A contextual analysis of Europe’s ultra football supporters movement

Abstract

This study seeks to locate the defining features and preoccupations key to the European ultra football movement in the crisis of reformist politics in the wake of the victory of neo-liberalism on that continent. It is posited that the ultra approach to the colonization of commercial forces in the game and their response to social problems, in the shape of the rise of racist and fascist organization affecting football, positions the ultra movement as part of an emergent counter-movement to the social liberalism which has held sway in Europe since the post-war social democratic settlement was swept away.

Notes

1. Pilz and Wölki-Schumacher ‘Overview of the Ultra culture phenomenon’, 6.

2. British Ultra website homepage: http://www.ultrasuk.co.uk/

3. ‘Ultras: the Way of My Life’, blog: http://www.dynamite.io.ua/s44868/ultras.

4. Pilz and Wölki-Schumacher op cit, 9–10.

5. Ibid., 22.

6. Spaaij and Vinas, ‘Passion, Politics and Violence’, 93.

7. Pilz and Wölki-Schumacher op cit, 5.

8. Dubal, ‘The neoliberalization of football’, 124.

9. Giulianotti and Robertson, ‘Recovering the Social’, 170.

10. ‘Privatisation in Europe’, Red Pepper. November 2007.

11. EU Economic Data Pocketbook, 10.

12. ‘GDP at Market Prices’ Eurostat: http://www.epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&plugin=1&language=en&pcode=tec00001.

13. ‘GDP per Inhabitant in purchasing power standard, highest and lowest NUTS 2 region in each country’, Eurostat: http://www.epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php?title=File:Gross_domestic_product_%28GDP%29_per_inhabitant,_in_purchasing_power_standard_%28PPS%29,_highest_and_lowest_NUTS_2_region_within_each_country,_2008.PNG&filetimestamp=20111020142343.

14. ‘Employment Statistics’, Eurostat, September 2011: http://www.epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Employment_statistics.

15. ‘Mean Consumption Expenditure by Employment Status’, Eurostat database: http://www.appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/submitViewTableAction.do.

16. Stockhamer, ‘Wage Moderation Does not Work’, 391–97. Dauderstaedt, ‘Europe’s Hiden Inequality’.

17. ‘Wealth rise bossts unequal Britain’, BBC News website, 18 January 2008. http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7193904.stm#graph.

18. European Anti-Poverty Network, 17–9.

19. Luxembourg Income Study Working Paper Series, working paper No. 367, February 2006. See Figure 3, 35. http://www.lisproject.org/publications/liswps/367.pdf.

20. ‘Distribution of Income by Different Income Groups’, Eurostat database: http://www.appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/submitViewTableAction.do.

21. ‘Gaping Disparities Among EU Regions’, Reuters, 18 February 2010. http://www.in.reuters.com/article/2010/02/18/idINIndia-46274020100218.

22. Wolff, Eurostat Statistics in Focus, 1; Eurostat News Release. January 2010, 1–2. http://www.epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=en&pcode=tessi010&plugin=1.

23. ‘[I]nability to face unexpected expenses; inability to pay for one week annual holiday; existence of arrears (mortgage or rent payments, utility bills, or hire purchase instalments or other loan payments); capacity to have a meal with meat, chicken, fish or vegetarian equivalent every second day; capacity to keep home adequately warm; possession of a washing machine; possession of a colour TV; possession of a telephone; and possession of a personal car.’ ‘Living Conditions in 2008’, Eurostat News Release. January 2010, 1–2. (note 4) http://www.epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=en&pcode=tessi010&plugin=1.

24. ‘Living Conditions in 2008’, Eurostat News Release. 1–2. January 2010, http://www.epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=en&pcode=tessi010&plugin=1; ‘Income Poverty in the European Union’, European Working Conditions Observatory (2007). http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/surveyreports/EU0703019D/EU0703019D_4.htm.

25. See for example statistics from the Human Development Index based on data on life expectancy, adult literacy rates, combined gross enrolment ratios, and data on GDP per capita. ‘Human Development Report, 2009’. Table G, 167. http://www.hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf.

26. ‘Population by Citizenship, Foreigners’. Eurostat – tables, maps and graphs: http://www.epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&plugin=1&language=en&pcode=tps00157 Original (pre-expansion in 2004)EU member countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland , Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

27. ‘EU Attacks Sarkozy’s Migrant Clampdown’, SKY News report, 18 September 2010.http://www.news.sky.com/home/politics/article/15730774; ‘Fear and Loathing’, New Statesman,1 August 2010. http://www.newstatesman.com/society/2011/08/edl-hungary-mainstream-france; ‘Economic Crisis Fuelling Racism in Europe’, EU Observer, 27 May 2010. http://www.euobserver.com/851/30149; ‘Responding to EU Migration’, Social Europe Journal, 11 November 2010. http://www.social-europe.eu/2010/11/responding-to-eu-migration-a-progressive-policy-response/.

28. Amnesty International 2011 Annual Report.

29. ‘Italy’s Unwanted’, Newsweek article published online in ejournal The Daily Beast, 27 May 2008. http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/05/27/italy-s-unwanted.html; ‘French Police Use Excessive Violence Against Immigrants, Amnesty Claims’, The Independent, 7 April 2005. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-police-use-excessive-violence-against-immigrants-amnesty-claims-6148816.html; ‘Athens Erupts in Violence After Acid Attack on Immigrant’, The Telegraph, 23 November 2011. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/greece/4324250/Athens-erupts-in-violence-after-acid-attack-on-immigrant.html; ‘Germany May Turn Into Europe’s Center of Ethnic Clashes’, Pravda.ru, 16 November 2011. http://www.english.pravda.ru/world/europe/16–11-2011/119639-germany_neo_nazi-0/; ‘Eastern European Workers Under Attack’ Institute of Race Relations. http://www.irr.org.uk/2011/may/ha000023.html.

30. The political philosopher, Zygmunt Bauman, sums up the basis for this disillusionment thus: ‘Both parts of the current political spectrum hunt and graze on the same ground, trying to sell their “policy product” to the same clients’. ‘On Sustainability: This Time, of Social Democracy … ’, Social Europe Journal, 28 January 2011. http://www.social-europe.eu/2011/01/on-sustainability-this-time-of-social-democracy%E2%80%A6/.

31. Della Porta, ‘The Europeanization of Protest’.

32. No Border Network homepage: http://www.noborder.org/.

33. About Attac’. Attac website homepage. http://www.attac.org/node/3727.

34. Ibid. http://www.attac.org/node/3727.

35. Globalise Resistance homepage http://www.resist.org.uk/; Climate Justice Action homepage http://www.climate-justice-action.org/.

36. ‘Another Europe is Possible!’, European Social Forum website. http://esf2008.org/about/what-is-esf.

37. ‘The Economy of Culture in Europe’, study prepared for the European Commission, October 2006. http://www.cultureactioneurope.org/images/stories/keastudy-economyofculture-en%281%29.pdf?e4b73c3745ac4bc374714928e835769b=2dffa68c8ca3c718110bcd2c1bcdeeaf.

38. ‘The European Football Club Landscape’ UEFA Report, February 2010. In the most comprehensive financial review ever undertaken by the body, the report surveyed 732 top division clubs across all European leagues. http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Publications/uefaorg/Publications/01/45/30/45/1453045_DOWNLOAD.pdf.

39. ‘Domination by Barcelona and Real Madrid making Spain the new Scotland’, The Guardian, 28 March 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/mar/28/barcelona-real-madrid-spain.

40. ‘Crisis hits hard: 20 Italian clubs dissolved’, FIFPro News, 10 August 2010. http://www.fifpro.org/division/news_details/1/366.

41. UEFA President, Michel Platini, spoke of an: ‘… explosion of sectoral and corporate interests at both league and club levels in all team sports that are played professionally, which often attract enormous media coverage, [and] are designed to benefit one element, particularly if it is powerful and rich, rather than the masses’. ‘Platini plea for values’. UEFA News, 24 January 2008.http://www.uefa.com/uefa/aboutuefa/organisation/president/news/newsid=649269.html.

42. No al Calcio Moderno Bebo website: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=2175692088.

43. Manifestazione ‘No Tissera del Tifoso, YouTube video of November 2009 ultra protest agains imposition of the ID ticket scheme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbXX4ltGiBU&feature=player_embedded.

44. ‘Fan Ownership: the Bundesliga Model’, Pitch Invasion. 11 March 2010. http://www.pitchinvasion.net/blog/2010/03/11/fan-ownership-the-bundesliga-model/; ‘50 + 1: “Owners’Perspective”’’ Football Stryder. 16 February 2011 http://www.footballstryder.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/501-owners-perspective/ ; ‘Are German fans really turning away from the beautiful game?’ The Guardian, 7 April 2008.http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/apr/07/europeanfootball.sport2.

45. ‘Rummenigge rejects Bundesliga TV idea, calls for better rights deal’. Goalzz.com, 20 August 2010. http://www.goalzz.com/main.aspx?n=75534.

46. ‘Interessengemeinschaft der Fanorganisationen’, Unsere Kurve, 25 July 2011. http://www.unserekurve.de/cms/; http://www.supporters-direct.org/news/item.asp?n=6074&cat=sd_eng.

47. ‘Germany: HB 98 Ultras: Football Supporters in Europe Action’, Ultras Wordldwide – Against Modern Football, 12 May 2011. http://www.ultrasworldwide.net/ultras/2011/05/germany-hb98-ultras-football-supporters-in-europe-action/.

48. ‘German club fans set for boycott’, BBC Sports. 17 September 2010. http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8986321.stm.

49. The formation of FC United of Manchester and AFC Wimbledon are examples of this. http://www.fc-utd.co.uk/history.php; http://www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/history.php?Psection_id=4&Psub_section_id=6&squad=.

50. ‘Secrets of the Superbrands’, BBC3 documentary programme: broadcast 31 May 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011fjbp.

51. ‘Modern Football and the Death of History’, Football Supporters Federation. 13 January 2006. http://www.violett-weiss.at/img/20060113FSF.pdf.

52. ‘Secrets of the Superbrands’, op. cit.

53. ‘Initiative Violett-Weiß’, Austria Salzburg fan website. http://www.violett-weiss.at/solidaritaet-bilder.php.

54. ‘Modern Football and the Death of History’, Football Supporters Federation. 13 January 2006. http://www.violett-weiss.at/img/20060113FSF.pdf.

55. ‘Manifesto Against Modern Football’, AS Roma Ultra website: http://www.asromaultras.org/manifesto.html.

56. Ibid.

57. ‘Groups Participating in the Manifesto Against Modern Football’, AS Roma Ultra website: http://www.asromaultras.org/manifesto2.html.

58. When Saturday Comes.

59. ‘Football hooligans rule in the streets and right wing extremism’. Play The Game.org, 4 October 2011. http://www.playthegame.org/news/detailed/football-hooligans-rule-in-the-streets-and-in-right-wing-extremism-5258.html.

60. ‘Immigration: the rare success story of Mesut Ozil’. The Guardian 15 November 2010 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/15/mesut-ozil-turkish-german-football.

61. ‘Football violence provides occasion for racist attacks in city’. Slugger O’Toole blog. 29 March 2009http://www.sluggerotoole.com/2009/03/29/football-violence-provides-occasion-for-racist-attacks-in-city/.

62. ‘Racist Attacks on Roma in Hungary’. European Roma Rights Centre, 07 May 2002. http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=780.

63. ‘Thousands Protest in Russia Against Immigration’. European Union News, 5 November 2011. http://www.eutimes.net/2011/11/thousands-protest-in-russia-against-immigration/.

64. ‘UEFA Executive Committee Declaration Against Racism’, 5 December 2005. http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/379953.pdf; ‘European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights’. http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/media/archive/2008-releases/mr_060608_en.htm.

65. ‘Network Fare’ http://farenet.org/default.asp?intPageID=6.

66. Alleyne, Anti-Racism and Multi-Culturalism, 221 & 226.

67. ‘Anti-Racism as Identity Politics – A Constructivist Approach to the FARE and Ad Council Campaigns’, Mark, D. Phil. (Oxon) Associate Director, Ralph Center University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Paper presented at the 2005 Annual Conference of the International Studies Association, Honolulu, Hawaii, Thursday 3 March 2005, 20.

68. An example of this would be the condemnation of the supporters of both Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic football clubs and the fines and bans imposed on those clubs by UEFA in relation to nationalist (or ‘sectarian’ chanting at UEFA organised competitions. ‘Celtic will not appeal against UEFA fine over “illicit chanting”’, BBC Sport, 13 December 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16137728.stm); ‘UEFA fines and Rangers and bans fans for one away game’, BBC Sport, 28 April 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13218273.stm.

69. Testa, The UltraS: An Emerging Social Movement? 54–7.

70. ‘Football Fans (Antifa) Against Racism and Fascism.’ YouTube, December, 2007. http://wn.com/FOOTBALL_FANS_ANTIFA_AGAINST_RACISM_AND_FASCISM!!!

71. ‘Alerta Network Anti-fascist Movement’, http://www.alerta-network.org/about.

72. ‘Ultra Sankt Pauli Anti-Racism Tournament’, http://www.antira-stpauli.org/html/index.html.

73. ‘AEK - Livorno - Marseille - United Ultras - Blood Brothers’. Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=89631442262&v=photos; ‘Brigate Autonome Livornesi 99-Commando Ultras 84-Original 21’. YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yYsmNyiIWk.

74. ‘Gate 9 – Ultras Hapoel: Brothers For Life!!’. http://www.gate9.com.cy/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=333&Itemid=148 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W74cgGpTr7E.