Pembroke FC president’s decision to turn nursery’s 5-a-side pitch into padel court irks parents

A unanimous decision by Pembroke Athelta FC’s committee to hive off part of the club’s 5-a-side pitches, and turn the space into padel courts, has led to parents organising a protest this Sunday.

Speaking to MaltaToday, Julia and George Caruana, the authors of a petition against the move, which is making the rounds, said the decision could end up with the nursery closing down.

But club president Alex Calleja insists the claim is unfounded, and the facilities’ running costs paint a different story.

The issue at hand

Speaking to MaltaToday, Calleja said the decision to turn the pitch into a padel court stems from the high costs in maintaining the club’s facilities, and the recent downturn in income from the space.

He said light and water costs alone stand at around €20,000 annually, with €6,000 going towards the nursery.

“The facilities also require a lot of maintenance, as they are exposed to the sea and wind,” he said. “During the last four years we upgraded the 11-a-side pitch turf, which cost us around €200,000. €140,000 were paid by the government, but we had to pay the remaining €60,000 using club money, which contractors are still chasing us for.”

He said the club’s nursery always wants “more and more”. “Before, the nursery used to operate till around 7:30pm, but now they stay there till 9:30pm, and that has led to people not using our pitches for 5-a-side games. Nobody wants to rent a pitch after 9:30pm.”

He said the club used to rake in around €28,000 to €32,000 a year from renting out its pitches, but that sum dropped to around €6,000 in 2024. “To put this into perspective, last October we only managed to collect €40 in rent.”

“What makes matters worse is that they contribute nothing to the club, and are fighting with people who come to rent our pitches,” Calleja claimed.

The petition

A petition making the rounds is calling on Calleja to not follow through with his plan, saying the club is “displacing the young athletes it's meant to serve”.

“These facilities are more than just infrastructure; they are an essential part of our community, providing safe, inclusive spaces for young people to play football. It is crucial that we respect these sporting facilities' true purpose rather than exploiting them for financial profit and personal gain,” the petition reads.

Speaking to MaltaToday, George Caruana, who is part of a small team which manage the nursery, insisted the move to repurpose the space could snowball into the nursery closing down.

“We have strived to create a reputation of being a professional and serious nursery, and now this could all come crumbling down. When people see what is happening, the rifts in the club, they will look elsewhere,” he said.

Caruana said Pembroke is surrounded by other football nurseries, and parents will look elsewhere to send their children.

“Our intentions are purely altruistic, this is just causing us stress, there’s nothing in it for us,” he insisted.

Caruana explained the nursery can operate within the space available to it now, but it would be impossible without it.

“The under-6, under-7, under-9, under-10, under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-17 categories all train here, and they you the minors and first team,” he said.

He also said they have reached out to a number of government institutions – SportMalta, Malta Football Association, Lands Department, and the Sport Minister, but have yet to receive a reaction.

“The minister said he forwarded it to Sport Malta, and Sport Malta said its main board will discuss it. That’s all we know,” he said.

He also claimed despite the existing padel facilities, no financial assistance has been given to the nursery.

But Alex Calleja said claims the nursery will close down are untrue.

“Look at the nurseries around us: Luxol has 650 nursery players who train in a smaller space, Melita with 450, the same. They also compete at a higher level than our players, in Section A and B,” he insisted.

The club president blames the lack of success on the nursery’s head coach, which he insisted has lowered its standards. “I show his tactics to other coaches and the laugh.”

“They blame the COVID pandemic, but the clubs around us have recovered, why haven’t we?” he said.

‘They have to accept it, whether they like it or not’

Alex Calleja said the decision to convert the space received unanimous approval by the club’s committee, insisting the petition’s authors have no authority in the club.

“It’s just these small group of people creating a whole fuss for nothing. They have to accept it, whether they like it or not,” he said.

Speaking to this newspaper George Caruana said the nursery’s management was not informed of the decision, and had to find out through third-parties.

But Calleja said this is not true. “I informed them on 4 January, and the agreement was signed on 24 January. If I was hiding something I would have signed the contract and then informed them.”

The president also said the club will be taking necessary measures to protect its interests.

‘A growing sport’

Questioned on his decision to invest in padel facilities, Alex Calleja said it is a growing sport which people love.

“Our facilities right now do not allow for international competitions to be held, but this project will allow it,” he said.

Calleja also stated the move will attract high-quality tourism, which he insists is in line with government policy on the sector.

“I am 100% convinced it is the right decision,” he insisted.