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How football tackles hegemony through protest and activism
In JAMES WHITEHEAD'S final article on the sport's radical roots, we take a look at two of the most radically left-wing football supporters' groups around the world
Young Carsi members watch Besiktas (left) and (right) The pirate flag famously flown by St Pauli fans
FOOTBALL has radical roots. The British authorities were unable to ban the game in medieval times. Its raw and rebellious character worried the state, with these sporadic games providing spaces of autonomy from the crown and church.
That tradition of resistance remains in the modern game, and is global.
Through football supporters’ groups, people have used the cultural space of their clubs to foster left-wing ideology; to organise and mobilise for multiple social issues, and to challenge authoritarians and hooligans.
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