“FC St. Pauli is considered one of the most left-wing football clubs in the world, with a long-standing commitment to anti-fascism, anti-racism, anti-sexism, and LGBTQ+ rights. The club’s culture is closely linked to the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, an area historically associated with alternative lifestyles and the red-light district, the Reeperbahn. Its distinct political identity began to develop in the mid-1980s, when local residents, squatters, and left-wing activists rallied behind the team in response to a growing far-right presence among rival Hamburg SV supporters, establishing St. Pauli as a refuge for fans opposed to right-wing extremism in German football. The club operates under a democratic, member-driven structure, and its fans actively engage in political and social causes, including support for refugees, marginalised groups, and local community initiatives. The skull and crossbones, or Jolly Roger, was adopted in the late 1980s after a local punk singer, Doc Mabuse, displayed the flag at a match. Originally a symbol of the club’s underdog status, it became associated with St. Pauli’s anti-establishment values. …”
W – Club culture and supporters
NY Times/The Athletic – Why left-wing German club St Pauli are selling their stadium to fans: ‘It’s the home of the people’ (2024 – Video)
YouTube: St. Pauli: Germany’s Far-Left Football Cult, The St Pauli Way: Fans Against Modern Football