The Secret to Surviving Cycles: Lessons from Century-Old Football Clubs for Web3

Author: Zen, PANews

If we consider European football clubs with a history of over 100 years as long-term examples of "community products," what is truly impressive about them is not the number of trophies they have won, but the fact that people of different generations, social classes, and even nationalities are willing to invest time, money, and emotion in protecting the same community for a hundred years.

This hits the core problem facing Web3 startups: the industry excels at discussing growth, incentives, tokens, and governance, but often lacks a sense of belonging and trust that can weather economic cycles. Hype comes and goes quickly; many projects are like shooting stars streaking across the night sky, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye; most DAO attempts begin with idealistic utopias but end in self-serving conflicts of interest.

However, if we turn back the clock to the birth of football clubs, we find a simpler, more long-term logic: clubs were initially created not to serve the commercial will of a particular owner, but to represent the community and fans. This aligns perfectly with the "community-driven" approach repeatedly emphasized in the Web3 industry. Therefore, returning to the origins of those century-old clubs may provide a more reliable frame of reference for building Web3 communities.

Identity and cultural belonging

In 1878, cheers erupted one day in a workers' pub outside Manchester, England. Several railway locomotive factory workers, who often gathered there after get off work, excitedly discussed their idea of officially forming a football team. Subsequently, this group of railway workers established a team in Newton Heath, adopting the railway company's iconic green and gold colors for their kit, and even renting a nearby pub for their locker room. Thus, a team founded by ordinary workers was quietly born—the precursor to Manchester United, a top Premier League club.

Such stories are not unique to Manchester United. Across the European continent, many century-old clubs are rooted in working-class communities and local cultures, and football, from its inception, has been deeply embedded in the grassroots communities of industrial cities.

In 1899, in Spain, a young Swiss man named Hans Gamper, looking for people to play football with while far from home, placed an advertisement in a local sports magazine seeking like-minded individuals interested in forming a football team. This advertisement marked the "real launch" of FC Barcelona: a small international group of Swiss, Catalans, Englishmen, and Germans gathered at the Solá Stadium and founded the FC Barcelona.

Gamper's goal was to create an organization open to everyone, regardless of background, where everyone could speak freely. He envisioned a club that would promote social integration and create a democratic society freely governed by its members. To express his gratitude to Catalonia for embracing him, Gamper infused the essence of Catalan cultural identity into FC Barcelona, an essence that has since defined the image of Barça.

Juventus, which recently rejected a takeover bid from stablecoin company Tether, also has a story deeply rooted in community . Juventus' official account of its history is simple and straightforward: in 1897, a group of Turin high school students conceived the idea of forming a team on a bench in the city center, and the club was born. But what's more admirable about Juventus is how it transcended the geographical limitations of a "city club." Juventus enjoys nationwide support in Italy, partly due to the influx of people from the south—making supporting Juventus a part of integrating into city life for immigrant communities.

Looking back at the history of established European clubs, it is easy to see that identity symbols and a sense of ritual played an important role in their early community building process. The team's colors, name, home stadium, and so on all strengthened community identity. They were adept at using symbols and stories to add identity labels to themselves, thereby making ordinary people identify with and be proud of them.

For example, in 1883, when Blackburn Olympic became the first working-class team to win the FA Cup, the common people throughout northern England rejoiced, seeing it as a symbol of the grassroots triumphing over the upper class. This narrative of the underdog's triumph further ignited the passion of fans everywhere, and the club gained its first batch of die-hard fans, growing exponentially.

For Web3 startup communities, the path taken by football clubs a century ago in establishing and nurturing their communities offers valuable lessons. By fully leveraging cultural foundations and grassroots power, projects can clearly define their identity, cultural belonging, and sense of mission from the outset . Just as industrial-era workers came together because of shared interests, cities, and class identities, Web3 communities can unite users through shared values or visions.

Web3 projects, too, need to find their own identity and core users in their early stages. Drawing inspiration from football clubs, startup teams should distill clear identity symbols and narratives for their communities. The community needs to find a "spiritual home" that resonates with users, such as a decentralized belief, a subcultural identity, or a mission to solve real-world problems, serving as the community's cultural foundation. By emphasizing this identity and sense of cultural belonging, early like-minded participants can be attracted to spontaneously gather, laying a solid foundation for future growth.

Respect and trust the power of the community

The century-long journey of football clubs has not been without its challenges. Whether facing financial crises, management turmoil, or external turmoil, what has truly enabled many long-established clubs to stand firm is often not a wealthy owner or politician, but the united community behind them. When crises strike, it is often these ordinary people who consider the club an integral part of their lives who stand up to protect the club.

“In a football club, there is a sacred trinity of people – players, coaches, and fans. The board members are not involved; they are just there to sign checks,” Liverpool legend Bill Shankly once emphasized the essence of football.

In the late 2000s, Liverpool was mired in massive debts incurred by its former American owners, and its performance and finances were on the verge of collapse. Fans, naming their godfather-like manager Shankly after him, spontaneously formed the "Spirit of Shankly" (SOS) to protest the mismanagement of the management. Between 2008 and 2010, large-scale fan demonstrations erupted repeatedly at and around Anfield, including carrying banners, staging sit-ins after matches, and even traveling to the London High Court to support a lawsuit.

Ultimately, the fans' unwavering stance forced the unpopular owners to sell the club, and the new owners immediately stabilized morale upon taking over. "The club's unique bond lies in the sacred relationship between the fans and the team; it's the beating of our heart," the new management apologized to the fans in an open letter, promising change and freezing ticket prices for several years to rebuild fan trust. These actions demonstrate that when a club loses its way, it is the community's collective effort that pulls it back on track.

For example, in the mid-2010s, Borussia Dortmund accumulated massive debts after excessive spending, and in 2005, they were on the verge of bankruptcy. At this critical juncture, Dortmund's fan organizations launched demonstrations and the "We Are Dortmund" movement, calling on all sectors of the city to lend a helping hand. Tens of thousands of fans sang the team's anthem outside the home stadium and raised funds to save themselves, while players also voluntarily took a 20% pay cut to overcome the difficulties together.

Ultimately, through the combined efforts of the local government, businesses, and fans, the club overcame its difficulties and was reborn. This phoenix-like rebirth has transformed this experience into a new culture: the club adopted the slogan "Echte Liebe" (True Love), emphasizing the spirit of unconditional support within Dortmund. A Dortmund midfielder stated, "True love means unconditional love – that is the spirit of Dortmund, our strength."

It is clear that what truly helped the club overcome difficulties during the crisis was the unbreakable bond between it and the community. This strength stems from the deep identification of every ordinary fan, who see the club as a shared cause and honor. When the external environment is turbulent, the fan community acts as an unbreakable support, safeguarding the team's future.

Even more remarkably, some clubs have integrated the community into their governance structure, thereby enhancing their resilience against risks . Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain still maintain a membership system with no shareholder dividends, and the club president is elected by all "Socios" members. Barcelona, with over 150,000 members, is the world's largest membership-based club. This decentralized ownership makes the club less susceptible to control by any single conglomerate, and major decisions must consider the interests of the vast majority of members. For example, in the mid-2010s, Barcelona faced financial difficulties but still refused an external takeover bid; it was the votes of tens of thousands of members that protected the club's independence.

Similarly, most clubs in Germany follow the "50+1" rule, ensuring that fans and members have a majority of the vote . This system makes the clubs more like public property; when trouble strikes, fans will not stand idly by but will participate in decision-making and overcome difficulties as stakeholders.

Web3 projects, which have always emphasized community, naturally possess the technological advantage of enabling communities to participate in governance and share benefits. They can draw inspiration from centennial clubs to build more resilient community governance and incentive mechanisms.

First, we advocate for genuine community building and governance. Just as members-only clubs give votes to fans, Web3 projects can use tokens or DAO mechanisms to allow users to participate in voting on important proposals, enhancing their sense of belonging and responsibility. When a project faces a downturn or a crisis such as a hacker attack, these deeply engaged community members are more willing to step forward and contribute rather than abandon the project.

Secondly, design reasonable token incentives to align interests. For example, referencing season tickets and equity in sports clubs, issue tokens with governance rights or revenue-sharing mechanisms, granting more rights to long-term holders and participants . When community members are economically and emotionally invested, they are more likely to choose to continue holding and helping improve the project during a bear market downturn, rather than selling off and leaving.

Furthermore, emphasizing spiritual motivation is the most important and also the most difficult aspect to replicate. Football fans' support is often a selfless emotional investment. Web3 communities should also cultivate this kind of spiritual bond, such as sincerely communicating with the community during difficult times, acknowledging mistakes and expressing respect and gratitude to users, like Liverpool's new owners did. When users feel the project team's sincerity and a sense of community, they are more likely to stay and even actively call on others to support the project through difficult times.

Legendary figures and spiritual totems

Over the long years, football clubs have often created one legendary figure after another. They are either heroic players who turn the tide on the field or renowned coaches who establish their dominance behind the scenes. These vivid figures have become shared memories and topics of conversation among fans, and are also the anchors and spiritual totems that weave the club's narrative.

In the 1960s, Liverpool manager Bill Shankly not only led the team back to the top flight and won the championship, but also left a deep impression on the fans with his charismatic personality. Born into a Scottish mining family, he believed in a socialist football philosophy, advocating teamwork and shared honor and disgrace. It is said that Shankly often told the players in the dressing room: "I'm just an ordinary fan standing in the stands, only with the responsibilities of a coach. You and the fans think alike, we are one family." Many of his famous quotes are still remembered by Liverpool fans today.

In his autobiography, Shankly wrote, "From the beginning of my managerial career, I have tried to show the fans that they are the most important people. You have to know how to treat them and win their support." Shankly thought this way, and he acted on it. In April 1973, when Shankly and the team were displaying the league title trophy to the fans in the Kop stand at Anfield, he saw a policeman throw aside a Liverpool scarf that had been thrown at him. Shankly immediately picked up the scarf, put it around his neck, and said to the policeman, "Don't do that, it's precious."

Shankly emphasized the importance of communicating with fans, using the public address system to explain team roster changes and his thoughts on the previous game. He personally replied to fan letters using an old-fashioned typewriter. He would not hesitate to get game tickets for fans he felt deserved help, and wrote in his autobiography that he was willing to give anything as long as it was reasonable.

When Shankly passed away in 1981, tens of thousands of fans spontaneously took to the streets to pay their respects. From then on, Shankly became not only a renowned manager in the team's history but also a spiritual symbol of the city of Liverpool. Therefore, when Liverpool fans formed an organization to protest against corrupt owners, they unhesitatingly named it "The Shankly Spirit"—borrowing the power of this legendary figure to call for unity. This demonstrates the immense influence of star leaders on community narratives: their personalities and stories are elevated to a symbol, guiding and inspiring the entire community.

On the player front, every top club also has its iconic figures revered by fans. Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United, two generations of godfathers, created the Red Devils dynasty, their passion and wisdom becoming legends in the hearts of fans; Dutch star Johan Cruyff for Barcelona was not only a meritorious player but also later created the "Dream Team" era as a coach, establishing Barcelona's pleasing passing and possession style.

It can be said that the story of every great club is made vivid and engaging by the presence of these influential figures. Every move of these stars touches the nerves of the community, and their moments of glory become collective memories, serving as narrative vehicles and spiritual benchmarks for the community.

In Web3 communities, while the context differs from football, effectively utilizing "key figures" to shape the community narrative is equally important. Core members of a startup team or project spokespeople can enhance community cohesion through their personal charisma. This isn't about advocating personality cults, but rather about providing clear spiritual guidance to the community by leveraging the leader's values and story.

Correspondingly, these key figures should also adhere to ethical and professional standards , actively interact with the community, maintain transparency and sincerity, and genuinely respect and care for the community as Shankly respected the fans. Based on this, skillfully leveraging the influence of stars and core members can provide a powerful narrative foundation for the Web3 community, inspiring emotional resonance and long-term loyalty among members, just as a century-old club uses legendary stories to tightly connect generations of fans.

It's important to note that over-reliance on a single star figure also carries risks. Therefore, while leveraging the star effect, Web3 teams must also focus on cultivating a sense of belonging within the community, ensuring that even after a key figure leaves, their spirit can be passed down through systems and culture, maintaining a continuous narrative within the community.