Anarchist Soccer goes by many names - from Radical, Revolutionary, Punk Rock or Community Soccer to Grassroots Football, Anarchy Footie, Calcio Ultra or Futbol Anarquista - in many different places.

Forget the media cliches, anarchist soccer is pick-up soccer, but with less rules, less aggression and open to all skill levels. There are rules, just no rulers: boundaries and goal posts tend to be ignored, players are swapped and everyone gets passed to. It’s still competitive, but in a way that's more about fun and respect for all involved, rather than boosting individual egos. When fouls are committed they are conceded, when injuries occur the game stops. Sometimes we feel lazy and talk too much, sometimes we run very hard. No one gets angry because we are playing with friends.

This game of anarchist soccer is simply about gathering, running, talking, falling, laughing, kicking, shanking and scoring - usually messily, other times beautifully - and rebuilding community... this is what seems important now.

ORIGINS

The origin of Anarchist Soccer is open for debate, but non-competitive sports are not exclusively anarchist or political. As early as 600 AD, the Japanese played Kemari, a very physical ball sport for all ages, that has no winners, losers, or competition between players.

Anarchist Soccer as a regular sport emerged in the early 1990's: on rooftops in Philadelphia, at Hackney Anarchy Week in London (where the Buddhists played Class War), with the Anarchist Soccer League established in Washington D.C. and at an annual, radical tournament in Northern Italy called the Anti-Fascist World Cup (later renamed the Anti-Racist World Cup or Mondiali Antirazzisti). Since then, Anarchist teams have played solidarity games in Europe, Chiapas, Africa and Palestine.

SOCCER & POLITICS

In Europe and Latin America, there is less division between sports and politics. The early 1900s saw the establishment of two Anarchist professional league teams in Buenos Aires, Argentina: Chacarita Juniors and the Martyrs of Chicago, later renamed Argentinos Juniors. In Europe, FC Sankt Pauli and SC Frieburg in Germany and FC Barcelona in Spain have strong anti-authoritarian roots and support, whilst others such as Real Madrid in Spain and Red Star Belgrade in Serbia have been used as the tools of fascist dictatorships.

Radical supporters are formed into fan clubs known as Ultras, with some teams having many of them. Originally most Ultras were right-wing and racist, which led to the formation of Antifa Ultras, who actively fight racism in the soccer stadium, on the street and by the state. They are often influenced by the anti-fascist struggles of the 20th century, which is reflected in the teams they support and the regions they are strongest in.

Recommended Reading:

Pitched Battles: Football and Anarchy from Arsenal Magazine
Argentina’s Soccer Passion from ZNet.com
History of the Ultras Movement
More Articles