EGM approves Marsaxlokk request to play in the BOV Third Division

mxlokkMarsaxlokk FC will be playing in the BOV Third Division after their request was accepted during an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Malta Football Association which was held on Tuesday. This was one of three motions to be approved – the others being the format for the BOV Women’s First Division League following the withdrawal of Mosta FC and the date when Julian Briffa’s one-year ban started.

After finishing sixth last season, the Southseasiders were due to start their BOV First Division campaign with an eight-point penalty after failing to pay before the 31st July deadline the amount of €28,000 – a condition which was tied to the issue of a licence to participate in Division 1 this coming season. However since the club felt they would be unable to field a competitive squad, Marsaxlokk FC made a formal request to the association to start from the Third Division.

The EGM approved a proposal by the Executive Committee which states that the BOV First Division will be played with thirteen teams and not fourteen as originally scheduled. Therefore no team will replace Marsaxlokk FC in Division 1. The increase from twelve to fourteen teams in the BOV First Division had been approved last season.

On the other hand, with the addition of Marsaxlokk FC to the BOV Third Division 2013/14, the number of teams will increase from thirteen to fourteen. Marsaxlokk FC will still start with an eight-point deduction.

At the end of the coming season, two teams will be relegated from the BOV First Division to the BOV Second Division while three will be promoted from the BOV Second Division to the BOV First Division. On the other hand, three teams will be relegated from the BOV Second Division to the BOV Third Division but four will be promoted from the BOV Third Division to the BOV Second Division. Therefore unless new clubs join the association, as from 2014/15, there will be fourteen clubs in Division 1, fourteen in Division 2 and thirteen in Division 3.

There were slight changes in the fixtures of the BOV First Division and the BOV Third Division.

There will be no Friday game in the BOV First Division with games being usually played two on a Saturday and four on a Sunday or vice-versa. On the other hand, there will be a game on Fridays in the BOV Third Division with the remaining six being played either on Saturdays or on Sundays.

Revised BOV First Division League 2013/14 fixtures

Revised BOV Third Division League 2013/14 fixtures

Following the withdrawal of Mosta from the BOV Women’s First Division League, the league will be played on a three-round league basis with seven participating teams. One team will be relegated at the end of season 2013/14 and two will be promoted from the BOV Women’s Second Division.

Originally the BOV Women’s First Division League was due to be played in two phases with teams being divided into a Championship Pool and Relegation Pool.

Meanwhile the EGM also approved a motion which clarifies the partial amnesty granted to Julian Briffa during last July’s Annual General Meeting after he was handed a life-time ban by the Board to Adjudicate Corrupt Practices on March 27, 2013 after being temporarily suspended on July 31, 2012. The ban was reduced to a one-year ban from the day he was temporarily suspended and not from the date when the player was handed the life-time ban.