After a long and winding legal battle to reclaim image rights, German club St Pauli have claimed back the famed ‘Skull and Crossbone’ symbol that has become a meaningful focal point for the club and its fans.
After bankruptcy threatened the side in 2004, all image rights were sacrificed and sold to Upsolut Merchandising in an attempt to save the club.
After years battling to reclaim the rights, a payment of €1.3m (£914,000) has ensured they will regain control of merchandising from 1 January next year.
As a reply to the right wings scourge of football hooliganism during the 1980’s, The famous skull and crossbone first appeared as an unofficial symbol of the clubs left-leaning politics and social activism. After slowly gaining a reputation as a true ‘kult’ football club, average match attendances grew from 2,000 to 20,000 in the space of ten years.
Despite a brief spell in the Bundesliga, the club currently reside in the countries second-tier – 2. Bundesliga club.
Undeniably however the extra revenue for such iconic imagery will benefit the club in their fight for promotion.
A true win for the fans this one.