Sun Aug 17, 6PM Anarchists Face Communists in Soccer Tournament

Revolutionary Soccer Tournament Cup Bay Area 2003
Kronstadt FC vs. Left Wing


First game: Sunday, August 17th, 6PM at Piedmont High School football field. FREE admission.
(Directions below)
Second game: Sunday, August 31st. Time & Location To Be Announced
Third game: Sunday, September 14th. Time & Location To Be Announced


Come experience the spectacle as anarchist and communist warriors duke it out over soccer in this long standing historic battle. The local anarchist soccer team Kronstadt FC will be facing off with the local communist soccer team, Left Wing, in a three game tournament beginning August 17, over the course of four weeks in the bay area.

Ever since Marx expelled Bakunin and the anarchists from the First International in 1872, the tension between the camps of anarchism and communism has built up considerably, notably during the Bolshevik seize of power in Russia in the early 1900's and the Spanish Civil War in the 1930's. These historical conflicts and philosophical incompatibilities have persisted over the years and it remains to be seen whether it will be resolved on the pitch during this tournament. Unlike the bitter history that have come before them, however, both teams insist on maintaining a spirit of fun while remaining competitive throughout the friendlies.

Kronstadt FC will reveal their new black jerseys for the new season at the opening game and vow to hold it down for west coast anarchist soccer. Kronstadt's squad, of mixed genders, includes members of local collectives such as AK Press, RACE, Bound Together, as well as a number of players who were part of the Direct Action to Stop the War, the group that helped organize anti-war actions that shut down San Francisco in the wake of the United States' invasion of Iraq. In keeping with its anarchist identity, the squad decides on positions and startegies without a coach and fields players of all skill-levels.

Left Wing's squad, consisting of a majority women of color, includes ex-members of the now-defunct Maoist group STORM as well as members of the Freedom Uprising collective, a group of activists of color who recently organized direct actions against the war. Left Wing is expected to be wearing their red jersey sporting their mascot, Lenin.

The opening game will be the first time ever that the two sides meet on a soccer pitch. Both teams have been using the Piedmont field for their practices, so there won't be any home-field advantage for either side. "Neither of the two teams are clear favorites to win the tournament," says a player from Kronstadt FC who spoke on anonymity. "While we don't know enough about the other team and their mysterious communist ways, we have to expect three very challenging games ahead of us. But knowing how important the first game is in any tournament, we will be looking for a positive result in the opener with Left Wing."

Directions to Piedmont High School field:

For Map Click Here

Piedmont High School's entrance is located at 800 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611. Due to the bourgeois neighborhood where the school is located, please be advised of your anti-capitalist blood boiling as you climb the hills of Piedmont toward the school which is bigger than some universities and thus makes it hard to locate the actual field which is on the other side of the school entrance.

One of many ways to get to the field: From the Grand Ave exit off of 580, drive down Grand Ave away from Lake Merritt, toward the residential area past the Grand Lake theater. Make a right onto Wildwood from Grand. At the first two instances where the road splits, veer to the right which is Wildwood. At the five-way intersection that follows, cross it while staying on the same road. You will soon see a gigantic football field to your left below. Park anywhere. Walk down steps toward the bleachers.