The men's professional football team dropped down to theRegionalliga in 2003, at that time the third highest football division in Germany and remained there for four years. In 2007, they won promotion back to the2. Bundesliga, the German second tier. In 2010, they won promotion back to the top-flight Bundesliga, but were immediately relegated the following season. Their current tenure in the top-flight dates to their promotion in2023–24 season.
FC St. Pauli has a cross-city rivalry withHamburger SV, with whom they contest theHamburg derby, the only cross-city derby currently featured in the Bundesliga. The club also has a more recent rivalry withHansa Rostock, known as thePolitical derby, or even theFear derby, reflecting the divergent political identities of the two clubs.[9][10]
Although the club has been only modestly successful, it is widely recognised for its distinctive social culture and has a large popular following as one of the country's "Kult" clubs.[11][12] FC St. Pauli and supporters are strongly identified with their support ofleft-wing politics.[13]
The club began its existence in 1899 as a loose, informal group of football enthusiasts within theHamburg-St.Pauli Turn-Verein 1862.[citation needed] This group did not play its first match until 1907, when they faced a similar side assembled from the local Aegir swimming club.[citation needed] Officially established on 15 May 1910, the club played asSt. Pauli TV in theKreisliga Groß-Hamburg (Alsterkreis) until 1924, when a separate football side called St. Pauli was formed.[citation needed] The team played as an undistinguished lower-to-mid table side until making their first appearance in 1934 in the top-flightGauliga Nordmark, 1 of 16 premier level divisions created in the re-organization of German football that took place under theThird Reich. They were immediately relegated, but returned to the top flight in 1936. Relegated again in 1940, St. Pauli re-appeared in theGauliga Hamburg in 1942, and played there until the end ofWorld War II.
After the war, the club resumed play in theOberliga Nord in 1947. A second-place finish in the 1947–48 season led St. Pauli to its first appearance in the national championship rounds.[citation needed] They advanced as far as the semi-finals, where they were knocked out 2–3 by eventual champions1. FC Nürnberg.[citation needed] The club continued to play well throughout the early 1950s, but were unable to overtake rivalsHamburger SV, finishing in second place in five of the next seven seasons, and going out in the early rounds in each of their championship-round appearances from 1949 to 1951.[citation needed] In the late 1950s and into the early 1960s, St. Pauli were overtaken by rivals such asWerder Bremen andVfL Osnabrück, but finished fourth a number of times.
In 1963, theBundesliga – West Germany's new top-flight professional league – was formed. Hamburger SV, Werder Bremen, andEintracht Braunschweig joined the new circuit as the top-finishers from the Oberliga Nord, while FC St. Pauli found themselves in the second-tier Regionalliga Nord.[citation needed] That year, the club signedGuy Acolatse, who became the firstBlack professional footballer to play in Germany.[14][15]
Nearly a decade-and-a-half of frustration followed. St. Pauli won their division in 1964, but finished bottom of their group in the promotion play-off round.[citation needed] They won their next Regionalliga Nord title in 1966, but, while they performed far better in the play-offs, still could not advance to the top-flight, losing toRot-Weiss Essen on goal difference, having conceded two more goals.[citation needed] Division championships in 1972 and 1973, and runner-up finishes in 1971 and 1974, were each followed by promotion-round play-off disappointment.
The success of the Bundesliga, and the growth of professional football in West Germany, led to the formation of the2. Bundesliga in 1974.[citation needed] St. Pauli was part of the new second-tier professional circuit in the 2. Bundesliga Nord and, in 1977, they advanced to the top flight as winners of their division. The team survived for one season at the highest level in the Bundesliga.
The club's return to the 2. Bundesliga Nord was also short-lived. On the verge on bankruptcy in 1979,[citation needed] they were denied a license for the following season and were sent down to theOberliga Nord (III). Strong performances that set the team atop that division in 1981 and 1983 were marred by poor financial health.[citation needed] By 1984, the club had recovered sufficiently to return to the 2. Bundesliga, overtaking Werder Bremen's amateur side, who, despite finishing two points ahead of St. Pauli, were ineligible for promotion.
It was in the mid-1980s that St. Pauli's transition from a standard traditional club into a "Kult" club began. The club was also able to turn the location of its ground in the dock area part of town, near Hamburg's famousReeperbahn – centre of the city's night life and itsred-light district – to its advantage. An alternative fan scene slowly emerged, built aroundleft-leaning politics,social activism and the event and party atmosphere of the club's matches. St. Pauli became the first team in Germany to officially banright-wing nationalist activities and displays in its stadium during a period of fascist-inspiredfootball hooliganism across Europe.[16] In 1981, the team was averaging small crowds of only 1,600 spectators, but by the late 1990s they were frequently selling out their entire 20,000-capacity ground.[17]
The club's official skull and crossbones symbol on a supporter flag
Supporters adopted theskull and crossbones as their own unofficial emblem in the 1980s.[18] Although precise details are uncertain, the story goes that named "Doc Mabuse", a singer in a Hamburg punk band, nailed aJolly Roger flag to a broomstick and brought it to the Millerntor-Stadion.[18] The original flag featured a skull with pirate eyepatch. Inspired, other fans began to bring similar flags to matches.[19] In 1989, Hamburg screenprinter Steph Braun created an image combining a detailed representation of a skull (taken from an anatomy textbook) with the words "ST. PAULI" underneath. Intended to represent the area itself, and sold in various record shops around the district, Braun's graphic was adopted by St. Pauli fans and came to be seen as specifically associated with the club.[19][20]
In the early 1990s, the media in Germany began to recognize theKult-image of the club, focusing on thepunk part of the fan-base in TV broadcasts of the matches.[citation needed] By this time, the media also started to establish nicknames like "Freibeuter der Liga" ("Buccaneers of the League") as well as the satirical "das Freudenhaus der Liga" ("Brothel of the League", literally "House of Joy").[citation needed] The club itself realized the potential and in September 1999 bought the rights to Steph Braun's skull and crossbones graphic, making it an official club logo.[19][20]
St. Pauli moved in and out of the Bundesliga over the course of the next dozen years: the club was narrowly relegated to the Oberliga in the 1984–85 season, but won the 1985–86 championship and returned to 2. Bundesliga.[citation needed] Two increasingly strong years followed, resulting in promotion and three seasons in the Bundesliga, from 1988 to 1991.[citation needed] Four seasons followed in 2. Bundesliga, and then another two in the Bundesliga in 1995 to 1997, before another return to the 2. Bundesliga.
The new South Tribune of theMillerntor-Stadion, seen from Budapester Straße in 2009Former logo
Until 2010, the club's most recent appearance in the top-flight had been a single-season cameo in2001–02. A win againstBayern Munich, the reigningIntercontinental Cup winners, led to the popular "Weltpokalsiegerbesieger" ("World Club Champion beaters") shirts.[21] However, the team finished last in the league, partly because the management did not trust the team which surprisingly won the promotion in 2001, but rather spent the additional money from Bundesliga TV contracts and advertisements on expensive but disappointing players. After the relegation to the 2. Bundesliga, only a skeleton of the successful 2001 team remained. The2002–03 season ended up in chaos, with the team fighting relegation (ultimately in vain) from the very beginning, various coaches departing and other problems internal to the club.
With the club almost bankrupt again and the less-lucrativeRegionaliga Nord (III) looming, the club began its fund-raising activities, the so-called "Retteraktion".[citation needed] They printedt-shirts with the club's crest surrounded by the wordRetter ("rescuer/saviour") and more than 140,000 were sold within six weeks.[citation needed] They also organized a lucrative benefit game, against Bayern Munich, to raise funds to save the club.
The club has also been active in terms of charity and in 2005 the club, the team and the fans initiated theViva con Agua de Sankt Pauli campaign, which collects money for water-dispensers for schools inCuba, for clean water inRwanda et cetera.
During the2005–06 season, the team enjoyed unprecedented success in theDFB-Pokal, with wins overBurghausen,VfL Bochum and, significantly, Bundesliga sidesHertha BSC and, in the quarter-finals on 25 January 2006, Werder Bremen.[citation needed] Their 3–1 victory in front of a sell-out Millerntor crowd, and their subsequent place in the DFB Cup semi-final, netted the club approximately €1 million in TV and sponsorship money, going a long way to saving the club from immediate financial ruin.
After success in the2006–07 season, the team was promoted to the 2. Bundesliga.[22] After defeatingSpVgg Greuther Fürth in the2009–10 season, the team secured promotion back to the Bundesliga for the2010–11 season.[23] On 16 February 2011, during the 2010–11 season and for the first time since 1977, St. Pauli defeated their cross-city rivals, Hamburger SV, away at theVolksparkstadion, courtesy of aGerald Asamoah goal.[24] The team, however, finished the domestic season in last place, resulting in their relegation to the 2. Bundesliga for the2011–12 season.[citation needed] Since then, the club remained in the 2. Bundesliga, finishing fourth in 2011–12 but declining in results in the years to come, until they earned promotion back to the Bundesliga in the2023–24 season.[25]
In order to be able to guarantee and expand financial security in professional football, the board and members of the club have decided in the End of 2024 to found the Football Cooperative St. Pauli von 2024 eG. Thecooperative will enable fans and members to acquire shares for 750 euros plus a subscription and administration fee of 100 euros. The club is expecting 20,000 to 30,000 shareholders, which should raise up to 30 million euros, with the sale of shares to be discontinued once 36 million is reached. The co-operative will use these funds to acquire a majority stake in the Millerntor stadium operating company. The income is also needed to service existing loans, in particular from the new stadium construction and the coronavirus period. Members of the cooperative have co-determination rights according to theone man, one vote - principle and elect theExecutive Board. The Football Cooperative St. Pauli von 2024 eG is the first cooperative in German professional football.[26][27]
The colours of FC St. Pauli arebrown andwhite, and to a lesser extentred.[citation needed]Black is also common among fans and on third kits.
The club has worn brown and white since 1910, when it joined theNorthern German Football Association (Norddeutscher Fußball-Verband).[28] These early uniforms were made up of brown shirts and socks with white shorts.[citation needed] Some time between the 1920s and 30s, the club took on what would become its traditional look, namely a white shirt, brown shorts and brown socks with a white turnover.[citation needed] From early on in the club's history until the 1990s, the club readily wore its brownchange shirts at home, even during such games as those against rivals HSV, who also wear white shirts.
During the 1960s, the club introduced white socks which regularly alternated with plain brown socks.[citation needed] A motif was used on the club shirt for the first time in 1968, when the club donned stripes, and, in the 1970s, various other motifs adorned the club's first and second-choice shirts.[citation needed] In the1976–77 season, St. Pauli began wearingAdidas kits, marking the end of a period of often experimental shirts, and this traditional look continued when the club started wearingPuma kits in the 1980s.[citation needed] For the 1985–86 season, the club sported an all-white Puma kit, which would be worn for four consecutive seasons before some brown details returned to the shirt.[citation needed] However, the Kiezkicker would continue to wear these predominantly white kits until 1993.
At this point, the club would return to a kit based on a white-brown-white scheme, but in a more contemporary style, often incorporating patterns.[citation needed] TheReusch kits of1994–96 and1996–97 had hoops and stripes respectively, whileKappa would also produce a striped kit in 2000–01.[citation needed] The Italian brand would provide a set of kits for the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons in which the shirt, shorts, and socks were all available in white and brown, meaning that the team would wear a different combination each game, reminiscent of the club's look between the 1960s and 1980s.[citation needed] During the 2001–02 season, the team would frequently make recourse to the previous year's all-black away kit.
In2003–04, the club would once again sport a white shirt with brown sleeves, manufactured by Stanno.[citation needed] However this is, as of the 2022–23 season, the last time the club has donned its traditional kit.[citation needed] While the club's uniform for the 2005–06 season would combine a light shirt and brown shorts, St. Pauli would wear an all-black kit during the following campaign (marking the first time that neither of the club's colours were present on the home kit).[citation needed] From the2007–08 season, St. Pauli has worn an all-brown home kit on all but three occasions, one of which saw the team return to a striped shirt, while in the two other instances the team wore white shorts.
Between 2019–20 and 2021–22,LGBT details were integrated into the third shirt. In 2020, having sought a kit supplier who would meet their ecological and ethical requirements since 2018, St. Pauli founded their own brand, Di!Y ("Do it. Improve Yourself").[29] From the 2021–22 season, St. Pauli have worn kits made in-house by Di!Y.[citation needed]
The home venue of the FC St. Pauli is theMillerntor-Stadion. Work on the stadium began in 1961, but its completion was delayed until 1963 as there was initially no drainage system in place, making the pitch unplayable after rain.[citation needed] It originally held 32,000 supporters, but the capacity was later reduced for safety reasons.
In 1970, the stadium was renamed the Wilhelm Koch-Stadium in honour of a former club president.[citation needed] However, this name became highly controversial when it was discovered by historian René Martens that Wilhelm Koch had been a member of theNazi Party from 1937 to 1945, as stated in his 1997 book "FC St. Pauli - You'll never walk alone".[30] After protests by fans, the name was changed back to Millerntor-Stadion in 1999.
A total redevelopment began in 2006. The final phase of the redevelopment work ended with the completion of the new north stand in July 2015. The stadium is since then permitted for a capacity of 29,546 spectators of which 16,940 are standing and 12,606 are seated.[2]
St. Pauli enjoys a certain fame for the left-leaning character of its supporters: most of the team's fans regard themselves asanti-racist, anti-fascist,anti-homophobic andanti-sexist, and this has, on occasion, brought them into conflict withneo-Nazis and hooligans at away games. However, the fans are reportedly split on theIsrael-Palestine conflict.[31] The organization has adopted an outspoken stance against racism, fascism, sexism, and homophobia and has embodied this position in its constitution.[32] Team supporters traditionally participate in demonstrations in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, including those oversquatting or low-income housing, such as theHafenstraße andBambule.[citation needed] The centre of fan activity is theFanladen St. Pauli.[citation needed] St. Pauli has a number of supporters group in England, includingYorkshire St. Pauli,[33] and St Pauli-on-Sea in Essex.
The club prides itself on having the largest number of female fans in all of German football.[42] In 2002, advertisements for the men's magazineMaxim were removed from the Millerntor-Stadion in response to fans' protests over the adverts'sexist depictions of women.[43] In 2011, the club bannedlap dancers from performing during match before guests at a corporate suite, following fans' complaints. The suite belonged to local lap dance clubSusies Show Bar.[44]
Theska punk group Kollmarlibre are avowed supporters of FC St. Pauli.
Several bands have also made music directly related to St. Pauli: The Norwegian punk rock bandTurbonegro recorded a special version of their song "I Got Erection" with re-worked German lyrics for St. Pauli.[citation needed] In 2009, Italian ska combat-folk punk bandTalco fromMarghera,Venice, wrote the song "St. Pauli".[citation needed] The team has since used the song as an anthem and Talco has played a number of concerts at Millerntor-Stadion.[citation needed]Glasgow bandThe Wakes have also played the Millerntor, having written "The Pirates of the League" about the club.[citation needed] Also, British bandArt Brut has written a song about the club called "St Pauli" which is featured on their albumIt's a Bit Complicated.[47] In 2010, FC St. Pauli celebrated its 100th anniversary. For the occasion, the fan club 18auf12 recorded the song "Happy Birthday St Pauli, One Hundred Beers for You", with words and music by Henning Knorr andChristoph Brüx.[48]
The Canadian punk rock band The Pagans of Northumberland recorded a song in 2014 called simply "St Pauli" for their first 7-inch detailing their love of the club and its supporters around the world.[citation needed]
In January 2017, FC St. Pauli announced an extensive co-operation withIrish-AmericanCeltic punk bandDropkick Murphys. The co-operation includes a strictly limited seven-inch picture disc of the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" recorded by the band, and new club merchandise labeled "You'll Never Walk Alone", sporting both the club and the band.[49]
When the team played in Germany's 2. Bundesliga, their home fixtures at theMillerntor used to average greater attendances than any other team and often exceeded turnouts for second division teams.[citation needed] As of the2011–12 season, St. Pauli was the only team that has close to 100% in average home attendance.
In 2006, St. Pauli had more season ticket holders than many Bundesliga teams.[50] One study estimated that the team had roughly 11 million fans throughout Germany,[51] making the club one of the most widely recognised German sides. The number of official fan clubs in 2011 passed 500, which was an increase of 300 over three years.[52]
In January 2020, the club's skull and crossbones flag was listed by theUnited Kingdom's counter-terrorism police in a guide sent to public sector workers, to notice potentialextremism, prompting a backlash from St. Pauli's Welsh defenderJames Lawrence.[53]
The club hosted the2006 FIFI Wild Cup, a tournament made up of unrecognised national football teams likeGreenland,Tibet andZanzibar. They participated as the "Republic of St Pauli".[56]
In 2008,Nike commemorated the club with two exclusiveDunk shoes, both released in limited quantities. The High Dunk (featuring a blackcolorway, and the skull and crossbones symbol) was released to all countries throughout Europe, with only 500 pairs produced. The Low Dunk (featuring a smooth white colorway, and holding the team's logo impregnated in the side panel leather) was released only to shops in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with only 150 pairs produced.[57]
St. Pauli were the first club in Germany to integrate a set of Fundamental Principles (Leitlinien) to dictate how the club is run, passed by an overwhelming majority at the club's annual general meeting in 2009.[58]
The first five Principles states that:
–"In its totality, consisting of members, staff, fans and honorary officers, St Pauli FC is a part of the society by which it is surrounded and so is affected both directly and indirectly by social changes in the political, cultural and social spheres."
–"St Pauli FC is conscious of the social responsibility this implies, and represents the interests of its members, staff, fans and honorary officers in matters not just restricted to the sphere of sport."
–"St Pauli FC is the club of a particular city district, and it is to this that it owes its identity. This gives it a social and political responsibility in relation to the district and the people who live there."
–"St Pauli FC aims to put across a certain feeling for life and symbolises sporting authenticity. This makes it possible for people to identify with the club independently of any sporting successes it may achieve. Essential features of the club that encourage this sense of identification are to be honoured, promoted and preserved."
–"Tolerance and respect in mutual human relations are important pillars of the St Pauli philosophy."[58]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: FC St. Pauli did not play in the Bundesliga or the 2. Bundesliga until 1974, 1979–1984, 1985–86 and 2003–2007.[citation needed] Statistics are correct as of 22 June 2022.[citation needed]
The St. Pauli rugby section has several teams, both in the men's and women's leagues.
The men's rugby department has not been as successful as its female counterpart, reaching the German final only once, in 1964.[citation needed] In 2008–09, St. Pauli was the only club to have a team in both the rugby and football 2nd Bundesliga.[citation needed] In 2008–09, the men's team finished fourth in the second division.
The women's team have won theGerman rugby union championship eight times (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005–08) and thesevens championship 3 times (2000, 2001 and 2002).[citation needed] Several of their players play in the national squad.
St. Pauli has a blind football team which plays in the Blindenfussball Bundesliga.[citation needed]
The club's chess section competes in the GermanChess Bundesliga. In 2024, the section landed a coup when they were able to recruit five-time World ChampionMagnus Carlsen to play in Bundesliga matches for them. Carlsen made his debut for St. Pauli on 11 January 2025.[68]
^Gerlach, Clemens (27 October 1997)."Braune Soße im Wilhelm-Koch-Studio" [Brown sauce in the Wilhelm Koch Studio].Die Tageszeitung (in German). Berlin. Retrieved15 May 2024.
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