YSP - Fanzine write up - My St Pauli South West Story

My St Pauli South West Story

by Tom Trump

As a St Pauli fan who's still fairly new to the fan base, I was instantly amazed by the following here in the U.K. Within a few weeks of falling in love with the Hamburg outfit I couldn't help but investigate to see if it was just me following this unique club. I guessed I wasn't going to stumble into a St Pauli fan in the local Tesco or queuing at the post office so I knew I'd have to start my search online. I stumbled across the Yorkshire St Pauli page originally and was amazed to find just how many individuals had gathered to support a team over 750 miles away. It was refreshing to know that I wasn't the only one, and there were actually a lot more than I had imagined. It was great to discover fans regularly meeting, sharing stories and enjoying the open community that YSP have created. At the other end of the country however was me, in sunny Devon. A county which is 94% white, highly populated by the agricultural industry and UKIP supporters and Tories. I didn't get my hopes up about meeting anyone who even recognized St Pauli, yet alone understood their notorious left-wing identity. Having searched for more and more pages similar to the Yorkshire St Pauli fan base hoping to expand my knowledge and attempt to find something a bit more local, I started to follow groups spanning all over the country. Derby to Glasgow and  to Manchester, it seemed that the U.K actually had a really broad and vibrant coverage. But still, I felt like there was a void which needed to be filled. Despite Devon and Cornwall combined taking up the majority of the South-West region, my attempts had revealed nothing remotely local on social media.

I decided to set up a project for myself, to start off a 'Devon St Pauli' group which would allow those to interact and share within the area. It gave me a hobby, something different which I was craving. I was so desperate to connect others who were both local and non-local into the group. Slowly but surely, through networking with the already clearly successful Facebook groups and pages, I welcomed a highly appreciated 13 members which doesn't seem a lot, but it built the foundations of that all important social platform and allowed those few people to be a part of something which we could develop. Only a few weeks ago I created the larger and more accessible 'St Pauli South West' page on Facebook. People started joining from all over the world this time. It was amazing to see people appearing from Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and it felt so surreal. I think it shows just how special the club is, with it pulling in so much interest globally. Social media has highlighted the scale of St Pauli's support worldwide, of which most clubs just don't have. In it's current short existence, it has been an honour to be able to share ideas and generate a fan base which is open to everyone. Seeing as I come from what feels can be quite a culturally deprived part of the country, it feels very special being able to invite and welcome folks like you and me who just want to share and embrace the ethos of St Pauli and follow the club we are all united by.

Over the last few months in particular, it has been really inspiring to see such great community within a sport which is often only portrayed as hooligans who care for nothing other than a beer and to verbally abuse each other. I'd like to thank those who have helped me organize what has been set up so far, that's going back to the original 'Devon St Pauli' group all the way up to the first few weeks that 'St Pauli South West' has now been running. I have a lot planned for the future and hopefully we will be connecting with everyone in the upcoming season. Manchester, Derby, Glasgow and of course Yorkshire St Pauli have all been such a help in promoting the page, and I can only thank them for their support.

If you feel like starting your own fan base up, why not try? There could be others in your area exploring and discovering, just like I was. St Pauli is all about community and unity. It's a great way to let others know that you, and many hundreds and thousands are out there. St Pauli have an ever-growing following which spans thousands of kilometers, it's something we are very proud of. Everyone I've ever spoke to within the fan groups and following in general has always been so friendly and welcoming, so never feel out of touch or not part of the St Pauli support.