The Secret of Navigating Cycles: A Century-Old Football Club's Survival Lessons for Web3

Author: Zen, PANews

If we view European century-old football clubs as long-term samples of “community products,” their truly astonishing aspect has never been the number of trophies won, but rather their ability to inspire different generations, social classes, and even nationalities to continuously invest time, money, and emotion over a hundred years to protect the same community.

This precisely hits the core challenge faced by Web3 startups: while the industry excels at discussing growth, incentives, tokens, and governance, it often lacks a sense of belonging and trust that can transcend cycles. Hype comes quickly and dissipates just as fast; many projects are like shooting stars across the night sky—here one moment, gone the next, falling silent in the blink of an eye; most DAO attempts start with utopian ideals but end in conflicts of interest driven by self-interest.

However, if we turn back to the era when football clubs were born, we find a more straightforward, long-term logic: clubs were originally created not to serve the commercial interests of a particular owner but to represent the community and fans, which aligns perfectly with the Web3 industry’s repeated emphasis on “community-driven” development. For this reason, returning to the origins of those century-old clubs may offer a more reliable reference point for Web3 community building.

Identity and Cultural Belonging

In 1878, one day in a workers’ tavern on the outskirts of Manchester, cheers erupted. Several railway locomotive factory workers, who often gathered there after work, excitedly discussed the idea of officially forming a football team. Soon after, these railway workers established a team in Newton Heath, choosing the railway company’s iconic green and gold colors for their kit, and even rented a nearby pub as their changing room. Thus, a team founded by ordinary workers quietly emerged—the precursor to Manchester United, one of the top giants in the Premier League.

Such stories are not unique to Manchester United. Across Europe, many century-old clubs are rooted in working-class communities and local cultural soil, with football deeply embedded in the grassroots of industrial cities from its inception.

In Spain, in 1899, a Swiss youth named Hans Gamper, seeking to find players to kick a ball in a foreign land, placed an advertisement in a local sports magazine looking for like-minded individuals interested in forming a football team. This announcement marked the “true start” of FC Barcelona: an international group of Swiss, Catalan, English, and German players gathered at the Les Corts stadium to establish the club.

Gamper’s goal was to create an organization that was open to all, regardless of background, where everyone could speak freely. He envisioned a club that would promote social integration and foster a democratically managed society by its members. To express his gratitude to Catalonia for welcoming him, Gamper infused the club with Catalan cultural identity, which has since become a defining element of Barcelona’s image.

Similarly, the recent rejection of the stablecoin company Tether’s acquisition of Juventus also has a strong community flavor. Juventus’ official history states simply and plainly: in 1897, a group of high school students in Turin conceived the idea of forming a team on a park bench in the city center, and the club was born from there. But what’s more instructive about Juventus is how it broke through the geographical limitations of a “city club.” Juventus has nationwide support in Italy, partly due to migration from the south—making supporting Juventus a way for immigrants to integrate into city life.

Looking back at the histories of Europe’s old clubs, it’s clear that during their early community-building phases, symbols of identity and rituals played vital roles. The club’s colors, name, home ground, and other elements reinforced community identity, and they skillfully used symbols and stories to add layers of identity, making ordinary people proud and emotionally connected.

For example, in 1883, when Blackburn Olympic became the first working-class team to win the FA Cup, the entire North of England celebrated, viewing it as a symbol of grassroots victory over the upper class. This narrative of underdog triumph further ignited passion among fans everywhere, and the club gained its first loyal followers through this snowballing effect.

For the Web3 entrepreneurial community, the founding and community nurturing paths of football clubs a century ago also offer lessons. By fully leveraging cultural soil and grassroots strength, projects can clarify their identity, cultural belonging, and mission from the very beginning. Just as industrial-era workers united through shared interests, city, and class identity, Web3 communities can also coalesce around shared values or visions.

Early-stage Web3 projects need to find their own identity positioning and core users. Borrowing from football clubs, founding teams should craft clear symbols and stories of identity for the community. The community needs to find a “spiritual home” that resonates—such as decentralized faith, subcultural identity, or a mission to solve real-world problems—as the cultural foundation. Emphasizing this sense of identity and cultural belonging will attract early like-minded participants to spontaneously gather, laying a solid foundation for future growth.

Respect and Trust in the Power of Community

The century-long journey of football clubs has not been smooth. Whether facing financial crises, management upheavals, or external turmoil, what has kept many historic clubs standing is often not a wealthy benefactor or politician, but the united community behind them. When crises strike, it is usually the ordinary people who see the club as part of their life that step forward to defend it.

“There are three sacred entities in a football club—the players, the coaches, and the fans. The board members are not involved; they just come to sign checks,” Liverpool legend Bill Shankly once emphasized the essence of football.

In the late 2000s, Liverpool was mired in debt under its former American owner, with performance and finances nearly collapsing. Fans, inspired by the legendary coach Shankly, formed the “Spirit of Shankly” organization (SOS) to protest mismanagement by the upper management. Between 2008 and 2010, large-scale fan protests erupted both inside and outside Anfield—holding banners, sitting out matches, and even traveling to London’s High Court to support legal actions.

Ultimately, the firm stance of fans forced the unpopular owner to sell the club. The new owners immediately stabilized the team’s morale. “The club’s unique bond lies in the sacred relationship between fans and the team—this is the heartbeat of our club,” the new management apologized to fans in an open letter and promised change. They froze ticket prices for years to rebuild trust. These episodes demonstrate that when a club’s direction is lost, it is the community’s collective effort that pulls it back on track.

Similarly, in the mid-2010s, Borussia Dortmund faced bankruptcy after excessive spending, nearly collapsing in 2005. At critical moments, Dortmund’s fan organizations launched protests and the “We Are Dortmund” movement, calling on the city’s various sectors to lend a hand. Tens of thousands of yellow-and-black supporters sang club anthems outside the stadium and raised funds for self-rescue, with players voluntarily taking a 20% pay cut to weather the storm.

Eventually, through the combined efforts of local government, businesses, and fans, the club overcame difficulties and was reborn. The reborn Dortmund turned this experience into a new culture: the club adopted the slogan “Echte Liebe” (True Love), emphasizing unconditional support and the Dortmund spirit. Midfielder Marco Reus said, “True love means unconditional love—that’s Dortmund’s spirit, our strength.”

It’s clear that in times of crisis, what truly helps clubs survive is the unbreakable bond with the community. This power stems from the inner identity of every ordinary supporter—they see the club as a shared cause and honor. When external environments are turbulent, fan communities act as an indestructible backing supporting the team’s future.

Moreover, some clubs have institutionalized community into their governance structures, enhancing resilience against risks. Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain still maintain membership systems, with no shareholder dividends, and club presidents elected by all “Socios” members. Barcelona has over 150,000 members, making it the largest member-based club in the world. This dispersed ownership makes it difficult for any consortium to control the club, and major decisions must consider the interests of the broad membership. For example, in the mid-2010s, despite financial difficulties, Barcelona refused external capital buyouts—thanks to the votes of tens of thousands of members, safeguarding the club’s independence.

Similarly, most German clubs follow the “50+1” rule, ensuring that fans and members hold the majority voting rights. This system makes clubs more like public assets; when storms come, fans do not stand by idly but participate actively in decision-making, sharing the risks and responsibilities.

Web3 projects that emphasize community have inherent advantages in enabling community participation in governance and shared interests. They can draw inspiration from century-old clubs to build more resilient governance and incentive mechanisms.

First, advocate for genuine community co-creation and co-governance. Just as member-based clubs entrust voting rights to fans, Web3 projects can involve users in important proposals through tokens or DAO mechanisms, enhancing a sense of belonging and responsibility. When projects face downturns or crises like hacking attacks, these deeply engaged community members are more willing to step up and contribute rather than walk away.

Second, design rational token incentives to align interests. For example, referencing season tickets and equity in sports clubs, issuing tokens with governance rights or profit-sharing mechanisms can reward long-term holders and active participants. When community members are economically and emotionally invested, they are more likely to continue holding and helping improve the project during bear markets, rather than selling off.

Additionally, emphasizing spiritual incentives is the most crucial yet hardest to replicate. Football fans’ support is often an emotional investment without expectation of return. Web3 communities should also foster this spiritual bond—such as sincere communication during tough times, like Liverpool’s new owner admitting mistakes and expressing respect and gratitude to users. When users feel the project’s sincerity and shared community identity, they tend to stay committed and even actively rally others to support the project through difficulties.

Legendary Figures and Spirit Totems

Over the long years, football clubs often cultivate legendary figures—heroes on the pitch who turn the tide, or legendary coaches and godfathers behind the scenes who shape the club’s destiny. These vivid personalities become collective memories and talking points for fans, serving as “anchors” and “spirit totems” that weave the club’s narrative.

In 1960s Liverpool, manager Bill Shankly not only led the team back to top-flight success and won championships but also left a deeply personal impression on fans. Born into a Scottish mining family, he believed in socialist football philosophy, advocating for team unity and shared glory. It’s said that Shankly often told players in the dressing room: “I’m just an ordinary fan in the stands, just doing my coaching job. You and the fans are one family.” Many of his famous quotes are still remembered by Reds fans today.

In his autobiography, Shankly wrote: “From the start of my coaching career, I tried to make it clear to fans that they are the most important. You must know how to treat them and win their support.” That’s what Shankly thought and did. In April 1973, when Shankly and his team displayed the league championship trophy to fans from the Kop stand at Anfield, he saw a police officer toss aside a Liverpool scarf still worn around his neck. Shankly immediately picked up the scarf, put it around his neck, and told the officer, “Don’t do that; it’s precious.”

Shankly emphasized the importance of communication with fans, using public address systems to explain team lineup changes and his thoughts on previous matches. He personally responded to fan letters with an old typewriter. He would unhesitatingly get tickets for fans he believed deserved help and wrote in his autobiography that, as long as it was reasonable, he was willing to give anything.

When Shankly passed away in 1981, thousands of fans spontaneously took to the streets to bid him farewell. From then on, Shankly was not only a legendary coach in the club’s history but also a symbol of Liverpool’s spirit. As a result, when Liverpool fans formed an organization to protest against poor owners, they named it “Shankly Spirit”—borrowing the power of this legendary figure to rally unity. This demonstrates the enormous influence of star leaders on community narratives: their personalities and stories elevate into symbols that guide and inspire the entire community.

In terms of players, every major club also has “flagship figures” revered by fans. Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United built the Red Devils dynasty; their passion and wisdom became legendary in fans’ hearts. Dutch star Johan Cruyff at Barcelona, both as a player and later as a coach, established the “Dream Team” era and the club’s attractive possession-based style.

It can be said that the stories of every great club are vividly alive because of these legendary figures. Their actions influence the community’s nerves; their shining moments become collective memories and serve as narrative carriers and spiritual coordinates for the community.

In Web3 communities, although the scene differs from football, leveraging “key figures” to shape community narratives is equally important. Core team members or project ambassadors can enhance cohesion through personal charisma. This is not about promoting personal worship but sometimes using leaders’ values and stories to provide clear spiritual guidance for the community.

Correspondingly, these key figures should uphold moral and professional standards, actively interact with the community, maintain transparency and sincerity, and genuinely respect and care for the community—just as Shankly respected fans. By skillfully utilizing the influence of stars and core members, Web3 communities can gain powerful narrative anchors, evoke emotional resonance, and foster long-term loyalty—much like century-old clubs that connect generations of fans through legendary stories.

It’s important to note that over-reliance on a single star figure carries risks. Therefore, Web3 teams should also focus on cultivating a sense of belonging within the community, ensuring that even if key figures depart, the community’s narrative can continue through制度和文化传承，使社区叙事仍有延续的脉络。