Mentalità on the Road... James Montague: Scene 25

Описание: After the release of his recent book Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World, we wanted to sit down with him to discuss the future of fandom as in relates Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states more broadly. Having accompanied James on the Italian leg of his adventure for the book 1312 Amongst the Ultras, I was curious to understand his view on Ultras culture there. In particular, when it comes to this idea of “payed fandom” and individuals being recruited to create an Ultras style atmosphere in the ground.

Doing things for the club, being a fan as a form of sacrifice, driven to do these things by a true sense of attachment to community and colours that go beyond, “Ultras no business”. But as we’ve seen, countless times, most recently in both curves of San Siro, the line between genuine support and using the stands as a tool for ones own personal gain, is no longer the exception to the rule, particularly when it comes to elite football.

The terraces are one of the last physical spaces where young people can meet and feel a sense community and identity. So what happens when that sense of identity when owners see it as something they can manipulate, commodify, or even fabricate out of nothing?