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I write this with no agenda. Only with a genuine concern about the reputation of our club.
I have previously raised concerns on other channels about the reputational damage that I think the club risk with part of the Blue Action movement labelling themselves as Ultras. I believe that the connotations of what Ultras represent is very very negative. Please read the link below.
Now, initially I contacted a friend who is involved in the BA movement and made a suggestion that they could speak with someone to discuss whether or not this is the type of thing we want to potentially be linked with, even if very tenuously. I appreciate many of the Ultras are over hormonal teens who get a bit OTT but my friend advised that they had actually noticed an increase in the numbers of people who are getting the wrong idea about what BA is intended for and incidents of fighting etc are starting to occur. The Cardiff incident as an example. Now the Cardiff incident may not be in anyway associated with any BA member. But if their own members are also noticing issues then now is the time to act.
Yes the effectiveness of what they do is debated, but there is no doubt their intentions are for the good of the club. What we don’t need to to end up with a reputation of Cardiff or Millwall fans. Which may seem a long way off now, but we need to recognise the risk now and stamp it out.
I await your down votes.
[Post edited 11 Mar 9:39]
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Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 13:27 - Mar 11 with 2172 views
Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 13:21 - Mar 11 by Bigalhunter
That Clockwork Orange image never even occurred to me, but now you point it out, I can see what you mean. I rather naively thought it was something to do with the joker in Batman. I’m sure someone from BA will be on shortly to clarify the origin.
It might be. Or a band reference*, or something. It's not exactly the same as the classic image of Malcolm McDowell as Alex from CO.
I am sure many of us have witnessed incidents of this nature, but without the same outcome.
Verbal exchanges are relatively common but violence is nowhere near the levels of 40-50 years ago. This incident got out of hand and it clearly wasn’t helped by others cheering on.
Blue Action do have a problem in as much there will always be someone that links them to any unsavoury incident. The thrown beer can for example. Because using the word ‘Ultra’ can result in the users being linked to violence it would perhaps be best for BA to reconsider its use.
I don’t for one minute personally link BA to this incident but they do need to be careful. I can remember in BA’s infancy a spokesman saying that a problem was nothing to do with BA but it involved people who attached themselves to BA.
To show support to Blue Action, and what they stand for, £10 has been donated to their funds.
Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 13:27 - Mar 11 by Guthrum
It might be. Or a band reference*, or something. It's not exactly the same as the classic image of Malcolm McDowell as Alex from CO.
* Sensational Alex Harvey Band??
It's a band reference.
It's Monkey, lead singer from the Ipswich based Punk bank of the 80's, The Adicts.
Monkey gave his permission for his image to be used.
Please note: prior to hitting the post button, I've double checked for anything that could be construed as "Anti Semitic" and to the best of my knowledge it isn't. Anything deemed to be of a Xenophobic nature is therefore purely accidental or down to your own misconstruing.
Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 12:56 - Mar 11 by Guthrum
Tho I'm interested to know where the imagery of the bowler hatted face was taken from. To me, it brings to mind A Clockwork Orange, which is disturbing. But I may have misinterpreted it.
Otherwise entirely support what they are doing.
The bowler-hatted face is a reference to the Adicts, Ipswich's finest band.
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Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 13:46 - Mar 11 with 2049 views
The trouble has nothing to do with Blue Action and everything to do with the yoots meeting their local Albanian gentleman to procure three bags for 100.
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Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 13:48 - Mar 11 with 2028 views
Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 10:41 - Mar 11 by SitfcB
Lazy connection.
If you look up the saying ‘football ultra’ fighting isn’t mentioned.
Now if BA was a ‘football firm’ you’d have a point. But it isn’t.
Unless you look it up on Wikipedia, in which case it is mentioned.
I'm not saying how accurate that is or isn't.
It is unfortunate that Blue Action and Ipswich are mentioned just a couple of paragraphs beneath the paragraph headed "Hooliganism" on the wikipedia ultras page. Not saying that this is a fair link (and absolutely not saying that BA are hooligans). Just commenting on the information that is out there, since you mention looking up the term.
Personally I don't think the use of the term Ultras really helps BA's cause, but when things go wrong, it's not semantics that were the cause of the problem. Actions speak louder, and all that. When there is violence or criminality, people should certainly be slow to associate it with any group without evidence, including BA.
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Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 16:38 - Mar 11 with 1736 views
Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 12:44 - Mar 11 by Vegtablue
In fairness you do write with transparent agenda.
Germany is famous for its Ultra scene and they're a well-liked, wholesome bunch in the main. Embraced by clubs and media, distanced from violence and organised crime, very much not social pariahs. Their disappearance during COVID times was lamented by most. Is it similar in Scandinavian countries?
So the term isn't intrinsically linked with hooliganism, fascism or organised crime, as mentioned above, even though the Italian scene is. I would welcome a flourishing English scene in the German model, which is effectively organised cheerleading but "more cool".
I may be miles out here but link our problem youth element to their education in L1. Taking over non-football towns with little resistance, tucked safely away in sleepy Suffolk and subsequently learning the wrong lessons. This in tandem with the uptick in youth violence more generally, and hooliganism. Those who attacked the Cardiff grandad are scum, quite simply. They will learn better lessons if they carry on, because other clubs will prepare.
In Germany and Scandinavia I think the word 'ultras' can also carry another positive connotation, and it's almost paradoxical. As well as being the most obviously fervent supporters of a particular team, they are also the most fervent defenders of the rights of fans... of all clubs, not just their own.
When you go to a football match in Sweden for example, it is not just to watch 22 men chase a bit of leather around, but also to see the theatrical displays provided by the ultras. Companies buy expensive boxes to entertain their corporate guests on the basis that there will be a show even for people who are not that interested in football. They will see 'culture' at work. The ultras are the ones who provide that culture.
And they have the power to flick a switch and turn that culture off, and sometimes make use of this power. . Sometimes it's because they are not happy with the club, (which in Sweden is always fan-owned). For example, Malmö fans weren't happy when the club tried to buy its way into the upper echelons of women's football by simply taking over an already existing club. The fans weren't having this, and let it be known that the club must join at the bottom (9th tier, I think) and work its way up, because they were ashamed to be seen jumping the queue.
At other times, they make a point on behalf of all fans, or all clubs. One instance was a protest against the fact (very recognisable to Town of course) that the days/times of fixtures could be changed at short notice, as if no fans make long-term travel plans, book time off work, etc. Another was a protest against the fact that big games are almost never scheduled at the weekend, the suspicion being that the Swedish F.A. and the clubs themselves would rather not have large away support. Finally, another that springs to mind was that at a Sundsvall game, the home fans were subject to very heavy-handed policing. Fans of the big clubs, (Malmö, AIK etc) came to their defence, to make the point that football fans should expect the same decent policing they would get at any other event (a music festival for instance) and protested in the way they always do; they switch off the support. They stand in stoney silence for a half, or half a half, to say to their club's leadership, - 'try selling your corporate boxes and expensive seats to tourists now'. And it works. (Of course, the players also notice the difference, and post-match interviews can’t really dodge the issues.)
I'm not saying this is particularly relevant to English football. (It may be that in England, if the ringleaders don't sing, it won't stop everyone else from singing) But it is a positive connotation of 'ultras' in some parts of Europe that they stick up for the fans against the clubs. And if it means not supporting the team for half an hour, so be it.
[Post edited 11 Mar 22:36]
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Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 16:40 - Mar 11 with 1730 views
Whatever side of this debate you're on, I think it's healthy to be discussed.
Personally, when I see banners saying 'ultras' and 'Suffolk punch' with a fist symbol my mind associates this with violence and hooliganism.
The affect Blue Action has had on the atmosphere at Portman Road has been fantastic, but I don't think the move towards this language does them any favours.
Their ethos from the start was to create positive support for the team, winning or losing, throughout the match. This seems like an unnecessary deviation imho
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Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 09:08 - Mar 12 with 1387 views
Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 12:56 - Mar 11 by Guthrum
Tho I'm interested to know where the imagery of the bowler hatted face was taken from. To me, it brings to mind A Clockwork Orange, which is disturbing. But I may have misinterpreted it.
Otherwise entirely support what they are doing.
It's a nod to The Adicts, a punk band from Ipswich
Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 08:39 - Mar 12 by satsuma
Whatever side of this debate you're on, I think it's healthy to be discussed.
Personally, when I see banners saying 'ultras' and 'Suffolk punch' with a fist symbol my mind associates this with violence and hooliganism.
The affect Blue Action has had on the atmosphere at Portman Road has been fantastic, but I don't think the move towards this language does them any favours.
Their ethos from the start was to create positive support for the team, winning or losing, throughout the match. This seems like an unnecessary deviation imho
But that’s your mind. You choose it to go to that place.
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Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 13:40 - Mar 12 with 1208 views
Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 09:57 - Mar 11 by Europablue
If they don't distance themselves from trouble elements, the club is not going to tolerate them or allow them to have a continued privileged position in the stadium.
Should I distance myself from the Russian invasion of Ukraine? I mean, I've never been there but there's no smoke without fire. If I don't say something official, people might get the wrong idea.
Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 10:23 - Mar 11 by Steve_M
It does look as if you've added two and two here and made 573.
The problem Saturday seems to have been one that has become increasingly frustrating for London awaydays: youngsters drinking far more than they can cope with and becoming overly aggressive and obnoxious, including to other Town fans.
I'm not sure that has anything at all to do with Blue Action, although there is perhaps an issue that the wider membership of BA does include some of the above behaviours and some chants that are best consigned to history (the ones about an 80 year old woman mainly).
I think cocaine also plays a part in such instances. Even non-league clubs seems to have a minority of young lads performing a GCSE drama re-enactment of Football Factory.
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Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 14:08 - Mar 12 with 1158 views
Beginning of the end for Blue Action? on 16:18 - Mar 12 by GeoffSentence
I believe that Clockwork Orange was the inspiration for Monkey's look.
They're still massive on the California Punk circuit and I can attest also to a fellow ITFC season ticket holder getting a 1st class upgrade on an internal US flight as he was wearing a band t-shirt.
A genuinely nice chap is Monkey.
Please note: prior to hitting the post button, I've double checked for anything that could be construed as "Anti Semitic" and to the best of my knowledge it isn't. Anything deemed to be of a Xenophobic nature is therefore purely accidental or down to your own misconstruing.
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