Ultras movements-Football

[forza_che]

Not sure if I am writing this in the write forum.

I belong to an Ultras group known as the Red Ultras in Aberdeen, Scotland.

I will begin breifly by explaining what an Ultras group is.

We do our best to oppose business and profit in football and bring football back to it's origins and the fans that are it's lifeblood. While my group in Scotland has it's hands tied politically due to the unbelivable opposition to groups like ours in football grounds.

We have faced a number of arrests and ejections for standing at football grounds and have previously had members arrested for the use of flares. We also face a lot of petty prosecution from police and stewards who do their best to confiscate things like flags and drums we use in football grounds to try and make as much noise and colour as possible.

We are the complete opposite of modern football. ie. Sitting, supporting big teams like Man Utd, Chelsea, Barcelona, keeping quiet during games and oppose commercialisation (although all Ultras groups are essentially different.

Here are some pictures of my Ultras group.

http://www.redultras.net/photos/0607season/images/6/100_2468.jpg

http://http://www.redultras.net/photos/0506season/images/11/cimg0729_jpg.jpg

http://www.redultras.net/photos/0506season/images/10/36_jpg.jpg

There are Ultras groups all over the world, particularly in European countries like Italy, France and Germany. Here are some pictures of the best groups.

http://www.fedelissimi61.it/Album%20fotografico_file/2005_2006/Samp_Milan/foto/Samp%20Milan6.jpg

ULTRAS RIVIERA-SAMPDORIA ITALY

http://chasseurdestades.com/photos/NiceGuingamp9.jpg

THE JUVENTUS FIGHTERS-ITALY

http://soccernet-att.espn.go.com/design05/images/domr/protesting.jpg

FOSSA DEL LEONI-AC MILAN, ITALY

SAYING NO TO TV DOMINATION OF FOOTBALL

I have missed out many important groups so do not take this as a complete account.

[Forward Union]

I've seen pleanty of pictures of the far right doing similar things at football matches across europe, I imagine you have to. It's encouraging to see a deacent responce to that, which, judging by those photos seems to be more popular and indeed, grand.

Presumably you have heard of the FCUM (Football Club United of Manchester) ?

[forza_che]

I would also like to bring up the possibly worst example of footballs commercialisation.

Austrai Salzburg football club Austria.

A very well supported football club with a very good history. However in 2005 they were taken over the by the Red Bull corporation who proclaimed on the club's website that this was now a 'new club with no history'

They have changed the club's colours from the traditional purple to Red Bull's Red and White. Any fans appearing at the ground in Red and White are turned away and many fans have faced arrest when protesting at the take-over. Many other Ultras groups have showed solidarity with Austria Salzburg fans.

http://www.hnkhajduk.com/galerija/albums/2005-06/09-haj-rij-17-09-2005/haj-rij_111.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/tucky100/dortmundaustria.jpg

There are also many others.

[forza_che]

Originally posted by Love [email protected] 13, 2006 06:38 pm
I've seen pleanty of pictures of the far right doing similar things at football matches across europe, I imagine you have to. It's encouraging to see a deacent responce to that, which, judging by those photos seems to be more popular and indeed, grand.

Presumably you have heard of the FCUM (Football Club United of Manchester) ?
Yes I am very aware of this right-wing situation, it is particularly bad in many Eastern European countries, particularly Croatia.

I also failed to mention in my first post that there are a number of Right-wing Ultras groups and occasionally some fascist supporting, the most notorious probably being Lazio (Italy). These are a relative minority and most Ultras groups have little political leanings except to oppose commercialisation.

[bolshevik butcher]

Your only sheep shagging bastards :lol: Well good to see something productive coming from Aberdeen football club :P In all seriousness good luck to you. What's the response like from the fans? I know that Livorna in italy has a subsatntial communist following but tahts about it in my knowlege of politics in football.

[forza_che]

Good to see another Scot on here!

To be honest there isn't much of the politics really involved with our Ultras group even if I would like there to be. It's more against commercialism and the tactics employed by police and stewards in football grounds.

The Green Brigade are a small group at Celtic that have just started out but they are very left wing and anti fascist. I know in particular AC Milan and Bologna clubs have links with the left wing but I can't remembr offhand names of left wing Ultras groups.

We on the whole have a very good response from the fans at Pittodrie. As you can see from some of the pictures I have posted we have very good crowd participation although I highly doubt many have that much idea of Ultras groups or what they stand for.

We have a negative response from an odd amount of fans who take issue with flags blocking views and stuff but on the whole allthings are good.

[bolshevik butcher]

Aye, im a hibee myself, I'm not really the biggest football fan, dont go to games as often as i'd like. I'm not really sure about the political stuff at easter road just now. Palestine solidarity did some stuff to protest taht Hibs were sponsored by White and Mackaye who have apparnetly helped the Israeli governemnt in places and are run by a zionist or something.

I like the banners and drums, as well as giving a sight to your aims and stuff they also look like a fantastic addition to the atmasphere.

[forza_che]

Yes unfortunately I feel we're not moving far enough forward with the atmosphere and anti-commercialist activities.

We could be doing a lot more.

[Intifada]

Hey man!

I live in Aberdeen too.

I've been to Pittodrie quite a lot of times, but to be honest I am not a follower of Scottish "fitba".

Anyway, good to see a fellow Aberdeen leftist on the board.

[DM.]

Originally posted by [email protected] 13, 2006 06:39 pm
I would also like to bring up the possibly worst example of footballs commercialisation.

Austrai Salzburg football club Austria.

A very well supported football club with a very good history. However in 2005 they were taken over the by the Red Bull corporation who proclaimed on the club's website that this was now a 'new club with no history'

They have changed the club's colours from the traditional purple to Red Bull's Red and White. Any fans appearing at the ground in Red and White are turned away and many fans have faced arrest when protesting at the take-over. Many other Ultras groups have showed solidarity with Austria Salzburg fans.

http://www.hnkhajduk.com/galerija/albums/2005-06/09-haj-rij-17-09-2005/haj-rij_111.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/tucky100/dortmundaustria.jpg

There are also many others.
Yeah even our group (Coal Boys Genk) made a banner to support the Austria Salzburg fans..

To complete the story; The fans of Austria Salzburg started their own team, called SV Austria Salzburg. On April 8th they played their first game for 1700 fans.
Some fans decided to support Red Bull Salzburg and have started some new ultra groups. I think every group in Europe hates them.


Here are a few pics from the "new" SV Austria Salzburg:
http://www.ultras.at/bilder/stuff/f06/033_1.JPG
http://www.ultras.at/bilder/stuff/f06/033_4.JPG

Here in Belgium we expierence the same things you discribe in your opening post. Lots of people get banned from the stadiums for the most stupid things, like for showing the middle finger, climbing on the fences and stuff like that. Business is a BIG enemy; games get resheduled every week, ticket prices are skyhigh (21€ for nog even a topgame), hell they even changed our logo for commercial reasons. Not so bad you think, wansn't it our team only exists since 1988.
Modern football sucks, but hell I keep on following my team every week.

[forza_che]

You got some good points there. Big business is the natural enemy to traditional football.

In terms of having power over the leagues and being able to move games for TV purposes and take over clubs they have already one.

We are not yet ready to surrender the terraces to the prawn sandwich brigade yet.

[luxemburg89]

My friend and I are going to see Juventus play in february - mainly for the point of seeing Pavel Nedved - the best midfielder ever. I saw Inter Milan play about 6/7 years ago and saw Roberto Baggio score!

Anyhoo I support Juventus and southampton - this is excusable as the two will never have to play each other so my loyalties won't be split hehe.

I will report or take pictures of any of these movements back to the site when i come back. Are there any other juvé or saints fans - i doubt many people in hampshire have leftist views though.

[Scottish_Militant]

:D http://down-with-brown.blogspot.com/ check this out for fan power in Scottish football

http://www.aftn.co.uk/march2.jpg

[Comrade_Sephiroth]

Tell me about it. As an American I am utterly disgusted with the way pro sports has developed. Not only is there way too much big money and big business involved, and not only is the capitalist element of sports glorified to no limit. But also the whole sports culture has become dominated by unruly fans, violent rivalry, and the "Frat/Jock" mentality. It seems that there's only one "right" way to be a sports fan nowadays.

And of course all the players are elite professionals, the news anchors feed us a programmed summary of the game rather than letting the observer decide for him/herself what is important. Sports have ceased to be a people's pastime unless you count sitting in the stadium or in front of a TV as participation.

Back in 2002 I hinted at the idea of starting a Football Not War group that would encourage sports such as American football (not the same as international or "soccer" football, of course) to be played on more of an amateur basis. I think that if the average person could enjoy this friendly competition with a similar-skill group, it woudl be a great alternative to the mean and militaristic attitude of today's professional world. And less of a militaristic attitude may mean a more anti-war mentality.

[Wanted Man]

That's pretty cool. I know someone from Aberdeen, I'll ask her about it. I did hear about the Red Ultras before, but I thought it was just a colour.

[mlm]

Pictures from the Livorno club in Italy :

http://img349.imageshack.us/img349/4857/post3839121143072419es7.jpg

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/6861/barilifb2.jpg

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4450/laziolivorno20042005sk2io3.jpg

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/2266/20002001livornonessuna016cb3wa1.jpg

http://www.curva-massilia.com/photos/etranger/051211_livorno-lazio/34.jpg

http://inthegapbetween.free.fr/Radiohead/photos/BAL%20tifo%20RpZnT%20large(1).jpg

http://www.curva-massilia.com/photos/etranger/051211_livorno-lazio/06.jpg

http://www.livornocalcio.it/tifosi/curve/curvanordbig.jpg

When they played against the israeli Haifa club:

http://www.palestinefr.net/images/livorno-maccabi-haifa_1.jpg

http://www.palestinefr.net/images/livorno-maccabi-haifa_2.jpg

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/1503/20062007livornomaccabihlv0.jpg

[cantona]

FC St. Pauli. Known for their left-wing/antifa fans:
http://www.ultra-stpauli.com/copper/albums/userpics/St.Pauli-Burghausen0003.jpg
http://www.ultra-stpauli.com/copper/albums/userpics/100_2811.jpg
http://www.ultra-stpauli.com/copper/albums/userpics/DSCF3161.jpg