Marijam Didžgalvytė

It was Emma Goldman that once said ‘If there’s no dancing it’s not my revolution!’. The left may use this quote a lot, but it is rarely apparent in its activism. Until I was introduced to CCFC by friends, I scarcely knew any examples where political organising felt so joyous and as a result, sustainable and only growing in its potential.

I didn’t know the ins and outs of the Premier League when I started my weekly chanting for the Tons. Did I know such terms like Out Swinger, or Goal Mouth? Nope. I still don’t, actually but it does it matter? CCFC may be the one football club where I haven’t felt like it does. Newcomers are welcome whatever their knowledge of the game, as long as they’re happy to support the community and team in whichever way they can.

Once you’ve got the CCFC bug, it’s there to stay. What better way to end a week of work, activism and our endless anxieties than surrounding ourselves with like minded comrades, ready to back our team, win or lose, whilst also actively expressing our antifascist, pro-migrant, LGBTQ+ friendly stances. Our politics don’t have to be preachy, they have to be fun.

I am also feeling incredibly excited and privileged that Callum McCarthy and I will be able to expand the CCFC mission soon by introducing a video games committee that will be able to find new audiences, provide more socials for the team, members and staff and hopefully be able to establish the world’s first antifascist esports team.

Many traditional football teams already have esports wings to them so we’ll follow suit, but in a manner that is coherent with CCFC values.

In my work as a games journalist I have often covered the attempts by the alt-right to infiltrate gaming communities so it is really important for us to offer an alternative to that.
Sometimes city life can be a bit much, but my wonderful CCFC Saturdays have allowed me to see London in a new light.

The opportunity to marry my love for video games, activism and communal celebration all via CCFC has been quite an antidote to my political depression. CCFC chants are stuck in my head all week long and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Well, maybe except for the inevitable Sunday hangovers and the fact that the season has to come to a close (sorry team!).

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