Whether they helped bring down Jose Mourinho, marched against their club’s owners or pushed back against plans to commercialise their sport, fans have a long history of using their passion as a tool for social change. Their protest stories are a reminder that fan activism is more than just a fad.

The article combines comparative research with ethnography to explore the motives and dynamics of fan protests in two specific national settings over eight years (2014-2021). This approach allows us to analyse how the protests were framed by political events and by the contexts of their organisation.

Overall, the protests revolved around struggles about club’s governance and power imbalances, but also related to issues like fan involvement in clubs or the role of non-profit organisations. Activism addressing the club’s management was often framed by wider questions of governance, for example if fans protested against the club’s ownership structure, such as the case of Crystal Palace or Tottenham. In other cases, such as the activism of the ultras of Tavriya Simferopol in Crimea, national politics were a central issue, as they addressed politicians and local media in their efforts to save their club from relegation to lower divisions after Russia’s annexation of their hometown.

In terms of tactics, the majority of protests were conducted inside stadiums, which allowed fans to reach a football-related public. However, outside the stadium, many fans engaged in social activism by organising donation campaigns for aid agencies supporting marginalised groups, or by offering services themselves, for instance when Frankfurt fans offered food to homeless people.