St. Pauli's divine: countering stadium violence with prevention
President Oke Göttlich of second-division soccer club FC St. Pauli has rejected the demand for additional police costs to be covered for high-risk matches. "I consider this demand to be escalatory and not thought through to the end, because internal security is a central state task," he wrote in a guest article for the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". "Who should decide which operations are paid for by major event organizers and which by the state?"
Furthermore, it is the police who decide on the scope of the operation. "The organizers would have no say, but would have to bear the additional costs," said the 47-year-old, who also sits on the executive committee of the German Football League. "The organizer himself is neither a disruptor nor did he cause the disruption. He should pay anyway."
In recent weeks, there have been violent confrontations between fans and between fans and the police at matches including Hannover 96 v Eintracht Braunschweig and FC St. Pauli v Hannover in the Bundesliga 2.
Göttlich's club is facing two high-risk games: On Saturday (1.00 p.m./Sky), the team plays at Hansa Rostock. The city derby against Hamburger SV is scheduled for Friday (18:30/Sky) next week.
Göttlich pleaded for more commitment to prevention. In Hamburg, good experiences have been made "when authorities, fans, fire department, medical services and police meet at eye level in advance and enter into dialog".
In other federal states, this measure has also led to "the police being able to reduce their presence and deployment hours." Only if we refrain from "constantly pointing the finger at others can we create violence-free match days for everyone involved".
FC St. Pauli's fans have been active in promoting peaceful stadium environments, often collaborating with local authorities and security services before matches to reduce potential conflicts. Despite the team's upcoming high-risk games against Hansa Rostock and Hamburger SV in Bundesliga 2, President Oke Göttlich advocates for a focus on prevention rather than increased police presence, believing it is a state responsibility.
Source: www.dpa.com
