FC St. Pauli celebrates milestone: Blind report is 20 years old!
FC St. Pauli celebrates milestone: Blind report is 20 years old!
St Pauli, Deutschland - The AFM radio of FC St. Pauli has a remarkable journey. Today, on July 3, 2025, this unique project celebrates its impressive anniversary, which gives the blind and visually impaired fans access to football experiences. Initiated by Katja and Michael Löffler and Wolf Schmidt, the idea for the blind reportage came into being after a touching experience of Schmidt, in which a blind fan was a similar jersey. This personal connection was the impetus to comment on the game loudly and thus blind spectators to offer a new perspective on the games.
Initially, the ambitions of Schmidt were not followed without resistance. Despite his efforts for a letter to the club, there was no answer. In 2004, the first blind reports took place in the Millerntor Stadium, with improvised means. A year later, in 2005, the AFM radio was launched, which has been broadcast live at every home and away game and is therefore an indispensable help for many fans.a heart for all fans
The AFM radio transmits 98.6 MHz on the frequency , so that the reports can be received throughout the stadium. It can even be heard in the merging sanitary facilities to offer fans a comprehensive experience. Wolf Schmidt and his team of committed employees essentially work on a voluntary basis, the technology is often provided on its own funds.
Feedback from Hörer: Inside, it proves that the AFM radio is very popular beyond the blind fans. A special email from the Antarctic from a scientist shows how the reporters emotionally and partisan describe the game, which promotes a deeper sense of community among fans. As a further encore, the team plans to make the transmissions available online in the future, which makes it easier to access for even more people.
The development of the blind reportage
The idea of the blind report has a long tradition in Germany, which goes back to the 1970s. During the first broadcasts in 1999, the story of the game between Bayer Leverkusen and SSV Ulm began. At that time only six listeners were present. Since then, many other clubs have taken over this format, so that all the first and second division clubs now offer a service for blind fans.
reporters not only have to describe the action compressed, but also capture the atmosphere in the stadium, which requires a lot of skill. According to Björn Naß, editor of the manual for the blind report, it is important that the reports are value -free in order to enable the listeners to form their own opinion.
Over the years, the blind report has developed, supported by technological developments that make it possible to follow the games not only in the stadium, but also on the Internet and special apps. The blind report not only promotes inclusion, but also the integration and the sense of community among all football fans.
The AFM radio is supported by the department supporting members of FC St. Pauli, which has existed since 1998. This department contributes to the financial stability of the association, while it supports social projects and youth promotion. Through their contributions, hundreds of members contribute to implementing the values of tolerance and social responsibility that FC St. Pauli holds up.We look positively into the future of the AFM radio and the blind report as a whole-a new standard that could not only be established in German football, but also internationally. So one day everyone can take part in the game with a radio receiver and headphones, regardless of their physical possibilities.
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| Ort | St Pauli, Deutschland |
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