Announcing 'Die 56'

Seeing Germany, one football club at a time

Deep breath.

Since starting this newsletter, I’ve had a harebrained idea sitting in the back of my noggin.

I want to see a football match at all 56 of Germany’s clubs in the top three divisions… In one season.

This isn’t a novel idea. Daniel Storey’s ‘Doing the 92’ series in The i is a pretty obvious comparison. It’s an outstanding piece of work, one that’s clearly inspired me, but it’s a damn sight easier to see such a project through when you’re the Chief Sports Writer of a national title with a massive audience.

My hope with this project is to widen the lens of English-language coverage of the German game and its culture, which, with a few notable exceptions, tends to focus solely on the Bundesliga. Each of the 56 teams I cover will receive the same level of detail.

I hope to launch a Kickstarter campaign in the coming weeks to raise funds for the project. This will cover off the obvious expenses: travel, accommodation, pocket money for bratwurst. But it will also function as my salary in this endeavour.

What will you, the backers, get in return? Well, maybe it would help if I break down the work I want to produce before outlining the different tiers of rewards you can access.

What is ‘Die 56’?

‘Die 56’ will be a series of essays on the current state of each club in Germany’s top three divisions in 25/26. It will feature insight from fans, local journalists, the clubs themselves and people working in the game. For example, we might go and talk to the people running the ‘Fanprojekte’ in Karslruhe, catch up with charities combatting the rise of the far-right on terraces in the East, or spend time with the ultras in St. Pauli.

Each stop on the tour will also feature a short video/podcast of my experience in these cities and towns. These dispatches will probably feel more like my current Away Day series in tone: a mix of culture, history and travel.

Along the way, I will probably write a few more pieces reflecting on my travels. Germany finds itself in a political moment which is by no means unique, but may be singularly fraught given the country’s past. If I am to spend my time traipsing up and down the country’s godawful rail network (yes, it is almost as bad as the UK’s) I’ll inevitably gain some insight on how the country is, or isn’t working.

This will all be housed behind the existing paywall. We will continue to publish free-to-access content as well, but it might come from other voices. I’m hoping we can build some publicity for the project, which will allow me to grow sponsorship and build a budget to commission up-and-coming writers on the German game.

We will also produce a PDF guide for premium backers. This will help prospective groundhoppers and day trippers make the most of their football travels. It will feature key historical facts about the clubs, places to see in and around the respective cities, introductions to the local cuisines and drinking cultures (crucial), and a crib sheet on the most important chants to learn before you set off.

How to back ‘Die 56’ + pricing tiers

So. Now we get down to it. The goal is to raise €11,200 to get the project off the ground. This should cover my expenses, give me a design budget, and allow me the space to produce work of a decent standard.

This target could go up or down, as I crunch the numbers in more detail.

If we eclipse the final mark, I will use the funds to solicit the services of an editor to ensure the work is of the highest possible quality. Here’s how I see the tiers working:

Tier 1 — ‘Die 56’ BRONZE: €25

What do you get?

• Access to all ‘Die 56’ essays, articles and videos for the first four months of the 25/26 season (August-November)

• Subscriber-only chats discussing German football culture and the action on the pitch

• Access to existing subscriber-only content

Tier 2 — ‘Die 56 SILBER’: €45

• All perks from ‘Die 56 BRONZE’ plus…

  • Access to all ‘Die 56’ essays, articles and videos for the whole 25/26 season (August-May)

Tier 3 — ‘Die 56 GOLD’: €60

• All perks from ‘Die 56 SILBER’ plus….

  • PDF guide on German ground hopping

Tier 4 — ‘Die 56 PLATIN’: €150

• All perks from ‘Die 56 GOLD’ plus…

  • Have your name listed as a founding member of “Die 56’ inside the ground hopping guide

If you can’t afford to back the project at those tiers, and just fancy pitching in (first of all, thanks, you’re a real one) you can make a smaller donation.

Tier 5 — ‘Die 56 Advertiser’: €750

• Ad placements on Bundesletter newsletters, podcasts and ‘Die 56’ Ground Hopping Guide for the 25/26 season

What happens next?

I need to go away and work out all the admin associated with Kickstarter, how I report this income to the Finanzamt (URGH) and the general boring stuff that happens in the background of such a project.

Basically, I’ve just decided to go with this now, and ask questions later. Otherwise, it might remain an idea rattling around the vast expanse of my bonce for eternity. If nothing comes of it, then so be it.

What can you do, right now? Send me a message. Let me know if you’re interested. If you aren’t, tell me why.

If you like the idea, share the word. Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your mum.

I’m on the lookout for media savvy professionals that can help me put this in front of the right people. If you’re in PR/comms/media buying and have a few ideas on how I can grow the reach of this newsletter and this project in particular, I’m open to any and all ideas.

I appreciate all of you that have subbed so far, and I’m so excited to see where I can take this publication. None of that happens without all of you.

So until next time, später!