On the terraces: Union Berlin launch stadium share scheme, Bayern fans claim boycott victory

In a weekly Newsletter, Matt Ford keeps an eye on the action off the pitch in the Bundesliga and German football, explaining what’s going on from fan protests to finances.

Fan-led "cooperatives" are all the rage in German football these days as cash-strapped clubs explore alternative financing models for their infrastructure projects. FC St. Pauli have stolen the headlines at home and abroad (and on Gegenpressing) with the launch of their new "Genossenschaft," but 1. FC Union Berlin could claim to have operated a similar model as early as 2011. Now, the Köpenick club are set to relaunch their stadium share scheme on a larger scale as a way of insuring the long-planned expansion of the Stadion an der Alten Försterei. And in the new year, Schalke could be next …

Speaking of Gelsenkirchen, Bayern Munich ultras are celebrating another successful ticket price protest, but their counterparts in Mainz had less joy with their campaign to scrap VAR. Who ever said international breaks were dull?

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Matt Ford's "On the terraces" newsletter will continue to appear every week throughout the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. Last season, the newsletter featured exclusive and in-depth coverage of the Bundesliga's private equity plans and the political intrigues at VfB Stuttgart, among other things. If you like what you see, please consider taking out a paid subscription.