The 2017–18 Gozo First Division (known as the BOV GFA First Division for sponsorship reasons) was the 71st season of the Gozo Football League First Division, the highest division in Gozitan football. The season began on 15 September 2017.[1]
| Season | 2017–18 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 15 September 2017 – 5 May 2018 |
| Champions | Victoria Hotspurs (12th title) |
| Relegated | Oratory Youths |
| Matches played | 84 |
| Goals scored | 320 (3.81 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Elton da Silva (19 goals) |
← 2016–17 2018–19 →
All statistics correct as of 12 May 2018. | |
Following a dominant campaign, Victoria Hotspurs ended the season as champions, winning their twelfth title in their history.[2]
Format edit
The season is composed of a round-robin system where each team plays each other three times, totalling 21 games in total. The seventh-placed team will play a relegation play-off with the second-placed team in the Second Division. Most of the matches are scheduled to be played at the Gozo Stadium, with Sannat Ground and Kerċem Ajax Stadium being used as well.
Teams edit
Xagħra United are relegated after they finished last the previous season. They are replaced by Għarb Rangers, who won the 2016–17 Second Division title.
| Team | Home city | 2016–17 season |
|---|---|---|
| Għajnsielem | Għajnsielem | 3rd |
| Għarb Rangers | Għarb | 1st (Second Division) |
| Kerċem Ajax | Kerċem | 4th |
| Nadur Youngsters | Nadur | 2nd |
| Oratory Youths | Victoria | 6th |
| S.K. Victoria Wanderers | Victoria | 7th |
| Victoria Hotspurs | Victoria | 5th |
| Xewkija Tigers | Xewkija | 1st |
League table edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria Hotspurs (C) | 21 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 63 | 15 | +48 | 58 | |
| 2 | Nadur Youngsters | 21 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 55 | 39 | +16 | 40 | |
| 3 | Xewkija Tigers | 21 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 45 | 37 | +8 | 32 | |
| 4 | Għajnsielem | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 30 | 41 | −11 | 27 | |
| 5 | Kerċem Ajax | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 34 | 50 | −16 | 26 | |
| 6 | Għarb Rangers | 21 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 28 | 41 | −13 | 22 | |
| 7 | S.K. Victoria Wanderers | 21 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 35 | 47 | −12 | 19 | Qualification for the relegation play-off |
| 8 | Oratory Youths (R) | 21 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 28 | 48 | −20 | 14 | Relegation to the Gozo FA Second Division |
Results edit
Matches 1–14 edit
Teams play each other twice, once assigned as home and once away.
Matches 15–22 edit
Teams play every other team once (either assigned at home or away).
Relegation play-off edit
A play-off match took place between the seventh-placed team from the First Division, S.K. Victoria Wanderers, and the second-placed team from the Second Division, Sannat Lions, for a place in the 2018–19 GFA First Division.
| 5 May 2018 | S.K. Victoria Wanderers (1) | 2–0 | Sannat Lions (2) | Xewkija |
A. G. Attard  37'N. Vella 45+2' |
Stadium: Gozo Stadium Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann |
Season statistics edit
Top goalscorers edit
- As of 29 April 2018[4]
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Elton da Silva
|
Victoria Hotspurs | 19 |
| 2 |  Darko Krstic
|
Nadur Youngsters | 15 |
| Claudio Antunes Pavlidis
|
Xewkija Tigers | ||
| 4 |  Ralph Ebube Okpokwu
|
Oratory Youths | 12 |
| 5 |  Ognjen Rolović
|
Kerċem Ajax | 11 |
| Stanimir Milošković
|
Nadur Youngsters | ||
| Marcelo Barbosa
|
Għarb Rangers | ||
| 8 | Luis André de Melo Lima
|
Għajnsielem | 10 |
| Ige Adeshina
|
S.K. Victoria Wanderers |
Awards edit
Monthly awards edit
| Month | Player of the Month | |
|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | |
| September[5] |  Rodney Buttigieg
|
Xewkija Tigers |
| October[6] | Ferdinando Apap
|
Victoria Hotspurs |
| November[7] | Shaun Attard
|
Nadur Youngsters |
| December[8] | Joseph Mario Vella
|
Xewkija Tigers |
| January[9] | Christian Mercieca
|
Victoria Hotspurs |
| February[10] | Alberto Xuereb
|
Għajnsielem |
| March[11] | Marcelo Barbosa
|
Għarb Rangers |
References edit
- ^ "August & September 2017 Fixtures" (PDF). Gozo FA.
- ^ "BOV GFA Div. I: Victoria Hotspurs crowned Champions". The Malta Independent. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ "Gozo First Division 2017/2018 - Season rules". Scoresway. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ "BOV Gozo Football League First Division 2017–18". MaltaFootball.com. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
- ^ "BOV GFA Player of the Month - Rodney Buttigieg (Xewkija Tigers) wins September Award". Bank of Valletta. 2 November 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "BOV GFA Player of the Month - Ferdinando Apap (Victoria Hotspurs) lands October award". Bank of Valletta. 23 November 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "BOV GFA Player of the Month - Shaun Attard (Nadur Youngsters) lands November award". Bank of Valletta. 29 December 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "BOV GFA Player of the month - Joseph Mario Vella (Xewkija Tigers) wins award for December 2017". Bank of Valletta. 4 January 2018. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ "BOV GFA Player of the Month - Christian Mercieca (Victoria Hotspurs) wins January Award". Bank of Valletta. 26 January 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "BOV GFA Player of the Month - February award goes to Ghajnsielem's Alberto Xuereb". Bank of Valletta. 10 April 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "BOV GFA Player of the Month - Marcelo Barbosa (Għarb Rangers) wins March award". Bank of Valletta. 16 April 2018.[permanent dead link]