Peter Caruana
Born in 1940
 

Caruana took the opportunity to gradually introduce young promising players in the first team and to provide the team with experience in a title race. In the five seasons that followed, Mr. Caruana coached the team to five consecutive championships, two Esso Cups, two Galea’s Cups, three Independence Cup wins, three British American Insurance Cup triumphs, a G.F.A. Cup and the N.S.B. Cup. This unprecedented success earned Peter Caruana and his young team a permanent place in local lore. It is to Peter Caruana’s credit that he made the right use of some exceptionally talented players that he had at his disposal. Peter’s merit also extends to his ability to keep his players together, focused and motivated for such a long period of time, often in the face of adversity.

His Coaching Era
Peter Caruana, the long serving veteran player retired at the end of the 1967/68 season and took over from Michael Bugeja in the off-season. His first match in charge did not auger well, a 0-3 reversal to Nadur Youngsters in the Galea’s Cup semi-final. The Blacks did well in the league, and for the second year running finished in second place. Coach Caruana took the opportunity to gradually introduce young promising players in the first team and to provide the team with experience in a title race. Peter more than made up for this first trophy-less season. In the five seasons that followed, Mr. Caruana coached the team to five consecutive championships, two Esso Cups, two Galea’s Cups, three Independence Cup wins, three British American Insurance Cup triumphs, a G.F.A. Cup and the N.S.B. Cup. This unprecedented success earned Peter Caruana and his young team a permanent place in local lore. It is to Peter Caruana’s credit that he made the right use of some exceptionally talented players that he had at his disposal. Peter’s merit also extends to his ability to keep his players together, focused and motivated for such a long period of time, often in the face of adversity.

The Club was knocked off its perch atop Gozitan football in the 1974/75 season. Caruana, deprived early on of Vincent Cutajar who was serving a lengthy suspension, still led the team to a late assault that sadly came up short. At the end of the 1975/76 season, in which the team finished runners-up in the league, Peter Caruana stepped down as first team coach.

Peter's first return as coach happened mid-way through the 1977/78 season. He remained in charge of the Blacks without interruption from the late surge to safety that same season to the 1987/88 season. What a contrast with his reign during the glory years. All the Club has to show for its efforts during this period are the G.F.A. Cup (1986/87), the Independence Cup (1987/88), three secondary challenge cup triumphs (NATO Cup, Jum il-Helsien Cup for division two clubs and the President’s Cup), and two second division championships. The team never finished higher than fifth in the league and was relegated twice.

The Club still had a steady flow of players coming out of the minors and reserves. Like the 60’s and 70’s, emigration was still a corrosive factor. The difference was that in the championship winning years, the nucleus of the team was kept intact and was made up of first class elements, in these dark days, however, the best players were swept off our shores, and the few good experienced players that were left behind soon grew demoralized in the face of overwhelming opposition. Peter Caruana’s task was extremely daunting in these years. He was blooding new players continuously, much earlier than he otherwise would. The gap between a few senior players and the newcomers kept widening, to a degree that the former started to undermine the authority of the coach. The inevitable happened and at the end of the 1987/88 season, which had started with so much promise with the Independence Cup triumph, and ended with a narrow escape from relegation, Peter Caruana’s second term with the Club came to an end.

The Club re-hired Peter Caruana for a third term after the team was relegated to the second division at the end of the 1990/91 season. He was given a mandate to introduce young players into the team and when the time was ripe to return to the first division, with players ready to seriously compete for honours. After two seasons in the second division, Peter led the team back to the top flight as division two runners-up.

The 1993/94 season was a transitional season in Gozitan football. This was the season when teams started introducing better quality Maltese and foreign players in the local game. This could not have come at a worst time for the Club, burdened as it was with the construction of the new club premises, it was keen to stay faithful to its local players. After going out in the semi-final of the Independence Cup and drawing the opening match of the league season with S.K. Victoria W., Peter was dismissed by a hasty committee that was not completely in touch with the changing landscape.

A change in the committee after that same season meant Peter Caruana's quick comeback as first team coach for his fourth term. The return was nothing short of sensational. From a team that wallowed in mediocrity and narrowly escaped relegation, the Blacks were converted into a highly competitive team, that was hard to break down at the back, and was incisive up front. Coupled with Mr. Caruana’s new found energy for the game were good strategic acquisitions, one for every department of the team. The team marched to two cup finals and to first place after a dream first round: five wins in a row and a tie, following an opening day loss. The team’s vitality was strangely sucked out of it in the second round, and the Blacks limped home in fourth place. Mr. Caruana led the team out to yet another fast start the season after, and the team finished a place higher in third place. Perhaps misled by occasional glimpses of brilliance from some of the young players, the committee felt that the team was under-achieving under Mr. Caruana, and painfully decided not to confirm him as coach for the following season.

In the middle of the 2001/02 season. The Blacks were in the thick of a title challenge when they dropped to an unexpected loss. The Club turned to Peter for a fifth time. Although the team went on to relinquish its lead and finished in third place, Mr. Caruana still had the honour of coaching the team to a successful defense of the Super Cup. Mr. Caruana was confirmed as team coach for the 2002/03 season, and promptly led his side to victory in the Independence Cup. The season ended with yet another cup triumph for the Club this time in the G.F.A. Cup. Sandwiched in between was a disappointing second place in the league by a team that was expected to win the elusive sixth championship.