© Action Images
Who to blame? The media were united in pinning this
Rise of the ultras
Intimately linked to hooliganism in the minds of many, is the
reputation of ultras in this country fair? Is it even possible to define
an entire culture? Michael Brunskill investigates.
Genoa, Tuesday 12th October 2010. Italy’s Euro
2012 qualifier at home to Serbia is only seven
minutes old when the game is abandoned
because of serious disorder among travelling supporters.
Trouble isn’t entirely unexpected and kick-off had already
been delayed for 40 minutes.
Before the game Serbian fans fought with police outside the
ground before attacking one of their own players with flares,
forcing keeper Vladimir Stojkovic to withdraw from the
match. Reports painted a pretty horrifying picture – Serbs
stormed the team bus to attack Stojkovic and only a quick
response from teammates prevented a far worse outcome.
It was part of a coordinated campaign to harass the former
Red Star keeper – targeted for joining city rivals Partizan
26 informing supporting campaigning
In the context of a game increasingly robbed of the passion
violence, driven by a core of ideologically driven right- of supporters, there are elements of this mindset I find
wing hooligans, on ultras. Or more specifically, the Ultra appealing, admirable even, but there are disadvantages too.
Boys, one of Red Star Belgrade’s many self-styled ultra groups. Aside from adding a little noise and colour, what can these
groups achieve without communicating their aims and
And now the ultra movement is growing in the UK. In beliefs? How can they define themselves otherwise?
Scotland, the Green Brigade (Celtic) made the headlines
with a provocative anti-poppy protest in the run up to Holmesdale Fanatics are one of the most respected groups
Remembrance Sunday. Meanwhile clubs as diverse as Crystal on the British ultras scene. They bring noise and colour
Palace (Holmesdale Fanatics) to Barrow (Ultras Barrovia/) to Selhurst Park, you can’t miss them at a game and there’s
seem to be getting in on the act. plenty of impressive videos on YouTube. Unfortunately for
tfs, Holmesdale Fanatics weren’t willing to contribute to this
But what is an ultra? Ask most supporters here what they feature, unless they could determine its direction.
know of ultras and, if anything, it’ll probably be the scenes in
Genoa that spring to mind: flares and fans atop fences, smoke Their prime objection focused around some of the groups we
bombs, flags, banners, fanatical displays of coordinated said we might interview who they deemed to be unfit for the
fandom. And, of course, hooliganism. ultras badge. Like countless cultural movements before, there’s
a fine line between all getting a little Judean People’s Front/
“It’s difficult as it can vary from country to country depending People’s Front of Judea and protecting a unique identity. »
on the political spectrum found among different groups, the
style of chanting on the terraces and the types of displays – or
tifo – found,” says Dave Sharman of Leicester City’s Fosse Boys. UK fans’ groups who define
“Even elements to the culture such as fashion and musical taste
are hugely variable across the continent.
themselves as ultras:
Group: Team:
“However, all ultras groups stand for a set of common
Red Ultras Aberdeen
Stanley Ultras Accrington Stanley
principles in terms of never sitting down during games,
Phoenix Supras Aldershot Town
standing up to authority where necessary, showing absolute
passion for their team all the time and being united against the
Ultras Barrovia Barrow
Forza Eastend Bristol City
rampant commercialisation of the modern game. So I guess Burton Boys Burton Albion
on loan from Sporting Lisbon – which also featured fake the culture can be commonly defined to a certain extent.” Ultras Carvetii Carlisle United
obituaries, banners of hate and obscene phone calls. The The Green Brigade Celtic
campaign worked. Prior to kick-off Stojkovic took refuge in Culture’s a funny thing, totally subjective, and not all fans Blue White Army Colchester United
Italy’s dressing room and refused to play. agree on what is or isn’t ultra. Not many groups chose to Crawley Devils Crawley Town
respond to an interview request, either. By definition many Holmesdale Fanatics Crystal Palace
European football was stunned: “I was shocked by of the people involved are anti-establishment and, basically, Celt Clan Ultras Farsley Celtic
the images,” said Michel Platini. “I have too many bad often don’t give a flying what anyone else thinks about them. Cowshed Loyal Huddersfield Town
memories associated with violence in football.” The UEFA Fosse Boys Leicester City
Ultra Whites Leeds United
President was part of the Juventus team that witnessed the
Red Faction Middlesbrough
horror of Heysel.
Toon Ultras Newcastle United
Giallo Escercito Oxford United
“ Serbs stormed the team bus to at- The PLC & U’s Ultras Peterborough United
tack Stojkovic and only a quick re- Swindon Ultras Swindon Town
Sector N3 Telford United
sponse from teammates prevented a
The standing Holmesdale Fanatics © Oliver Mallich Jorvik Reds York City
far worse outcome”
www.fsf.org.uk 27

© LittleMissSilly
An element of cliquishness does seem to hang over the scene
with the same circle of groups bigging each other up and
refusing (informal) ultra membership to others. “It’s not
worth speaking to anyone outside of Palace, Celtic, Barrow,
York and maybe, in a weird and wonderful way, Stanley,” says
Proud Red of the now defunct Aberdeen Red Ultras on the
Ultras UK Forum. All of those clubs seem to have established
themselves while the likes of Fosse Boys, Red Faction and
others hover on the outskirts.
“Ultra culture is a way of life, a subcul-
ture, that goes far beyond the match day.
Punks were punk, and ultras are ultra.“
On the European Ultras Forum, Capo (of York’s Jorvik Reds)
lists an almost identical set of “real” ultras, but doesn’t explain
why he – that’s a presumption, but all the ultras I spoke to
were all male – settled on that list. “Ultras have leadership
ladders, in house rules, an emphasis on mentality and loyalty.
They choreograph displays and produce tifo on the terraces.
It’s hard to exactly describe what being ultra is, you either
are or you aren’t, it’s a whole set of principles and way of life.”
And the others, apparently, who just don’t “get it”?
“There are a lot of groups that don’t fall under the ‘ultra’
label,” continues Capo. “They lack the ultra mentality and
principles that go hand in hand with the ultra way of life.
Although they produce colour and atmosphere in stadiums
they never really follow the unwritten ultra codex. They
follow the ultra scene for inspiration and ideas, but I feel they
never fully embrace the whole culture.”
Despite shared values – opposition to modern football and
its commercialisation, backing standing areas, loud vocal and
28 informing supporting campaigning
visual support – cracks appear. So what are the differences
between an ultra group, a supporters’ club and a hooligan firm?
“Whilst the members of a traditional supporters’ club mainly
focus on watching the match and hooligans mainly focus on
engaging in violent activities before or after the match, the
focus of ultra groups is on the means of support for the team,”
argues Daniela Wurbs of Football Supporters’ Europe (FSE).
“Ultra culture is a way of life, a subculture, that goes far
beyond the match day. Punks were punk, and ultras are ultra.
Having said that, it cannot be ignored that there are certain
similarities and, in some countries, an overlap between ultras
and hooligans. In some countries, ultras emerged out of
hooligan groups or vice versa.”
In the UK, though, it would be entirely unfair to lazily lump
ultras in with the casual or hooligan movement although
there’s always going to be some crossover. The mainstream
media and police just don’t seem to understand that fans bump
into the same faces ground after ground, year after year. Plenty
of supporters who have no truck with football violence know
hooligans – they’ve been bumping into them in pubs and
Five things to help UK ultras culture:
» An end to the British apathy towards politics and
organised action. Will that change as people start to
see the successes of organised groups such as Spirit
of Shankly?
» YouTube – young fans see their continental
counterparts’ fantastic atmospheres online and
think “we’ll have some of that”. English football can
be very sterile.
» Safe standing areas.
» An end to the “one last pint” culture. You need to get
into a ground early to build an atmosphere and put
all those banners up, you know.
» Abolish the ridiculous health and safety legislation
which gives clubs an easy get-out in banning flag
poles and banners that haven’t been fire-proofed.
at away matches for years. That doesn’t mean they condone
hooliganism. Not everything is black and white. © Gordon Marino
“Ultras add colour and vibrancy to encourage their team
– we don’t go looking for trouble,” says Green Brigade
spokesman Bert, speaking to inbedwithmaradona.com.
“We produce 10-12 large banners a season, plus smaller
ones, message banners, “two-sticks” and flags. Similarly, we
produced 12,000 flags for our League Cup final with Rangers
last year. We think what we do inspires the team. Being
involved with the group is a major commitment and involves
a lot of work that’s done purely out of a love for the team.”
“As a movement becomes popular the
innovators always feel a little of its in-
Ultravox pops:
tegrity has been diluted and heart lost.“
“The repression of supporter culture in this country
is almost total – we actually had a bag of confetti
Green Brigade is arguably the UK’s biggest ultras group and taken from us the other week because ‘we might
definitely part of an established scene along with the likes of throw it’!” SLCFC-ULTRA (UK Ultras Forum).
Holmesdale Fanatics, Jorvik Reds and so on. Every scene needs its
trailblazers and they are exactly that – even if they do, at times, “The whole movement was inspired by British fans
look down on some of the young pups on the scene. It happens from back in the day – the Kop, the scarves etc. We are
reclaiming that spirit of old – the same spirit that the
the world over. Everyone has a mate who’s always into the
newest bands first and loses interest the second the wider public rest of the world have adopted and grown to love, but
takes note. we seem to have discarded and mourned ever since.”
i bianconeri (UK Ultras Forum)
As a movement becomes popular the innovators always feel
“A lot of clubs are starting off ultras groups now in
a little of its integrity has been diluted and heart lost. There’s
this country, and a lot of fans have the ‘I’ll join in
possibly some truth in that too. However, what should be of
when it really gets off the ground’ mentality, not
interest to football fans isn’t necessarily raking through the
understanding that for it to get off the ground, it
minutiae of what does or doesn’t constitute an ultra. Let’s face it, needs YOU!” Mike Booth, Ultras Carvetii
that isn’t exactly a new argument anyway, fans have been arguing
over what makes a “real” supporter since time immemorial. The “Stadia are generally over policed, over priced
significant thing is that newer, younger, groups of fans are getting and soulless. I feel sorry for the average young fan
together and making their voices heard. growing up in this climate.” The Holmesdale Fanatics
Whether those groups are defined as ultras, supporters’ clubs or “It is a fundamental way of thinking, to uphold the
culture and tradition of our home, to show our pride and
just a group of mates on the terraces having a laugh shouldn’t
really matter, should it? Young fans standing up for themselves, passion for the history of our region, to sing and celebrate
Middlesbrough FC, the flagship of our proud town.” Tony
arguing against the rampant commercialisation of our game,
White, Red Faction
railing against ticket prices, backing standing areas and getting
behind their team louder than anyone else. This is a good thing,
“Football is for you and me and not for f***ing
however you define it. Ultras culture has landed and is here to
industry” Christian Bieberstein, (Chosen-Few,
stay. Where it goes from now and how big it gets is in the hands Hamburg SV)
of those who embrace it.
www.fsf.org.uk 29