Day -453 WorldCup2018
News that doesn't matter to anyone (football news doesn't matter to a lot of people and this news doesn't even really matter to those who do follow football; it also barely matters to me who supports this team): Aston Villa won again today. The recent record now reads: played 6, won 5, lost 1, I goal conceded. Again, I say, it would be league winning form but it all started too late. Eleven points away from the play-offs with 8 matches to go. It is not a mathematical possibility but a dreamer's reality. And after the last four wretched seasons of watching this team I'm not dreaming much.
With Chelsea running away with the English Premier League, Juventus sleep walking to the Italian championship, Barcelona slipping away from Real Madrid and Celtic having been crowned Scottish champions last November, I'm turning more of my attention to the Maltese league.
On Friday night the small town team playing way above any level they've ever reached before, Balzan, were beaten by the big boys of Valletta and have now been replaced at the top of the league by Hibernians, another of the established teams. Three points seperate the top three and it should be a tense, and exciting, end to the season. It's been a few years since I enjoyed a live match in Malta and I'm sure it would be fun to stretch out over a couple of seats in the empty section of the stadium on a warm, Maltese spring Sunday afternoon and listen to the unique atmosphere between the rival supporters. I'm hoping Balzan can pull it off but, it being Malta, there is always the perception that there is more than just the 11 opponents on the pitch working against them.
I always believe there is good in everyone and have, for many years, refused to believe the never ending rumours of bribery in Maltese football. Recently, a few cases with evidence have come to light. With these latest incidents the sceptic's chorus of, "see, it's all fixed" have grown louder. It wouldn't take much of a survey to establish that the majority of people who follow Maltese football think that Friday's result was not completely un-planned. This is not meant to infer by any means, that I suspect or know, that anything untoward contributed to Friday's result. It is just a honest assessment, as a fan, of the low esteem many hold Maltese football in, amid the constant speculation that results are decided off the pitch. A three horse race is way better for a lot of people than one team cantering to the championship. The doubt amongst so many Maltese people is part of the problem, and it stems from the fact there exists such a strong perception of bribery and corruption. It's a challenge for the Malta FA to not just eradicate any illegalities but to change the fans' view of Maltese football.
I do really wish that if Balzan do win the league, it is celebrated as a great achievement of hard work by a small club.
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