It's not only the Stadion An der Alten Försterei which has sat empty for many months. All of the seats and tables at Union supporter bars have remained empty for a long time due to the pandemic. Where there is normally a great deal of fun and exuberance, there is an ominous silence.

For the owners, it's a matter of existence. For many Union supporters, it's a question of preserving the traditional matchday rituals.

Fan group Szene Köpenick and the first-team squad are leading the campaign "Shoulder to Shoulder" to support the Union supporter bar community. Anyone can show their support by buying the t-shirts and beer mats which are available online at the Union-Zeughaus. Both the t-shirts and beer mats are designed to show the solidarity between the supporters, the club and all Unioner. For every t-shirt 5 euros and for every beer mat pack of 10 2,50 euros will go to support the Union supporter bars.

Supporters who support the campaign with the items on sale can also co-determine which supporter bars should be on the list. In the ordering process at the checkout, you can select from a list of pubs which were nominated on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram last weekend.

The number of bars that can be selected depends in the end on the overall proceeds of the campaign. The vote will decide in which order the pubs will be considered and those will receive the same amount of support in the end.

Given their special importance as venues to the fan groups, the CBC Bowling Centre and the Casino Eiche will be supported in any case.