Kult & Punk file their mid-term report on St Pauli

The boys rest and reflect on the first half of this seasons campaign.  This is their mid-term report, well not really.

FC St. Pauli earned promotion to the Bundesliga after an eight-year absence last season and rattled in no less than 72 goals in the process.


Back in the top flight, coach Holger Stanislawski was firmly set on sticking to that attack-minded policy as far as was practicable, as evidenced by the signing of former Germany international Gerald Asamoah from Schalke 04 to partner top scorer Marius Ebbers up front.

Goals in short supply

Thus far, it has to be said, the strike force have been having a pretty tough time of it this season, bagging just two goals apiece in the league. Indeed, in their opening 17 games the popular Hamburg club managed to hit the net just 16 times all-told. By way of comparison, they had already racked up 41 goals at the midway stage in 2009-10, albeit one flight lower down.

St. Pauli went into the winter break on 17 points and in 15th place, a position they would be more than satisfied to be occupying come the end of the season - as it would mean they had avoided a swift and unwelcome return to the 2. Bundesliga. "We started well before unfortunately going off the boil, but picked up again over the final matches", summarised sporting director Helmut Schulte, who reckons the team, "won the games we had to win. We didn't get much from the ones we expected to be very hard, but I think we had a fairly good season half overall."

Points more useful than praise

There was no shortage of plaudits for the promoted side's refreshing brand of attacking football, but the final outcome all too often was defeat and, as midfielder Fabian Boll acknowledged, "That won't get us far... I'd rather play badly on occasion but take the points." On their own patch though, at the famously atmospheric Millerntor, they have taken just eight of a possible 27 to date, the second poorest home return in the division behind cellar-dwellers Borussia Mönchengladbach.

That notwithstanding, Stanislawski - himself in his day a tough-as-nails old-school centre back - will continue to send out an attack-minded, quick-passing team to entertain the loyal home fans and, he is convinced, secure St. Pauli's status as a born-again top-flight outfit. Schulte, who says the club will not be adding to the squad over the winter break, shares that opinion, "because we're a unit from front to back here, and everyone at the club is a totally committed part of it."

Kult & Punk wish all followers to the exploits of St Pauli a very very happy 2011.  Remember if your in Hamburg pop along and see us.  The boys are more than happy to help out, opposite is their picture, so you will recognise them (we are obviously joking, so please don't approach some poor old thing and shout Kult). The boys promise to actually file their own reports next year, but for the meantime thank you to our friends at the official Bundasliga website for their considerable help.

Joinning Sol y Futbol and Kult & Punk in 2011 are Franco & Toni.  Franco & Toni, two New York hairdressers, will be sending reports about the exploits of Brooklyn Italians, as their season starts.  Keep an eye out for the Brooklyn Italians FC history next month, if this is getting too surreal for anyone let me know, it is a real team.  We will also be entering the world of Baseball, as we follow Lake County Captains throughout their season