What type of German second division club has an estimated 11 million supporters in Germany, about 200 registered fans clubs around the world and more season ticket holders then many Bundesliga clubs? A club like St Pauli.
From their official establishment in 1910 to the mid 80's FC St. Pauli was just another typical small German club side spending most it's time in the second or third division with the odd season or two in the top division.
FC St. Pauli began to change when in the mid 80's the club decided to embrace the area surrounding it and use it to it's advantage. FC St. Pauli's home ground is located near Hamburg's centre of city nightlife and red light district. This led to the FC St. Pauli home matches having a party atmosphere. One of FC St. Pauli's most important decisions was to ban right wing, nationalist activities and displays in their stadium. They were the first German football club to implement this and is particular significant because at the time fascist inspired football hooliganism was rife across Europe. From averaging crowds of under 2,000 thousand in 1981, by the late 1990's FC St. Pauli was regularly selling out it's stadium of just over 20,000.
Now FC St. Pauli is famous around the world for being a different type of club. The left leaning character of it's supporters, that the club has taken up a stance against racism, fascism and sexism and is now part of it's constitution. That it's a worldwide symbol for punk and related subcultures. That it's players walk out at home matches to AC/DC's Hell's Bells and that it's players have made pre-season appearances several times at Wacken Open Air a German heavy metal festival. FC St. Pauli a very different type of football club.
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