St Pauli X Milltag
Millerntor. It sounds like a location from the depths of a Tolkein novel. It is in fact the home of one of the world's most recognisable football clubs, a stones throw from the river Elbe in the industrial heart of Hamburg. It is home to a team that has become synonymous with punk, counter-culture, socially progressive ideals and of course, the Skull and Crossbones. They are FC St Pauli.
FCSP are football’s punk club. Just as punk music emerged as a counter to the indulgent production of prog-rock, St Pauli became the anti-establishment club of Hamburg. Hamburger SV in the 70s were the Yes to St Pauli’s Sex Pistols. Whilst Kevin Keegan was running out in shirts sponsored by companies like Hitachi and British Petroleum, St Pauli were starting to attract the left-leaning, alternative minded young people living in and around the district. The anti-fascist, socially progressive roots that the club had started to blossom as the terraces became a place for the people to voice their feelings on life in West Germany, a country not even 30 years removed from the grips of the worst right-wing nationalism seen in human history.
The Skull & Crossbones on the jersey comes from the iconic imagery associated with the St Pauli fanbase. Originally brought into the stadium by local squatter Doc Mabuse, the Totenkopf became widely adopted as an unofficial club logo, symbolising the rebellious nature of the surrounding area.
We like to think that we share a similar ethos with FCSP. We’re not the biggest club in town but we fight for what we believe in. Plus, the Repperbahn and Shoreditch could definitely be cousins, right?
The jerseys come in men’s and women’s club fits and are available through the St Pauli online store.