Glory - Hamburg

Glory #12 - San Marino

Punks, Perms and Promotions.

We made our way to the rebel heart of northern Germany — where the River Elbe meets grit, rebellion, and romance. Welcome to Hamburg.

This City Stories issue of Glory dives headfirst into one of Europe’s most atmospheric footballing cities, where history, punk, and local pride collide on and off the pitch. Andy Lawn shines a light on St. Pauli, the club that turned politics into a philosophy, while Andi Thomas examines the century-old connection between local cult team Altona 93 and Dulwich Hamlet in South London – two institutions with heartbeats as strong as their communities. And of course, there’s HSV — Hamburg’s traditional powerhouse, fighting to reclaim their place in the top flight.

We speak to Stefan Kuntz, former Germany striker, Turkey national team coach and now HSV Sporting Director, and Merlin Polzin, the young head coach behind their recent resurgence. And for a dose of nostalgia, we revisit the swagger and star power of Kevin Keegan, whose arrival at Hamburg in the late ’70s changed everything. And this wouldn’t be a Hamburg issue without the city’s favourite adopted sons — Fernando Duarte talks us through the coming of age of The Beatles.

But football is only part of the story. From Reeperbahn dives to riverside beer gardens and late-night kebabs, we map out the best places to eat, drink, and stay in this unvarnished, unrelenting city. Our mates at The Volley loaded up and rolled into town for a no-nonsense beer run — you’ll want to follow Charlie Hood’s recollections pint for pint.

With stunning photography and words from those who live and breathe Hamburg, this is a love letter to a city that doesn’t ask for your attention — it demands it.

About Glory:

Glory is a high-end football and travel publication, aiming to put the ‘beautiful’ back into the beautiful game. We travel the world documenting alternative football cultures including the most remote, exotic and unusual destinations.

Glory are a team of award-winning designers, writers and photographers with a shared passion for football. We wanted to explore the game beyond the elite leagues – there are countless nations where die-hard fans pack remote, windswept stadia or watch their national teams scrap for the honour of a place in the FIFA top 100. We look beyond the money, the glamour and the trophies to find the real Glory of football.

We’ve appeared on TalkSport, the hallowed Soccer AM table and sold issues in over 70 countries.