FC St. Pauli

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The colours of FC St. Pauli are brown and white, and to a lesser extent red. Black is also common among fans and on third kits.

The club has worn brown and white since 1910, when it joined the Northern German Football Association (Norddeutscher Fußball-Verband).[18] These early uniforms were made up of brown shirts and socks with white shorts. Some time between the 1920s and 30s, the club took on what would become its traditional look, namely a white shirt, brown shorts and brown socks with a white turnover. From early on in the club's history until the 1990s, the club readily wore its brown change shirts at home, even during such games as those against rivals HSV, who also wear white shirts.

During the 1960s the club introduced white socks which regularly alternated with plain brown socks. A motif was used on the club shirt for the first time in 1968, when the club donned stripes, and in the 1970s various other motifs adorned the club's first and second-choice shirts. In the 1976–77 season, St. Pauli began wearing Adidas kits, marking the end of a period of often experimental shirts, and this traditional look continued when the club started wearing Puma uniforms in the 1980s. For the 1985–86 season the club sported an all white Puma uniform, which would be worn for four consecutive seasons before some brown details returned to the shirt. However, the Kiezkicker would continue to wear these predominantly white kits until 1993.

At this point, the club would return to a uniform based on a white-brown-white scheme, but in a more contemporary style, often incorporating patterns. The Reusch uniforms of 1994–96 and 1996–97 had hoops and stripes respectively, while Kappa would also produce a striped kit in 2000–01. The Italian brand would provide a set of uniforms for the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons in which the shirt, shorts, and socks were all available in white and brown, meaning that the team would wear a different combination each game, reminiscent of the club's look between the 1960s and 1980s. During the 2001–02 season, the team would frequently make recourse to the previous year's all-black away kit.

In 2003–04, the club would once again sport a white shirt with brown sleeves, manufactured by Stanno. However this is, as of the 2022–23 season, the last time the club has donned its traditional kit. While the club's uniform for the 2005–06 season would combine a light shirt and brown shorts, St. Pauli would wear an all-black kit during the following campaign (marking the first time that neither of the club's colours were present on the home kit). From the 2007–08 season, St. Pauli has worn an all-brown home kit on all but three occasions, one of which saw the team return to a striped shirt, while in the two other instances the team wore white shorts.

Between 2019–20 and 2021–22, LGBT details were integrated into the third shirt. In 2020, having sought a kit supplier who would meet their ecological and ethical requirements since 2018, St. Pauli founded their own brand, Di!Y ("Do it. Improve Yourself").[19] From the 2021–22 season, St. Pauli have worn kits made in-house by Di!Y.

The club's recent seasons:

The flag used by the St. Pauli supporters

St. Pauli enjoys a certain fame for the left-leaning character of its supporters: most of the team's fans regard themselves as anti-racist, anti-fascist, anti-homophobic and anti-sexist, and this has on occasion brought them into conflict with neo-Nazis and hooligans at away games. The organization has adopted an outspoken stance against racism, fascism, sexism, and homophobia and has embodied this position in its constitution.[20] Team supporters traditionally participate in demonstrations in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, including those over squatting or low-income housing, such as the Hafenstraße and Bambule. The centre of fan activity is the Fanladen St. Pauli. St. Pauli has a supporters group in England, Yorkshire St. Pauli.

Partly because of shared leftist political views, St. Pauli fans have strong relationships with supporters of Ternana, Unione Calcio Sampdoria, Rayo Vallecano, Club Universidad Nacional, SV Babelsberg 03,[21] Hapoel Tel Aviv, AEK Athens (Original 21), Celtic and Oakland Roots.[22][23][24][25][26] In the past they also had a friendship with the fans of Bohemians 1905, Partizan Minsk and F.C. United of Manchester, the latter of whom were invited to the Millerntor for a friendly game to celebrate St. Pauli's centenary.[27] The group Ultrá Sankt Pauli also has a special friendship with the group Schickeria München, from the ultras scene of Bayern Munich.[28] A banner of the Schickeria München is occasionally displayed at the Millerntor Stadion, and a flag of the Ultrá Sankt Pauli – sporting a picture of Che Guevara – has been displayed at the Allianz Arena.[29] Both Ultrá Sankt Pauli and Schickeria München are members of Alerta Network, an international anti-fascist network of supporter groups.

The club prides itself on having the largest number of female fans in all of German football.[30] In 2002, advertisements for the men's magazine Maxim were removed from the Millerntor-Stadion in response to fans' protests over the adverts' sexist depictions of women.[31] In 2011, the club banned lap dancers from performing during match before guests at a corporate suite, following fans' complaints. The suite belonged to local lap dance club Susies Show Bar.[32]

St. Pauli is also a worldwide symbol for punk and related subcultures.[33] The skull and crossbones logo and the team's brown and white football jerseys have often been worn by international artists such as the bands Asian Dub Foundation, Gaslight Anthem and Panteon Rococo. The KMFDM frontman and Hamburg native Sascha Konietzko is a recognisable St. Pauli fan, at one point placing a huge picture of a fist smashing a swastika on his band's main page, with the caption "St. Pauli Fans gegen Rechts!" ("St. Pauli fans against the Right") underneath it. American punk band Anti-Flag can be seen wearing St. Pauli shirts in numerous music videos for their album American Fall. Another notable supporter and sponsor is Andrew Eldritch, lead singer of band The Sisters of Mercy. On his 2006 "Sisters Bite The Silver Bullet"- tour, Eldritch wore the famous skull and crossbones shirt. Georg Holm, the bassist of the Icelandic post rock band Sigur Rós, has performed at several festivals wearing a St. Pauli T-shirt. Alex Rosamilia, the guitarist for The Gaslight Anthem, frequently wears a St. Pauli hat and hoodie and displays a flag of the club's logo in front of the speakers of his guitar amp. Editors guitarist and synthesiser player Chris Urbanowicz frequently wears the skull and crossbones t-shirt. Dave Doughman, the singer for Dayton, Ohio's Swearing at Motorists, who has been spotted in concert with the skull and crossbones on his guitar and amplifier, moved to St. Pauli in 2010. Bad Religion played a charity match against St. Pauli's third team in 2000.[34] German musicians that are fans include: Fettes Brot, Die Ärzte singer/drummer/songwriter Bela B., Kettcar, Tomte and many other bands, most of them underground.

The ska punk group Kollmarlibre are avowed supporters of FC St. Pauli.

Several bands have also made music directly related to St. Pauli: The Norwegian punk rock band Turbonegro recorded a special version of their song "I Got Erection" with re-worked German lyrics for St. Pauli. In 2009, Italian ska combat-folk punk band Talco from Marghera, Venice, wrote the song "St Pauli". The team has since used the song as an anthem and Talco has played a number of concerts at Millerntor-Stadion. Glasgow band The Wakes have also played the Millerntor, having written "The Pirates of the League" about the club. Also, British band Art Brut has written a song about the club called "St Pauli" which is featured on their album It's a Bit Complicated.[35] In 2010, FC St. Pauli celebrated its 100th anniversary. For the occasion, the fan club 18auf12 recorded the song "Happy Birthday St.Pauli, One Hundred Beers for You", with words and music by Henning Knorr and Christoph Brüx.[36]

The Canadian punk rock band The Pagans of Northumberland recorded a song in 2014 called simply "St Pauli" for their first 7-inch detailing their love of the club and its supporters around the world.

In January 2017, FC St. Pauli announced an extensive co-operation with Irish-American Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. The co-operation includes a strictly limited seven-inch picture disc of the song "You’ll Never Walk Alone" recorded by the band, and new club merchandise labeled "You’ll Never Walk Alone", sporting both the club and the band.[37]

When the team played in Germany's 2nd Bundesliga, their home fixtures at the Millerntor used to average greater attendances than any other team and often exceeded turnouts for second division teams. As of the 2011–12 season, St. Pauli is the only team that has close to 100% in average home attendance.

In 2006, St. Pauli had more season ticket holders than many Bundesliga teams.[38] One study estimated that the team has roughly 11 million fans throughout Germany,[39] making the club one of the most widely recognised German sides. The number of official fan clubs in 2011 passed 500 which is an increase of 300 over three years.[40]

In January 2020, the club's famous skull and crossbones flag was listed by the United Kingdom's counter-terrorism police in a guide sent to public sector workers, to notice potential extremism, prompting a backlash from St Pauli's Welsh defender James Lawrence.[41]

St. Pauli opens its home matches with "Hells Bells" by AC/DC, and after every home goal "Song 2" by Blur is played.[30]

The former club president Corny Littmann, long active in German theatre and head of the Schmidt Theater on the Reeperbahn, is openly gay.[42][43]

St. Pauli have made pre-season appearances at Wacken Open Air, a heavy metal festival, several times.

The club hosted the 2006 FIFI Wild Cup, a tournament made up of unrecognised national football teams like Greenland, Tibet and Zanzibar. They participated as the "Republic of St. Pauli".[44]

In 2008, Nike commemorated the club with two exclusive Dunk shoes, both released in limited quantities. The High Dunk (featuring a black colorway, and the skull and crossbones symbol) was released to all countries throughout Europe, with only 500 pairs produced. The Low Dunk (featuring a smooth white colorway, and holding the team's logo impregnated in the side panel leather) was released only to shops in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with only 150 pairs produced.[45]

St. Pauli were the first club in Germany to integrate a set of Fundamental Principles (Leitlinien) to dictate how the club is run. The Fundamental Principles were passed by an overwhelming majority at the St. Pauli Congress in 2009 and they go beyond solely football.

The first five Principles states that:

– "In its totality, consisting of members, staff, fans and honorary officers, St. Pauli FC is a part of the society by which it is surrounded and so is affected both directly and indirectly by social changes in the political, cultural and social spheres."

– "St. Pauli FC is conscious of the social responsibility this implies, and represents the interests of its members, staff, fans and honorary officers in matters not just restricted to the sphere of sport."

– "St. Pauli FC is the club of a particular city district, and it is to this that it owes its identity. This gives it a social and political responsibility in relation to the district and the people who live there."

– "St. Pauli FC aims to put across a certain feeling for life and symbolises sporting authenticity. This makes it possible for people to identify with the club independently of any sporting successes it may achieve. Essential features of the club that encourage this sense of identification are to be honoured, promoted and preserved."

– "Tolerance and respect in mutual human relations are important pillars of the St. Pauli philosophy."[46]

The home venue of the FC St Pauli is the Millerntor-Stadion. Work on the stadium began in 1961, but its completion was delayed until 1963 as there was initially no drainage system in place, making the pitch unplayable after rain. It originally held 32,000 supporters, but the capacity was later reduced for safety reasons.

In 1970, the stadium was renamed the Wilhelm Koch-Stadium in honour of a former club president. However, this name became highly controversial when it was discovered that Wilhelm Koch had been a member of the Nazi Party during the war. After protests by fans, the name was changed back to Millerntor-Stadion in 1999.

A total redevelopment began in 2006. The final phase of the redevelopment work ended with the completion of the new north stand in July 2015. The stadium is since then permitted for a capacity of 29,546 spectators of which 16,940 are standing and 12,606 are seated.[1]

The stadium is located next to the Heiligengeistfeld, and is overlooked by the infamous Flak Tower IV to the north and a building of the Deutsche Telekom to the south. It can easily be reached with the Hamburg U-Bahn line U3 (St. Pauli Station and Feldstrasse Station).

The St. Pauli rugby section has several teams, both in the men's and women's leagues.

The men's rugby department has not been as successful as its female counterpart, reaching the German final only once, in 1964. In 2008–09, St. Pauli was the only club to have a team in both the rugby and football 2nd Bundesliga. In 2008–09, the men's team finished fourth in the second division.

The women's team have won the German rugby union championship eight times (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005–08) and the sevens championship 3 times (2000, 2001 and 2002). Several of their players play in the national squad.

St. Pauli has a blind football team which plays in the Blindenfussball Bundesliga.

St. Pauli also has a Roller Derby team known as Harbor Girls Hamburg.

• 1990–00: Heinz Weisener
• 2002–10: Corny Littmann

Wikimedia Commons has media related to FC St. Pauli.

• Official website
• Punk, Politics & Football article on FC St Pauli by N by Norwegian
• A brief guide to FC St Pauli video on YouTube