Lovettwatch
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Chacarita JuniorsChacarita Juniors have won promotion back to the Argentinian 1st division.
Not only were they formed by anarchists, in an anarchist library, but they still play in the anarcho-sindicalist colours of red and black.
| Quote: | They sought the need to use soccer as a social and political tool for organizing. Anarchist historian Osvaldo Bayer has written extensively on anarchism and soccer. Argentina’s large Anarchist movements in the 20th century, influenced by the influx of European immigrants, were alarmed by the working class’ drive to go to the soccer stadium on weekends rather than ideological picnics or other cultural events. The movement’s daily anarchist newspaper La Protesta wrote in 1917 compared the effects of soccer with religion, writing “church and soccer balls: the worst drug for the people.” However, anarchists soccer ideology changed quickly.
One of the first teams Chacarita Juniors was founded on May 1, 1906 in an Anarchist library in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Chacarita. Anarchists had a clear vision. “Soccer is a socialist game. Everyone plays together with the objective of making it to the goal line, that is the triumph, that is the revolution. In soccer you learn how to act in solidarity. You can’t play alone, when someone is in a better position you have to pass them the ball.” They even discussed what would happen when the sport would become professionalized. When the anarchists would win a championship, all the prizes would go toward forming schools for children to learn the sport. Other clubs followed including the “Martyrs of Chicago,” a homage to the American workers hung for fighting for a 8 hour workday. In the 30's the clubs became appropriated by capitalist interests. The “Martyrs of Chicago” later became Argentinos Juniors: “We are Argentines, not anarchists” became the new nationalist slogan erasing the team’s proletariat history. Chacarita still sports red and black uniforms even though the club is run as a commercial team. |
Anarchism was huge (and still is relatively) in Argentina, workers were pouring into Buenos Aires from Spain, Italy, Prussia, Tsarist Russia at the start of the 20th century, bringing libertarian ideas with them.
One thing about the modern Chacarita Juniors is that they have the hooligans with the most fearesome reputation in the country, which is some acheivement. Here they all are arriving on the away end at Nuevo Chicago and goading the home fans, prompting much gesticulating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T791t5F9HzY
Indeed, they had to play last nights derby away at near neighbours Platense down in La Plata at Gimnasia's ground, on a monday afternoon, more or less behind closed doors, winning 1-0.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHtKNjt_yRo
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Pond Life
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Nice reporting. Thank you.
You wonder what is the point of having to play games behind closed doors.
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Lovettwatch
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Here's a bit more.
| Quote: | their most recent spell in the top flight is most widely remembered for a running (and pre-arranged) battle between their barra brava, La Banda de San Martín (named after the partido of Gran Buenos Aires the club hail from) and Boca Juniors’ La Doce.
In 1999 Chacarita played Boca in a pre-Clausura friendly, and a battle ensued between the fans, after which several people were jailed for six months. In 2003, a pre-arranged ‘revenge’ meeting took place prior to a league match between the two sides which resulted in sixty injured and none detained by police. Only in the last couple of years have Rafael Di Zeo and others who at the time were high up in La Doce been sentenced to jail time for their part in the riots. Those fights with Boca’s ‘fans’ were only one symptom though: there were numerous fights with the police and other barras. |
http://hastaelgolsiempre.com/2009/06/09/chacarita-juniors-promoted/
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Pond Life
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Sometimes they watch and enjoy football too...
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