| Full name | Hibernians Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Hibs Raħal Ġdid (Paola) Peacocks, Whites, Tal-Pagun |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Ground | Tony Bezzina Stadium, Paola, Malta |
| Capacity | 2,968 |
| Chairman | Mr. Ranier Bezzina |
Paola
Paola (Maltese: Raħal Ġdid, Italian: Casal Nuovo, both meaning “New Town”) is a town in the South Eastern Region of Malta, with a population of 7,864 people (March 2014). Paola is renowned for the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, its large parish Basilica (the biggest church in the Maltese Islands), its beautiful square with shopping centres, the Good Friday procession, and its football club, Hibernians FC. Mariam Al-Batool Mosque, the only mosque in Malta, as well as an Islamic Cultural Centre are found in Paola. The country’s correctional facilities and the largest burial grounds, the Addolorata Cemetery are also in this town. The town is a commercial centre in the Southern Harbour area of Malta, about 5 km from the capital Valletta.
It is named after Grand Master Antoine de Paule, who laid the foundation stone in 1626. To encourage migration to Paola, de Paule gave indemnity to the debts of the families who moved there. This account was recorded for the first time by de Solidanis in the eighteenth century. He says that in 1750 the village was not yet a parish on its own (part of Hal Taxien). Paola was almost deserted due to a local disease, but became increasingly habitable after intervention by captain Hunn.