The football fan is known for loving to celebrate, but also for raising his voice inside and outside the stadium to point out injustices in society and football. Just think of the protests against Dietmar Hopp a few years ago, the problem of 50-plus-one or the recent actions regarding the intended investor entry into the DFL.
Almost every week there is also news about anniversaries of fan and ultra groups, which are often not associated with protests. But a few. I include an anniversary in the last few days. »Union ’99 Ultrà Salzburg« is the leading ultra group in Austria Salzburg. An old, traditional club from Austria that was taken over by a brewery empire in 2005. Not only did it change names and club colors, but it also attempted to wipe out the purple-a-pink tradition. That didn’t work because the fans re-founded the club with the hostile takeover. The “Union ’99 Ultrà Salzburg” has existed since 1999, and in 2005 they did not allow themselves to be discouraged and continued to support the venerable Austria from Salzburg for 25 years.
The Ultras are an example of how even the worst kind of commercialization won’t get rid of fans. They are opinionated groups that live on for decades and are always continued by the next generation of fans.
As a football traditionalist, my heart warms at such anniversaries. Because this way I know that fans will never give in to repression. It doesn’t matter whether it comes from associations, the police or a capitalist.
And so my congratulations in the city of Mozart go to the ultras of the only true purple Austria. Don’t let yourself get down, stay loud and unyielding.
“Sport free!” from the fan advocate.
