A group of current and former players have come together to set up a representative body. Lawyer Anthony Galea, himself an ex-Pieta Hotspurs, St Andrew's and Malta U-21 midfielder, is spearheading the drive to create a players' association along with a number of prominent footballers. Dr Galea confirmed to The Times that plans to form a players' entity are at a very advanced stage following positive talks with the General Workers' Union (GWU).

The official launch of the football players' unit within the GWU is expected to be held later this week."Football players have long felt the need to establish an association," Dr Galea said. "Over the past few weeks, interest in this initiative has increased significantly, leading a group of past and present players to hold a series of discussions over the matter.

"Encouraged by the initial feedback, we decided that the best way forward was to seek the assistance of an established union and our choice fell on the General Workers' Union. "In our opintion, they have the knowledge, experience and re-sources to handle such matters.

"The aim of this body is to protect and improve the rights and working conditions of footballers on our islands." The newly-created footballers' unit will form part of the GWU's professional, financial and services section. A players' working committee and GWU officials are co-ordinating the campaign to get the unit up and running. Membership forms were distributed and over 70 players have already joined in.

Renewed endeavours from football players to affiliate themselves with a union come at a time when the members of the national squad are at loggerheads with the Malta FA's hierarchy over the removal of training allowances. The people behind this initiative were at pains to stress that the setting up of a players' body had nothing to do with the training benefits' issue. They emphasised that there are several other priorities the players' body will be focusing on in the coming months, like adequate insurance cover and local transfer regulations whereby clubs are entitled for compensation for out-of-contract players who opt to move to another local club.

Yet, the training allowances' controversy can only have increased the players' resolve to do something to strengthen their negotiating power with clubs and the Malta FA. The national team players were engaged in talks yesterday to decide whether to accept the revised financial terms offered by MFA president Norman Darmanin Demajo. Last week, Darmanin Demajo told the players that the Malta FA was prepared to increase the line-up fees (for the 18 players in the Malta squad on matchday) and performance-related bonuses but stood by his decision to axe training allowances. Conscious of the need to have a smooth and proper build-up for the Euro 2012 Group F qualifier at home to Greece later this month, the players have agreed to continue to train normally with the national squad for the next three weeks. However, they will also tell the Malta FA that they don't intend to attend the morning training sessions at Ta' Qali after the Greece match on March 26 unless their proposals are met.

The majority of the players are believed to have accepted the MFA's decision to abolish training allowances. But, they are contending that the idea to offer financial incentives to the 18 players on the teamsheet for an international match only is unfair on those left out despite having trained regularly with the squad in the preceding weeks and months.