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A history of St Pauli
[Martin Abegglen/Creative Commons]

WHY has a second-rate German football team become one of the biggest global brands of the beautiful game? Because all around the world, people hate fascists.

St Pauli FC play, mostly badly, in the German second division. St Pauli is a working-class, bohemian, edgy but very welcoming district of Hamburg famous for the Reeperbahn, the Beatles and, now, for its football team. 

Despite being a pretty mediocre team that has spent limited time in the top flight of German football, St Pauli merchandise is the fourth biggest selling of all clubs in Germany (behind Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04); worldwide the St Pauli brand and associated merchandise has become huge with supporters’ clubs across the globe: Glasgow, New York, India, Athens, Yorkshire among other places. 

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
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