In the 1977/78 season the
Club went through a protracted period of internal strife. Several players
refused to play, unhappy with the way the Club was being run. There was a
standoff, the Committee refused to give in and fielded a team of second
stringers for several league matches. Fortunately, common sense prevailed
and a compromise was reached before it was too late. The rebellious
players returned to the fold, Peter Caruana was brought back in charge of
the team and the Club avoided relegation. The Club’s minor league players provided the only joy in a tumultuous season when
they brought to the Club
its third
championship.
In the period between the
1977/78 and the 1992/93 seasons, however, Ghajnsielem were relegated
to the second division three times. The Blacks never finished higher than
fourth in the league and this modest placing was achieved only once. The
team won two second division championships and triumphed in a small number
of challenge cups: the NATO Cup (5-0 against Nadur Youngsters in 1979/80),
the Jum il-Helsien Cup for division two teams (on penalties against Kercem
Ajax in 1981/82) and the President’s Cup (4-0 against Xewkija Tigers in 1982/83).
The Club also won the
G.F.A. Cup in the 1986/87 season by beating Victoria Hotspurs 1-0 thanks
to a goal scored by Richard Attard. They followed this by claiming the
Independence Cup in the 1987/88 season, the first year in which this
competition was held after an interruption of sixteen years. Ghajnsielem
prevailed over Sannat Lions on penalties after the match had ended in a
2-2 draw (Richard Attard and Marco Fenech).
The Club’s reserves and
youths continued to achieve success periodically. This managed only to
intensify the frustration in those who had great expectations with respect
to the senior team. The talented players that have come out of the
Club’s reserves and youth teams failed time and again to reach their
maximum potential at senior level.
The
reserves were champions in 1982/83 and again in the 1988/89 season. The
minors triumphed for the fourth time in 1987/88 when they completed a
league and cup double. The Club’s Under/14 side was champion of its
category in 1990/91. The same players from this side went on to claim
minor league championships in the following two seasons, also completing
the league and cup double in 1991/92.
Continued
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