Third player to be charged after Norway vs Malta game

A third player has been charged by UEFA in the case on the alleged match-fixing surrounding the game between Norway and Malta. This was announced by MFA President Norman Darmanin Demajo during the association’s Annual General Meeting which was held on Saturday.

Darmanin Demajo said the players will be given the opportunity to defend themselves and the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Board will give its verdict on August 17.

MFA President Norman Darmanin Demajo spoke about the need of a “paradigm shift” in the way football is run.

Darmanin Demajo started off his speech by extracting a number of quotes from an article written in a 1953 Football Review, by the then MFA President Dr. J. Frendo Azzopardi. Darmanin Demajo said he was taken aback on how many of those observations still apply.

20120721-233841.jpgDarmanin Demajo said that a number of clubs took heed of his advise for them to come out of their comfort zone, he notes with satisfaction that some clubs have already improved on their administrative performance, stressing that the way forward should be mostly based on Financial Fair Play, Responsibility and Integrity.

The MFA President said clubs needed to think and act professionally and plan long term.

Finally he appealed for MEPA and the government to start looking at requests from the association itself and /or from football clubs as coming from a commercial entity due to the economic and commercial activity they generate.

Meanwhile only one election was necessary for the posts of Ordinary Members of the Executive Committee for the year 2012/13.

The number of candidates for Council Members in representation of Member clubs in the different divisions, the Youth FA, Gozo FA and Member Association was equal to the number of vacancies. On the other hand, there were three candidates for Council Members in representation of Member Clubs in general for two vacancies.

The three candidates were Michael Cutajar (St. George’s), Raymond Micallef (Attard) and Charles Scerri (Lija Athletic). Cutajar and Scerri were elected after obtaining 74 and 65 votes respectively.

The Ordinary Members of the Executive Committee for 2012/13 are therefore:
Council Members in representation of Member clubs in the different divisions:
Premier Division: Paul Spiteri and John Vella
First Division: Tyrone Demanuele and Joseph Sammut
Second Division: Manuel Gauci and Albert Pace
Third Division: Joseph Farrugia (Marsa) and Paul Sammut

Council Members in representation of Member Clubs in general:
Michael Cutajar and Charles Scerri

Council Members in representation of The Youth FA
Joe Micallef

Council Members in representation of the Gozo FA
Alvin Grech

Council Members in representation of the other Member Associations
Lino Bartolo and Donald Spiteri

Photo: Copyright dominc aquilina/MFA