Maltese First Division

The Maltese First Division (often referred to as the BOV First Division for sponsorship reasons[1]) is the second-highest division in Maltese football, behind the Maltese Premier League. The First Division was the precursor of the present Premier League until the latter was revamped for the 1980–81 season.

Maltese First Division
Founded1910 (1910)
Country Malta (14 teams)
Number of teams14
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toMaltese Premier League
Relegation toMaltese Second Division
Domestic cup(s)Maltese FA Trophy
Maltese First Division knock-out
Current championsŻejtun Corinthians
(2019–20)
2019-20 Maltese First Division

Format

Since the 2014–15 season, the league is made up of fourteen teams. Over the course of the season, each team plays twice against the others in the league, resulting in each team completing 26 games in total. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the table by:[2]

  1. Total points gained

In the need of a tie-breaker, a play-off game is played. At the end of the season, the top two teams are directly promoted to the Premier League; an additional place is reserved for the winner of the relegation play-off between the twelfth-placed Premier League team and the third-placed First Division side. The three lowest-finishing teams are relegated to the Second Division, with the twelfth-placed team playing a relegation/promotion play-off game against the third-placed Second Division side.

Clubs

2018–19 season

The following 14 clubs will compete in the First Division during the 2018–19 season.

Team Finishing position last season Location Stadium Capacity
Gudja United 1st in Second Division (promoted) Gudja Gudja Ground 1,000
Lija Athletic 14th in Premier League (relegated) Lija Lija Stadium 500
Marsa 11th Marsa Luxol Sports Ground 800
Mqabba 5th Mqabba Victor Tedesco Stadium 6,000
Naxxar Lions 13th in Premier League (relegated) Naxxar Centenary Stadium 2,000
Pembroke Athleta 8th Pembroke Luxol Sports Ground 800
Qrendi 9th Qrendi Luxol Sports Ground 800
San Ġwann 6th San Ġwann Centenary Stadium 2,000
St. Lucia 2nd in Second Division (promoted) Santa Luċija Luxol Sports Ground 800
Sirens 10th St. Paul's Bay Sirens Stadium 1,500
Swieqi United 3rd in Second Division (promoted) Swieqi Luxol Sports Ground 800
Vittoriosa Stars 7th Birgu Tony Cassar Sports Ground 1,000
Żebbuġ Rangers 4th Żebbuġ Żebbuġ Ground 1,000
Żejtun Corinthians 3rd Żejtun

Results
Year Champions Runner-up Third Place (Promotion) Relegated
1998–99[3] Gozo F.C. Żurrieq Mellieha SC, Siggiewi
1999–00[4] Ħamrun Spartans Xghajra Tornadoes Gzira United, Zebbug Rangers
2000–01 Marsa Lija Athletic Tarxien Rainbows, Żurrieq
2001–02 Marsaxlokk Mosta Qormi, St. Andrews
2002–03 Msida St. Joseph Balzan Youths Gozo, Xgħajra Tornadoes
2003–04 St. Patrick Lija Athletic Tarxien Rainbows, Rabat Ajax
2004–05 Ħamrun Spartans Mosta Balzan Youths, Gozo
2005–06 St. George's Marsa Lija Athletic, St. Andrews
2006–07 Ħamrun Spartans Mqabba San Ġwann, Naxxar
2007–08 Tarxien Rainbows Qormi Mellieħa, Marsa
2008–09 Dingli Swallows Vittoriosa Stars Rabat Ajax, Senglea Athletics
2009–10 Marsaxlokk Vittoriosa Stars St. Patrick, San Ġwann
2010–11 Balzan Youths Mqabba Mosta Pietà Hotspurs, Msida St. Joseph
2011–12 Melita Rabat Ajax St. Patrick, St. George's
2012–13 Naxxar Lions Vittoriosa Stars Dingli Swallows, Mqabba
2013–14 Pietà Hotspurs Żebbuġ Rangers Ħamrun Spartans, Żejtun Corinthians
2014–15 Pembroke Athleta St. Andrews Żurrieq, Msida St. Joseph, Birżebbuġa St. Peter's
2015–16 Gżira United Ħamrun Spartans Gudja United, St. George's, San Ġwann
2016–17 Lija Athetlic Senglea Athletic Naxxar Lions Fgura United, Għargħur
2017–18 Qormi Pietà Hotspurs Żabbar St. Patrick, Melita, Rabat Ajax
2018–19 Sirens Gudja United Santa Luċija F.C. Marsa, San Ġwann
2019–20 Zejtun Corinthians Lija Athetlic no relegation
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References
  1. Azzopardi, Kevin (12 July 2015). "Malta FA, BOV agree new three-year sponsorship deal". Times of Malta.
  2. "First Division Seasonal Rules". Scoresway. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  3. Malta 1998/99
  4. Malta 1999/2000
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