S.K. Victoria Wanderers F.C.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

S.K. Victoria Wanderers
Emblem
Full name S.K. Victoria Wanderers
Founded 1958
Ground
Chairman Flag of Malta Brian Azzopardi
Manager Flag of Malta Mark Buttigieg
League First Division League
2007-08 Second Division League
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Away colours

S.K. Victoria Wanderers Football Club is a Maltese football club from the town of Victoria, Gozo. They were founded in 1958 and throughout the clubs history, they have won the Gozitan League championship once, as Victoria United during the 1978-79 season.

Contents

[edit] History

The club was originally founded as Victoria City in 1958 to play in the Second Division of the Gozo Football League; the town of Victoria already had a long tradition in Maltese football through several older defunct clubs and the still present Victoria Hotspurs.

[edit] Early years

Victoria picked up their first piece of silverware during 1962-63 by winning the Gozitan Second Division, they were promoted to the top level of the island's football system. Their name was changed to SK Wanderers in 1963 for their step up to the top league.

After four seasons in the Gozitan First Division, the club were thrown out of the league and banned for two seasons.[1] To get around this, the club refounded as Sabina United for the following season in the Second Division, where they managed to gain promotion straight back into the top division. For their second return to the top division in 1968, they went under the name Victoria Wanderers, but were relegated straight back down.

[edit] League success

Victoria captain George Grech collecting the 1978-79 trophy.
Victoria captain George Grech collecting the 1978-79 trophy.

This time they stayed for a longer spell in the Second Division, eventually gaining promotion in the 1973-74 season as Victoria United, the league had also been expanded from six clubs, to eleven for a season. However, this was to be a yo-yo time for a club and they bounced between the two leagues during the decade, picking up the Second Division title for the third time in 1977-78.

Victoria United were crowned champions of Gozo in 1978-79, just a year after they had won the Second Division. This was the most prestigious title ever won by the club to date and the only time they have finished top in the whole of Gozo. It didn't last long for the club as they were soon bouncing between the leagues again, winning a fourth Second Division title.

[edit] Recent times

During 1991 the name of the club was changed back to one which they had used during the 1960s; SK Victoria Wanderers, the first season back under that name the club won the Second Division. The last time the club competed at the top level of football on the island was in 2006.

[edit] Players

No. Position Player
1 Flag of Malta GK Marlon Mercieca (vice-captain)
2 Flag of Malta DF Mark Buttigieg
3 Flag of Malta DF Kevin Azzopardi (captain)
4 Flag of Nigeria DF David Monday Udoh
5 Flag of Malta MF Michael Tabone
6 Flag of Malta DF Simon Gatt
7 Flag of Malta MF Joseph Vella
8 Flag of Malta MF Joseph Refalo
9 Flag of Nigeria FW Agibade Adesina
10 Flag of Malta FW Christopher Sciotino
11 Flag of Nigeria FW Abdullahi Ige Adesina
12 Flag of Malta FW Frankie Buttigieg
No. Position Player
13 Flag of Malta GK Tony Debrincat
14 Flag of Malta MF Daniel Muscat
15 Flag of Malta MF David Muscat
16 Flag of Malta MF Jean Noel Attard
17 Flag of Malta DF Charles Spiteri
18 Flag of Malta DF Savio Neville Spiteri
19 Flag of Malta MF George Sacco
20 Flag of Malta FW Steve Scicluna
21 Flag of Malta FW Lauran Dimech
22 Flag of Malta DF Luke Mizzi
23 Flag of Malta DF Joel Attard

[edit] Honours

  • Second Division Knock-Out Cup
    • Champions: 1977-1978, 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2007-2008
  • Second Division Challenge Cup
    • Champions: 2006-2007, 2007-2008
  • ESSO Cup
    • Champions: 1964-1965
  • Galea Cup
    • Champions: 1965-1966

[edit] References

[edit] External links