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Fan Power and Sankt Pauli
Fan Power
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Reclaim the game! Football fans are fighting back against commercialization and corporate ownership and few fans exert more control over their club than those of Hamburg’s F.C. Sankt Pauli. They are prolifically active in making their voices heard and in influencing the direction of their club. But how does all that happen?
The following articles uncover what goes on behind the scenes, reveal the insider’s view of how Sankt Pauli works, and will be of interest to fans and sport activists who want more control of their sport. They show how the fans are organised, their leadership and decision making. They offer ideas to other fans for the way ahead and more democratic community control.
The first articles are based on a research project with the fans; “Fan Power: Calling the shots; Lessons from the iconic fans of cult club Sankt Pauli F.C.”. The findings will be helpful to share with those who have an interest in cultivating more fan power:
Fan Power; Summary is an accessible overall summary of the research with fans.
Fan Power; Full Findings is the full results of the research with fans.
Fan Culture and Activism is a more specifically focused paper, derived from the previous research project, on the fans relationship with the club and how they influence it politically.
And the next article on Sankt Pauli History is a fascinating and impressive thesis by Chris Sanderson on how the club evolved and how the fans radically influenced it.
Play Left Wing will be updated periodically, so please come back later to find more new features and sources.
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