[1] The ground was inaugurated with an exhibition match between Malta Football Association (MFA) XI and HMS Ajax.

The Ground is where during the First World War the RAF had its balloon station and was leased by Pietro Paolo Testaferrata Moroni Viani (Baron Gomerino) to his brother in law Carmelo 'Meme' Scicluna.

The Mile End Sports Ground was situated near Spencer's Monument at Blata l-Bajda (limits of Hamrun) and was Malta's main football stadium between 1912 and 1922.

Early in the 1930s, Scicluna signed a contract with a British company to hold greyhound racing at the Empire Sports Ground.

Although not completed, the Empire Stadium was officially inaugurated on 24 December 1933 with a friendly match between Malta XI and SK Viktoria Plzeň of Czechoslovakia.

In an attempt to boost the local game the government started to organize football leagues at the Marsa Sports Ground without consulting the MFA.

In the meantime the government officially inaugurated the newly built National Stadium (Ta' Qali) on 14 December 1980 leaving the MFA out of the celebrations.