Every so often, there’s a transfer that just makes sense, like David Beckham accepting his celebrity status and joining Los Angeles Galaxy, Diego Maradona’s move to the working-class city of Napoli, or Cristiano Ronaldo becoming a “galactico” at Real Madrid.
On Tuesday morning, there was another pairing of a player and club that seems the perfect match: trendy Socceroos muso Jackson Irvine joining FC St Pauli – a team dubbed “the coolest soccer club” in the world.
The German second-tier club has never won a top-flight trophy but remains nearly as recognisable as Bayern Munich among football fans. For starters, that is due to their image. The Hamburg club hails from the famed St Pauli district, home to the red light district known as the Reeperbahn. It is a region synonymous with everything from prostitution, anarchism, socialism, squatting, punk rock, techno, The Beatles and ballet. In an era where modern football has aggressively tried to appeal to the global mainstream, FC St Pauli have fiercely remained a sum of their parts.
At the forefront of their identity is their iconic skull and crossbones flag. In contrast to the cathedral at the centre of the official club crest, the Jolly Roger has become the more widely used image. It’s painted on their club shop, is printed across fan merchandise, flies on the corner posts at the Millentor Stadium and is also proudly displayed alongside the rainbow flag at its entrance.
Its use pays an homage to the region’s alternative subcultures and was first brought to the stands by a local punk-rock singer in the 1980s. It was quickly adopted as a resistance to the right-wing nationalism sweeping football supporter groups in Europe as St Pauli’s fans began displaying banners against racism and advocating for social rights, whether it be for refugees or the LGBTIQ community, decades before UEFA’s social inclusion campaigns began.
‘I know all about the political and social values that the club holds dear, and that aligns perfectly with who I am.’
Jackson Irvine
St Pauli’s supporter base has stood against the commercialisation of modern football, reflecting yet again the alternative culture of Hamburg’s music and arts precinct. It’s a scene that forged the seminal German band Faust (cited as a major inspiration for Joy Division), popular techno DJ Helena Hauff and drew The Beatles from Liverpool in 1960, where they spent a year living and recording an album. This week, the culture of St Pauli also lured Australia’s own cult midfielder to the club.
Whatever the archetypal footballer is today, Irvine appears the opposite. Instead of fresh fade haircuts, he has a long mane of golden brown hair. While he is heavily tattooed like most young players, his ink work are images of Lou Reed, Nick Cave, Moe Szyslak from the Simpsons and quotes from Buffy and Seinfeld. He plays the guitar, collects vinyl and is a self-professed lover of metal, techno, hip-hop, psychedelic rock and punk.
“Perfect match”: Socceroo Jackson Irvine has joined Germany’s cult club, St Pauli.Credit: Getty
Speaking at his unveiling by the club, Irvine made it clear he was a kindred spirit.
“My other big passion away from football is definitely music it plays a big part of my life. I am definitely no expert with a guitar but it comes with me everywhere I go. I love listening to vinyl and going to gigs,” he said.
More importantly, the strong ideals of the club and its supporter base were music to his ears. Irvine is vocal about social matters and civil rights, notably taking strong stances against racism. When his contract finished with Scottish club Hibernian last month, Irvine could have spent the off-season fielding offers from Europe, Asia, the Middle East or even in Australia. Plenty more could have been more lucrative than what a German second-division team could offer, but the Socceroo said none would have been a better fit for what he stands for.
“I know all about the political and social values that the club holds dear, and that aligns perfectly with who I am as a person and how I see football. I feel like it’s a perfect match,” Irvine said.