Without question, football is the most popular sport on Earth. Various people credit different aspects of this beautiful game as responsible for it capturing the hearts of billions around the globe, and we can debate these for days. But what we cannot debate is that around five billion individuals watch club and international football matches monthly, and the most ardent team supporters bear the name – ultras, meaning groups that have left an indomitable mark on the sport.

Though the term ultras carries a negative connotation in most lay circles, with many often viewing it as synonymous with hooliganism, that is not so. The phrase refers to a section of a club’s fanbase that features its most passionate supporters, supporters some may even deem extreme.

Ultras, in their modern form, began emerging in the late 1960s in Italy as a specific sub-culture associated with pseudo-paramilitary groups. While many may instantly think that this was because these collectives were violent, that was not the case. The military link stemmed primarily from their well-organized nature and adherence to a hierarchical structure.

Over the decades, Ultras culture spread throughout the Old Continent and found a home in most European countries, where ensembles of fans create unique songs and merchandise, getting dedicated stadium sections from where they look to provide an intense and vocal atmosphere to every game. Their impact has become so powerful that they have not only affected the sport as a whole but many of its side industries, like the betting one, and that gets further elaborated on below.

The Influence on Team Performance

Fans are the lifeblood of football. Without them, the sport would lose much of its flavor. While casual supporters can lift players’ spirits, a strong ultras presence can serve as a source of fuel for a team, supplying them with an emotional boost via loud support that seeks to get them through difficult times. Hence, these hard-core fans can deliver sizeable home turf advantages through constant chants that foster a sense of unity in a stadium, positively impact team chemistry, and aim to fashion an intimidating ambiance for the opposition.

The Evolution of Fan Culture

In the early 20th century, football fans primarily focused on supporting local teams, and they attended matches, casually cheering with much less passion than we now see in stadiums. As pointed out above, it was around the late 1960s and early 1970s that football fans began getting more organized, introducing complex displays and distinctive songs. Then came the appearance of tifos, large-scale banners, and things like smoke bombs and flares going off inside stadiums.

The creativity and effort put into building eye-catching and jaw-dropping visuals on the stands morphed into an integral aspect of fan culture. Yes, some groups brought various unpopular political ideologies into their activities that have led to serious controversies. But there is little doubt that ultras have created a rich tapestry of seasonings for matches, with each region bringing their unique ones.

Ultras and the Betting Industry

According to experts, the connection between sports wagering and ultras is multifaceted. There is no doubt that some groups have gotten connected with attempts to manipulate game results by means of intimidation, and others have leaked valuable insider team info to parties in the gambling sector. The discussed tense moods these groups can create also influence bookmaker odds. That occurs when bookies believe that a strong ultras presence may enhance the home-field advantage. Thus, this will affect the odds in play. When that is a possibility, most experienced punters always turn to what experts rate as the best betting accounts because such sites permit users to benefit from automatic ongoing odds changes that better reflect a match’s expected result, something many gamblers find super handy.

What is very interesting about Internet sportsbooks is that a portion of these platforms even allow ultras prop bets, such as the presence of distinct banners in a game, markets that permit gamblers to guess when flares will go off, and much more. Naturally, disruption of matches due to supporter activities can also be on the table.