Maltese FA Trophy

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Maltese FA Trophy
Founded 1933
Region  Malta
Number of teams 65
Current champions Birkirkara
Most successful club(s) Sliema (20 titles)
Website MaltaFootball.com
2015–16 Maltese FA Trophy

The FA Trophy, formerly known as the U*Bet FA Trophy or Rothman's Trophy, is a football competition that takes place in Malta.

Widely known as the F.A. Trophy, it was a gift from the British by The Football Association in 1933. This followed a match between England and Italy, played in Rome in May 1933, to where a number of pro-British Maltese supporters travelled to support the English side. In recognition, the Football Association donated a silver trophy to be played on the model of the F.A. Cup.

The cup's holders are Floriana, who won the cup by defeating Valletta 1-0. The team who wins the cup, wins a place in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. This competition is now played on a knock-out basis between the clubs in the Premier and First Division.

The cup winners' play a match for the Maltese Super Cup against the champions of the season.

Format

The 10 teams from the First Division and the teams which placed from 4th to the 10th position in the previous season's league, participate in the 1st round. The cup holders and the top 3 teams are seeded. The 8 winning teams play again in the 2nd round, after which, 4 teams remain. The top three teams in the previous' year league and the cup holders enter straight in the quarter-final phase, together with the other four winning teams.

Starting with the 2009–10 competition, the reigning champions of the Gozo First Division will also be entered into the competition. This will be the case unless Gozo FC, a club based on Gozo but which plays in the Maltese leagues, are playing in either the Maltese Premier League or Maltese First Division and would take the place of the Gozo champion.

On 13 January 2011, the Malta Football Association decided to restructure the format of the trophy as from season 2011-12. Following the success of the MFA League Anniversary Cup, where the then 21 teams of the Maltese 4-tiered system participated in the competition, the MFA decided to include all the clubs of Maltese leagues, together with the clubs from the Gozo First Division and the Gozo Second Division. The Gozitan clubs and those from the Maltese Third Division would take part in the First Round, joined by the Maltese Second Division and Maltese First Division clubs in the Second Round, and joined by the Maltese Premier League clubs in a Third Round, where the first 6 teams of the previous season and the Trophy holder would be seeded. The competition remains on a knock-out basis.[1] The inclusion of Gozitan clubs would probably see the exclusion of Gozo F.C. from Maltese competitions, while the inclusion of Maltese lower league clubs would make the Second & Third Division Knock-Out only open if 8 teams apply in a given season.

Since this new restructuring of the competition in the 2011/12 season, already a major resemblance to the English F.A. Cup is evident as a lot of giant-killings have already taken place. The best story so far has been that of Zebbug Rangers reaching the quarter finals of the 2012/13 edition, the farthest any team from the third tier or lower of Maltese football has reached in this competition. Hopes are that further upsets may occur in the future, with one day possibly having a champion from Gozo who could end up representing Malta in the Europa League.

Winners by year

Previous winners are:[2] ~

Year Winner Score Runner-up
1935 Sliema 4–0 Floriana
1936 Sliema 2–1 Floriana
1937 Sliema 2–0 St.George's
1938 Floriana 2–1 Sliema
1939 Melita 4–0 Sliema
1940 Sliema 3–2 Melita
No competitions between 1941 and 1944 due to World War II
1945 Floriana 2–1 Sliema
1946 Sliema 2–1 Hamrun
1947 Floriana 3–0 Valletta
1948 Sliema 3–2 (aet) Hibernians
1949 Floriana 5–1 Sliema
1950 Floriana 3–1 St.George's
1951 Sliema 5–0 Hibernians
1952 Sliema 4–4 (aet)
4–3 pens.
Hibernians
1953 Floriana 1–0 Sliema
1954 Floriana 5–1 Rabat
1955 Floriana 1–0 Sliema
1956 Sliema 1–0 Floriana
1957 Floriana 2–0 Valletta
1958 Floriana 2–0 Sliema
1959 Sliema 2–1 (aet) Valletta
1960 Valletta 3–0 Floriana
1961 Floriana 2–0 Hibernians
1962 Hibernians 1–0 Valletta
1963 Sliema 2–0 Hibernians
1964 Valletta 1–0 Sliema
1965 Sliema 4–2 Floriana
1966 Floriana 2–1 Hibernians
1967 Floriana 1–0 Hibernians
1968 Sliema 3–2 Hibernians
1969 Sliema 3–1 Hamrun
1970 Hibernians 2–1 Valletta
1971 Hibernians 3–1 (aet) Sliema
1972 Floriana 3–1 Sliema
1973 Gżira 0–0 (aet)
2–0 pens.
Birkirkara
1974 Sliema 1–0 Floriana
1975 Valletta 1–0 Hibernians
1976 Floriana 2–0 Valletta
1977 Valletta 1–0 Floriana
1978 Valletta 3–2 Floriana
1979 Sliema 2–1 Floriana
1980 Hibernians 2–1 Sliema
1981 Floriana 2–1 Senglea
1982 Hibernians 2–0 Sliema
1983 Hamrun 2–0 Valletta
1984 Hamrun 1–0 (aet) Żurrieq
1985 Żurrieq 2–1 (aet) Valletta
1986 Rabat 2–0 Żurrieq
1987 Hamrun 2–1 Sliema
1988 Hamrun 4–2 Floriana
1989 Hamrun 1–0 Floriana
1990 Sliema 1–0 Birkirkara
1991 Valletta 2–1 (aet) Sliema
1992 Hamrun 5–4 (aet) Valletta
1993 Floriana 5–0 Sliema
1994 Floriana 2–1 Valletta
1995 Valletta 1–0 Hamrun
1996 Valletta 1–0 (aet) Sliema
1997 Valletta 2–0 Hibernians
1998 Hibernians 2–1 Valletta
1999 Valletta 1–0 (aet) Birkirkara
2000 Sliema 4–1 Birkirkara
2001 Valletta 3–0 Birkirkara
2002 Birkirkara 1–0 Sliema
2003 Birkirkara 1–0 Sliema
2004 Sliema 2–0 Marsaxlokk
2005 Birkirkara 2–1 Msida
2006 Hibernians 1–0 Floriana
2007 Hibernians 1–1 (aet)
3–0 pens.
Sliema
2008 Birkirkara 2–1 Hamrun
2009 Sliema 3–3 (aet)
7–6 pens.
Valletta
2010 Valletta 2–1 Qormi
2011 Floriana 1–0 Valletta
2012 Hibernians 3–1 Qormi
2013 Hibernians 3–1 Qormi
2014 Valletta 1–0 Sliema
2015 Birkirkara 2–0 Hibernians

Results by team

Club Wins Last final won Last final lost
Sliema Wanderers 20 2009 2014
Floriana 19 2011 2006
Valletta 13 2014 2011
Hibernians 10 2013 2015
Hamrun Spartans 6 1992 2008
Birkirkara 5 2015 2001
Melita 1 1939 1940
Zurrieq 1 1985 1986
Gzira 1 1973
Rabat 1 1986

References

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External links