"Kein Zwanni" - everybody listen to the radio

The preconditions for the protest of BVB-supporters in front of the Imtech Arena in Hamburg, the follower of the Volksparkstadion, could have been better: Pouring rain, freezing wind, and round about 5 degrees made me expect a maximum of three to ten other protesters who would find their way to the meeting point at the entrance of the visitor block. Marc Quambusch, spokesman of „Kein Zwanni" ("no twenty" - in reference to a twenty Euro bill for a standing room ticket), was later asked about the circumstances of the protest and answered: „I can't even remember when was the last time that my feet were this wet!" In the end, a remarkably number of 600 to 800 supporters in black and yellow met at the stadium, having their radios with them to be able to listen to the game at least. Although the official statement said that the stadium was sold out, it has to be said that this surely wasn't the case. Lots and lots of tickets were still on sale before and during the game.

Even though the demonstration would have been much easier on a sunny day in May, everyone tried to make the best out of it: A Christian Hamburg supporters' club supplied us with coffee and punch – this was definitely needed in the cold. Without warming their fingers with the hot coffee mug, some of the participants might not have been able to switch their radios to the right frequencies to listen to football. Other measures against the disastrous weather: Raincoats, singing and shouting whilst jumping (or the other way around), one or another beer. To be well prepared for the game, it was also advisable to shake your head to get the water out of your ears to be able to listen carefully.

But let's talk about the more pleasant aspects of the day: When did you ever have the chance to cheer twice when our Borussia scored a goal? After the acoustics out of the stadium announced what had happened (cheer number one), one minute later the radio presenter confirmed (cheer number two). Basically, this added up to ten celebrations for every supporter in front of the stadium. All in all, the faboulous victory of our team compensated a lot of the huge sacrifice that each of the demonstrators made that day. It then got hard to orient oneself towards the chants from within the stadium, but for a good reason: The Hamburg supporters' club "Chosen Few" assisted the protest by remaining silent from minute 46 to 55. This way, the supporters of Dortmund and of Hamburg demonstrated what the ambiance in football stadiums will be like if the ticket pricing system won't change. When the supporters of Hamburg started to leave the stadium in droves about twenty minutes before the end of the game, the malice of the protesters waiting for them outside couldn't have been bigger. Everyone of the already so pissed off Hamburgers in blue white had to listen to a melodious „You've paid your ticket, now leave!"

A very positive aspect besides the attendance of so many people and the victory was the media coverage of the campaign. Lots of representatives of the press were seen with the protesters; we were filmed and interviewed a lot and partially some journalists started discussions. In the end, the protest turns out to have been a huge success. Numerous emissions on German TV and radio covered the campaign and, most important, the goals of „Kein Zwanni". Finally, the demonstration on Sunday can be summed up with a quote of Borussia's boss Hans-Joachim Watzke, who like Kevin Großkreutz, Hamburg player Marcell Jansen and several others supports „Kein Zwanni": „I have the biggest respect for these people who intentionally abstain from having the pleasure to watch a game like this and who have made all the long way to come to Hamburg."

Thank you for joining us in Hamburg, everyone! Football needs to be affordable!

Marina, 24.01.2012

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