Volume One of the book ‘CITY! The Official History of Football in Valletta’ by Carmel Baldacchino was launched on Friday at the Golden Tulip Vivaldi, St. Julian’s.

Addressing the media, Valletta FC vice-president Paul Spiteri said this first volume of the history of football in Valletta, covering the period 1886 and 1963, was not only the history of the club but also covered the history of football in Malta in general.

Spiteri said having the history of Valletta FC written in a book was one of his dreams and he used to ask journalist and former Valletta FC secretary Benny Pace.

After Benny Pace passed away, he approached Carmel Baldacchino, who has written a number of books about the history of football in Malta, who accepted to take his task. Spiteri said he was glad Baldacchino did a good job and went on to thank vice-president Alex Fenech who partly-sponsored the book.

Carmel Baldacchino thanked Paul Spiteri for entrusting him with this project. He said that when he was first approached by Spiteri, he thought that such a book should have been written by Benny Pace. Finally he accepted thinking that by not being a Valletta supporter, he could be more objective.

Baldacchino said that football in Malta started in Valletta thanks to the Malta Athletic Club – the forerunners of the Malta Football Association – in 1886. Rather than being a club, the Malta Athletic Club’s objective was to organise sports in Malta.

He concluded that he had already started on volume 2 which covers the period 1963 to 2014.

Valletta FC President Victor Sciriha said he was honoured that a club like Valletta could take such initiatives.

The book is now on sale from Valletta Supporters Club and Agenda Bookstores for the price of €30 (members) and €40 (non members).