport Apart from the only outdoor sport of Soccer that most Maltese have at heart or better are fanatical about, there are other sports like Water Polo which interest the natives of towns and villages on the coast in summer. There is also Archery for which Malta sends competitors even to the Olympics or even Horse Racing at neighbouring Marsa. Hamrun has facilities for none of these but there are indoor sports like Billiards and Table tennis which are promoted by the Band Clubs which also cater for the facilities. There were Snooker champions of the Mediterranean being produced from Hamrun for a while. |
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