Ultras: The Passion and Performance of Contemporary Football Fandom
(Paperback)
Available Formats
Publishing Details
Ultras: The Passion and Performance of Contemporary Football Fandom
By (Author) Mark Doidge
By (author) Radoslaw Kossakowski
By (author) Svenja-Maria Mintert
Manchester University Press
Manchester University Press
12th April 2022
United Kingdom
Classifications
Tertiary Education
Non Fiction
Social and cultural anthropology
Sporting events and management
Association football (Soccer)
796.334
Physical Properties
Paperback
232
Width 156mm, Height 234mm, Spine 12mm
331g
Description
Since its emergence in Italy in 1968, one model of football fandom has become the most dominant in the world: the ultras.
Producing complex choreography, chants, banners and pyrotechnics, ultras represent a highly organised style of fandom that has an increasing global reach and visibility. Over the last fifty years, ultras fandom has spread from Southern Europe across North Africa to Northern and Eastern Europe, South East Asia and North America. Their collective performance, unity and harmonisation not only distinguish ultras from other football fans, but from many other forms of group behaviour. By focusing on the common form of expression through the performance of choreographies, chants and sustained support throughout the match, this book shows how members build an emotional attachment to their club that valorises the colours and symbols of that team while mobilising members against opponents.
This volume seeks to make a clear theoretical shift in studies of football fandom by asking fundamental sociological questions concerning group formation, collective performance and emotional relationships. As a collective that pride themselves on having a shared, coherent sense of identity based on an act of consumption, ultras represent an important site of enquiry into masculinity and nationalism in contemporary society.
Reviews
'Ultras The passion and performance of contemporary football fandom by Mark Doidge, Radoslaw Kossakowski & Svenja Mintert sheds light on the very complex subculture of ultras, which makes it a highly welcome addition to the existing sociological studies on ultras and football fandom. '
idrotts forum
Author Bio
Mark Doidge is Senior Research Fellow at the University of Brighton
Radoslaw Kossakowski is Assistant Professor at the University of Gdansk
Svenja-Maria Mintert is Professor for Business and Sports Marketing at the Fresenius University in Hamburg
