Soccer fans and subculture media

Soap addicts, fans of Hip Hop, Folk Music, or Basketball have one thing in common: the various forms of their particular fan cultures will have experienced a rapid and extensive medialization over the last decade. Football is no exception – intensive active consumption of mass media representation of the game has long been a hallmark the sport. In this context, the paper will discuss the changes in German fan culture since the 1990s. As in England, two features are prominent. First, there is the foundation of independent fans´ organizations, which have demanded proper representation within the clubs´ power structures. Second, the emergence of fanzine-culture has – offline and online – become a significant motor for change. Fans, therefore, on account of their desire and need to participate, have developed variegated forms of media activity. This paper aims to assess the importance of these media in the changing structures of fandom.