Who We Are
About Riverside Forest FC
Chapter 01
Riverside Forest
Riverside Forest FC is a football club from Bandung, West Java, that functions more as a community movement than a standard sporting entity. Founded on December 11, 2021, the club emerged from discussions among football fans calling themselves the "Birds Death Brigade" in Tamansari, Bandung, who were disillusioned with the over-commercialization of modern Indonesian football.
The club adheres to the principle of equality, rejecting the traditional model of wealthy individual or corporate investors. The club's revenue is primarily driven by supporter funding; approximately 70% of the club's budget comes directly from its supporters, the Birds Death Brigade (BDB), through merchandise sales and donations.
Furthermore, the club maintains absolute transparency, publicly posting detailed financial reports on social media, including small expenses such as laundry and mineral water to maintain accountability to donors.
Riverside Forest FC also practices consensus voting. Major decisions, from technical direction to partner selection, are decided through a voting system in which players, staff, and supporters have an equal say.
The club uses its platform to address local and global issues, seeing football as a tool for "unity" and "transformation". Their banners and social media frequently support causes like anti-eviction efforts in local neighborhoods like Tamansari and Dago Elos, and campaigns against excessive rivalry violence in football and against the war.
Chapter 02
Culture Building
Riverside Forest builds a football culture rooted in togetherness, mutual respect, and freedom of expression. We believe that football is a shared space where people from different backgrounds, identities, and experiences can come together through a common passion.
We believe that football can be enjoyed without hatred and without rivalries that divide communities. Competition will always be part of the game, but respect for others must remain at its core. For us, every match is a celebration, not a source of hostility.
We also see football as entertainment in its truest form—a space to gather, share stories, sing together, and create meaningful experiences. Wins and losses will come and go, but the sense of belonging and connection built through the game endures far beyond the final whistle.
More than just a sport, football is a cultural medium and a vehicle for liberation. It provides a platform for people to participate, express themselves, and feel a sense of ownership. Through the culture we continue to build, Riverside Forest strives to keep football open, inclusive, and accessible to all—a game that unites people rather than divides them.
Chapter 03
Pillars of the Riverside Forest
Riverside Forest is built on the belief that football is more than just a game. For us, football is a platform for building connections, creating shared experiences, and fostering values that extend beyond the boundaries of the pitch. Through our three core pillars, we strive to keep football connected to the community and meaningful to the people around it.
- Blurring The Gap — Football has a unique ability to bring people together. Through Blurring The Gap, Riverside Forest seeks to break down barriers created by differences in background, social status, age, culture, and identity. We believe that when the game begins, what remains is a shared passion that unites people regardless of where they come from. This pillar serves as the foundation for building a culture rooted in openness, equality, and mutual respect.
- Football For All — Football For All reflects our commitment to keeping football inclusive, accessible, and welcoming to everyone. We believe that every individual has the right to enjoy, play, support, and participate in football without discrimination or exclusion. Through this pillar, Riverside Forest works to create a safe and welcoming environment where people can connect, contribute, and grow together through the game.
- Birds Death Brigade — Birds Death Brigade is the heartbeat of Riverside Forest. More than just a supporters' group, it is a community built on solidarity, creativity, and a shared sense of belonging. Through active participation, unwavering support, and collective initiatives both on and off the pitch, Birds Death Brigade strengthens the bond between the club and its community. It stands as a reminder that football is at its strongest when it is driven by the people who believe in it.
Chapter 04
Founder and Owner
Birds Death Brigade is the founder, owner, motor, and independent supporter of Riverside Forest FC. The group is known for its ideology, which rejects industrialised football in favor of fan ownership and collective management.
The group adopts a sub-culture movement that views football for all the people rather than a capitalist venture. This includes financial transparency, such as posting club financial reports on social media.
Interestingly, Birds Death Brigade does not operate as a formal organization with a registered membership list. It functions as an organic collective where anyone who shares the movement, joined the line, and supports the "Birds" (the players) is considered part of the brigade.
The Birds Death Brigade is more than just a fan club; the "activities" include art exhibitions, charity events, and labor rights campaigns. The group actively raises funds for striking workers, children with cancer, and disaster relief efforts, such as providing support to disaster victims.
This is the core philosophical activation, aimed at removing the hierarchy between management, players, and fans, ensuring everyone has an equal voice in club decisions.
Chapter 05
Purpose and Goals
Riverside Forest FC does not follow the traditional corporate "Vision and Mission" structure found in professional clubs. Instead, the club operates under an ideology that prioritizes community values over movement success or athletic prestige.
The primary purpose is to restore football to its original owners: the people and the local community. This is summarized by our core slogans:
- This Club Belongs to You and Me — Emphasizing a fan-owned, egalitarian model where everyone has an equal stake.
- Forever Underdogs — A vision of remaining a grassroots, alternative force that challenges the modernization and commercialization of the sport.
- Football for the People — Envisioning the sport as a source of happiness and a medium for social movement rather than just a profit-driven industry.
- Collective Self-Management — Running a club that is 100% independent, with funding and decisions coming directly from the Birds Death Brigade supporter collective.
- Social Movement — Using the football platform to advocate for labor rights, anti-racism, and environmental issues.
- Radical Transparency — Proving that a football club can be managed with full financial honesty, posting reports publicly to contrast with the often-opaque Indonesian football system.
- Cultural Fusion — Merging football with subculture, art exhibitions, and music to create a "creative media" platform for all the people who believe football is for the people.
Chapter 06
Activity
Since 2021, the collective has actively organized and participated in a wide range of activities spanning football, arts, music, youth development, and community engagement.
Our activities include participation in local and regional football competitions such as the Bandung Premiere League, Liga 3 Series 2, Liga 4 Series 2, the Soeratin Cup, and various grassroots tournaments across West Java. Alongside competitive football, we have organized community-driven events including May Day Collective Football, Football for Kids, Disaster Football Cup, blood donation programs, and solidarity initiatives for children and local communities.
We have also developed numerous collaborations with brands, artists, musicians, and cultural collectives, including projects with Los Fastidios, Weekend Offender, Maternal Disaster, Altertown Studio, Rumah Bintang, Leipzig, The Dare, and other creative partners. These collaborations have resulted in exhibitions, merchandise releases, youth football programs, charity auctions, and community campaigns.
Through these activities, we continue to use football as a platform for creativity, social engagement, and collective participation, connecting different communities both on and off the pitch.
Chapter 07
Success Story
Since its establishment in 2021, Riverside Forest has grown into one of Bandung's most active grassroots football collectives, combining football, youth development, creative collaboration, and community engagement.
Key achievements include:
- Established a supporter-owned football club model that promotes collective participation and community-driven development.
- Built one of the most active grassroots football supporter communities in Bandung, consistently attracting large numbers of supporters to matches and events.
- Became one of the few grassroots football clubs in Bandung to be banned from local competition after attracting an exceptionally large supporter base, highlighting the club's growing influence within the local football community.
- Developed youth football programs through the Little Birds project, including participation in the Soeratin Cup U-15 and U-17 competitions.
- Successfully organized and participated in numerous grassroots football tournaments, festivals, exhibitions, and community initiatives across West Java.
- Collaborated with local and international brands, artists, musicians, and cultural collectives, including Los Fastidios, Weekend Offender, Maternal Disaster, Altertown Studio, Leipzig, Rumah Bintang, and other creative partners.
- Organized social and solidarity initiatives, including charity auctions, blood donation drives, disaster relief programs, and football activities for children.
- Produced collaborative merchandise, exhibitions, and creative projects that connect football culture with art, music, and independent communities.
Through these achievements, Riverside Forest continues to demonstrate how football can serve as a platform for community building, creativity, solidarity, and collective participation both on and off the pitch.