“I’m 40 years old now and I have started going to football with ultras in 1979: I could be a “professional” ultra leader now, one of those people who take money from their club, make friends with players, and so on, but that is not my way of thinking.
Your words are truly great: ultras need autonomy and not money, because money means control and corruption.
Great, expensive choreographies are nice to see, but the real support comes from fans voice, from their heart, and simple scarves and flags can be enough to make a good show without spending a lot of money. Many ultra groups have their own offices with TV, Hi-Fi and video-games, but when I was a teenager, my friends and I used to meet in a simple bar, drinking our beer and hoping to be able to get enough money to buy the train ticket to follow Sampdoria away. Nowadays I see some young boys going to away matches wearing expensive clothes, taking pills and cocaine, and losing 50 euros playing cards like it was nothing: this is the exact opposite of what I mean with “being ultras”, and thankfully Sampdoria still has one of the best crowds in Italy.”
Your words are truly great: ultras need autonomy and not money, because money means control and corruption.
Great, expensive choreographies are nice to see, but the real support comes from fans voice, from their heart, and simple scarves and flags can be enough to make a good show without spending a lot of money. Many ultra groups have their own offices with TV, Hi-Fi and video-games, but when I was a teenager, my friends and I used to meet in a simple bar, drinking our beer and hoping to be able to get enough money to buy the train ticket to follow Sampdoria away. Nowadays I see some young boys going to away matches wearing expensive clothes, taking pills and cocaine, and losing 50 euros playing cards like it was nothing: this is the exact opposite of what I mean with “being ultras”, and thankfully Sampdoria still has one of the best crowds in Italy.”
Fabio (UTC)
