FC St. Pauli

Fans defied the rain to gather outside the town hall earlier in the day before the sound of Hells Bells marked the beginning of the opening addresses at the demo. Speakers included Holocaust survivor Iva Buterfas-Frankenthal, who directed clear words of warning but also reverence to the crowd.

Head coach Fabian Hürzeler in conversation with Holocaust survivor Ivar Buterfas-Frankenthal

While this was happening, the Boys in Brown were the guests First Mayor Peter Tschentscher, who congratulated them on promotion and wished them lots of success in the Bundesliga. Supervisory board chair Sandra Schwedler, sports minister Andy Grote and captain Jackson Irvine also spoke at the reception, with the entire St. Pauli delegation belting out chant after chant throughout the ceremony.

The players then took the opportunity to present a cardboard version of the championship shield on the town-hall balcony before taking the party bus to St. Pauli for the end-of-season festivities to the delight of massed crowd.
Meanwhile there were further speeches on the preservation of club culture. Particular thanks go to all the civic groups and volunteers for their contributions to a special day!

“It’s a great feeling to see so many smiling faces,” said striker Johannes Eggestein on the nigh on two-hour journey to the party on Spielbudenplatz: “We celebrated together and sang lots of songs, it really was special and another demonstration of how much the fans have supported us this season. We were able to give them something back and earned this achievement as a unit.“

Thousands of fans filled the Reeperbahn to listen to a string of bands as they waited for the team to arrive. And then came the moment they had all been waiting for, when the team were finally presented with the genuine championship shield. The honour of lifting it fell to captain Jackson Irvine, of course, sparking scenes of unbridled jubilation. The party continued well into the evening in a fitting end to a fantastic season.

Thanks to all supporters and partners for making a fantastic day possible, in particular congstar, Astra, EDEKA, fritz-kola, Levi's, LichtBlick, PUMA, followfood, smart, TECCON and S&V Veranstaltungs GbR.

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters