FC St. Pauli is a team from Hamburg in the 2. Bundesliga of Germany. They are a very unique phenomenon in German soccer. In a sport often dominated by skinheads, hooligans and neo nazis, their left winged fans, team and the club are a nice exception. The foundation for this alternativeness lies in the history of the district (Kiez) St. Pauli, which is (and was) known as the red light district of Hamburg. The 68er Bewegung (1968 movement) in Hamburg was rooted there and the Seventies and Eighties in St. Pauli were strongly influenced by the house occupying scene ( St. Pauli can be compared to Kreuzberg in Berlin). These formed the so called black block, whose sign the death's-head's flag was (now an official symbol of the club). Under the death's-head stands alternative, anti-fascistic and anti-racistic. Though one might think that this block is violent, they are indeed nonviolent. The FC St. Pauli has some of the most modern stadium rules for their Millerntor-Stadion, which forbid for example yelling racistic or sexistic paroles.
The club was founded 1907 as a gymnastics club. 1977, after several tries, they entered the 1963 founded Bundesliga. But they became last and normally they would have had to go to the 2. Bundesliga, but they did not get a license, and so they had to go into the 3. Liga (in Germany: Regionalliga). 1989 they re-enter the 1. Bundesliga, only to leave it again 1991. 1995-1997 was their last time in the 1. Bundesliga before the year 2001 where they qualified again for the Bundesliga. In that year they finished last in the 1. Bundesliga and had to go back to the 2. Bundesliga
Obviously FC St. Pauli is not a very successful team, but that's nothing what the fans really concern. For them it is important that they have a real home team which is not occupied by nazis and controlled by big companies.
The fans of the FC St. Pauli have a battle cry:
No more war, no more racism, no more third league!