sport

The absurdity of playing at Pace Grasso

Women’s soccer was on the brink of taking off when a couple seasons ago the Malta Football Association took on the responsibility of organising the Women’s National League. Herbert Messina Ferrante was given the task of starting things off in the right direction. Unfortunately he has now left and the women’s league is losing interest.

Playing on a ground that resembles the Sahara Desert certainly does nothing for morale, Melita striker, Nadia Gauci, tells RAY ABDILLA

In 2001, soccer is still the most popular sport around the globe. Among Europeans, Africans, Asians and South Americans, children can always be found kicking a ball around.

They dream of playing in the big leagues, scoring goals and many other things that the game of football gives to people. Today they do not dream of playing on turf because it has become something natural for aspiring players on most levels.

But unfortunately in Malta, this is not the case for everyone. There is a section of soccer players who don’t get to play on turf pitches and, worse still, play on sand in a stadium that certainly doesn’t meet the standards of European soccer.

Nadia Gauci, 28, from Valletta, plays in the HSBC league for Melita. When asked about the facilities at Pace Grasso, the venue where the local soccer league is played, she immediately described them to me as, "appalling".

"It was not fair scrapping the ground for men’s soccer because it wasn’t good enough for them to play on, and then deciding to make us play in the same stadium,” she said. “I know that the Second and Third Division men’s football teams were relieved to see the back of Pace Grasso.”

Ms Gauci added that even more appalling is the different attitiude in evidence for foreign female visiting teams.

“When foreign female clubs come to Malta to play football, a suitable turf ground is made available,” she said. “So not only do the authorities organise everything for the sake of the foreign sides but then we normally receive a battering because whist the foreign clubs are used to playing in turf, we find it more difficult to cope."

Asked if the women’s league of players have ever complained about the situation, Ms Gauci replied in the affirmative, but admitted that despite all the complaints, nothing has ever been done.

She said that when Herbert Messina Ferrante had the responsibility for the league, it appeared there might be developments, but their hopes appear to have been short-lived, leading to demoralised players.

“Before there were more teams taking part but now they have been reduced by six, practically half,” she said. “When there is some wind at Pace Grasso, it’s worse than a desert. Can anyone solve this situation? I don’t know but, if not, many more players will stop playing.”

Another sore point for women football players is the low standard of refereeing they are given.

“The referees who control women’s league matches are there to learn the trade from the women’s game,” Ms Gauci said. “This is ridiculous, because, like everyone, the women’s league is affiliated to the MFA.”

The Melita striker had some good matches this season. Earlier on, she played a blinder when Melita trashed Rabat by 11 goals, with Gauci scoring six brilliant goals, including the first.

Full back Connie Scicluna scored another two, whilst Natasha Pace and Dorianne Bonello scored a goal each.

Last season's top scorer, Roberta Girard, had a very unlucky match in which she had a number of chances but managed to score only one goal. Other players worth mentioning were Jaqueline Ellul Soler and Maria Azzopardi.

Ms Gauci, who trains a couple of times a week at Pembroke near the soldier barracks, admitted it is difficult for players to train frequently because of other commitments.

“I work overtime practically everyday and I am not always in a position to train more, even though starting later makes it a bit easier,” she said.

This is Ms Gauci’s third season with Melita, a side she joined from Rabat. Although she is a natural striker, she has played in practically every position and is a very good right-wing player. But this season she has been used mostly as a centre forward.

Asked why she loves football so much, she said that she comes from a football-crazy family. Her brothers Raymond, Paul and Vince used to play for Valletta.

"I am crazy about football, especially about my team Valletta,” she said. “I go and watch them in football matches and also celebrate with them after. It would be nice if Valletta had its own women’s football team.

"It would be an honour for me to don the Valletta jersey. Valletta and football can’t be kept apart and that is why the people of Valletta live for football," she concluded.

On the subject of a National football team for women, Ms Gauci had words of criticism for the selection process.

“The coach was given orders to choose a couple of players from each side so that everyone is represented,” she said. "If the best men’s Maltese football sides are made up from Valletta, Sliema and Birkirkara, they should have the majority of players making the squad. One can’t just divide the players between all teams."

However, Ms Gauci believes that the future for women’s football looks bright.

“Nurseries today are mixed, meaning girls get the chance to interact and learn more,” she said. Regarding the level of this season’s HSBC league, she said that while Hibernians and B’Kara were two very good teams, with the former winning the double, the league was quite balanced.

“Even Melita were never hammered - losing just 1-0 to the big sides,” she said. “But in today’s game consistency is the key - something that only the Paolites and the Stripes had.”
the MFA.