Football, Fascism and Fandom: The UltraS of Italian Football

(Paperback)

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Description

Passionate, political and principled, the UltraS are the hardcore
subculture of football supporters found in the stadiums of Italy.
Amongst the most committed and uncompromising are two such groups who
gather in support of the main football clubs of Rome - AS Roma and SS
Lazio. Openly proclaiming neo-fascist sympathies, and not afraid of
violence against rival supporters and police, these groups (the Boys
Roma and the Lazio Irriducibili) are well-organised and determined to
bring about social and political change and stamp out those who oppose
them. The much-maligned football hooligans of England pale by
comparison.

Following years of research involving individuals inside these
organisations, and drawing on exclusive interviews with each group's
leading figures, Alberto Testa and Gary Armstrong present a fascinating
account of the world of the neo-fascist UltraS.

Reviews

a highly original and empirically rich study on the inner life-world of two of the most renowned groups of Italian neo-fascist football supporters, the Boys and Irriducibili of the Rome-based teams AS Roma and SS Lazio respectively -- Jonah Bury * Sport in Society *
a unique and important contribution to the understanding of Italian hardcore fan culture by providing interviews and insights into this controversial, yet little known, subculture -- Matthew Guschwan * Sociology of Sport *
a text that has no equal. The authors had unprecedented access to the inner workings of each organisationintriguing, thought-provoking, and academic at the same time. Think of it as the Donnie Brasco of Italian football * International Soccer Network *
interesting and insightfula journey into the heart of an otherwise shrouded society of extremely loyal and stoic neo-fascist groups * blurbhack.com *
a factual and open report on the hardcore UltraSThe great success of the book is showing the depth behind the UltraS, not just their politics but the people who are the driving force behind their actions * Forsa Italian Football *

Author Bio

Alberto Testa is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the Law School (University of West London); his research interests centre on extremism; policing accountability and hooliganism. Testa is a regular contributor to media (BBC/CBC/CNN) and online social media. Gary Armstrong is a Reader in the School of Sport and Education, Brunel University, London, and author of Football Hooligans (Berg).