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HISTORY
The Champions

NIKOL CUTAJAR
Date of birth: December 17, 1951
Nationality: Maltese
Position: left half-back
Debut: December 22, 1968
Last match: March 2, 1978
Appearances for Club: 128
Goals for Club: 23


Nikol Cutajar was the rock upon which foundered all assaults on Ghajnsielem F.C.'s dominance in the glorious years. His chiseled frame roaming in front of the defense was a beacon of light to his team and a daunting reef to his opponents. He was the attacking half of the half-back partnership he forged with Club veteran Karmenu Caruana. Nikol would take the opposing inside-right (the traditional number 10) out of the match and make him retreat to deal with the threat posed by his marauding style. Nikol's left foot is legendary. He shot with venom from any range. Even the penalty shots that he took were of the rocket speed variety. Indeed, the odd one he had saved meant a trip to the emergency unit to the opposing keeper. He was strength personified. 

Nikol broke into the side at the dawn of the greatest years of this Club's history, December 1968, a few days past his seventeenth birthday. He retired, at the dusk of this age so to speak, not yet twenty seven. He started as a full-back but was quickly shifted to the half-back role. He wore the number six and in the process imposed on all his successors a heavy burden. To bring dignity to this shirt an Ghajnsielem player must be very good at playing football. In addition, such player must have no fear, must have seriousness etched on his face and evident in his demeanour, must have broad shoulders to carry all the responsibility that comes with the territory, must ask no quarter, must give no quarter.

Nikol Cutajar's ascent to fame mirrors that of the Club. He won the minor league championship in 1965/66. With more or less the same team mates he won the reserves title in 1967/68. In the big scheme of things these two titles may not matter much, but this early success instilled in young Nikol a winner's mentality. And win he did. Five championships and twelve major trophies. He captained the side after Loreto Galea emigrated and even topped the Club scoring list one season.

With Loreto Galea and his brother Vincent, Nikol starred in the Hamrun Spartans' side of the early seventies. Unlike these two greats, Nikol was never awarded the footballer of the year honour by the G.F.A. This sad fact detracts not from the greatness of this player but from the relevance of this award as an indicator of a player's value to his club in a season.  Nikol Cutajar's goal in the last match of the 1972/73 season that secured the fourth title for Ghajnsielem should have been the wake-up call for those who decide on these things. The G.F.A. overlooked Nikol, but history, the ultimate arbiter of greatness hasn't, and he will be forever celebrated as one of the pillars upon which this Club rests.

 

 

Career Achievements

Club
1965/66 Under/16 League
1967/68 Reserves League
1969/70 British American Cup
  First Division
  Galea Cup
  Independence Cup
1970/71 British American Cup
  Esso Cup
  First Division
  Independence Cup
1971/72 British American Cup
  Esso Cup
  First Division
  Independence Cup
1972/73 First Division
  Galea Cup
1973/74 First Division
  G.F.A. Cup
  N.S.B. Cup
1979/80 NATO Cup
1982/83 President's Cup
Individual
1975/76 Club top scorer


 

Numbers Breakdown

Opponent Gls App
Kercem Ajax 2 2
Nadur Athletics 2 2
Nadur Youngsters 4 20
Oratory Youths 3 13
Qala St. Joseph 1 2
S.K. Calypsians 2 24
Sannat Lions 1 8
Victoria Hotspurs 1 22
Victoria United 2 6
Victoria Wanderers 1 1
Xaghra United 3 13
Xewkija Tigers 1 15

 

 

 

 

 

 

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