2011–12 Maltese Premier League
Encyclopedia
The 2011–12 Maltese Premier League is the 97th season of the Maltese Premier League
, the top-tier football league in Malta
. It began on 19 August 2011 and will end in May 2012. Valletta
are the defending champions, having won their 20th title last season
.
The Premier League consists of two rounds. In the First Round, every team plays each opponent twice, once "home" and once "away" (in actuality, the designation of home and away is purely arbitrary as most of the clubs do not have their own grounds), for a total of 22 games. The league then splits into two pools. Earned points are subsequently halved. Teams that finish in positions 1–6 compete in the "Championship Pool" and teams that finish in positions 7–12 play in the "Relegation Pool".
On 13 January 2011, the Malta Football Association
decided to expand the league to 12 teams starting with this season.
were relegated to the First Division
after finishing in last place of the relegation pool last season. This ended a one-year stay in the Premier League for them. Taking their place in the competition are Balzan Youths, the champions of the Maltese First Division. Balzan are playing in the Premier League after a seven season absence.
Because of the league's expansion for this season, the second- and third-place finishers of the First Division, Mqabba
and Mosta
respectively, were also promoted to the Premier League for this season. Mqabba return to the top league after a three year absence while Mosta return after five years away.
, Victor Tedesco Stadium
at Ħamrun and Hibernians Ground
at Paola
. Additional to that, each team has been assigned to a dedicated training ground. On a few occasions, Hibernians and Hamrun Spartans play at their home ground, but otherwise all games are played on neutral ground, rendering "home" and "away" games purely symbolic.
Maltese Premier League
The Maltese Premier League, known as BOV Premier League for sponsorship reasons , is the top level league for football in Malta. The league was first competed in 1909...
, the top-tier football league in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. It began on 19 August 2011 and will end in May 2012. Valletta
Valletta F.C.
Valletta Football Club is a Maltese football club based in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Valletta F.C. has the strongest support on the island...
are the defending champions, having won their 20th title last season
2010–11 Maltese Premier League
The 2010–11 Maltese Premier League is the 96th season of the Maltese Premier League, the top-tier football league in Malta. It began in August 2010 and will end in May 2011. Birkirkara are the defending champions, having won their third title last season....
.
The Premier League consists of two rounds. In the First Round, every team plays each opponent twice, once "home" and once "away" (in actuality, the designation of home and away is purely arbitrary as most of the clubs do not have their own grounds), for a total of 22 games. The league then splits into two pools. Earned points are subsequently halved. Teams that finish in positions 1–6 compete in the "Championship Pool" and teams that finish in positions 7–12 play in the "Relegation Pool".
On 13 January 2011, the Malta Football Association
Malta Football Association
The Malta Football Association is the governing body of football in Malta.It organises the Maltese Football League and several other competitions, including the knockout competition for the top teams, called the FA Trophy...
decided to expand the league to 12 teams starting with this season.
Teams
Vittoriosa StarsVittoriosa Stars F.C.
Vittoriosa Stars Football Club are a Maltese football club from the town of Birgu, which currently played in the Maltese First Division.-Current season:The club is taking part in the BOV 1st Division of the Malta Football Association....
were relegated to the First Division
Maltese First Division
The Maltese First Division is the second-highest division in Maltese football, behind the Maltese Premier League and above the Maltese Second Division. The league has been running for many years.12 teams take part in the league...
after finishing in last place of the relegation pool last season. This ended a one-year stay in the Premier League for them. Taking their place in the competition are Balzan Youths, the champions of the Maltese First Division. Balzan are playing in the Premier League after a seven season absence.
Because of the league's expansion for this season, the second- and third-place finishers of the First Division, Mqabba
Mqabba F.C.
Mqabba F.C. is a Maltese football club from Mqabba, a small village in south-western Malta. They were founded in 1957, and currently play in the Maltese First Division-History of Mqabba FC:...
and Mosta
Mosta F.C.
Mosta Football Club are a Maltese football club from the second largest city in Malta of Mosta, which currently plays in the Maltese Premier League.-History:...
respectively, were also promoted to the Premier League for this season. Mqabba return to the top league after a three year absence while Mosta return after five years away.
Stadia and training grounds
Only a few stadia have the infrastructure needed to host Premier League matches. These are Ta' Qali National Stadium and Centenary Stadium at Ta' Qali, AttardAttard
Ħ'Attard is a village located at the centre-most point of the island of Malta. Together with Balzan and Lija it forms part of "the Three Villages" and has been inhabited since the Classical Period. Ħ'Attard's traditional Latin motto is Florigera rosis halo due to its many flower gardens and citrus...
, Victor Tedesco Stadium
Victor Tedesco Stadium
The Victor Tedesco Stadium is a stadium in Ħamrun, Malta. It opened in 1996. It has a capacity of 6,000, with 1,800 seated. It is the home ground of Maltese football club Ħamrun Spartans, who currently play in the Maltese Premier League. It is used for matches from the Maltese Premier League, the...
at Ħamrun and Hibernians Ground
Hibernians Ground
Hibernians Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Paola, Malta. The Hibernians football ground was inaugurated on 9 November 1986. Hibernians became the first Maltese club to have their own football pitch...
at Paola
Paola, Malta
Paola, , is a town in the Grand Harbour area of Malta, with a population of 8,856 people . It is named after its founder, the Grandmaster Antoine de Paule, but is commonly known as Raħal Ġdid, which means new town in Maltese.Paola is renowned for its shopping centres, Good Friday procession, its...
. Additional to that, each team has been assigned to a dedicated training ground. On a few occasions, Hibernians and Hamrun Spartans play at their home ground, but otherwise all games are played on neutral ground, rendering "home" and "away" games purely symbolic.
| Team | Location of origin | Ground | Location of ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balzan Youths | Balzan Balzan Ħal Balzan is small village in Malta, one of the so called three villages, together with Attard and Lija.The village originally consisted of a group of small dwellings and farms but eventually grew, becoming a parish in the 17th century... |
||
| Birkirkara Birkirkara F.C. Birkirkara Football Club is a Maltese football club from the town of Birkirkara, the largest town on the island of Malta. In the 2009–2010 season, they were the Maltese champions. The club currently plays in the Maltese Premier League and have been league winners on three occasions... |
Birkirkara Birkirkara Birkirkara or B'Kara is a city of 25,858 inhabitants in central Malta. It is the most populated town on the island and consists of four autonomous parishes: St Helen, St Joseph, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Mary. It also houses one of the most famous colleges in Malta, St Aloysius' College... |
Infetti Ground Infetti Ground Infetti Ground is a football pitch in Birkirkara, a town located in the centre of Malta. The ground has a capacity of 2,500. It is currently used mostly for football matches and athletics training. It is the home stadium of Birkirkara F.C.... |
Birkirkara |
| Floriana | Floriana Floriana Floriana is a town in Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. Floriana is the birthplace of many famous Maltese, amongst which the composer of the national anthem, 'L-Innu Malti', Robert Samut; former Bishop of Malta Dom Mauro Caruana, the poet Oliver Friggieri, and Swedish Idol winner... |
Victor Tedesco Stadium Victor Tedesco Stadium The Victor Tedesco Stadium is a stadium in Ħamrun, Malta. It opened in 1996. It has a capacity of 6,000, with 1,800 seated. It is the home ground of Maltese football club Ħamrun Spartans, who currently play in the Maltese Premier League. It is used for matches from the Maltese Premier League, the... |
Ħamrun |
| Hibernians Hibernians F.C. Hibernians F.C. is a Maltese football club hailing from the town of Paola, Malta. It is one of the top football teams in Malta. The club was founded in 1922, but football in Paola, Raħal Ġdid in Maltese, dates back to 1894. The team has a long successful story in its history. Hibernians has always... |
Paola Paola, Malta Paola, , is a town in the Grand Harbour area of Malta, with a population of 8,856 people . It is named after its founder, the Grandmaster Antoine de Paule, but is commonly known as Raħal Ġdid, which means new town in Maltese.Paola is renowned for its shopping centres, Good Friday procession, its... |
Hibernians Ground Hibernians Ground Hibernians Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Paola, Malta. The Hibernians football ground was inaugurated on 9 November 1986. Hibernians became the first Maltese club to have their own football pitch... |
Paola |
| Victor Tedesco Stadium | Ħamrun | ||
| Marsaxlokk Marsaxlokk F.C. Marsaxlokk Football Club is a Maltese football club from the town of Marsaxlokk, which currently plays in the Maltese Premier League. The club was founded in 1949... |
Marsaxlokk Marsaxlokk Marsaxlokk is a traditional fishing village located in the south-eastern part of Malta, with a population of 3,277 people . The village’s name comes from marsa, which means "port" and xlokk, which is the local name for south east... |
Marsaxlokk Ground Marsaxlokk Ground Marsaxlokk Ground is a football pitch in Marsaxlokk, a traditional fishing village located in the south-eastern part of Malta. The ground is used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Marsaxlokk Football Club... |
Marsaxlokk |
| Mosta Mosta F.C. Mosta Football Club are a Maltese football club from the second largest city in Malta of Mosta, which currently plays in the Maltese Premier League.-History:... |
Mosta Mosta Mosta is a town situated in the middle of the island of Malta, to the north-west of Valletta. It had a population of 19,018 people in 2010. Mosta celebrates the feast of Saint Mary the Assumption on the 15th August. This is a very popular feast among the Mostin and tourists alike... |
||
| Mqabba Mqabba F.C. Mqabba F.C. is a Maltese football club from Mqabba, a small village in south-western Malta. They were founded in 1957, and currently play in the Maltese First Division-History of Mqabba FC:... |
Mqabba Mqabba Mqabba is a town in the south of Malta. Situated at the heart of a soft limestone area, the surrounding of the village is barren and stripped with quarries. Mqabba is renowned for the construction industry, and holds more than a quarter of the quarries in Malta... |
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| Qormi | Qormi Qormi Qormi is a city in Malta with a population of 18,550 , which makes it the second largest locality in Malta... |
Thomaso Grounds | Qormi |
| Sliema Wanderers Sliema Wanderers F.C. Sliema Wanderers Football Club are a Maltese football team from the town of Sliema, which currently plays in the Maltese Premier League.-History:The club was founded in 1909... |
Sliema Sliema Tas-Sliema is a city located on the northeast coast of Malta. It is a centre for shopping, restaurants and café life. Tas-Sliema is also a major commercial and residential area and houses several of Malta's most modern hotels. Tas-Sliema, which means 'peace, comfort', was once a quiet fishing... |
Tigné Point Tigne Point -History:During the Great Siege of 1565, the Turkish privateer and Ottoman admiral Dragut ar-Rais stationed a number of cannons at Tigné Point in a siege to capture Fort St Elmo from the Knights of Malta... |
Sliema |
| Tarxien Rainbows Tarxien Rainbows F.C. Tarxien Rainbows Football Club are a football team from Tarxien, a town in southern Malta. They currently play in the Maltese Premier League.The club were founded as Little Rainbows in 1944, and participated in the Maltese Premier League for the 2009–10 season. The club was promoted to the best... |
Tarxien Tarxien -Etymology:Ħal Tarxien is a small village in the south east of Malta. The etymology of the village may be a corruption of Tirix, meaning a large stone, similar to those used for the village's noted temples. The village motto is Tyrii Genure Coloni .-Population:Today, the village is inhabited by... |
Tarxien Ground | Tarxien |
| Valletta Valletta F.C. Valletta Football Club is a Maltese football club based in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Valletta F.C. has the strongest support on the island... |
Valletta Valletta Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's... |
Salinos Ground | Valletta |
League table
Matches 1–22
Championship Group
Relegation Group
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|