December 15, 2022
The Gibraltar Football League consists of 11 sides who play each other once before the top 6 split into the Championship Group, whilst the bottom 5 form the Challenge Group. The league in its current format has only been in existence since 2019.
Europe FC were top of the league when the 2019/20 season was cancelled due to Covid, but the title was not awarded. Lincoln Red Imps won the subsequent two championships. Football though, has been played on the rock since 1905.
All matches are currently played on the artificial grass pitch at the ageing Victoria Stadium, although plans are in place for a new 8,000 capacity stadium to be built in time for 2023/24. In the mean-time the national side will be forced to play its home matches in Faro in Portugal due to UEFA regulations on stadium requirements, although the Victoria Stadium will still be able to host UEFA club matches, and domestic league matches.
The Gibraltar national side were admitted into UEFA in 2013, and although they have lost every qualifying match in World Cup and Euro qualifying competitions, they have had a respectable record in the UEFA Nations League and other friendlies, registering wins over Armenia, Lichtenstein and San Marino in the Nations League. They drew their first ever international friendly, with Slovakia, and recorded draws with Bulgaria, Grenada, Faroe Islands and Andorra. Friendly victories have also been clocked up against Malta & Latvia, and they are currently on an unbeaten run of two matches after victories over Liechtenstein and Andorra in the last ever international games to be played in the Victoria Stadium. Their current FIFA ranking is 204 but that should rise when the next listings are published.
Gibraltarian sides also seem to be punching above their weight in UEFA club competitions. Lincoln Red Imps famously beat Celtic 1-0 in 2016 before losing on aggregate, and they qualified for the 2021/22 Europa Conference League group stages thanks to victories over Fola Esch and FC Riga, and also recorded a draw against Slovan Bratislava. Other impressive results in their brief European history include eliminating Flora Tallin and winning against FK Shkupi from North Macedonia but losing on aggregate.
FC Europa have also had success in European action, and have Armenian side FC Pyunik and Andorran side St Julia as their notches, and have drawn individual matches Legia Warsaw, Kauno Zalgiris and Kosovan side FC Prishtina.
Bruno’s Magpies started the day in third place in the league table with a 6-1-1 record, with the draw coming on the opening day against FC Europa ( 1-1 ) and the loss against FC Lynx ( 0-1 ). They finished fourth in the 2021/22 table and so faced Northern Ireland Crusaders in the Europa Conference, and despite winning the home tie 2-1 in front of a crowd of 554, a 1-3 away defeat thanks to a 93rd minute winner resulted in elimination.
The most recent national squad for the wins against Liechtenstein and Andorra featured two players from Bruno Magpies, midfielder Jamie Coombes ( 26 caps ) and keeper Jaylan Hawkins ( 0 caps ). 35 year old left back Kyle Casciaro won 26 caps and scored the winning goal in Gibraltar’s first official victory in 2014 against Malta ( 1-0 ) whilst attacking midfielder Emmanuel Ocran won one cap for Ghana.
The Magpies’ starting line-up consisted of 4 Gibraltarians, 3 Spaniards, a Mexican, an Argentinian and an Englishman. English Coach Nathan Rooney had previously held assistant coaching roles at Crawley ( working with Gabriele Cioffi ), Carlisle and Port Vale. Argentinian striker Pibe was their top scorer with 7 goals so far this season.
According to Wikipedia, Magpies were the proverbial pub-team, initially being formed by regulars at Bruno’s Bar & Restaurant in 2013, but the football has become more serious as they continued to progress.
Lions Gibraltar actually finished bottom of the Challenge Group in the 2021/22 season with just one win, but have fared better this season with a 2-2-4 record to sit in 7th place prior today. However, being 4 points behind sixth place Glacis United with a game in hand but just two games left to play before the mid-season split, a place in the Championship Group looked to be at long odds and they looked unlikely to be able to sneak into the 6th Championship group place.
Midfielder Evan Green won 1 cap and had a short spell in England with non-league Kingstonian and Chertsey Town and midfielder Sykes Garro won 3 caps. Their starting XI featured 6 Gibraltarians, 4 Spaniards and one Englishman.
Bet365 made Magpies 2/11 favourites, with Lions at 9/1 and the draw 5/1. The temperature at the 20.45 local time was around 14 degrees and whilst there was a forecast of some light rain, this thankfully stayed away. The game was streamed live on the GibraltarFA TV YouTube channel, which is streaming every match in the Gibraltar Football League this season.
Unsurprisingly, Magpies were playing in black and white stripes with black shorts, whilst Lions were in orange shirts and black shorts. The seats opposite to the main stand were empty at kick-off, although just before half-time, 5 spectators arrived to sit in the corner. With the camera in the main stand not having any views of that stand, it was impossible to gauge how many fans were watching the game.
However, from the camera it was possible to see the flow of traffic coming from either the Airport or over the border with Spain, as well as the business at the petrol station behind one of the goals.
Magpies won a corner in the first minute, but amusingly one of their players had to run past the running track to gather the ball as there were no ball-boys or a supply of balls strategically played around the pitch.
That attack came to nothing, and the first shot on goal occurred in the 7th minute when Lions short and chunky left-midfielder Nito ran across the face of the penalty area past three defenders only to send his 20 yard effort well over the bar. Throughout the game, the aging Nito gave the impression of someone who was once a decent player, with plenty of skilful passes and an ability to maintain possession and run past his closest marker, but sometimes looking out of breath.
Magpies then had a spell of pressure. Lions’ defender Patito need to clear a poorly hit volley, then a dangerous free-kick from the left from the sweet left-foot of Casciaro was punched away by Lions keeper Valades, although a free-kick was awarded in favour of the keeper.
At this stage Magpie’s midfielders, Spaniard Joe and ex-Corinthian Casuals Dan Bent, were pivotal in controlling the midfield and prompting their attacks. A delightful through ball from Joe, who was reminiscent in some ways of Robert Prosinecki, saw the Lions keeper race of his line to avert danger, and then in the 15th minute, another fine free-kick from the left from Casciaro was headed over from 6 yards by Mexican centre-back Zuniga.
Lions offered some temporary respite, but after winning a free-kick 25 yards out, Labra’s free-kick went straight into the wall.
At this stage Lions’ central defence looked suspect in the air, but they were playing some neat passing football in midfield and had a clear tactic of trying to pressurize the player on the ball.
The first shot on target occurred in the 26th minute. Joe’s ball down the right-hand channel put Coombes in space but from a tight angle the international’s shot was pushed away by the Lion’s keeper. Three minutes later another ball down the right released Orcan, and his pull-back found Coombes who chipped towards the far post. Unfortunately for the Magpies, striker Pibe slipped when attempting a volley from 6 yards out and the glorious chance was wasted.
Magpies continued to dominate but Joe’s long-range effort bounced in front of the keeper, who was able to safely gather. Some robust challenges were going in, but the referee was happy to let the game flow.
Two minutes before half-time, Joe was unable to rise high enough to get over a corner so his header went well over the bar and then on the stroke of half-time another astute pass from Joe put Pibe clear but rather than shoot, the striker opted to pass to Orcan, but good defending by Patito meant the chance had gone.
In added on time, a Lions free-kick near the half-way was played into the area towards striker Labra, but resulted in a three way collision between the Magpies keeper Hankins, centre-back Zuniga and Labra. The injury to Zuniga meant he would be unable to continue after the break, and Magpies decided to bring on veteran Spanish midfielder Jose Galan, and move the influential Joe to central defence.
With the scores level at the interval, Magpies had looked the better side, but had created only a few dangerous chances.
In the early minutes of the second period, Lions looked the most penetrative, with ex-international Evan Green at the heart of their play. First, he was played in behind the square back-line but his shot lacked conviction and Magpie’s keeper Hawkins was able to push the ball away, then Green did well to get to the by-line but his pull back to Rumbo was sent miles over the bar.
Magpie’s response was to make two more substitutions, after which they dominated the rest of the match. In the 56th minute Orcan made a good run down the right and his cross reached Pibe 6 yards out but although the Argentinian looked certain to score, he was denied by a brave block by keeper Valades.
As an indication of the urgency in the Magpie’s play, they were now running to retrieve the ball when goal-kicks or throw-in were awarded to Lions, and their cause was helped in the 65th minute when Lions English left-back Jack Lee was forced to leave the field with an injury, and in an effort to exploit this, Magpie’s brought on pacey ex-Burnley youth and Curzon Ashton English right-winger Olatunde Bayode.
The play was now virtually one-way traffic, and after a surging run from half-way from Coombes, his through ball to Pibe was bravely claimed by Valades at the feet of the striker. With 13 minutes remaining, Pibe’s 20 yard shot on the turn was well pushed away by Valades, then a glorious raking pass from Galan to the right-wing put Bayode in space, but yet again Pibe was denied from 6 yards by the legs of the Lions keeper when it looked like he had to score.
However, Magpie finally made the breakthrough 6 minutes from time. A long-ball out of defence put Bayode clear and as he headed for goal, Lions centre-back Gallardo brought him down. A penalty, and a second yellow card for the Lions player, and Pibe sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot to give his side a 1-0 lead.
With Lions’ heads dropping after this late set-back, Magpies doubled their lead two minutes later. Another ball to where the absent Lee would have been enabled Magpie right back Diaz to cross, where Coombes acrobatically volleyed home from the edge of the six-yard box. 2-0 with four minutes remaining.
With Lions now a beaten side, Magpies had chances to add more goals but Pibe butchered a chance after another great run from half-way by the impressive Coombes and Joe volleyed from close to the penalty spot, but the direction was straight at Valades, who held onto the shot.
At the final whistle, Magpies claimed a deserved three-points which saw them close the gap to the top two to three points. Lions remained in 7th place and will now play in the Challenger Group.
FC Bruno’s Magpies : Hawkins – Diaz, Casado, Zuniga ( Galan ), Casciaro – Ocran ( Bayode ), Joe, Bent ( Parker ), Coombes, Peacock ( Jones ) – Pibe
Lions Gibraltar FC : Valades – Payas ( Martin ), Gallardo, Cintas, Patito, Lee ( Robertson ) – Green, Rumbo ( Prescott ), Garro, Nito - Labra
Full Match : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7QIWt1o55k
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