Lazio supporters club Malta

• General info:

• Site Name: FORZA LAZIO

• Site link: http://lazioclubmalta.com

• Description: Official website of Lazio club on the island of Malta where you can find all the news regarding S.S.Lazio and our club.

• (Club)-Date founded: 1999/2000

• (web-site) Date founded: 2001/2002

• Forum Link: http://lazioclubmalta.com/forum/index.php

• Total members in club: last year - 465

• Main Language: English

• Membership Registration form: English

• News: English/Italian

• Updated News: yes, sources from Lazionews24, Piazza della Liberta, Lazio-seriea.com, Gazetta.it etc..

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I would like to open this topic so we can keep you updated with our club events in just one topic, It was in May 1999, when Edward Psaila and Franco Debono , two avid Lazio fans who had travelled in England to watch Lazio winning its first ever-European trophy, decided to set up a Lazio suppoters Club in Malta .This was not the first attempt to set up such a club. Infact, Edward Psaila, way back in the early 90's tried in vain to gather all Lazio fans on the island but the turnout and enthusiasm were a bit poor. so his idea was put on the shelve for some years. On his second attempt Edward was more determined and he knew it was the right time to try again, since Lazio were passing through their best moments in their almost 100 years of history. Despite Franco had to abandon his friend, as he had to go working abroad, Edward together with two other Lazio fans on the island, namely Adrian Lauri and Vito Rubino (an Italian student) worked hard to set up the club. An official emblem and a stadium banner were designed while a subscription with the Associazione Italian Lazio Clubs was made so that the club would be officially recognised in Italy.
The first year the responce was very good as we had 120 members in our club and from that year we managed to have our premises where we all can meet watch Lazio Games on big screen with satellite, original Sky card, dolby surrund system, bar, smoking room with plasma screen connected with our main screen, toilet and of course the enthusiasm that only laziali can do.
In these last 9 years we organised many events like tours to Lazio matches and visits to formello, 5-a-side soccer tournament (we have a very good 5 a side team), back in 2002 we organised with succes a Lazio summer camp that involved the visit of the SS.Lazio's youth nursery head-coach and talent scout Volfango Patarca.
(Lazio summer camp)
Three Italian coaches coached ninety Maltese youngsters for a week. At the end of the camp they selected a squad that eventually in April 2003 travelled in Rome to play against a Lazio youth nursery selection in the Stadio Olimpico infront of 50,000 people before the Serie A match Lazio vs Piacenza. Moreover three other players were selected for one-week trial with S.S.Lazio in Rome.

Web-site
The club's first website was officially launched thanks to the initiative of Stephen Saliba and his friend Robert.

Felice Pulici
In the summer 2003, Lazio's ex-legendary goalkeeper of the 1970's squad and current official Felice Pulici accepted an invitation at our club and officially inaugurated the premises. A lovely get-together was organised in his honour at our premises, which in the mean time were partly refurbished to better accommodate the bar and toilet. Felice pulici visited our club In 2004 and 2006 as well and was appointed as Honorary President of our club.

Tony Malco & Guido De Angelis
In March 2004, Tony Malco the composer and singer of Lazio's official anthem " Vola Lazio Vola " together with L journalist Guido De Angelis visited our club. A get-together was held in their honour.

Coppa Italia
In July 2004 managed to bring in Malta nothing but the Coppa Italia won by Lazio the previous May.
This was accompanied in Malta by Felice Pulici and was the main attraction during the Malta Football Awards. Moreover, it was on show at our club where members and public took photos with it. It is important to say that in Malta we have several clubs supporting foreign clubs espescially English & Italian teams, we was the first Italian supporters club that managed to bring an italian honour to Malta.

New web-site
The new website and forum was launched while daily Lazio news on email were sent to our members.

Mr Delio Rossi
In 2007 we had a 4 day visit with the Lazio coach Delio Rossi, Mr. Rossi, his wife an son where invited by our club and they where very pleased to come. this was our biggest event for our members, we organised a very big buffet get together in a 5 star delux hotel with more than 300 members present.

Giuseppe Signiori
Beppe goal visited our club in 2008 thanks to the contacts of our club president Edward Psaila, It was a very great moment for me when i was infront of Signiori as he is one of my idols.. he signed shirts, scarfs we gave a gift to thank him for his visit etc.. it was event to remember.

Basicly thats what our club did through these years, we also issue on a quarterly basis club's magazine with the neme of Forza Lazio for members. Meanwhile, a number of get-togethers were held during every Easter and every Christmas holidays. This club is still officially recognised by S.S.Lazio and is affiliated with the Coordinamento Lazio Clubs and benefits from stadium tickets when requested.

Hope we have more events to share with Lazio fever members.

Justin Bonnici, a 14 year old and a great Lazio Fan, had the time of his life meeting Lazio Players, visiting the Formello training grounds and its surroundings on the 14th October, 2005.

It all started when Dr Joseph Chetcuti contacted Dr Stephen Zammit, our Lazio committee member early this summer. Dr Joseph Chetcuti conducts a local TV programme on ‘Net Television’ – ‘Nies Ta Veru‘. A programme which fulfils dreams.

Dr. Chetcuti met Dr Felice Pulici’s during visit to Malta to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the formation of the Lazio Club Malta on the 16th July, 2005 to plan this event. These plans were confirmed live, by Dr. Pulicic during an interview on a Roman Radio station ‘Radio Spazio Aperto’ ( a Lazio programme ‘Piazza Della Liberta’ ) conducted by Mr.Paolo Peroso.

Three commitee members - at their expense – Aron, Oliver, the camera man Clayton, Justin accompanied by his parents and myself were to meet at the airport.

We worried are heads off, when the Bonnici family were a bit late. Luckily they were just in time. On the plane we understood why Joseph and the guests arrived late. Dr. Chetcuti went to Justin’s School in Paola to give him this surprise. When Justin saw Dr. Chectcuti and the camera man, he got shocked and ran away from school. It took them about an hour to find him, he wondered away close to the Industrial area in Bulebel.

His Dad convinced him to go with them to Rome. The appointment was for Friday 14th October at 13:00 hrs at Formello training grounds. However, that same day we decided to go to Formello to watch the friendly game against Tivoli. We were also invited for Diner at the Summit Hotel to celebrate Mr. Liuigi Croci 81st birthday.

Our club presented Liuigi with a token in honour of his birthday. It was a wonderful evening, Lazio officials and players to the names of Cribari, Belleri, Keller, Piccolo and Mudingayi Dr Carlo Osti, Dr Maurizio Manzini , and Dr Felice Pulici attended the event.

We met Mr.Paolo Peroso for the first time and presented him, on behalf of the club, with a token to thank him for the great help he gave Kenneth and our Club to build our new web site.

Later in the evening we went to the Pub - Excalibur in Piazzia Vescovio were alot of Lazio fans meet. The next day we went shopping to Ciampino Calzature, owned by great Lazio fans. We were treated well and were given gifts (Lazio Souvenirs) to donate to Justin. We drove back to the Hotel Selva Candida, situated just outside Rome, and later drove down to Formello.

Justin was surprised with the peace and the beauty of the Complex. Dr. Pulicic took Justin all around the Complex, the training grounds, the leisure room the dinning room, the bedrooms of the players and the coaches room.

Justin had his first surprise when meeting Luciano Zauri e Sebastiano Siviglia outside there rooms. We were later taken to the dressing rooms and the Press room where Justin had all the opportunity to listen to Massimo Oddo’s press release.

We waiting to meet the players and present them with gifts for their performances. The first to arrive was Angelo Peruzzi who was voted by the Club together with Massimo Oddo as the best player 2004-2005. Angelo remembered Oliver and myself during the tour to Prague with the team to play against Sparta for the Champions League.

Later Tommaso Rocchi, Fabio Liverani, the Coach Delio Rossi, and Massimo Oddo met with us just after the press release finished. All of them seemed very honoured with the gift we gave them.

We also, passed on a letter written by Klevin an Albanian friend to Tare, who was very surprised. We meet Yuri one of the leaders of the Irriducibili.

It is thanks to Dr Manzini that we were allowed to go so close to the players. Justin’s dream was soon to come. Up a flight of steps straight to the training grounds we meet all the players. Entering the pitch, Justin was asked who his idol was. I had no doubt, it is Paolo Di Canio.

Paolo kissed Justin! what a dream! his eyes shone. Paolo invited him to play some football. Justin started juggled the ball and Manfredini played along with him.

Here we presented a token to Paolo Di Canio thanking him for the fantastic goal in the last the Derby- the 6th January 2005. We invitated him and his wife to visit Malta and our Club on Saturday 12 November till the 14th November. The Club presented Justin with a token of this wonderful day and the gifts Ciampino Calzature gave him. Justin and his family unfortunately had to miss Sunday’s game against Fiorentina at the Olimpic Stadium.

We however remained in Rome to watch this game. On Saturday we were invited to ‘Radio Incontro’ to Guido De Angelis programme to talk about this event. On Sunday we went to church in the morning visited a friend of mine in Casel Palocco, and drove to the Stadium to watch Lazio win 1-0. I must say it was a great experience for all of us, and a special time for Justin. I hope this event will give him and his family the strength to face his problems