Hamrun Spartans Football Club organised a Special Awards Night at the Hotel Excelsior on Saturday the 9th April. The motivation for these awards was to recognize the special contribution made by various persons in putting the club at the top of Maltese Football.

Four players, considered as legends in Hamrun, were given a special award. These were Joe Brincat, Michael Degiorgio, Raymond Vella and Stefan Sultana. The first three had won the MFA Footballer of the Year Award whilst Stefan still holds the All Time Record of goals scored in Maltese Football. Raymond (Mundu) Vella won the MFA award twice.

The Hamrun Spartans Youth Nursery was given special recognition for its invaluable work during the 29 years since its foundation in 1987. Numerous players grew up in the nursery who made it also to the Malta National Team. The Hamrun nursery inherited this responsibility from Hamrun Liberty who, under the guidance of Rev. Anton Portelli and others, nurtured the Hamrun youngsters before. In fact three of the players awarded on the night came out of the Liberty youth teams.

Last but definitely not least, Hamrun Spartans showed its appreciation to Gaetano Debattista who has been in the club administration for the past 40 years. Gaetano first came in the club in 1975 and, with the inclusion of players of the calibre of Ronnie Cocks, Joe Chippy Vella and others immediately obtained promotion to the highest division of the time. Since then Gaetano participated in all the honours won by the club including 22 trophies in 10 years during the eighties. Even today, Gaetano participates untiringly in the club’s activities to put the club at the top where it deserves to be.

The date of the occasion had a particular meaning since the 9th April is the birthday of the mentor of the several trophies and honours won by the club, the unforgettable Victor Tedesco.

During the evening, Hamrun Spartans President Daniel Sullivan also welcomed Bjorn Formosa who has been such an inspiration to patients suffering from ALS. Formosa has been a supporter of Hamrun Spartans since young and therefore it was an initiative worth praise that of inviting him for this awards night which featured some of the club’s top players in the 80s.

The evening was very well attended and those present were enthusiastic in meeting the various personalities present. This shows a renewed and fresh excitement in the Hamrun clan which was felt even more the day after when the team obtained promotion to the Premier Division.