ABSTRACT
Republica Internationale FC is a socialist football club that is part of a broader international network of like-minded alternative grassroots clubs. Collectively the members play and campaign worldwide on a variety of issues in a variety of settings. This article reveals how the club has struggled to define and sustain itself more than 30 years. It explores what socialist football is, how the club was conceived and nurtured, how it is organized and how the international network was cultivated. It spans the clubs operations from the Sunday League mundane to the international spectaculars. It tracks how the club has adapted to confront many social and political challenges. It examines external and internal ideological conflict, the club's successes and setbacks, and how gender transforms the club. The article critically evaluates the club's credibility. It offers an insight into how leftist culture can flourish and be sustained in grassroots sport.
