Ultras

Ultras are a type of sports fans famous for their fanatical support. The behavioral tendency of ultras groups includes the use of flares, vocal support in large groups and the displaying of banners at football stadiums, all of which are designed to create an atmosphere which stimulates their own team and scares the opposite players and supporters. The actions of ultras groups can periodically be overly extreme and are sometimes influenced by political ideologies or views on racism, in some cases to the point where the central ideology of the ultras phenomenon, passionate and loyal support of one's team, becomes a sideshow. In recent decades, the culture has become a focal point for the movement against the commercialization of sports and football in particular. The origin of the ultras movement is disputed, with many supporters groups from various countries making claims only on the basis of their dates of foundation Supporters groups of a nature comparable to the ultras have been present in Brazil since 1939, when the first torcida organizada was formed. Inspired by the torcidas and the colorful scenes of the 1950 World Cup, supporters of Hajduk Split formed Torcida Split on 28 October 1950. The group is often cited as the oldest ultras/torcida style group in Europe. The country most associated with the ultras movement is Italy. The term Ultras was used as a name for the first time in 1969 when supporters of Sampdoria formed the Ultras Tito Cucchiaroni and fans of Torino formed the Ultras Granata. The ultras movement spread across Europe during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, starting with the countries geographically closest to Italy. Ultras groups are usually based around a core group of founders or leaders, with smaller subgroups organized by location, friendship or political stance. Ultras tend to use various styles and sizes of banners and flags bearing the name and symbols of their group. Some ultras groups sell their own merchandise to raise funds for performing displays. An ultras group can number from a handful of fans to hundreds or thousands, with larger groups often claiming entire sections of a stadium for themselves. Ultras groups often have a representative who cooperates with the club owners on a regular basis, mostly regarding tickets, seat allocations and storage facilities. Some clubs provide groups with cheaper tickets, storage rooms for flags and banners and early access to the stadium before matches in order to prepare displays. These types of favored relationships are often criticized when ultras groups abuse their power. While ultras groups can become violent, most of the matches attended by ultras conclude with no violent incidents. Unlike hooligan firms, whose main aim is to fight hooligans of other clubs, the main focus of ultras is to support their own team. Hooligans usually try to be inconspicuous when they travel; usually not wearing team colors, in order to avoid detection by the police. Ultras tend to be more conspicuous when they travel, proudly displaying their scarves and club colors while arriving en masse, which allows the police to keep a close eye on their movements.