Football Without Fans – Berlin Buckfast Crew, the BBC CSC

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·1 November 2024

Football Without Fans – Berlin Buckfast Crew, the BBC CSC

Berlin Buckfast Crew – The BBC CSC

Berlin Buckfast Crew CSC, Football Without Fans – Image Celtic Bars

Founded in 2016 by Mike Meehall Wood, Olly Gibson, and James Lavery and possibly the only CSC in the world founded by two Mancs and a Brummie.

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There was already a CSC in Berlin, but it was mostly run by German lads who followed Babelsberg 03, a club in Potsdam, just outside Berlin. Those who founded the BBC went to Babelsberg too, so they just latched on.

They put on Tottenham on instead of Celtic

Initially, they showed games in a pub called The Blarney in Kreuzberg, but they fell out with the owner after they refused to show a Champions League match and put Tottenham on instead.

For several years after that, they watched games at Mike’s house. They decided to get a new bar because friends from Bohemians in Dublin were over for a stag do the same weekend as a Glasgow Derby, and they couldn’t fit them all in his house.

Berlin Buckfast Crew CSC, Football Without Fans – Image Celtic Bars

Their local, Astra Stube, is a St. Pauli pub, so it was the obvious choice. They never looked back. Stefan, the landlord, has probably bought a new house with the cash Celtic fans have put behind his bar over the years.

They hosted a weekend when Celtic played RB Leipzig

They’ve done plenty of away trips and hosted a weekend when Celtic drew Leipzig in the Europa League.

There are plenty of characters, including Hughie Celtic Da, who has been in Berlin for years and is like a collective Granda to the group, who are mostly 30ish.

There’s Paddy too, an Irish country musician who has been known to miss entire halves of football while smoking a jazz cigarette in the street.

Tunnocks teacakes a Berlin treat

Since Mike moved to Australia, Calum Gordon has taken over the job of fixing Celtic TV and making sure they get in ahead of St. Pauli fans to take over the TV. There is nothing better than walking in hungover for a lunchtime Sunday kick-off to find that someone had recently returned from Scotland with Tunnocks teacakes to pass around!

Matt Corr visiting the Berlin Buckfast Crew. Photo The Celtic Star

Berlin Buckfast Crew CSC, Football Without Fans – Image Celtic Bars

READ THIS…We can be Heroes…Watching the Bhoys win at Ibrox with the BBC (Berlin Buckfast Crew)

Berlin Buckfast Crew

An extract from Football Without Fans – The History of Celtic Supporters Clubs by David McIntyre (Celtic Bars). Football Without Fans – The History of Celtic Supporters Clubs is out now and available in print and kindle versions HERE.

More to follow from Football Without Fans on The Celtic Star, the Celtic supporters website. Will it be your CSC that’s featured? Well next up is Jim Craig CSC Belfast No.1 CSC…