Malta – a new format of the championship: the division was divided into 2 groups of 5 teams for the first stage. After two-legged round-robin phase the top two of each group proceeded to the final stage. The rest went to the relegation pool. The new formula produced nothing new… the better teams went to compete for the title as ever and the lower part of the league was still preoccupied only with survival. But a moment for second division: the winners were recent members of top flight.
Zebbug Rangers were relegated in 1976-77 – now they were coming back. Not a team making strong impressions even in Malta. Just happy to go up – and may be survive among the best a season or two…
Birkirkara was relegated the previous year and was returning right away. Another club mostly struggling to be in first division, but with slightly better chances than Zebbug Rangers.
Of course, second division was nothing to talk about. Clubs like Vittoriosa Stars played there.
Such clubs were still the better part of the Maltese football – at least when compared to sone of their local rivals. Like
Vittoriosa Lightning, which contrary to their name looked like a junior team. And may they were…
Things were not much better in the top flight.
Msida St. Joseph were miserable in the relegation pool – 1 win and 1 tie, 3 points in total, and dead last. At least they were consistent… exactly the same was their performance in the first phase.
The other club to go down was expected outsider.
Ghaxaq tried to keep their place among the best, but for them mere appearance in first division was great success.
Too weak even in Malta… Ghaxaq earned measly 3 points in the first stage. In the relegation pool they tried much harder, achieving 8 points… 5 more than poor Msida St. Joseph, but… still 2 less than the record of Qormi, itself not much of force.
Free from relegation fears, the top concentrated on winning the title… kind of. Floriana, Sliema Wanderers, and Valletta FC had a combined record of 13 points. Hibernians alone had 11… not real race for the title. Valletta finished 2nd with 6 points. With 4 points and negative goal-difference Sliema Wanderers got bronze medals.
The champions were Hibernians – they finished second in their preliminary group, 3 points behind Sliema Wanderers. In fact, all three of the finalists had better records than Hibernians at first. But no points were carried over from the form stage and starting anew, Hibernians had no match in the final stage: 5 wins and 1 tie, 12-5 goal-difference. One more title for them.
The Cup final opposed Floriana to Sliema Wanderers.
Floriana was playing their 4th consecutive final, and interesting record. They won the Cup in 1976, then lost the next two finals. But the trophy escaped them again – Sliema Wanderers won 2-1. Yet, interesting historic note – not many clubs play 4 Cup finals in a row, perhaps even fewer lose 3 consecutive finals.
Sliema Wanderers triumphed and collected one more trophy. Maltese football was like many other countries; a few ‘big’ clubs dominated the scene and the winners were familiar.