| St Pauli FC | Opposition | Legends & Supporters |
St Pauli & Celtic: The Rebel’s Choice
Football. Packaged, branded, commercialised, bought and sold. Deep down though, there has to be a soul, a badge to identify with. Does this still apply? Looking at a strong bond for Celtic, IBWM welcomes Robin Cowan.
FC St Pauli, the punk rockers of European football have made an encouraging early start to life back in the Bundesliga 1. It almost feels like an act of rebellion and defiance for the club’s fan-adopted emblem of the skull & crossbones to be flying amidst the highly sponsored and carefully marketed glamour of one of world’s top leagues.
For the uninitiated, St Pauli are one of football’s most wonderful peculiarities. During the 1980’s the club went through a cultural transformation, which saw them regenerate from an ordinary lower division side, going about their business, toiling in obscurity, into that of countercultural icon. The club seemingly benefiting from its location within one of Hamburg’s more infamous neighbourhoods. The Reeperbahn, known as die sündige Meile or “the sinful mile” due to its proximity to the docks and red-light district. The area was seeing a growing alternative music and clubbing scene. Attendances at the Millerntor-Stadion grew rapidly throughout the decade. The club benefiting from a growing audience of Hamburg’s punks, anarchists and students.
What the club did over this period was a marketing and PR masterstroke, one in which the world’s largest corporate brands continually pay countless millions to advertising agencies to achieve; To successfully tap into, cultivate the rebellious, zeitgeist, and attach it to their product. In an era of polarizing movements, which saw the spread of right-wing inspired hooliganism throughout European football, St Pauli became the first team in Germany to outright ban any fascist or nationalistic expression within it’s ground. The club also set in place a charter characterising themselves in it’s opposition to racism, homophobia and sexism. During the next decade, St Pauli’s attendances would increase from an average gate of around 1,500 to regularly filling the 20,000 capacity Millerntor with a noisy, buzzing and colourful support.
Where most teams tacitly and sometimes begrudgingly tolerate their supporter’s expression, often with one careful eye on the reaction of their sponsors and of those in the corporate seats, St Pauli openly celebrates it. On the club’s official website, referring to themselves as “the red-light district team” they proudly acknowledge their fan’s bohemian and left-wing political heritage. Last season, despite enduring a long tenure in Germany’s second tier, they could still boast a season ticket uptake that rivalled most in the top flight.
The acknowledgement being that its this celebration with their supporters of their team’s cult status, which is the most viable business model avenue open to them.
The Buccaneers of the League have some natural allies amongst some of Europe’s more left-leaning teams, but no bond is tighter than with Glasgow’s Celtic. The slogan of the St Pauli Celtic Supporters Club in Hamburg reads “St Pauli & Celtic: The Rebel’s Choice”. It is easy to see why St Pauli identifies with The Bhoys, a club that also views its self as perennial outsiders. Supporters that characterize themselves as a perceived interloper to the Scottish and British establishment. This identity has helped generate one of the largest and most dedicated fan-bases in the world outside of the big three leagues, of those who feel a cultural connection with Celtic.
Celtic profit hugely from being a representation their supporter’s culture. A bad turnout at the 60,000 capacity Celtic Park would still be the envy of a majority of teams in Europe. Indeed figures show that the percentage of the club’s revenue generated by match day income reported at 58%, by far outstrips any of Europe’s top 20 highest earning teams.
Taking Juventus as an example who only accumulate 8% of their revenue from actually playing football matches at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino
The flip side to these figures is that 65% of Juventus’ earnings come via the TV money bubble. Compare that to the mere 17% that Celtic receive from television revenue and it is obvious the powers that be at Celtic, whatever their views or opinions, know exactly, which side their bread is buttered. (Figures from the Deloittes Money League via The Swiss Ramble.
Those powers at Celtic for their part have on occasions played the hand of being the outsider themselves. In 1965 The club was the first in the UK to publish it’s own newspaper; The Celtic View was born out of what the club felt were continued biased and unfavourable reports made by the establishment media about the team. Last season chairman Dr John Reid, no stranger to spin during his time as home secretary in Tony Blair’s government, caused a few ripples when he seemed to imply refereeing decisions as evidence of institutional favouring of title rivals Rangers.
What all this helps to do is to create a siege mentality among supporters and to re-affirm Celtic F.C as a symbol of defiance and rebellion. A sentiment that was at the heart of the formation of FC United of Manchester. Nicknamed The Red Rebels, the club defined by it’s protest to the Glazier takeover of Manchester United, has achieved three promotions since it’s formation in 2005 and despite playing in the semi-professional Northern Premier League Division One North (catch my breath), England’s 7th tier, is reported to have the second highest average attendances in non-league football.
This re-affirms what any ad man will tell you, which is that every brand is desperate for it’s product to have “meaning”. A meaning or cause inspires a greater loyalty and participation in the consumer than any other emotional pull. When you have lead singers in famous punk bands promoting the club by wearing the St Pauli skull & crossbones on stage, or acclaimed directors such as Ken Loach using FC United as a major theme in a film, then your brand is reaching markets your competitors cannot. It appears the clubs making the most of being in leagues not favoured by Rupert Murdoch, Sky, Jeff Stelling and the boys are themselves rebelling against the idea that Sky, the Surrey and Abu-Dhabi United supporters clubs and the armchair viewer hold the key to football’s future.
St. Pauli fans furious at their management: How can you support Israel?
https://www.nogomania.com/article/St-Pauli-fans-furious-at-their-management-How-can-you-support-Israel
11. October 2023
St. Pauli (foto: /)
Fans of the German St. Pauli are among the few who have decided to loudly and clearly raise their voice against the Israeli terror prevailing on Palestinian soil.
The fan association of this club (FCSP International) issued an open letter to the club’s management today, to which it had several questions. They are unclear about the support sent to Israel, which is currently in open war conflict with Palestine.
“Every war carries murders, nothing can justify violence against civilians. Therefore, it is good that the club is sensitive to this issue. However, as much as we do not want to engage in ‘whataboutism,’ we are saddened that the club did not take a stand on Palestinian civilians in Gaza, who have been under blockade for 14 years, did not say anything about the people who were attacked in the Al-Aqsa mosque on their holiest day, but decided to stand aside. We watched things in silence, but this finally made us speak up.
We know and understand the cautious stance of the German left towards Israel. Because of the Holocaust that was unfortunately committed, these things will always be sensitive. However, we sadly note that this allows some fans to put pressure on the club’s management. These people constantly attack us and accuse us of anti-Semitism. Let’s be completely honest: Our resistance to Israel has nothing to do with the fact that Jews live in Israel. Since when is racism to oppose 75 years of lawlessness, unjust occupation, apartheid regime, religious and fascist authority, which concretes over people’s water sources? This is demagoguery that we do not accept. On this issue, we part ways with these people. However, in most matters, our value system is the same, we are all united by St. Pauli and we expect empathy. The kind we feel.
We are St. Pauli fans, we are all anti-fascists and anti-racists. We oppose occupation, imperialism, and colonialism. We do not want to be on the side with such people. We support the right of the Palestinian people to self-defense and self-determination. We want peace in the Middle East as much as you do, but we know very well who wants war.
We equally condemn the religious fundamentalism of Hamas, human rights violations, and the indescribable brutality of the Hamas regime, we have no more in common with these people than we do with the regime of Benjamin Netanyahu. We are not on the side of Hamas, we despise them. Hamas is simply a sad result of policies being implemented in Palestine, so we stand with the Palestinian people, the same ones who are still being bombed with phosphorus bombs today.
We call on both sides to end the war and oppression, we call for the resumption of peace talks and we call for a permanent solution, which ensures the freedom and peaceful coexistence of Israel and Palestine.
We address you as the “FCSP International” association, which the club management praised after the match against Dunfermline, people who are united around St. Pauli because of anti-fascist values. We feel uncomfortable that all St. Pauli fans are called pro-Israeli oriented. We take a stand based on the values that the club propagates. Therefore, we call on the management to reconsider their stance on this issue.
FREEDOM TO PALESTINE. STOP THE WAR. PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST,” says the statement from St. Pauli fans.
Otherwise, St. Pauli competes in the 2. Bundesliga, which they won once. It was in the 1976/77 season, after which they immediately returned to the Zweite.
In addition to the fans of the German club, supporters of the Scottish Celtic have traditionally supported Palestine following the latest events in the Middle East in recent days.
From Jan 2024:
