Football, Fascism and Fandom The UltraS of Italian Football

by Armstrong, Gary; Testa, Alberto

• ISBN13: 9781408123713
• ISBN10: 1408123711
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-11-15
• Publisher: A&C Black

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Alberto Testa is a Lecturer in the Social Sciences of Sport at Brunel University, London. Gary Armstrong is a Reader in the School of Sport and Education, Brunel University, London, and author of Football Hooligans (Berg).

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. v
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
Chains of Meaning	p. 13
The Set-Up	p. 17
The Stadio Olimpico and its Heroes	p. 29
Rome and Glory	p. 43
'Dare, Believe, Be Reckless'	p. 55
An Emerging Social Movement?	p. 69
Political Ideology and the UltraS	p. 87
UltraS Society	p. 105
'True' UltraS and the Modern World	p. 119
The 'Warrior Spirit'	p. 135
Race and the Fatherland	p. 153
The Italian Media and the UltraS	p. 171
The Enemy	p. 185
Rising Sons?	p. 207
Appendix: Other studies of UltraS and ultrá	p. 217
References	p. 223
Index	p. 235
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