A small, newly-founded football team in the "lower reaches" of English football "attracted international fame after its new shirt, inspired by the fight against nationalists in the Spanish Civil War, went viral in Spain and sold out," according to Smout & Williams of REUTERS. East London-based Clapton CFC is "only a few months old but was forced to stop taking orders" after receiving more than 5,000 requests for its new away shirt, which is in the colors of the Republican forces that fought against General Francisco Franco's Nationalists 80 years ago. Player-Manager Geoff Ocran said, "We never expected that sort of potential and media hype." He added that the club was only expecting to sell about 250 of the shirts. The red, yellow and purple shirt is "adorned" with three pointed stars -- the symbol of the Int'l Brigades that came to Spain to fight -- as well as the slogan "No Pasarán," an anti-fascist phrase meaning, "They shall not pass." The ethos of the club is led by its supporters, who split from nearby Clapton FC "after a dispute with its owner" and established a fan-owned club in June. While the fans that set up the new club have "a reputation for championing progressive causes," not all of the players were aware of the history of the 1936-39 civil war until the new design was chosen. Club captain Andrew Lastic said, "Initially, I just liked it just for the look of it. To know the meaning of it, and what it stands for, it's a very proud feeling to put it on" (REUTERS, 9/18).
