When William McGregor founded the Football League in 1888, his vision was for the original dozen clubs to be at the heart of their communities. The clubs would be a focal point for local people to come together and watch football on Saturday afternoons. As money and television have changed the game, supporters have become a secondary concern and Saturday afternoons kick-offs, especially in the Premier League, have become a rarity rather than the norm. In response to these developments, supporters formed ultra groups to ensure their voices are heard.
One of the most prominent of these groups is the Holmesdale Fanatics at Crystal Palace, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Leaning on the experience of fans of Union St Gilloise in Brussels, Red Star in Paris and St Pauli in Hamburg, they have generated their own brand of co-ordinated, passionate support over the last two decades.
Crystal Palace fans display a tifo in memory of Maxi Jazz. Photograph: MatchDay Images Limited \ DW/Alamy
The ultra movement can be traced back to 1951, when the Torino fan group Fellissimi Granata was founded in Italy. These groups quickly evolved, organised and spread across the continent. Academic John Foot wrote in his book Calcio: “The ultrà have adopted forms of self-organisation similar to those found in political groups and among social movements. The most important have offices, bars, meetings, membership, their own merchandise as well as radio stations, fanzines and newspapers and even their own coach companies.â€
Mickey Grafton, one of the leading figures of the Holmesdale Fanatics, says more fan groups are needed in the Premier League to create atmosphere in grounds, protect the interests of ordinary fans and preserve the culture of clubs. Soon after the Holmesdale Fanatics were founded in 2005, they partnered with The Panthers, the ultras of Panionios FC, the oldest football club in Greece. The links go beyond just sharing the same red and blue colours, with common values of fan activism and anti-authoritarianism that have led to fans attending each otherâ€s matches.
A Crystal Palace banner at the FA Cup final at Wembley in May. Photograph: Kevin Hodgson/MI/Alamy
The most visible element of ultras†activities is the creation of tifos. The Holmesdale Fanatics†displays at Wembley in the FA Cup earlier this year were impressive in their scale and messaging. The use of the quote from Palace defender Maxence Lacroix that “Wembley will shake and it will be beautiful†in a banner stretched across the western end of the stadium proved prophetic as the club went on to win the first major trophy in their 115-year history.
“The display for the FA Cup final took three full weeks of full-time work to pull together,†Grafton says. “With some lads doing eight to 22-hour days on top of work. It cost more than £45,000 – money that was raised by the Palace support.†A number of Palace players, including Chris Richards and Dean Henderson, contributed. Former club captain Jason Puncheon even made his donation in person. “That highlights the relationship between fans and players that should be the heartbeat of all clubs,†says Grafton.
The tifos have proven popular with the Palace squad. “Multiple players and managers have thanked us, several coming down the pub over the years for a pint and a chat with the lads,†Grafton says. “Many have told us the boost it gives them ahead of kick-off, knowing it is their responsibility to match the supporters†efforts on the pitch. These moments create unbeatable unity and a bond that ultimately reinforces the strength of the club. Everyone is fighting together for the same goals and to push Palace forward.â€
A Palace banner at Wembley during the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. Photograph: Garry Bowden/PHC/Alamy
Planning and creating the tifos can take more than a month. They are drawn and hand-painted in a local warehouse before being transported to the stadium in vans. For the two FA Cup matches at Wembley, the group gained access to the stadium the day before kick-off to ensure everything was in place.
One of the tifos for the final was especially poignant. It depicted an image that has become famous among Palace fans: supporter Mark Wealleans celebrating with his two young sons after Darren Ambrose had scored a spectacular goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2011. Wealleans died of cancer in 2017 but his sons, Dominic and Nathan, were at Wembley for the game. Neither knew this iconic image was going to be unveiled. “It was just incredible when we first saw the tifo,†said Nathan. “To celebrate his life with the entire country, itâ€s really special to us. It means the world.â€
The image of Mark Wealleans and his sons was recreated in a tifo for the FA Cup final. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/FA/Getty Images
Running the Holmesdale Fanatics is more than a pastime or hobby. “It is a non-stop, full-time job,†Grafton says. “Merchandise, travel, media, community aid, displays – itâ€s 24/7. Weâ€re lucky to have our own local pub and the use of a warehouse where a lot of the work is carried out.â€
Other English clubs have tried to create a similar atmosphere with tifos, but many have fallen short. There was an expectation that Arsenal would unveil a spectacular display before their Champions League semi-final at the Emirates last season, but their cannon backfired. “These are totally synthetic, top-down efforts to try to recreate and commoditise an atmosphere,†says Grafton. “Printed displays are mere lazy consumerism: pretty pictures devoid of any meaning while attempting to trade off the authentic.â€
Some Palace fans were initially sceptical of the Holmesdale Fanatics and their relationship with the club has fluctuated over the years. “There will be actions the club may not agree with, but this is natural for an ultras group with freedom of expression and speech,†says Grafton. “Some of these may cause the club embarrassment or openly criticise the clubâ€s hierarchy, but the terraces should be places of expression for fans to speak truth to power as well as celebrate their cultures. Ultimately, for the 1% that clubs donâ€t agree with, they must accept this for the 99% of positives that ultra groups bring.â€
“Weâ€ve proven the benefits of an English ultras group and that it can be done,†says Grafton. “But it has to be done right and based on deep-rooted principles, not just singing sections looking to buy into the image they perceive happens abroad.â€
In the last few months, much of the Holmesdale Fanatics†ire has been directed towards Uefa after their decision to demote Palace from the Europa League to the Conference League. The founders of the Football League – and the deeply religious McGregor – may not have been keen on the sight of the Holmesdale Fanatics in full flow, clad in all-black singing “Fuck Uefa†to the relentless beat of drums. But he would have appreciated their desire to stand up for ordinary fans.
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