FC Sankt Pauli - the football club in the red-light
district of Hamburg; a transvestite chairman; terraces
populated by punks, pimps and prostitutes; a club run by
anarchists, united under the skull and crossbones flag.
This is the cliche that has been lazily peddled, one
which attracts clueless stag parties from the Reeperbahn
to the Millerntor stadium. But it's not the real St
Pauli. In Pirates, Punks & Politics author Nick
Davidson puts the record straight, intermingling the
history of FC St. Pauli, and the district it represents,
with an account of his own involvement with the club.
Back in 2007 Davidson travelled with his father to watch
his first game at the Millerntor. What he found
reinforced his faith in football. This book goes beyond
the stereotype to seek out the real St. Pauli - a club
with a passionate, left-wing fan base that has made a
stand against, fascism, racism, sexism and both in
football and wider society. As the author and countless
others have discovered, the Millerntor is also a place
which welcomes with open arms fans seeking an
alternative to the rabid commercialisation of football
elsewhere, encouraging them to stay for hours after the
final whistle and immerse themselves in the vibrant fan
culture. Read this book and fall in love with a
different kind of football. |
|