France Germany 's Ultra group
UF97 at the season opener 2007/2008 The first Ultra group on German turf was established in 1985 and ran under the name "Ultras 85". They were founded as a group of supporters of the German club
1. FC Saarbrücken. The second group that is mentioned in literature, are the "Fortuna Eagles Supporters" who are connected to
SC Fortuna Köln and were founded in 1986. In 1989, another group was formed under the name "Soccer Boyz" (today: "Ultras Leverkusen"). They are associated with
Bundesliga Leverkusen. In the 1990s, the Ultras movement grew steadily. With the turn of the millennium, many Ultra groups took responsibility in the stands to contribute to the atmosphere, superseding individual fans and unorganised groups. The Ultra movement then spiked in the mid 2000s. Both individual memberships and the total number of groups increased drastically. The Ultras had now moved from a subculture to being mainstream. As a result of mixing with other subcultures such as
hip-hop,
punk,
graffiti and
street art, Ultra groups even collaborated with, and were referenced by artists in their work. Due to rising numbers in membership changes developed and after a subcultural phase, which was partially political, Ultra groups have mostly become self-referential in the 2010s. There has also been a change in the way violence is viewed, leading to conflicts and separations even within groups. One example for the violent conflicts has happened at
Alemannia Aachen where two different groups violently clashed at their
home ground, the left leaning "Aachen Ultras" and the right wing "Karlsbande". Nowadays, for almost all clubs of the three biggest german leagues, and for some in lower leagues, there are groups who identify as Ultras. In Germany, there are supposedly more than 25.000 Ultras organized in over 300 different groups.
Ultra-Movement against the DFB As the rift between the Ultra groups and the
German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund) continued to grow, the Ultra group of
Dynamo Dresden symbolically proclaimed war against the DFB in May 2017. Around 2.000 of them, raged through Karlsruhe, lit fireworks, stormed the stadium and held up a banner with the inscription "War Against DFB". The Ultras of Dresden were heavily criticized for their martial behaviour, yet, the next match day over 30 other Ultra groups applauded them for their agenda. In the 2000s, there already were nationwide campaigns by the German Ultra Movement. Following the ProFans campaign, the fan demonstration at the
2005 Confederations Cup, and several years of collaboration under the label "Zum Erhalt der Fankultur" (Preserving Fan Culture), in 2017 the Dresden initiative was seen as a new beginning for networking in Germany. A large number of Ultra groups sought dialogue in order to organize a joint protest. The meetings, which even took place between rival groups, were extremely rare in Germany until then. The Ultra groups agreed on issues such as the investigation of the so-called 2006 summer fairy tale, the end of match day fragmentation,
Scotland In Scotland, Ultras Aberdeen are the ultras group who follow
Aberdeen F.C., they organise chants and choreography in the Merkland Road Stand, at Pittodrie Stadium, also known as the "Red Shed". The
Green Brigade are an ultras group that follow
Celtic F.C. and regularly make tifo displays and often voice support for a
United Ireland. They describe themselves as
left-wing. On the other side of Glasgow are the
Rangers F.C. ultra group The Union Bears. The Union Bears are known for their elaborate fan displays and their support for
Northern Irish and
Scottish unionism within the UK. They celebrate and support the
Protestant history of both Rangers and Scotland. They sit in the Copland Road stand. Block Seven are a supporters group that support
Hibernian FC, the Gorgie Ultras support rivals,
Heart of Midlothian FC. The Southside Ultras support Queen's Park FC while Ultras Thistle support their city rivals, Partick Thistle. Other ultras in the Scottish Championship include Dunfermline Athletic's Section North West, Greenock Morton's Cowshed, Raith Rovers’ Ultras Raith, Livingston's Block C, Hamilton Academical's Accies Youth, Ayr United's Somerset Ragazzi, Falkirk's Ultras 1876 and Airdrieonians’ Section B. U76 are an ultras group who support and follow
Falkirk F.C., the groups responsibilities ranges from singing chants to hosting rallies in honour of the clubs victory.
England In England, there are ultras groups at,
Colchester United known as the BWA (Blue and White Army),
Hartlepool United known as the NWC,
Middlesbrough F.C. (Red Faction),
Crystal Palace F.C. (
Holmesdale Fanatics),
Ipswich Town F.C. (Blue Action),
Leicester City F.C. (Union FS),
Huddersfield Town F.C. (Cowshed Loyal), and
Stockport County (Hatters 83), Bristol City (Section 82),
Burton Albion (Brewers Union), Arsenal (Ashburton Army) Several
Non-League football teams in England have ultras groups that are left-wing, such as the fans of
Dulwich Hamlet F.C. who have a group called The Rabble. A
Vice article claims
Casuals United are at war with anti-fascist football ultras. In late-2022, an
Arsenal F.C. supporters group called "Ashburton Army" gained prominence, taking their name from Ashburton Grove, an historic road upon which the team's
Emirates Stadium was built. In April 2024, following the inception of the group and a subsequent meeting with club officials, an
Aston Villa F.C. supporters group called "1897 Group" were allocated a section of the club's home stadium
Villa Park for a
Premier League match against
A.F.C. Bournemouth to launch the group's presence at Aston Villa's matches. The group's volunteers help to organise and carry out
tifo displays in Villa Park's Holte End stand and across other sections of the stadium for some Villa home matches. On 10 December 2024, 1897 Group organised and performed a fan march in
Leipzig along with other Villa supporters prior to Villa's UEFA Champions League match against
RB Leipzig at the
Red Bull Arena. 1897 Group are the first ultras-style supporters group present at Aston Villa since a group named "Brigada 1874" disbanded in 2015. In September 2024, following meetings with the clubs new owners, a
Burton Albion supporters group called "Brewers Union" was formed by former members of the "Burton Boys" group and younger fans. Introducing new flags and displays from the West Stand. Following a successful move to the K Block this group has become a leading light in the football league and continues to go from strength to strength. In early 2025, a fan group of Manchester United known as The Red Army (TRA) gained prominence among the fanbase, particularly due to the group organising displays vs Olympique Lyonnais, Real Sociedad, and Athletic Club in the 2024/25 Europa League. On 17 August 2025, before Manchester United played Arsenal in the Premier League, TRA funded and displayed flags and banners before the match started. The group have announced plans to repeat this display before every home match for United.
Switzerland Most professional football clubs in Switzerland have ultras groups. Notable examples include
Servette FC (Section Grenat),
FC Basel (Muttenzerkurve),
FC Zürich (Zürcher Südkurve),
Grasshopper Club Zurich (Sektor IV), and
BSC Young Boys (Ostkurve Bern). Other clubs with ultras groups include
FC Luzern (USL),
FC St. Gallen (Green Power, Saint Brothers, Bangor Maniacs, and Green Fires),
FC Sion (Ultras Sion 1994 and Freaks Sion),
FC Lugano (Curva Nord FC Lugano 1908),
FC Thun (Red White Boys),
FC Lausanne-Sport (Loz Boys and Paranoic Ultras),
FC Winterthur (Taktlos Winterthur),
FC Aarau (Szene Aarau), and
Yverdon-Sport FC (Kop 14)
Austria Many Austrian clubs have ultras groups supporting them, most notably
SK Rapid, who had the first group in Austria in 1988, the "Ultras Rapid Block West 1988", who are still very active and are in control of most the so-called "Block West" in the
Weststadion, together with groups like "Tornados", "Lords", "SAF 2012", "Lions" and others, creating the biggest ultras support among all Austrian clubs, at home and away as well. Other clubs like
FK Austria Wien,
Sturm Graz or
SV Austria Salzburg are also known for their active supporting scene. Many ultras groups have active friendships with groups from friendly clubs, mostly from Germany, Italy, Greece and Hungary.
Hungary Several clubs in Hungary have large ultras groups, such as
Ferencváros (Green Monsters),
Újpest (Viola Fidelity),
Diósgyőr (Ultras Diósgyőr),
Honvéd (Ultras Kispest, Északi Kanyar),
Fehérvár (Red Blue Devils),
Tatabánya (Turul Ultrái),
Debrecen (Szívtiprók Ultras Debrecen) and other strongly developing groups such as
Kecskemét (Ultras Kecskemét) Szeged (Ultras Szeged). The national team of Hungary has an ultras group known as the Carpathian Brigade. The group was formed in 2009. Hungarian ultras occupy sector B Central at the
Puskás Aréna.
Portugal Greece In
Greece, most professional football teams have an ultras group. Most of them are named after a gate number which refers to the specific place where the fans are situated at the stadium. Others have actual names or no special names at all and they are named after their supporting team.
Armenia In
Armenia, many of the professional football clubs contain ultras groups, typically either named after their team, the specific sector in the stadium where the fans reside, or the district the majority the fans are from. The most popular football clubs with devoted fans are
FC Pyunik,
FC Urartu,
FC Shirak, and
FC Ararat Yerevan. The largest ultras is FAF Ultras (First Armenian Front), an organized supporters group dedicated to the
Armenian national football team. They are known for creating strong atmospheres in the stadium through passionate chants, banners, and
tifos. In December 2025, the FAF Ultras assisted a visiting Polish fan group,
Legia Warshaw, by providing accommodation arrangements, which led to the Polish fans displaying a banner in the following match: 'FAF - RESPECT!'.
Serbia Red Star Belgrade have one of the most dedicated ultras groups in Europe,
Delije is a collective name for supporters of various groups that are a part of the Red Star Belgrade multi-sport club. They attend every match, and usually do choreographies and shout chants, with many subgroups present on the stadium as well.
FK Partizan, have an ultras group of their own named
Grobari (Gravediggers).They generally support all clubs within the Partizan multi-sports club, and mostly wear black and white symbols, which are the club's colors.
Denmark FC Copenhagen (Sektion 12) and
Brøndby IF (Sydsiden) have some of the most renowned ultras groups on the continent, and the derby between the two is also one of the fiercest in Europe.
AaB's ultras group caused a 14-minute delay in the 2020 Danish Cup final for a failure to adhere to COVID-19
social distancing rules. The group was ultimately ejected from the stadium and the game resumed, which was won by
Sønderjyske.
Italy ultras in 2006 In Italy, most professional football clubs have an ultras group which attends every match and has dedicated seating areas in either the north or south end of the stadium behind the goals. Each ultras group will have one or more leaders who choreograph chants, and who hand out banners and flags to other people in the stand to wave throughout the match. Ultras have been credited with creating fantastic atmospheres inside the stadium; however they have also come under universal criticism because of ties to various gangs and the mafia, as well as causing violence which often takes place outside the stadium prior to a match. Over the years inappropriate chanting has resulted in the
FIGC issuing partial or full stadium bans to clubs. The ultras will choreograph a wide range of chants throughout a match, but some of the most common chants that result in a ban are anti-Southern chants towards clubs which are located in the South of Italy, most notably towards
Napoli, as well as racist chants towards opposition players. However, these issues only partially represent parts of the Ultras culture in Italy – Ultras in Italy are also known for giving housing to immigrants or helping Italian citizens in need, as well as aiding with food and money during the Covid pandemic to their local hospitals.
Republic of Ireland Several groups exist in Ireland, as follows: •
Shamrock Rovers - SRFC Ultras •
St Patrick's Athletic - Shed End Invincibles •
Drogheda United - Famous 45 Ultras •
Dundalk FC - Shed Side Army •
Bohemian FC - Notorious Boo Boys •
Galway United F.C. - Maroon Army •
Waterford FC - Block E Boys •
Kerry F.C. - North Terrace Boys •
Finn Harps FC - Ballybofey Brigade •
Sligo Rovers - Forza Rovers •
Cork City FC - Commandos 84 •
Treaty United - Blue Army •
Wexford FC - Slaneyside Crew •
Shelbourne FC - Briogaid Dearg, Boys 1895 •
Bray Wanderers - Na Fanaithe •
Longford Town - Section O •
Derry City - Ultras Derry
Northern Ireland The ultras scene in Northern Ireland is new, and since these have begun, the younger generation of fans in Northern Ireland has increased more than it has in many years.
Slovakia all-stand tifo. Multiple groups of active Ultras groups exists in
Slovakia, with the most active being
Ultras Spartak. In a match between
Spartak Trnava and
Slovan Bratislava in 2021, there was a full blown fight on the pitch between both ultras, with the game being cancelled and postponed. As a result of this incident, Spartak Trnava would have to play the next three home matches without the Ultras, with entry only allowed for children under 15 years of age, and Slovan would have to pay heavy fines.
Poland The first Polish ultras groups were formed in 1970s by fans of
Legia Warszawa and
Arka Gdynia, although the pioneering fan groups in Poland were ŁKS Łódź and Polonia Bytom - the end of the 1960s. Those early ultra groups identified as either fascist or national-socialist and opposed the communist government of
Wojciech Jaruzelski. The 1990s saw the continuing spread and development of the ultra culture with the formation of the
Wisła Sharks and
Cracovia Jude Gang groups, the former often regarded in Poland as the first full-fledged ultras group. With intimidating and non-stop chanting, they've made their presence felt in the stands. Modern hooligans try to be inconspicuous when they enter the stadium; usually not wearing team colours, to avoid detection by the police and
PZPN officials.
Spain Spanish ultraism is generally agreed to have come from Italian and English ultraism and hooliganism at the 1982 World Cup held in Spain. Held only seven years after the death of Franco, the World Cup was an opportunity for Spain to join the world of modern international football. Spanish ultraism is particularly known for its dramatic and polarized distinction across two ideological cleavages: fascism and (regional) nationalism. The vast majority of ultra groups identify as either fascist or anti-fascist, and either separatist or nationalist.
The Netherlands In
The Netherlands, most professional football teams have an ultras group. the first ultras groups in the Netherlands were formed in the 1970s by fans of
Feyenoord they called themselves
S.C.F. Hooligans. After S.C.F. Hooligans were formed many other ultras groups started forming such as
AFC Ajax (
F-side),
FC Utrecht (Bunnikside),
ADO Den Haag (north side),
De Graafschap (Brigata Tifosi),
FC Twente (Vak-P),
FC Groningen (Z-Side).
Belgium Most clubs in Belgium have an ultra-group, such as
Sporting Charleroi (Storm Ultras 2001),
Sint-Truidense V.V. (Brigada Hesbania),
KRC Genk (Drughi Genk),
RSC Anderlecht (Mauves Army 2003)
Standard Liège (Ultras Inferno 1996)
KAA Gent (Ultras Ghent ‘14)
Luxembourg Several clubs in Luxembourg have an ultras group, such as
FC Differdange 03 (UD45),
Jeunesse Esch (Ultras Esch),
Avenir Beggen (Ultras Beggen),
Luxembourg national football team (M-Block)
Bosnia and Herzegovina People in Bosnia and Herzegovina are known for their national ultras group
BHFanaticos. Also, they have a few ultras that are connected to football clubs
Manijaci,
Horde zla,
Lešinari,
Red Army,
Škripari,
Ultras Mostar and many more.
Cyprus Gate-9 (
Greek: Θύρα 9 ) is a Cypriot fans' group that supports the football team
People's Athletic Club Omonia 1948 and all the sport departments of
AC Omonia except football. Omonia supporters are traditionally left wing. A 2009 gallop poll estimated that three out of four Omonia fans vote for the
Progressive Party of Working People, the communist party of Cyprus. While the group retains its left wing beliefs, in recent years it has been openly critical of the party's involvement in the club's administrative decisions. The party has denied accusations that it influences club decisions. Gate-9 members are associated with
communist beliefs and have been noted for waving banners bearing
Che Guevara's portrait, and other communist symbols. The group is also involved in humanitarian work for refugees in Cyprus. The group, besides
Nicosia, has fan clubs in
Limassol, Athens,
Thessaloniki,
Larnaka,
Paphos, and London. There are also ultras groups affiliated with the
APOEL FC and the
Anorthosis Famagusta FC.
Malta Although small in size, Malta has some notable ultras groups. The main ultras groups in Malta are Birkirkara Ultras 1997, Ultras Beltin 999, and Paola Boys Hibs Ultras, Sliema Ultras Blue Gladiators as well as the
Maltese national football team ultras group, the South End Core.
Ukraine Romania Romania's ultras only finds itself in the traditional teams like
Steaua Bucharest,
FCSB,
Dinamo Bucharest and
Rapid Bucharest; but there are some small ultras groups which support their local club. The biggest ultras groups are: Peluza Nord
FCSB, Peluza Sud
CSA Steaua București (football), Peluza Cătălin Hîldan
Dinamo Bucuresti, Peluza Sud
Dinamo Bucuresti, Peluza Nord
Rapid, Peluza Sud Timisoara, t2 Rapid, Peluza Şepcile Roşii and Peluza Nord Hunedoara. There are also some honourable mentions like Peluza Marină Farul, Peluza Sud Craiova and Peluza Nord Galați.
Turkey The three big clubs of Turkey, namely
Beşiktaş,
Fenerbahçe and
Galatasaray, have dedicated and passionate fanbases. The ultras of these clubs are
Çarşı,
Genç Fenerbahçeliler and
UltrAslan, respectively.
Bulgaria The most famous ultras in Bulgaria are Sector B (
Levski Sofia),
Sector G (
CSKA Sofia), Bultras (
Botev Plovdiv), Green Fighters (
Neftochimic Burgas), Moryatsi (
Cherno More Varna) and Lauta Army (
Lokomotiv Plovdiv).
Azerbaijan Several groups exist in Azerbaijan, with the most prominent being Forza Neftçi (
Neftçi PFK), Köhne 13 (
Neftçi PFK), and Kapaz Ultras (
Kapaz PFK).
Croatia There are many ultras groups in Croatia but the most popular are: •
Bad Blue Boys (
Dinamo Zagreb, 1986) •
Torcida Split (
Hajduk Split, 1950) •
Armada Rijeka (
HNK Rijeka, 1987) •
Kohorta Osijek (
NK Osijek, 1988) •
Tornado Zadar (
HNK Zadar, KK Zadar, 1965) • Demoni Pula (
NK Istra 1961, 1992) • Funcuti Šibenik (NK Šibenik, KK Šibenik, 1983) • Ultras Vinkovci (
HNK Cibalia, 1982)
Finland • Niilon pojat, Vestito di nero (
Ilves Tampere, 1931) • Usual sprinters Helsinki (
HJK Helsinki, 1907) • 1922 Youths, 1922Casuals (TPS Turku, 1922) • Red Army, ultras06 (Vaasan sport, 1962) • Lahti youth huorat (
FC Lahti, 1996) • Raumam boja (Rauman Lukko, 1936) • Itäpääty (FC Inter, 1990) • Hakapeliitat (
FC Haka, 1934) • Stadin Kingit/Inferno Helsingfors (
HIFK Helsinki, 1897)
Kazakhstan • Green Wall Ultras -
FC Atyrau • Legion ultras -
FC Zhenis • Northpoint ultras -
FC Astana • 13 sector -
FC Aktobe • Texas ultras -
FC Ordabasy • Turan ultras -
FC Turan • Verniy 70 -
FC Kairat • == Africa ==