Supporters' group
Supporters' groups in continental Europe are generally known as ultras, which derives from the Latin word ultrā,[1] meaning beyond in English, with the implication that their enthusiasm is 'beyond' the normal.
A supporters' group can number from a handful of fans to hundreds, and often claim entire sections of a stadium for themselves.
According to a writer for Spiked, the four core points of the ultra mentality are:[3] Supporters' groups usually have a representative who liaises 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.
Other materials used in certain types of displays include balloons, streamers, huge banners, flares, smoke bombs, and at times, giant dolls.
They proudly display their scarves and club colours while arriving en masse, which allows the police to keep a close eye on their movements.
This replaced the former active support group Terrace Australis,[10] who were founded by the FFA and fans in 2013, during Australia's 2014 World Cup qualification campaign.
[12] Previously, the emergence of Terrace Australis saw the Green and Gold Army relinquish its role as a hub for active support, which it had claimed since its establishment in 2001.
[13][14] The main supporter group of the Australia national rugby league team is The Roo Crew.
The official New South Wales rugby league team supporter group is known as "Blatchy's Blues".
[34] The Brisbane Broncos have the largest fan base of any NRL club[35] and they have been voted the most popular rugby league team in Australia for several years.
To be sitting in this section, supporters must become a member of the club itself and register any large flags and/or banners which are brought to the game.
[40] The club's supporter group, the "Graveyard Crew", make an Aussie-rules-(AFL) style banner for the team to run through in important matches.
Aside from its traditional fan base in Sydney, which is most concentrated in its homeland in the affluent eastern suburbs, the club is also popular in South East Queensland, Canberra and Newcastle.
[46] Under this arrangement, the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club is the 'parent company' of the Easts Group.
In addition, many country towns within South Australia have their own supporter group, many of which travel to both home and away games.
Baseball cheering is also common in Taiwan and South Korea The supporters' group for the South Korea national football team is known as the Red Devils The India national football team has a supporters' group called the Blue Pilgrims.
This gang-like groups coordinate chants (which accompany playing bass drums and, less, trumpets) and display choreographies (like throw balloons, confetti, smoke bombs and firecrackers when their team goes out to the pitch; and wave banners, flags and umbrellas during the whole matches) to encourage their teams and intimidate rivals and referees, seek fights against opposing barras bravas and repel police repression.
They wield enormous power and influence over football in their respective states, especially in Argentina, which is home to some of the largest and strongest organised supporter groups worldwide.
[56] The exception is Brazil, where the clubs have active supporter' groups named torcidas organizadas, who play a similar role to the barras bravas.
However, frequent tensions also arise, due to often vocal and pro-active criticism of management or players and the illegality of some their actions, such as graffiti and lighting pyrotechnics during matches.
Leeds United has a number of supporters groups representing people with protected characteristics which include Punjabi Whites.
[61] The major supporters' group for the United States men's and women's national teams is The American Outlaws.
The Blue and Orange Army aka BOA, was officially formed in 2009, and is the first true supporters section in the NHL.
[clarification needed] Some association football clubs in Mexico also have animation groups, which stage tifo and other choreographed displays.
