Mdina Knights F.C.

Mdina Knights

Full name	Mdina Knights Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Knights
Founded	2006
Ground	Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta (Capacity: 5,000)
Manager	Eric Schembri
League	Maltese Third Division
Home colours Away colours

The Club's Inception

Mdina Knights FC is an idea germinated by 4 founding members: Gilbert Camilleri, Matthew Paris, Keith Galea and Sean Buhagiar. Their flair for sports and their ambition to participate within the administrative side of local football led to the creation of a football club, representing Malta's former Capital city, Mdina. Their vision to create a professional structure has materialised, proof of this being the overwhelming support from commercial affiliates and the substantial amount of subscribing members.

Mdina Knights FC (MKFC) was officially recognized by the Malta Football Association (MFA) by a decree dated May 25th 2006, and has for the past four seasons participated with great success in the Third Division championship. After narrowly missing out on a play off place in season 2007/08, only the second season after the formation of the club, the Club experienced the heartbreak of losing in two successive play-off semi-finals in seasons 2008/2009 and 2009/2010, both of which to the eventual play-off winners.

History

Season 2006/2007

Following a summer of hard work, both from a commercial aspect as well as on the transfer market, Mdina Knights FC were ready and set to kick off their first season. As is the case every season, the first competition of the season is the annual pre-season Second and Third Division Knock-Out. The Knights were handed a tough draw, being drawn in Group 2 together with Second Division clubs Birzebbuga SP and Zebbug Rangers, and Third Division club Siggiewi FC.

Mdina Knights FC's first official match was played on the 3rd September 2006, in which the Knights earned a remarkable 1-1 draw against Zebbug Rangers, with Mauro Vassallo scoring their historic first ever goal via a lob over the on-rushing keeper from the edge of the penalty area. This was followed by a highly respectable 2-1 loss against the other Second Division team in the Group, Birzebbuga SP, with speedster forward Matthew Francalanza scoring the goal for the Knights. Mdina Knights ensured that they would bow out of the competition on a good note, keeping their first of many official clean sheets, and securing a 0-0 draw against Siggiewi FC. This led to the Knights finishing in 3rd position in their group, and led to an exciting sense of optimism for the upcoming season.

The current structure of the Maltese Third Division sees the league divided into two sections - A and B - with teams competing solely with teams of their Section, until the play-off or title come about at the end of the season. However, Season 2006/2007 was the last season in which the Maltese Third Division was played as one league, with all 19 teams lining up against each other, albeit just once during the season.

Mdina Knights FC's first ever league match saw them pit their wits against Attard FC on the 25th September 2006. The Knights emerged with a 2-0 win, leaving the fans, playing staff and the technical staff ecstatic with their historic first ever official victory. This was followed up by three fantastic results, a 0-0 draw against eventual 3rd placed Zurrieq FC, a 1-0 loss against eventual 2nd placed Sirens FC, and a 6-0 drubbing of Ta Xbiex FC. This brilliant spell was followed up by a less inspiring spell, seeing the Knights pick up 1 point from 3 league matches. However, the Knights continued their Dr. Jeckell and Mr. Hyde first season by thrashing Kircop United 4-1 in January 2007. Following another bad spell, seeing the Knights go 2 months without a win, the Knights went on 4 match unbeaten run, dispatching Gzira United 3-1 and Siggiewi 1-0 along the way. The Knights ended their campaign with 2 loses, however finished their first season since inception with a respectable mid-table position.

The Knights' first season was one of joy and disappointment in equal measures, as the Knights could thrill their crowd one day, and leave them wondering what might have been on others. Highlighting this equilibrium is the fact that the Knights scored the same amount of goals they conceded during the 2006/2007 season, 25. One thing that their fans were guaranteed during this first season was entertainment, as games involving Mdina Knights were high scoring affairs, with only 3 of the 19 matches being goal less affairs. In fact, games involving the Knights had an average of 2.78 goals per match. The Knights' rearguard managed to keep 6 clean sheets, amounting to a 33.3% shut-out percentage, a very decent return for a team in its first season. Furthermore, the Knights had 10 different scorers in their first season, with Matthew Frankalanza - their all time leading scorer - amassing an impressive 7 goals following a season in which he terrorised opposition defences with his speed and composed finishing.

Season 2007/2008

The Second and Third Division Knock-Out draw of 2007 was equally as hard for the Knights, who found themselved battling it out with Luqa SA, Second Division Naxxar Lions, and the previous year's Third Division Champions Mgarr United. Despite this, the Knights managed to amass 3 poins from the encounters - 1 point more than the previous season's total - all of which picked up in a 3-0 thumping of Luqa SA.

This good form was continued in the opening Third Division Section A encounters, ending in 4-0 thrashings of Zejtun Corinthians and Siggiewi FC. Following a loss against bogey team Fgura United, the Knights went on a 2 month unbeaten run, including a 6-0 win over neighbours and rivals Mtarfa FC and comfortable 3-0 over Attard FC. At the end of the first round of matches, Mdina Knights FC were in a position challenging for promotion, being constantly in the top 3 teams in the league. However, their second round form dipped, and the Knights found themselves playing a decisive last match against rivals Xghajra Tornadoes for a place in the promotion play-offs, needing merely a draw. The match ended in a 2-1 win to Xghajra, much to the disappointment of both the players and the dozens of fans cheering the Knights on.

The Knights therefore ended the season in 4th position, just 1 point off the play-off positions. Season 2007/2008 saw an improvement from the Knights, both in respect of goals scored and goals conceded. Whilst scoring 32 goals - 7 more than the previous term - the Knights only conceded 16 goals, a remarkable 9 less than their first season - and still the lowest total amount of league goals conceded in a season to date. Contributing to a successful season was certainly the deadliest striking partnership in the section that season, Matthew Francalanza and Ayrton Buhagiar, who managed to bang in 11 and 9 goals respectively. Indeed Francalanza ended the season only 2 goals off the top scorer in the section. However, scoring goals was not the only thing Mdina Knights FC did well in their second season. The Knights kept 8 clean sheets in 18 games, a stunning 44.4% clean-sheet percentage. An overall imrpovement from start to finish, and the Knights' reputation was fast growing on the island.

Season 2008/2009

The 2008 edition of the Second and Third Division Knock-Out saw the Knights come up against Naxxar Lions for the second season running, with Zurrieq FC and Kalkara FC filling in the other 2 places in Group 5. The first match resulted in a 2-0 win for the Knights over Zurrieq FC, with speedster Matthew Francalanza scoring their first official goal of the season, while new signing Clayton Garzia scored from the spot. Following a 0-0 draw against Kalkara FC, the Knights knew that a win against Naxxar Lions would seem them progress to the later stages of the competition for the first time in their history. Despite a good performance from the Knights, including that of skillful winger Nicholas Micallef who equalised in the second half, they suffered a 2-1 loss, and finished the group in second place. This was the closest the Knights had ever come to qualifying for the next round of the competition, and was a clear sign of the improvement that Mdina Knights were making as a football club.

The Knights continued this good form in the league, where they started Section A with a 2 month unbeaten run, which saw them rise to 1st place in the league by the end of November. This run included a 4-1 drubbing against Qrendi FC, together with a dramatic injury time equaliser against fellow table-toppers Sirens FC, resulting in a 1-1 draw. However, the Knights suffered their first defeat of the season on the 30th November 2008. This came in the form of an unfortunate 1-0 loss to the hands of Ghaxaq FC. The Knights lived up to their name, besieging the Ghaxaq goal throughout the 90 minutes, and had every right to feel disappointed when Ghaxaq grabbed a surprise winner against the run of play on a cold and windy night at the Centenary Stadium.

This disappointing defeat hurt the confidence that the Knights had built, leading to 2 disappointing results - a 1-1 draw against bogey team Fgura FC and a 1-0 loss against eternal rivals Xghajra Tornadoes. However, the Knights bounced back and defeated Luqa SA 5-1 in a one sided affair in January of 2009. The next fixture was a top of the table clash against Gharghur FC and presented the Knights with the chance to forge ahead at the top of Section A. Failing to perform as they would have liked, however, the Knights ended up on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline to the eventual Section A champions.

The Knights needed to pick themselves up, and fast, in order to ensure that their season did not unravel before their eyes. And didn't they do so in style!! Picking up 5 wins, and suffering only 1 defeat, from their last 8 fixtures, finished the season in 2nd place - and with it a place in the end of season promotion playoffs for the Second Division. In this fantastic run, the Knights managed to break the spell that Fgura FC had cast, by finally beating their bogey team 4-1 on the 6th April 2009.

The Knights were drawn against Zurrieq FC, the second placed team from Section B, in the Semi Final of the playoffs. The match itself was a very even contest, with nothing to separate the 2 sides. Zurrieq, however, emerged as narrow 1-0 winners, leaving the Knights highly aggrieved by the fact that the goal was scored in a highly controversial manner, with their goalkeeper seemingly fouled in the build up to the goal. The goal stood, however, and the Knights were left utterly disappointed with the narrow loss. Heartbreak again for the Knights, however, another clear sign of the development the Club was undergoing.

Despite only managing 3 clean sheets in 18 matches, the Knights had a thoroughly successful season by narrowly missing out on qualification for the Quarter Finals of the Second and Third Division Knock-Out competition, whilst finishing 2nd in Section A. This was due in no small part to the fearsome attacking quartet that mastermind coach Eric Schembri had assembled. Striking partnership Matthew Francalanza and Ayrton Buhagiar continued where they had left off the previous season, and they were joined by tricky wingers Clint Caruana and Nicholas Micallef, who swapped flanks at will to terrorise opposition defences.

Some people argue that great team success may only be achieved through the inspiration of a leader and talisman, and in season 2008/2009, Ayrton Buhagiar provided precisely that. 13 goals and numerous Man-of-the-Match performances resulted in Ayrton picking up both the Third Division Top Scorer and Best Player Awards, leading to interest from around the island in this promising player.

Season 2009/2010

This season was the 100th year anniversary from the inception of the Malta Football Association, and saw the creation of a one-off competition, called the 'National League 100 Anniversary Cup'. This meant that for the first time in their history, Mdina Knights FC would be participating in 3 different competitions - the league and two cup competitions.

The Second and Third Division Knock-Out competition saw the Knights draw Sirens FC, Zurrieq FC and Luqa SA. In their first official encounter of the season, the Knights ran out 2-1 winners against Sirens FC. The second match gave the Knights an immediate chance for revenge against the previous season's play-off rivals Zurrieq FC, and the Knights emerged victorious, through another 2-1 scoreline. This again put the Knights in a position of all-or-nothing for the last encounter against Luqa SA. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Luqa SA qualifying for the Quarter Final of the competition on the basis of goal difference. 2 draws and a win from 3 games, signifying the Knights' best ever showing in the Second and Third Division Knock-Out competition.

For the first round of the National League 100 Anniversary Cup the Knights were drawn against Sirens FC. The Knights thumped Sires FC 6-1, with Mdina's all-time record scorer Francalanza scoring a hat-trick. A place in the second round and a match against Second Division powerhouse Mellieha FC was the reward for the Knights. They proved to not be up to the task, and a combination of a woeful display from the Knights coupled by a fantastic performance by Mellieha FC resulted in an 8-0 thrashing - the worst ever defeat suffered by the Knights.

In the league, however, the Knights had no such problems, dispatching any and every team that came in their path. They started Section A on an 8 match unbeaten run, which saw them rise to 1st position from the first day of the season all the way through to January 2010. Along the way, the Knights secured victories over Pembroke Athleta, one-time bogey team Fgura FC, Mgarr United, Siggiewi FC and Kalkara FC. The Knights then suffered their first defeat of the season against Luqa SA, a 3-2 reverse on the 22nd January 2010. Despite winning 6 of their last 10 matches and amassing an overall 37 points throughout the season - Mdina Knights FC's highest ever total - the Knights finished in 2nd place for the second year running, and had to compete for promotion via the end of season promotion playoffs.

Section B of the Third Division was tighly contested in season 2009/2010, and required a title-deciding match in order to select who gets direct promotion, and who would have to compete in the end of season promotion playoffs. The match between Zejtun Corinthians and Naxxar Lions ended up in a victory for Zejtun Corinthians, on penalties. This meant that the Knights had to face Naxxar Lions in their playoff Semi Final match. In front of a packed crowd, these two teams provided a fascinating encounter, that ended in a 2-0 win for Naxxar Lions. Despite losing to a better team, the Knights left the pitch disappointed to have lost 2-0, mainly due to the fact that they missed 2 penalties during the course of proceedings.

Once more the Knights had failed to surpass the Semi Final hurdle of the promotion playoffs, however, they improved their points tally from the previous season, and scored the highest amount of league goals in their history - 33 - equalled only by the 2008/2009 season tally. Furthermore, the Knights had the highest amount of different goal scorers in their history - 12 - and also amassed an impressive 7 clean sheets in 18 matches, a 38.9% clean sheet percentage - the best in the league.

Executive Committee 2011/12

Position	Name
President:	Joseph T. Vella
Vice President:	Gilbert Camilleri
General Secretary:	Silvio Galea
Assistant Secretary & Public Relations Officer:	Dr. Nicholas Micallef
Mdina Knights Soccer School Co-ordinator:	Notary Dr. Mark Abela
Treasurer:	Neville Pullicino
Assistant Treasurer & Team Manager:	Allister Bajada
Infrastructural Co-ordinator &
Mdina Knights Foundation Administrator:	Notary Joseph Abela
Sporting Director:	Joseph Formosa
Team Doctor:	Liam Mercieca
Member:	Edmond Camilleri
Member:	Roger Galea

The current Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player GK Mark Aquilina GK Matthew Barbara DF Kurt Formosa DF Dalton Caruana DF Gilbert Camilleri DF Liam Mercieca DF Mark Stivala DF Andrew Catania DF Allister Bajada DF Nader Toutoungi DF Andrea Spiteri MF Adrian Gatt

No. Position Player MF Trevor Fenech MF Joseph Debono MF Robert Southward MF Nicholas Micallef (Captain) MF Justin Buhagiar MF Jeffrey Ferriggi MF Ayrton Buhagiar FW Clint Scerri FW Cachel Vella FW Peter Grima FW Matthew Frankalanza FW Mark Saliba

Players out on Loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player MF Clint Caruana - Zurrieq FC (MFA 2nd Division) MF Adi Galea - Pembroke Athleta FC (MFA 3rd Division) MF Luke Busuttil - Melita FC U19s (MFA Youths Section A)

Official Club Sponsors

Corporate Partners

• Alberta - [1]
• Puma AG (Tuttosport Malta) - [2]

Commercial Partner

• Camilleri Wines - [3]

Medical Supplier

• Collis Williams - [4]

Commercial Affiliates

• Reann Laundry - [5]
• Mdina Partnership - [6]
• JJ Supermarket

Affiliated Members

• Malta Football Association (MFA) - [7]
• Malta University Sports Club (MUSC) - [8]

External links

• Mdina Knights official website
• Sassco.co.uk Malta Tour containing a video of their game v Mdina Knights on Day 2.