‘An uprising against loneliness’: why have football ultras become a cultural obsession?

A new documentary travels around the world to identify the roots of ultra-mania – the fan movement that’s part progressive and sometimes criminal

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ltras” – hardcore football fans renowned for their stunning stadium displays and gang-like loyalty – were once a subculture confined to Italian stadiums. But since the late 1960s the movement has spread through global football terraces and become a more elevated cultural obsession.

Books on the subject include my own Ultra and James Montague’s 1312 (the numbers stand for ACAB, an abbreviation of “all cops are bastards”). Netflix has not only commissioned one film, Ultras, about a Neapolitan gang, but also three longer series: Puerta 7 (based in Argentina), Furioza and The Hooligan (both set in Poland).

Now comes Ragnhild Ekner’s documentary Ultras, a 90-minute journey through Sweden, Indonesia, Poland, Argentina, England, Egypt and Morocco. Her film goes a long way to addressing the roots of ultra-mania. Many of the lingering shots are of thousands of people marching, singing and celebrating in unison. In an early voiceover, Ekner calls it “an uprising against loneliness”.