During the Civil Rights Movement, as Black folks risked their lives in pursuit of integration in schools and housing, they turned fandom into a weapon of nonviolent protest. They boycotted professional sports franchises that drew in white fans while segregating seating. Black newspapers like the Atlanta Daily World and the New York Times carried columns by sportswriters Jim Hall, Marcel Hopson, Marion Jackson, and Lloyd Wells to keep fans updated on the latest boycott news. They rallied behind Black players with signs and pickets, and in many major southern cities that wanted to attract professional sports teams as a way to appear modern, the presence of boycotting Black fans weighed heavily on the minds of city leaders.
On Saturday, hundreds of Crystal Palace fans marched from the clock tower in South Norwood to Selhurst Park for their club’s Europa League match against Sevilla, a match that was briefly stopped by police at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan when fans threw pieces of paper on to the pitch. It was a protest against UEFA’s decision to bar the Eagles from European competition next season, but also a message to the club’s owner Steve Parish and chairman Karim Textor that they won’t go down without a fight.
The protest was led by the Holmesdale Fanatics, a group that grew out of a desire to put pressure on the administration of their football club, and it showed what a powerful tool they have been over the last 15 years. Fierce anger and a sense of injustice fuelled this march, but the Fanatics have made it clear that they won’t give up fighting this decision through the proper channels.