Almost one in every five local football fans is a Valletta FC supporter, a survey by pollster Vincent Marmara has found.
The capital city’s football team was cited by 18.3% of football fans aged 16 and over, ahead of champions Ħamrun Spartans and Hibernians FC who were cited by 13.6% and 11.4% respectively.
Floriana (10.1%), Birkirkara (8.7%) and Sliema Wanderers (5%) follow.
When the numbers are extrapolated to Malta’s broader population, the survey indicates that Valletta FC has a 27,000 strong fanbase.
Valletta FC also came top when including all respondents who said they do not follow football or do not follow a particular local football team, with 7.6% saying they are fans of the Lilywhites.
The survey suggests that, as is the case in other countries, football fandom is concentrated on a handful of top teams.
The six top teams – Valletta, Ħamrun, Hibernians, Floriana, Birkirkara and Sliema – account for more than two-thirds of all fans.
Valletta has endured a torrid 12 months, suffering relegation to the first division for the first time in its 81-year history and then undergoing a leadership change over the summer.
But the survey – which Marmara’s Sagalytics conducted via phone interviews of 600 respondents aged 16 and over in June – suggests that has not dampened enthusiasm for the club.
New Valletta FC president Claudio Grech said the survey result was encouraging.
“Our fans are the beating heart of this club and will lead to Valletta FC becoming the country’s strongest sports brand,” Grech said in a statement.
“We will do everything we can to pay back that support with tireless work both on the pitch and in administration.”
Valletta FC vice president Joe Caruana Curran said the club was attracting “enormous” commercial interest.
“It’s clear that these partners are invested in our plan to return Valletta FC to the top of Maltese football,” he said.
Valletta FC’s first division league campaign kicks off on September 14 when they face Sirens.
The Malta Premier League, which has been reconfigured and revamped for the 2024-25 season, started last weekend.
