New campaign to revamp enthusiasm for national team

The Malta Football Association launched a new campaign which is to be part of a long-term project intended to revamp more enthusiasm for the Maltese national team.

National team players Jamie Pace, Andrei Agius and Alex Muscat visited St Benedict College, a gesture which helped in no small way to bring the national team closer to the students and eventually to the public. Such a visit heralds subsequent tours by the national team players to other primary and secondary schools, the university, local communities, NGO’s and also work places.

The association is convinced that everybody undertstands the positive effect vocal support from a packed home stadium makes on our team in contrast to a small crowd. Therefore the aim of the Malta Football Association is to summon deserved support for Malta at least every time we play at home. Such a campaign starting in our schools will go a long way towards fostering more affection for our national team.

At the same time this campaign is being utilised as a promotional exercise for future international matches, the first being that against Greece in a Group F Euro qualifier on Satrurday 26 September at the National Stadium, Ta’ Qali.

The association is encouraging the Maltese public to attend in big numbers for this upcoming match so that they will partake of the warm atmosphere at the national stadium and above all give solid backing to the team.

Besides the national team players, national coach John Buttigieg, assistant national coach Carmel Busuttil, technical director Robert Gatt, MFA marketing manager Norman Saliba and media officer Mark Muscat attended this event.

The MFA would like to thank first of all the members of the national team for making themselves available in such a campaign, the students and staff of St Benedict College who extended their hospitality, and particularly to George Micallef, the assistant head, who helped the school administration in co-ordinating the visit.

Thanks were also extended to members of the media who accepted the association’s invitation to give publicity to this event and especially to the students for the great enthusiasm they showed.

Photo: Copyright © domenic aquilina/MFA