ULTRA FOUNATIONS

The Ultras came about at the end of the 1960s in Italy, founded when clubs reduced ticket prices behind goals (otherwise known as the curva). They bring a colourful and passionate atmosphere to games but are sometimes confused with hooligans. This is the first part of a new series detailing the history of the Ultra Movement …….

The first groups of ultras appeared in the late 1960’s in Italy when ticket prices on the curva’s (stand behind the goal) were reduced, so the less wealthy supporters could watch their team play.

Following this reduction groups of like minded fans congregated on the curva’s with the same belief and a core mentality against the modernisation of football. To be an Ultra one must have common principles Some of the more important belief’s are the aforementioned
anti-modernisation. An Ultra also supports the team through thick and thin no matter how poor they are performing. The defence of the curva is also imperative in ultra movement’s.
The longest standing group which is still active is Milan’s Fossa dei Leoni, who were founded in 1968. Their name came from Milan’s old ground “The Lions Den”. The group still gather on the Curva Sud in the San Siro.

The ultras were originally influenced by the Torcida’s of Brazil who brought rhythmic percussion and compulsive chanting, while the British terraces also helped to define the ultra image by the use of scarves. The scarf is imperative attire for the hardened ultra across the globe
Unfortunately ultra culture has recently been marred by violent clashes, particularly in Italy. Media bias paints the ultras in a bad light but ask any in-touch fan and they will tell you that police brutality and inconsistency causes a lot of violence (Just ask Manchester United fans who were in Rome last year or Bolton fans who were in Madrid a couple of months ago) When police officer Filippo Raciti was tragically killed in Sicily last season the media lambasted fans in Italy for their disgraceful behaviour. While one cant disagree that the murder of Raciti in Catania was repugnant , when a reverse situation occured at a service station and a fan was murdered by a police officer, the authorities acted quickly to quell the flames.
The media also briefly noted it rather than vilify the police in the way they did with the Sicilians.

To get a deeper understanding of ultra movements throughout the world I will be interviewing fans from around the globe
This month I caught up with Borrusia Dortmund fan Tobi to find out more about ultra culture in Germany…

What does Borrusia Dortmund mean to you?
For me it's more than just a football club, it's more than just 90 minutes every Saturday. I would call it a passion, one of the things I live for. There are lot of people attending home matches every two weeks and that's it. That's not my attitude, but most of my friends think so. That's the reason why I'm now in contact with our ultra group called "The Unity". And although its just a couple of weeks ago since I went with them first, I've already get to know some nice guys. And that's what Borussia Dortmund means to me: Making friends with the same interests, being a community, a unity and "fighting" for the same aim: The best for Borussia Dortmund. Unfortunately modern football destroys a lot. It's not possible to just enjoy football because of the excessive advertising and other repressions. But you can develop a lot in a group and I don't want to give up my passion for Borussia Dortmund.

When did you first start going to games?
The first match I attended was Borussia Dortmund against Hansa Rostock at 2nd October 1999. I started to go to games regularly in 2003/2004 campaign but it was in the summer of 2005 when I bought my first season ticket for the "Südtribüne", our south stand.

Describe the atmosphere at the stadium on Matchdays?
Well, I think for a person from outside the club , having 80.000 supporters is impressive but it gets quite normal after a while. You meet your friends around midday, go to the pub for about an hour and you arrive at the stadium around 2 hours before the kick-off. And then you're just talking and waiting, while the strain increases every minute. Especially at a Derby there is a lot of hate and emotion but against "normal" opponents you don't find things like that.

How much is a ticket for supporters on matchday?
A ticket for the "Südtribüne", the standing area, is around €13, for children under 18 it's €9. Tickets in the seating area are from around 17€ up to 60€.

The Dortmund supporters have put on some wonderful displays. How many people take part in active support on match days?
Unfortunately the atmosphere during the match often depends on the match itself. Sometimes, like the 2007 derby, the whole stadium goes crazy and being part of this is just the greatest thing on earth. But normally there are just a few thousand people chanting and the atmosphere is below average. There are the ultras in the middle of the stand and the people around them singing all the time. Maybe 1 or 2 thousand people. Another few thousand just sing the half of the time and even more don't shout and scream until a goal is scored.

Who are Dortmund’s biggest rival and how intense is derby day?
It's definitely Gelsenkirchen. Usually you don't use the club's name FC Schalke. The derby is the highlight of every season, but last years derby was the best match I've ever attended and it'll never be forgotten. It was the last home match of the season and they just needed a win to become German champion after 49 years without a title. But finally it was a 2-0 win for us and it was just amazing to see them cry.

And finally, What’s your opinion on sitting down at matches?
Well, I definitely prefer standing. Football to me means showing emotions and supporting your team the best way you can. And in my opinion that’s not possible if you sit down 90 minutes and don't move . But if there are people who prefer to sit, ok, that's there decision and I don't complain about them. But I think it's simply a travesty prohibiting standing areas.


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