No More Tifo: Aberdeen’s Red Ultras Disband
Britain’s standard-bearer ultras group, Aberdeen’s Red Ultras, disbanded earlier this month.
Their website simply states:
We are sad to announce that as of Tuesday 5th January 2010 the Aberdeen Red Ultras have ceased to exist.
The Red Ultras were set up in 1999 by a group of supporters who wished to bring colour and atmosphere to games involving our beloved Aberdeen Football Club. It has not been easy to do this within the safety climate that currently exists in Scottish Football and mistakes have been made during this time. The pictures that will remain on this site are testament however to all of our members hard work over the years and will remain as a reminder to all what can be acheived if you truly believe in your cause. We are forever grateful for for the dedication and passion our members have displayed and we will continue to share a bond of friendship that will never end.
We would like to take this opportunity thank you all at Aberdeen FC who have assisted and the Aberdeen supporters in general who gave us great support during these years, we appreciate your support more than you ever knew.
The Red Ultras are no more however we must be happy with what we have achieved, we did it for the team we love and that love will continue regardless of what the future holds.
Phenemonal displays like this, lighting up European nights at Pittodrie, will be no more:
A message from one of the group’s leaders on a messageboard simply said “I have decided to disband the group as of today,theres far too much hassle with it so after much debate the group is no more.The lads will still of course attend games but there will be no more RU banners etc on show.Who knows what the future may bring but id like to take this opportunity and thank every one who has participated in the displays over the last decade and to those who have kindly donated to the cause. STAND FREE”
“Hassle” was probably an understatement.
Articles in the national press like this one that simply equate “ultras” with “hooligans” hardly helped. Press treatment from both the local Aberdeen and Scottish newspapers was even more malicious.
The Red Ultras had little support from the club (despite images of their displays being used in marketing campaigns), and were also forced to move to a different section after complaints from the corporate boxes that pre-game displays of banners and flags were partially obscuring their view.
Without safe standing areas, and without any appreciation or understanding of what ultras are trying to do from the authorities, it is always an uphill battle for ultras groups in Britain. England and Scotland lag not just far behind Germany in understanding how to safely manage supporters’ culture beyond passive consumption, but now also well behind North America.
The reference to “mistakes” in the Red Ultras announcement indicates, of course, that some actions taken by members of the group did not meet with approval from other Aberdeen fans. A recent smokebomb incident pissed off a number of fans in the Ultras’ new section.
But, judging from the outpouring of regret at their disbanding on Aberdeen’s forums, the majority of Dons fans appreciated the passion the Red Ultras brought to Aberdeen’s games home and away. Hopefully they will reform, learn from mistakes they have made, and perhaps after their absence begins to be felt at Pittodrie, they might be welcomed back with a bit more understanding and accommodation for their efforts.
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Tom Dunmore is the founder and editor of Pitch Invasion. Follow him @pitchinvasion on Twitter.
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Soft.
It shows the plight of the game on these shores as far as ‘true’ supporters are concerned when the island’s most prolific supporters group feels this is the right decision.
It is true here in the UK in the eyes of 99% of the population ultras are hooligans and rather than make an informed decision the clubs, stewards and police simply accept this as the truth.
Freedoms that would be a given in any other sport or in other countries are treated like matters of national security in football. Example, Huddersfield Town FC banned supporters using flags at games as they were a ‘fire risk’ and there was a ruling by the stadium operator meaning unless they had been bought through the club and therefore known to be flame resistant they were not allowed. Yet this ban is not in place when rugby matches are played in the same stadium. Persistant standing in seated areas, pyro and even ‘gesturing’ can get you a fine and a 3 year ban from every ground in the land. And this is just the start, under new rulings you are now likely to be branded a ‘domestic extremist’ in which case they can turn the country’s anti–terror laws against you. Crystal Palace, home club of another of the UK’s longest established groups the Holmesdale Fanatics, is one of three grounds in London (the other two being Chelsea and Arsenal) where the stadium and surrounding area are subject to anti-terror legislation giving the Police stop and search rights with basically no rights to the detainee. OK, Arsenal and Chelsea are high profile clubs and at a very long stretch you could possibly see the need for extra security but Crystal Palace? Coincidence I think not, our government has turned anti-terror legislation on its own citizens.
This is why the UK Ultra scene has failed to explode in the way casual culture did in the 80’s. Those leading the way, Celtic’s Green Brigade, York’s Jorvic Reds, the Holmesdale Fanatics, Oxford’s G.E., Ultras Barrovia, the Stanley Ultras and countless smaller groups are fighing a constant battle with club and country simply for the right of freedom for expression. It is difficult, expensive, misunderstood and you need to be prepared to suffer for your art in the form of a police record. Welcome to the Free World 2010.
Respect to Aberdeen and the RU for leading the way. Gone but never forgotten. STAND FREE.
Saddest news this year so far. The perspective is even worse as clubs and federations all over Europe tend to follow Britain, thinking their clubs might get equally rich and powerful. Which will never happen, cause no one has the potential to compete with England. Real shame
We had and ultras group which lasted two seasons, we started our group mainly because the atmosphere at our new stadium (The Prostar Stadium) was poor despite an increase in average attendance from around 4,000 to 5,500. We found that we had 2 singing areas in our ground limted to 2 blocks in 2 different stands. Behind the goal we had us the Salop Ultras and down the one side in the block located next to the away fans you have your casuals and old skool fans. We found that the two groups sniped at eachtother with petty remarks of who sings louder etc. This went on for 2 years and eventually because of the pressure from the rest of some shrewsbury fans the group disbanded and most left the south stand and moved to the blocks 18 and 19 down the side next to the away fans. The South stand has since become a souless end with no noise, there doesn’t seem to be any positivity at present in the entire ground, so recently the group 2/3rds into the season decided to reform and this will take place officially on February 27th, although i think it will happen earlier. This is now receiving great encouragement from the rest of the ground, mainly because 100 Stanley Ultras in an away end that holds 2,000 got behind there team and showed us how it was done properly. Accrington Stanley’s Stanley Ultras are an inspiration to any ultras group, 136 fans outsinging 5,200 fans embarassed me, so we had to do something and fast as it has effected our teams hoem performances compared to last season. I say to all Aberdeen Red Ultras keep the faith you could reform sooner than you think, you don’t what you have lost until its gone.
Myself and Danny Davies (above) have recently re-launched the Ultra group at Shrewsbury Town…. named the Salop Ultras. It really is a shame to see something like this happen, and I hope they re-form in the very near future.
The Red Ultras did more for Aberdeen than anyone else.
There is no hope for them though, the club and police and the football system want nothing to do with them or to help them achieve.
A cracked egg cannot survive in a hot frying pan. Similarly the Red Ultras cannot survive in an amphitheatre of harrassment and negativity.