Monday 12 November 2012

European Fans Rankings- Who's The Most Passionate of our Continental Friends?

9. St Pauli
Basically, they are mad. I mean MAD. Their radical left-wing support and involvement in politics has made the club renowned across the world for its errr...unique, approach to off-field issues. Over the years the fans have made the club be recognized by the black and white skull and cross bones, the club’s unofficial badge. The club has been very involved in the politics of the game, leading multiple anti-racism and anti-homophobia campaigns long before wider campaigns such ‘Kick It Out’ ever came into existence. Although they haven’t stopped there. The club has even campaigned for Tibet’s independence and arranged a friendly with Cuba to show solidarity with Fidel Castro.
Another trait that defines St Pauli is their close relationship with their fans. The club do nearly everything for the fans. Very little gets done at St Pauli without full and thorough consultation processes with fans (if only it was like that at The Arsenal!) and they have been willing to give up financial gain to accommodate the desires of the fans....I wonder if Stan Kroenke is reading this...
But onto what really puts St Pauli here on this list- The fans. Their notorious, yet incredibly peaceful, ultras are renowned for their amazingly choreographed displays, many of which involve thousands of fans donning specific costumes and using specific props, making their games quite a sight off the field if not on it. As a spectacle visually, St Pauli fans are by far the best on this list and the effort that goes into their displays is unmatched. However, one factor which is out of their control, but which probably prevents them from ranking higher on this list is the lack of big matches they get to experience and hence the lack of special, big game atmospheres. I would love to see the kind of atmosphere that could be generated if they managed to get back in the Bundesliga and play teams such as Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Trust me when I say if and when that time comes I will be on the first flight to Hamburg. Despite this their vocal support remains brilliant and their particularly famous “we love you, we love you” song, since adopted by the likes of Palace, Celtic and Liverpool can be seen below.
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