Six short documentaries focussing on the fans behind football teams in Brazil, Morocco, Germany, Indonesia and the UK, are now streaming in a series – The Fans Who Make Football – on Al Jazeera English during the World Cup, as part of a celebration of the beautiful game, and an acknowledgement of the people who support and “live” for their teams.
The series is produced and directed by UK-based Clover Films, with Mike Healy, Jamie Doran, Tracey Doran-Carter, Yeni Artanti and Leila Lak in various roles. Now enjoying its second airing, the series opens a window to what drives the passion of the supporters and, in many cases, the social justice and humanitarian motives that underpin the game for these fans on their home turf.
The Fans who Make Football explores how the old adage that “football is more than just a game” comes to life. The series digs into what drives the supporters. Whether it be standing up for the working class, labour rights, gender equality, or making a statement against global injustices, the films look at how the game pulls like-minded people together, creating a focus for their passion and opportunities to make a difference.
At Liverpool FC, we learn why the anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” – Liverpool Football Club’s war cry for the underprivileged – rings loud and in unison at every Liverpool match. For fans, it is about more than football. It is a fight for equality, social justice, and a voice for the UK’s often ignored working-class. Despite the money behind the multimillion-dollar game, Liverpool has remained a team that continues to put the people before profit.
FC St Pauli explores why the German club, established in Hamburg in 1910, has garnered so much attention across the globe. Its unwavering fandom has been cultivated over decades and gives the club a unique identity in the world of football. Proudly anti-establishment, St Pauli supporters are united in compassion always standing up for oppressed people and those least privileged. It is seen as a beacon of hope in the midst of Europe’s rising far-right movements.
Glasgow’s Celtic FC looks at the social dimensions behind the team that holds British and European attendance records. While football may lead the passion for Celtic FC, its supporters are driven by much more than just the sport. Founded in 1887 to help poor Irish immigrants in Glasgow, the charitable side of Celtic continues to this day. The fans fund schools and clinics for poor people across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East. They have made their voices heard in some of history’s greatest human rights struggles. Nelson Mandela himself applauded Celtic fans for their campaign against apartheid in South Africa, and today the Palestinian cause is among the issues gripping the club’s fanbase.
In PSS Sleman we meet the supporters who have redefined the profile of the football fan throughout Indonesia. Women make up the core of the club’s most passionate supporters, giving PSS Sleiman a unique voice in the world of football. The film follows the Slemani Ultras, superfans who are challenging long-held cultural norms.
In Morocco, we see how Raja Casablanca AC’s home turf, The Mohammed V football stadium, holds more than just a sporting legacy. Each match has become a platform for protest against the country’s social, economic, and political injustices. The club’s huge popularity garners substantial coverage and in turn offers wide media coverage to these protests across the region. These voices of defiance would not go unpunished in any other context. The film explores the club’s history as an outlet for the city’s working-class, making it such an icon for political defiance.
Finally in Boca Junior FC, we meet super-fans as they reveal how and why they have become the voice of the common man and woman in Buenos Aires. In the city that is home the more football clubs than any other in the world, the film explores the special relationship between the team, its fans and the rest of Argentina.
The documentaries can be accessed on Al Jazeera English streaming service, Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@aljazeeraenglish/featured or online https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/documentary/
