Michael Galea - the end of an era
by Ivan Mizzi - 18th June 2011
Today Michael Galea decided to no longer play for Birkirkara FC as he decided not to renew his contract with the Club.
We asked Michael to comment about this decision, "It was not an easy decision but I would like to thank the Birkirkara FC committee for their help in understanding the situation and acceding to my request. The past 14 years at the club have been wonderful for me and I am proud to have contributed to many of the success that Birkirkara have enjoyed theoughout these years. I wish the club the very best for the future and assure everyone that I will remain a Birkirkara supporter in the years to come"
Michael made 334 appearances and in his career and he managed to score no less than 177 goals. He is the 3rd best scorer ever in Maltese football, after Stefan Sultana and Gilbert Agius. However, Michael is the best scorer ever when considering the fact that he played much less than the other two scorers.
His appearances and goals are as follows:
| Season | Matches | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1997-1998 | 25 | 14 |
| 1998-1999 | 25 | 9 |
| 1999-2000 | 28 | 14 |
| 2000-2001 | 26 | 21 |
| 2001-2002 | 26 | 15 |
| 2002-2003 | 27 | 18 |
| 2003-2004 | 22 | 14 |
| 2004-2005 | 21 | 14 |
| 2005-2006 | 26 | 19 |
| 2006-2007 | 15 | 6 |
| 2007-2008 | 19 | 6 |
| 2008-2009 | 26 | 7 |
| 2009-2010 | 28 | 14 |
| 2010-2011 | 20 | 6 |
Without any doubt, all Maltese supporters will remember Michael Galea not only for the large amounts of goals he scored but also for the great loyalty and respect he showed towards Birkirkara FC. Thanks for everything Captain!
Career
Michael Galea was born on 1st of February 1979 and he is the most veteran player in the squad of Birkirkara FC.
Michael started his career with Melita FC before being transferred to Birkirkara FC during the 1997-1998 season at the young age of 18 years.
Galea is considered to be the best striker that 'The Stripes' ever had and he is the Club's best ever scorer.
From his first day in the yellow and red shirt, Michael has shown his level, and despite being so young, he managed to score no less than 14 goals in his first 1997-1998 season.
In the debut of Birkirkara in the UEFA Competitions, Birkirkara was eliminated by the Slovakia's side, FC Spartak Trnava with a 5-1 aggregate result and Birkirkara's only goal was scored by Michael Galea.
During season 1998-1999, although it was not the best when it comes to goals, Michael managed to score 9 goals, and he continued to impress and make it more difficult for any defense to stop him from scoring.
The next season was different as Michael was back in his form scoring 14 goals which contributed in no small way for 'The Stripes' to lift their first ever Premier League on the 50th anniversary of the Club.
In February 2000, Michael made the National Squad debut against Andorra on 8th February. Michael had just 5 appearances with the Maltese shirt but what our Captain had never achieved as an international player, he achieved with 'The Stripes'.
Season 2000-2001 found Michael, once again in his best form as he had managed a record number of goals, that is 21 goals.
During the 2001-2002 season, Michael lived up to his class and scored another 15 goals meaning that after just five seasons with 'The Stripes', Michael had managed to score no less than 65 goals. In the same season, Michael won his first Rothmans Trophy with 'The Stripes'.
As time passed by, Michael continued to show his loyalty towards the Birkirkara shirt and it is no wonder that he has a special place in the heart of Birkirkara FC as Michael Galea immediately comes to mind whenever the name Birkirkara is mentioned.
Michael put his name on the 2nd Rothmans Trophy that Birkirkara managed to win as his solitary goal was enough for 'The Stripes' to win the match and to lift the trophy.
Two seasons later, in 2005 came yet another victory in the Rothmans Trophy, as our team managed to beat the finalists, Msida SJ with Michael Galea's scoring of two important goals, which were enough to beat Msida with a 2-1 score line and for 'The Stripes' to win the 3rd Rothmans Trophy.
During season 2005-2006, Birkirkara managed to win another Premier League title, and the captain Michael Galea finished off the season as the Club's best scorer with 18 goals in that season.
In a highly disappointing 2006-2007 season, Michael Galea suffered an injury which kept him away from playing for almost a year. During this year, 'The Stripes' managed only to qualify for the Intertoto Cup.
Season 2007-2008 was Michael's turn, and, although he only scored six goals in the league, Michael was the match-winner in the U*BET FA Trophy against Hamrun. He scored the two goals that Birkirkara needed to beat the 'Spartans' 2-1, which enabled Birkirkara to lift another Trophy.
2008-2009 was again not the best season for Michael, as he only scored 7 goals with Birkirkara, who only managed to qualify to the 1st round of the Europa League.
During the following season, Michae's experience was essential for 'The Stripes' squad as Birkirkara managed to win their 3rd Premier League title. Michael Galea finished the season as the second best scorer for the Club with 14 goals.
In the last season with 'The Stripes', Michael made 20 appearances and managed to score 6 goals in the Premier League. He was voted the man of the match once. Birkirkara despite having a disappointing season managed to secure the third place and participation in UEFA for a record 15th consecutive time.
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