Winning the title becomes crucial for St Joseph

Heading into Matchday Seventeen of the Gibraltar Football League, all eyes are now on the top two. Lincoln Red Imps have begun closing the gap in matches played with league leaders St Joseph, following the end of their European adventure. The battle for the league title is now in earnest, with a potentially decisive encounter just days away: the rescheduled Matchday One fixture between Lincoln Red Imps and St Joseph.
St Joseph lead the table having played fifteen, won thirteen, drawn one (against Lincoln Red Imps) and lost one (against Mons Calpe). Close behind, Lincoln Red Imps sit in second place, closing the gap in the final weeks of 2025. Still unbeaten, with three matches in hand and 34 points, they can leapfrog St Joseph—currently on 40—if they secure maximum points. The excitement builds as the league enters the final stretch of the second round and prepares for the decisive third-round championship phase.
With Mons Calpe now falling behind, having played sixteen matches and sitting on 33 points, the title race once again looks to be a two-horse contest between St Joseph and Lincoln Red Imps. St Joseph seek their first league title since Gibraltar joined UEFA and aim to break the Imps’ long-standing hold on Champions League qualification, which only Europa FC have interrupted.
Guided for most of the campaign by Adam Paz—who led the club to some of its best seasons and narrowly missed out on Champions League football after dropping points to Lincoln Red Imps last season—St Joseph have recently seen a change in leadership, with Cifuentes taking over. The decision surprised many but has not significantly altered results.
This season has also seen Gibraltar football boosted by Lincoln Red Imps’ European success, missing out on the Conference League knockout phase by a single goal. Their performance is expected to trigger one of the largest financial windfalls in domestic football since professionalism began. Once marketing benefits are accounted for, Lincoln Red Imps could walk away with a payout worth up to five times their annual budget—fueling fears of a financial divide and the emergence of a three-tier league, with Lincoln Red Imps as near-permanent title favourites and the rest fighting for European qualification spots.
For St Joseph—owned by former Burnley chairman Mike Garlick—this casts doubt over long-term investment prospects. Matching Lincoln’s financial power now appears a monumental challenge. Conference League football becomes a minimum requirement; Champions League qualification might soon be unattainable should Lincoln strengthen further in pursuit of knockout-stage European football.
For the Blues, the only route to keep pace may be increased investment and a renewed push to capture the league title for the first time in the UEFA era. After sixteen weeks at the top, St Joseph remain competitive and currently match Lincoln Red Imps in perceived squad strength.
Founded in 1912, St Joseph are among Gibraltar’s historic clubs—their first recorded match taking place in 1913. Despite their heritage, league titles have been scarce, with their only championship arriving in 1995/96, before UEFA membership. They have, however, won the Rock Cup nine times (1979, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1992, 1996, 2012, 2013).
A committed fan base—though smaller than their rivals—has remained loyal. Since turning professional, the club has prioritised foreign signings over youth development, adopting the minimum local player policy allowed by home-grown player (HGP) regulations. Their youth record does not compare to Lincoln Red Imps, Lions, Manchester 62 or Europa, with intermediate squads rarely matching senior-team standards. Recent improvements, however, hint at a healthier home-grown pipeline in future seasons.
This season, St Joseph have used the bare minimum of three home-grown players per match. Across sixteen fixtures, they have used 30 players (including unused substitutes), yet listed only twelve home-grown players. Of these, just four have played more than 500 of the 1,440 available minutes, and four have not played at all. Four others have played fewer than 250 minutes.
Goalkeeper Bradley Banda and defender Ethan Jolley are among the club’s most-used players. Banda has played all sixteen matches, while Jolley has only missed one. Both are now key figures for Gibraltar’s national team. However, despite fielding a predominantly foreign squad, the team still lacks extensive European experience.
With an average age of 29.5, St Joseph—like Lincoln—have prioritised experienced signings, primarily from Spain. Their European pedigree is limited compared to Lincoln Red Imps, who have acquired players with experience across European leagues. St Joseph’s best European campaigns came in 2022/23 and 2024/25, reaching the second round of the Conference League before falling to Slavia Prague and Shamrock Rovers respectively.
Having already dropped points to Mons Calpe this season, and with nine matches remaining, St Joseph face a title run-in where any slip could prove fatal. As Lincoln manager Juanjo Bezares noted, the Gibraltar Football League is among the hardest to compete in due to only two league spots guaranteeing European football, with the third decided by the Rock Cup. Only one team reaches the Champions League qualifiers; the financial difference in prize money and seeding creates a steep competitive imbalance.
Failure to dethrone Lincoln Red Imps would again force St Joseph to battle through early European rounds each summer, often with squads still settling post-break. For St Joseph, every season contains two finals: Europe, which determines the following year’s budget, and the domestic campaign, where finishing outside the top two risks financial destabilisation.
With Lincoln Red Imps now likely securing financial stability for multiple seasons regardless of the title outcome, the final nine matches for St Joseph effectively become nine consecutive cup finals—matches in which defeat cannot be afforded.

PLAYER NATIONALITY TOTAL MINUTES
Banda (GK) GIB 1306
Gonzalez Perez SP 1184
Jolley GIB 1109
Cardozo Tomas SP 1009
Alvarez ARG 940
Adamou Amadou NIG 921
Barba Jimenez SP 880
Rosa Blanco SP 859
Rodriguez Moreno SP 805
Mascarenhas-Olivero GIB 765
Paul Curado (C) SP 715
Torres Jimenez SP 707
Santos GIB 644
Forjan Gutierrez SP 642
Ruiz Lopez SP 635
Mendez De La Torre SP 509
Sanchez Lopez SP 365
Rey Vasquez SP 355
Dixon GIB 236
Pena Garcia SP 177
Garnes Alarcon SP 46
Vera Macias SP 43
Moya GIB 26
Gibson GIB 22
Pons GIB 17
Paz Aguero (GK) ARG 0
Alba Garcia GIB 0
Guilliano GIB 0
Khan GIB 0
Perry GIB 0