The last full weekend of June 2016 was our celebration of the fifth annual UAFA CUP. It’s hard to believe for us, how fast the years have flown by…
The events, which for most visitors started on Friday afternoon (23.6.2017) was the result of many months work. We are very happy that new people have joined the crew, both for the organization as well as on the spot during the weekend. In the end that is what the whole event is about – mutual aid and support!
UAFA CUP 2017, brought the widest spectrum of groups and teams from various countries. This year members of groups from Austria (First Vienna FC), Belgium (Standard Liège), Belarus (Partizan Minsk), Croatia (NK Zagreb 041), Czech Republic (Bohemians 1905 Prague), Germany (Babelsberg 03) and Poland (AKS Zly) took part in UAFA CUP. We want to thank them for making the trip and hope to see them soon again.
Officially the program began on Friday evening with the screening of the Czech documentary FC Roma. After the movie, the Friday festivities continued in the local venue on the river Váh – u Jakuba.
Saturday morning kicked off for some of us sooner than, others Friday night ended. This year we wanted to add more color to the program, which we succeeded in. The soundtrack to the tournament started with DJ Wychitwacs a Eplton[daj!bass crew] and their house and techno production. They were followed by old-school hip-hop from Zdvorilý Jeleň. The lunch break was filled with the acoustic pool concert of the duo – Dáša Fon Fľaša + Oi Oi Pirátoi. Their show was followed by UAFa CUP regulars The Ugly Selectors and their ska, northern, sou reggae, 2-tone, and punk. It was drum and bass from DJ INSO who helped us close the tournament. This year we also added more to the framework program. From the slingshot range to the graffiti wall, photo exhibition and two discussions and presentations from Karmína and Priama Akcia focusing on workplace struggles and organizing.
The tournament UAFA CUP 2017 was played out in a relaxed friendly atmosphere. 26 male, female and mixed teams took part from all over Europe. We are also very happy that 2016 winners Grodno Punx Crew, took part, as well as the team from o.z. Silnejší slabším, who were the recipients of this year’s benefitrecepients.
In the evening, we moved to club Lúč. The program started with a screening of the documentary film The Antifascists. We believe that it was a very important and incentive part of the program. The film was followed by a concert from the bands Mental Tension(HC, Slovakia), Lazy Class(Oi, Poland) 213+10 Side(Hoolie Hop, Belarus). The day was closed with an afterparty from The Ugly Selectors and Radko Obratko.
An interesting follow-up of the tournament was one international visit. On Sunday, when most people were resting and regenerating, three interviews took place at the stadium. Interviews with three female fans and ultras – two from Trenčín and one from Bohemians. These interviews will be a part of the Fan_tastic Females exhibition, which we hope to host at UAFA CUP 2018.
UAFA CUP is, was and will be a benefit event. A part of this year’s benefit went to support a local organization, which supports persons from disadvantaged backgrounds, youth from children homes and persons with disabilities, in integrating into society. A part of the benefit also went to support a local socially disadvantaged family. The remainder of the benefit will be used to support antifascist activities and projects.
We want to end this report with a few words on what UAFA CUP is and what we want it to be in the future. We started this event not just to bring us together and have fun as a small community. We also do it to meet new people, from Slovakia and the rest of Europe – which we are managing to do, with the evergrowing number of visitors. We don’t organize UAFA CUP for profit. We do it to show that we can function in a different way – based on mutual aid and solidarity, without racism, sexism, nationalism, and homophobia. UAFA CUP is also, in the end, to learn from one another, how to stay active on and off the stands as well as in life’s difficult moments. And we will function on these principles in the future. See you in 2018.
No football for fascists!
You can find the selection of this years pictures on our Facebook