FC St. Pauli

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Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football club Fußball-Club St. Pauli von 1910 e.V., commonly known as simply St. Pauli (Template:IPA), is a German professional football club based in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg. The team plays in the Bundesliga for the 2025–26 season, their second consecutive season in the top flight following promotion from the 2. Bundesliga in 2023–24.

The football department is part of a larger sports club that also has departments in rugby (FC St. Pauli Rugby), baseball, bowling, boxing (FC St. Pauli Boxen),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> chess, cycling, handball, roller derby (Harbor Girls Hamburg),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> skittles, softball, table tennis, and since 2011, marathon.<ref>Fabian Balicki: Więcej niż piłka nożna? St. Pauli jest tą możliwością. Poligraf, 2015, Template:ISBN.</ref> Until the end of 2013, the club also had a department in American football, but it was dissolved because it lacked the youth team required in order to hold a men's team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of April 2023, FC St. Pauli has 30,400 members.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The men's professional football team dropped down to the Regionalliga 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 the 2. 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 in 2023–24 season.

FC St. Pauli has a cross-city rivalry with Hamburger SV, with whom they contest the Hamburg derby, the only cross-city derby currently featured in the Bundesliga. The club also has a more recent rivalry with Hansa Rostock, known as the Political derby, or even the Fear derby, reflecting the divergent political identities of the two clubs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> FC St. Pauli and supporters are strongly identified with their support of left-wing politics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Early years

The club began its existence in 1899 as a loose, informal group of football enthusiasts within the Hamburg-St.Pauli Turn-Verein 1862.Template: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.Template:Citation needed Officially established on 15 May 1910, the club played as St. Pauli TV in the Kreisliga Groß-Hamburg (Alsterkreis) until 1924, when a separate football side called St. Pauli was formed.Template:Citation needed The team played as an undistinguished lower-to-mid table side until making their first appearance in 1934 in the top-flight Gauliga Nordmark, 1 of 16 premier level divisions created in the re-organization of German football that took place under the Third Reich. They were immediately relegated, but returned to the top flight in 1936. Relegated again in 1940, St. Pauli re-appeared in the Gauliga Hamburg in 1942, and played there until the end of World War II.

Post-war football

Historical chart of St. Pauli league performance

After the war, the club resumed play in the Oberliga Nord in 1947. A second-place finish in the 1947–48 season led St. Pauli to its first appearance in the national championship rounds.Template:Citation needed They advanced as far as the semi-finals, where they were knocked out 2–3 by eventual champions 1. FC Nürnberg.Template:Citation needed The club continued to play well throughout the early 1950s, but were unable to overtake rivals Hamburger 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.Template:Citation needed In the late 1950s and into the early 1960s, St. Pauli were overtaken by rivals such as Werder Bremen and VfL Osnabrück, but finished fourth a number of times.

Promotion to the Bundesliga

In 1963, the Bundesliga – West Germany's new top-flight professional league – was formed. Hamburger SV, Werder Bremen, and Eintracht 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.Template:Citation needed That year, the club signed Guy Acolatse, who became the first Black professional footballer to play in Germany.<ref name="ak">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="melzer">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.Template: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 to Rot-Weiss Essen on goal difference, having conceded two more goals.Template: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 the 2. Bundesliga in 1974.Template: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,Template:Citation needed they were denied a license for the following season and were sent down to the Oberliga Nord (III). Strong performances that set the team atop that division in 1981 and 1983 were marred by poor financial health.Template: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.

"Kult" phenomenon

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 famous Reeperbahn – centre of the city's night life and its red-light district – to its advantage. An alternative fan scene slowly emerged, built around left-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 ban right-wing nationalist activities and displays in its stadium during a period of fascist-inspired football hooliganism across Europe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The club's official skull and crossbones symbol on a supporter flag

Supporters adopted the skull and crossbones as their own unofficial emblem in the 1980s.<ref name="alltherightthings">Template:Cite web</ref> Although precise details are uncertain, the story goes that named "Doc Mabuse", a singer in a Hamburg punk band, nailed a Jolly Roger flag to a broomstick and brought it to the Millerntor-Stadion.<ref name="alltherightthings"/> The original flag featured a skull with pirate eyepatch. Inspired, other fans began to bring similar flags to matches.<ref name="doubleinvention"/> 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.<ref name="doubleinvention">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="texmen">Template:Cite web</ref>

In the early 1990s, the media in Germany began to recognize the Kult-image of the club, focusing on the punk part of the fan-base in TV broadcasts of the matches.Template: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").Template: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.<ref name="doubleinvention"/><ref name="texmen"/>

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.Template:Citation needed Two increasingly strong years followed, resulting in promotion and three seasons in the Bundesliga, from 1988 to 1991.Template: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.

Into the new millennium

The new South Tribune of the Millerntor-Stadion, seen from Budapester Straße in 2009
File:FC St. Pauli logo.svg
Former logo

Until 2010, the club's most recent appearance in the top-flight had been a single-season cameo in 2001–02. A win against Bayern Munich, the reigning Intercontinental Cup winners, led to the popular "Weltpokalsiegerbesieger" ("World Club Champion beaters") shirts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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. The 2002–03 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-lucrative Regionaliga Nord (III) looming, the club began its fund-raising activities, the so-called "Retteraktion".Template:Citation needed They printed t-shirts with the club's crest surrounded by the word Retter ("rescuer/saviour") and more than 140,000 were sold within six weeks.Template: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 the Viva con Agua de Sankt Pauli campaign, which collects money for water-dispensers for schools in Cuba, for clean water in Rwanda et cetera.

During the 2005–06 season, the team enjoyed unprecedented success in the DFB-Pokal, with wins over Burghausen, VfL Bochum and, significantly, Bundesliga sides Hertha BSC and, in the quarter-finals on 25 January 2006, Werder Bremen.Template: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.

St. Pauli finally went out of the cup to Bayern Munich on 12 April, going down 3–0 with a goal from Owen Hargreaves and two from Claudio Pizarro.Template:Citation needed Coincidentally, Bayern were also St. Pauli's opponents and dispatchers in the first round of the following season's cup.

After success in the 2006–07 season, the team was promoted to the 2. Bundesliga.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After defeating SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2009–10 season, the team secured promotion back to the Bundesliga for the 2010–11 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 the Volksparkstadion, courtesy of a Gerald Asamoah goal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The team, however, finished the domestic season in last place, resulting in their relegation to the 2. Bundesliga for the 2011–12 season.Template: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 the 2023–24 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Football Cooperative St. Pauli von 2024 eG

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. The cooperative 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 the one man, one vote - principle and elect the Executive Board. The Football Cooperative St. Pauli von 2024 eG is the first cooperative in German professional football.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Colours and kit

Template:Commons The colours of FC St. Pauli are brown and white, and to a lesser extent red.Template:Citation needed Black is also common among fans and on third kits.

The club has worn brown and white since 1910, when it joined the Northern German Football Association (Norddeutscher Fußball-Verband).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These early uniforms were made up of brown shirts and socks with white shorts.Template: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.Template:Citation needed From early on in the club's history until the 1990s, the club readily wore its brown change 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.Template: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.Template:Citation needed In the 1976–77 season, St. Pauli began wearing Adidas kits, marking the end of a period of often experimental shirts, and this traditional look continued when the club started wearing Puma kits in the 1980s.Template: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.Template: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.Template:Citation needed The Reusch kits of 1994–96 and 1996–97 had hoops and stripes respectively, while Kappa would also produce a striped kit in 2000–01.Template: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.Template:Citation needed During the 2001–02 season, the team would frequently make recourse to the previous year's all-black away kit.

In 2003–04, the club would once again sport a white shirt with brown sleeves, manufactured by Stanno.Template:Citation needed However this is, as of the 2022–23 season, the last time the club has donned its traditional kit.Template: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).Template:Citation needed From the 2007–08 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").<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From the 2021–22 season, St. Pauli have worn kits made in-house by Di!Y.Template:Citation needed

Sponsors

Template:More citations needed section

Period Brand Sponsor
1975–1976 Hummel Lüder Bauring
1976–1977 Adidas
1977–1978 Minolta
1978–1979 Lüder Bauring
1979–1980 –
1980–1981 Puma
1981–1982 Block House
1982–1983 –
1983–1984 Klein-Kleckersdorf
1984–1991 Deutscher Ring
1991–1992 Diadora
1992–1994 Patrick
1994–1995 Reusch
1995–1997 Böklunder
1997–2000 Puma Jack Daniels
2000–2001 Kappa World of Internet/Astra
2001–2003 Securvita
2003–2005 Stanno Mobilcom
2005–2006 Do You Football
2006–2009 Congstar
2009–2010 Dacia
2010–2013 Fernsehlotterie
2013–2014 Relentless
2014–2016 Hummel Congstar
2016–2021 Under Armour
2021–2024 Di!Y
2024– Puma

Stadium

The home venue of the FC St. Pauli is the Millerntor-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.Template: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.Template:Citation needed However, this name became highly controversial when it was discovered by historian René Martens that Wilhelm Koch had been a member of the Nazi Party from 1937 to 1945, as stated in his 1997 book "FC St. Pauli - You'll never walk alone".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="Stadion Fakten"/>

The stadium is located next to the Heiligengeistfeld, and is overlooked by the Flak Tower IV to the north and a building of the Deutsche Telekom to the south.Template:Citation needed It can be reached with the Hamburg U-Bahn line U3 (St. Pauli Station and Feldstraße Station).

Supporters

St. Pauli enjoys a certain fame for the left-leaning character of its supporters: 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. However, the fans are reportedly split on the Israel-Palestine conflict.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The organization has adopted an outspoken stance against racism, fascism, sexism, and homophobia and has embodied this position in its constitution.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Team supporters traditionally participate in demonstrations in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, including those over squatting or low-income housing, such as the Hafenstraße and Bambule.Template:Citation needed The centre of fan activity is the Fanladen St. Pauli.Template:Citation needed St. Pauli has a number of supporters group in England, including Yorkshire St. Pauli,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and St Pauli-on-Sea in Essex.

Partly because of shared leftist political views, St. Pauli fans have strong relationships with supporters of Bayern Munich (Schickeria),Template:Citation needed Werder Bremen,Template:Citation needed Ternana,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Club Universidad Nacional,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> UC Sampdoria,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rayo Vallecano,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> SV Babelsberg 03,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Hapoel Tel Aviv,Template:Citation needed AEK Athens (Original 21),Template:Citation needed Olympique Marseille,Template:Citation needed Venezia,Template:Citation needed Cosenza,Template:Citation needed Standard LiègeTemplate:Citation needed and Clapton CFCTemplate:Citation needed In the past they also had a friendship with the fans of Bohemians 1905,Template:Citation needed Partizan MinskTemplate:Citation needed and F.C. United of Manchester, the latter of whom were invited to the Millerntor for a friendly game to celebrate St. Pauli's centenary.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The group Ultrá Sankt Pauli also has a special friendship with the group Schickeria München, from the ultras scene of Bayern Munich.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A banner of the Schickeria München is occasionally displayed at the Millerntor-Stadion, and a flag of the Ultrá Sankt Pauli – sporting a picture of Che Guevara – has been displayed at the Allianz Arena.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Both Ultrá Sankt Pauli and Schickeria München are members of Alerta Network, an international anti-fascist network of supporter groups.Template:Citation needed

The club prides itself on having the largest number of female fans in all of German football.<ref name="nzh">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2002, advertisements for the men's magazine Maxim were removed from the Millerntor-Stadion in response to fans' protests over the adverts' sexist depictions of women.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2011, the club banned lap dancers from performing during match before guests at a corporate suite, following fans' complaints. The suite belonged to local lap dance club Susies Show Bar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

St. Pauli is also a worldwide symbol for punk and related subcultures.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The skull and crossbones logo and the team's brown and white football jerseys have often been worn by international artists such as the bands Asian Dub Foundation, Gaslight Anthem, Panteon Rococo and Molotov (band).Template:Citation needed The KMFDM frontman and Hamburg native Sascha Konietzko is a recognisable St. Pauli fan at one point placing a huge picture of a fist smashing a swastika on his band's main page, with the caption "St. Pauli Fans gegen Rechts!" ("St. Pauli fans against the Right") underneath it.Template:Citation needed American punk band Anti-Flag can be seen wearing St. Pauli shirts in numerous music videos for their album American Fall.Template:Citation needed Another notable supporter and sponsor is Andrew Eldritch, lead singer of band The Sisters of Mercy.Template:Citation needed On his 2006 "Sisters Bite The Silver Bullet"- tour, Eldritch wore the famous skull and crossbones shirt.Template:Citation needed Georg Holm, the bassist of the Icelandic post rock band Sigur Rós, has performed at several festivals wearing a St. Pauli shirt.Template:Citation needed Alex Rosamilia, the guitarist for The Gaslight Anthem, frequently wears a St. Pauli hat and hoodie and displays a flag of the club's logo in front of the speakers of his guitar amp.Template:Citation needed Editors guitarist and synthesiser player Chris Urbanowicz frequently wears the skull and crossbones t-shirt.Template:Citation needed Dave Doughman, the singer for Dayton, Ohio's Swearing at Motorists, who has been spotted in concert with the skull and crossbones on his guitar and amplifier, moved to St. Pauli in 2010.Template:Citation needed Bad Religion played a charity match against St. Pauli's third team in 2000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> German musicians who are fans include: Fettes Brot,Template:Citation needed Die Ärzte singer/drummer/songwriter Bela B.,Template:Citation needed Kettcar,Template:Citation needed Tomte,Template:Citation needed and many other bands, most of them underground.

The ska 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 band Turbonegro recorded a special version of their song "I Got Erection" with re-worked German lyrics for St. Pauli.Template:Citation needed In 2009, Italian ska combat-folk punk band Talco from Marghera, Venice, wrote the song "St. Pauli".Template:Citation needed The team has since used the song as an anthem and Talco has played a number of concerts at Millerntor-Stadion.Template:Citation needed Glasgow band The Wakes have also played the Millerntor, having written "The Pirates of the League" about the club.Template:Citation needed Also, British band Art Brut has written a song about the club called "St Pauli" which is featured on their album It's a Bit Complicated.<ref name="fly">Template:Cite news</ref> 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 and Christoph Brüx.<ref>One Hundred Beers Template:Webarchive website of the fan club 18auf12 14 November 2010</ref>

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.Template:Citation needed

In January 2017, FC St. Pauli announced an extensive co-operation with Irish-American Celtic punk band Dropkick 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

When the team played in Germany's 2. Bundesliga, their home fixtures at the Millerntor used to average greater attendances than any other team and often exceeded turnouts for second division teams.Template:Citation needed As of the 2011–12 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.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> One study estimated that the team had roughly 11 million fans throughout Germany,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In January 2020, the club's skull and crossbones flag was listed by the United Kingdom's counter-terrorism police in a guide sent to public sector workers, to notice potential extremism, prompting a backlash from St. Pauli's Welsh defender James Lawrence.<ref>German soccer club FC St. Pauli symbol listed on UK counterterrorism guide Template:Webarchive Deutsche Welle. 18 January 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.</ref>

Club culture

St. Pauli opens its home matches with "Hells Bells" by AC/DC, and after every home goal "Song 2" by Blur is played.<ref name="nzh"/>

The former club president Corny Littmann, long active in German theatre and head of the Schmidt Theater on the Reeperbahn, is openly gay.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Gay footballers still frowned at in Germany Template:Webarchive Nerve – News and Analysis of India, 30 June 2006</ref>

St. Pauli have made pre-season appearances at Wacken Open Air, a heavy metal festival, several times.Template:Citation needed

The club hosted the 2006 FIFI Wild Cup, a tournament made up of unrecognised national football teams like Greenland, Tibet and Zanzibar. They participated as the "Republic of St Pauli".<ref name="cyprusmail">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>

In 2008, Nike commemorated the club with two exclusive Dunk shoes, both released in limited quantities. The High Dunk (featuring a black colorway, 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fundamental Principles

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.<ref name="principles"/>

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."<ref name="principles">Template:Cite web</ref>

Players

Current squad

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Out on loan

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FC St. Pauli II

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Notable players

International players

The following international players have also played for St. Pauli: Template:Div col

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Greatest ever team

In 2010, as part of the club's celebration of its 100th anniversary, fans voted the following players as the best in the club's history:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Coaching staff

Head coach Alexander Blessin (left) and assistant coach Peter Németh in 2025
Position Name
Head coach Template:Flagicon Alexander Blessin
Assistant coach Template:Flagicon Peter Németh
Goalkeeping coach Template:Flagicon Sven Van Der Jeugt
Athletic coach Template:Flagicon Karim Rashwan
Template:Flagicon Thomas Barth
Template:Flagicon Frederic Bokelmann
Match analyst Template:Flagicon Sami Pierau
Performance Manager Template:Flagicon Dr. James Morgan
Club Doctor Template:Flagicon Dr. Sebastian Schneider
Template:Flagicon Dr. Volker Carrero
Physiotherapists Template:Flagicon Dominik Körner
Template:Flagicon Jan Altmeyer
Osteopath Template:Flagicon Florian Lechner
Kit Manager Template:Flagicon Siegmar Krahl
Template:Flagicon Thorge Düwer
Template:Flagicon Kenta Kambara
Team Manager Template:Flagicon Jonas Wömmel

Managerial history

Template:Updated

Honours

League

Cup

Reserve team

Records

Note: FC St. Pauli did not play in the Bundesliga or the 2. Bundesliga until 1974, 1979–1984, 1985–86 and 2003–2007.Template:Citation needed
Statistics are correct as of 22 June 2022.Template:Citation needed

Most appearances overall

Template:More citations needed section BL = Bundesliga, 2.BL = 2. Bundesliga, OLN = Oberliga Nord (1947–1963), RLN = Regionalliga Nord (1963–1974)
OtL = Other leagues: Oberliga Nord (1974–1994), Regionalliga Nord (since 1994)
Cup = DFB-Pokal, OtC = Other competitions: German championship (1947–1951), Relegation play-offs, Hamburg Cup

Rank Name Template:Abbr Template:Abbr BL 2.BL OLN RLN OtL Cup OtC Total
1 Template:Flagicon Jürgen Gronau 1981 1997 117 202 – – 112 21 24 476
2 Template:Flagicon André Trulsen 1986 2005 177 206 – – 1 20 5 409
3 Template:Flagicon Klaus Thomforde 1983 1998 100 217 – – 42 17 13 389
4 Template:Flagicon Harald Stender 1947 1960 – – 336 – – 5 15 356
5 Template:Flagicon Ingo Porges 1956 1968 – – 166 147 – 3 12 328
6 Template:Flagicon Peter Osterhoff 1958 1970 – – 138 170 – 3 9 320
7 Template:Flagicon Werner Pokropp 1960 1970 – – 78 223 – 3 11 315
8 Template:Flagicon André Golke 1983 1991 98 107 – – 62 10 16 293
9 Template:Flagicon Fabian Boll 2003 2014 28 141 – – 103 19 1 292
10 Template:Flagicon Michael Dahms 1982 1991 65 97 – – 97 8 22 289

Most appearances in Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga

<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rank Name Years Bundesliga 2. Liga Total
1 Template:Flagicon André Trulsen 1986–1991, 1994–2002 177 206 383
2 Template:Flagicon Jürgen Gronau 1984–1997 117 202 319
3 Template:Flagicon Klaus Thomforde 1984–2000 100 217 317
4 Template:Flagicon Dirk Dammann 1990–1999 81 179 260
5 Template:Flagicon Holger Stanislawski 1993–2003 80 178 258
6 Template:Flagicon Dietmar Demuth 1974–1979, 1984–1988 34 192 226
7 Template:Flagicon André Golke 1984–1991 98 107 205
8 Template:Flagicon Daniel Buballa 2014–2021 – 191 191
9 Template:Flagicon Christopher Buchtmann 2012–2022 – 190 190
10 Template:Flagicon Stephan Hanke 1994–2000 61 119 180

Top goalscorers in Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga

Numbers in brackets indicate appearances made.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rank Name Years Bundesliga 2. Liga Total Ratio
1 Template:Flagicon Rüdiger Wenzel 1974–1975, 1984–1990 Template:04 (27) 59 (137) 63 (164) 0.38
2 Template:Flagicon Franz Gerber 1976–1978, 1986–1988 16 (32) 42 Template:0(73) 58 (105) 0.55
3 Template:Flagicon Dirk Zander 1986–1991 20 (80) 31 Template:0(90) 51 (170) 0.30
4 Template:Flagicon André Golke 1984–1991 25 (98) 24 (107) 49 (205) 0.24
5 Template:Flagicon Marius Ebbers 2008–2013 Template:03 (31) 43 (107) 46 (138) 0.33
6 Template:Flagicon Marcus Marin 1994, 1997–2000 – 40 (102) 40 (102) 0.39
7 Template:Flagicon Martin Driller 1991–1997 10 (49) 29 (103) 39 (152) 0.26
8 Template:Flagicon Horst Neumann 1974–1979 Template:03 (25) 33 (132) 36 (157) 0.23
9 Template:Flagicon Jens Scharping 1993–1998 12 (46) 20 Template:0(55) 32 (101) 0.32
10 Template:Flagicon Rolf Höfert 1974–1979 Template:03 (23) 28 (118) 31 (141) 0.22

Recent seasons

The club's recent seasons: Template:List missing criteria

Year Division Position
1999–2000 2. Bundesliga (II) 13th
2000–01 2. Bundesliga 3rd (promoted)
2001–02 Bundesliga (I) 18th (relegated)
2002–03 2. Bundesliga (II) 17th (relegated)
2003–04 Regionalliga Nord (III) 8th
2004–05 Regionalliga Nord 7th
2005–06 Regionalliga Nord 6th
2006–07 Regionalliga Nord 1st (promoted)
2007–08 2. Bundesliga (II) 9th
2008–09 2. Bundesliga 8th
2009–10 2. Bundesliga 2nd (promoted)
2010–11 Bundesliga 18th (relegated)
2011–12 2. Bundesliga 4th
2012–13 2. Bundesliga 10th
2013–14 2. Bundesliga 8th
2014–15 2. Bundesliga 15th
2015–16 2. Bundesliga 4th
2016–17 2. Bundesliga 7th
2017–18 2. Bundesliga 12th
2018–19 2. Bundesliga 9th
2019–20 2. Bundesliga 14th
2020–21 2. Bundesliga 10th
2021–22 2. Bundesliga 5th
2022–23 2. Bundesliga 5th
2023–24 2. Bundesliga 1st (promoted)
2024–25 Bundesliga 14th
2025–26 Bundesliga

Other sports

Template:Main

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.Template:Citation needed In 2008–09, St. Pauli was the only club to have a team in both the rugby and football 2nd Bundesliga.Template:Citation needed In 2008–09, the men's team finished fourth in the second division.

The women's team have won the German rugby union championship eight times (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005–08) and the sevens championship 3 times (2000, 2001 and 2002).Template:Citation needed Several of their players play in the national squad.

St. Pauli has a blind football team which plays in the Blindenfussball Bundesliga.Template:Citation needed

St. Pauli also has a Roller Derby team known as Harbor Girls Hamburg.Template:Citation needed

The club's chess section competes in the German Chess Bundesliga. In 2024, the section landed a coup when they were able to recruit five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen to play in Bundesliga matches for them. Carlsen made his debut for St. Pauli on 11 January 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable presidents

Template:List missing criteria

See also

References

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Template:Portal bar Template:Commons category

Template:FC St. Pauli Template:Bundesliga Template:2. Bundesliga Template:Regionalliga Nord Template:U19 Bundesliga North Northeast Template:U17 Bundesliga North Northeast Template:Authority control

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