Well yeh but that's a nationwide difference, football or no football, so I don't know if you can necessarily refer to that as a difference. There were police at Berlin, there are police at English football... so that's more a debate about policing in each country as a whole, and guns as a deterrent... I'd be surprised if the guns ever come out at games!
Yes InspectorSands, I have heard about St Pauli, my brother has been talking about going to see them for years... I believe there are underlying political motivations to their support? Which may well be the case with Berlin, hence the "Union" prefix..
St Pauli does indeed have an interesting fan culture. The Wikipedia page is worth reading. One sentence reads: "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" Which makes it all the more puzzling that not long ago they had started associating themselves with the Spanners. However there is no mention of that on the Wiki, so maybe they discovered the error of their ways.
I remember reading that when Union met Hertha in the Berlin derby two years ago, this was a 2nd Division game yet the Olympicstadion was a 75,000 sellout.
The other club with a particularly strong fan base, as I discovered on holidays up that way in the last two years is Hansa Rostock. Unfortunately the club is sinking like a stone.
I need to get over there for some matches. I'm glad both the footie and the country is getting the recognition it deserves from people here. Every time I visit I have a great feeling about it.
St Pauli does indeed have an interesting fan culture. The Wikipedia page is worth reading. One sentence reads: "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" Which makes it all the more puzzling that not long ago they had started associating themselves with the Spanners. However there is no mention of that on the Wiki, so maybe they discovered the error of their ways.
I remember reading that when Union met Hertha in the Berlin derby two years ago, this was a 2nd Division game yet the Olympicstadion was a 75,000 sellout.
The other club with a particularly strong fan base, as I discovered on holidays up that way in the last two years is Hansa Rostock. Unfortunately the club is sinking like a stone.
I need to get over there for some matches. I'm glad both the footie and the country is getting the recognition it deserves from people here. Every time I visit I have a great feeling about it.
Yeh interesting, would like to go and see St Pauli. One of the Berlin fans told me that Rostock and I think it was Dresden have particularly homophobic supporters... he said we might've been in trouble if we'd turned up at one of their games in the fancy dress gear we were sporting at Berlin!
St Pauli does indeed have an interesting fan culture. The Wikipedia page is worth reading. One sentence reads: "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" Which makes it all the more puzzling that not long ago they had started associating themselves with the Spanners.
Never heard that before, Know they go to Celtic and vice versa.
Comments
St Pauli does indeed have an interesting fan culture.
The Wikipedia page is worth reading. One sentence reads: "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" Which makes it all the more puzzling that not long ago they had started associating themselves with the Spanners. However there is no mention of that on the Wiki, so maybe they discovered the error of their ways.
I remember reading that when Union met Hertha in the Berlin derby two years ago, this was a 2nd Division game yet the Olympicstadion was a 75,000 sellout.
The other club with a particularly strong fan base, as I discovered on holidays up that way in the last two years is Hansa Rostock. Unfortunately the club is sinking like a stone.
I need to get over there for some matches. I'm glad both the footie and the country is getting the recognition it deserves from people here. Every time I visit I have a great feeling about it.
Nah I was busy. I am however touched that you referred to me as a "friend." < 3
When they play St Pauli, It can get a 'bit lively'!