So, the Norwich Derby is imminent and Section 6 realised that we had to pull on all our limited resources to put on a display at the game.

We reckoned that a blue card display in the Sir Bobby Robson Stand would be the way to go. So we planned to put on one in the Upper Tier. We would pay for it, we would lay the cards out, we would do all the hard work.

Of course, we would need access to the ground quite early so we could lay the cards out before everyone arrived. Such an access request would need to be placed through the Supporters' Club as that was the agreed communication channel.

We set up a meeting with the Supporters' Club. We told them of our plans and we discussed the plans and Section Six in general. We were told that our plans would be put to the club and we would hear of the result. That was late last year.

They did ask us for some concessions, our 'mission statement' (once we stopped laughing to ourselves at this snippet of management speak claptrap we realised we already had one which they knew and they were aware of) and they asked us to drop all references to 'Ultras" because of the negative connotations this has in the cheap and cheerful British media.

This last one I put to the main members and they all said no.

Why? well Ultra means 'beyond' in Latin and the tag is used by football supporters groups that go beyond the normal fans (you know the stereotype: shirt-wearing, happy clappy types, who may sing occasionally).

Every 'singing section' with the aim of continuous singing, flags and displays, is by definition 'Ultra' so it is therefore plain wrong to drop the description merely because it conflicts with some media stereotype of an Ultra as a hard-core neo-fascist football hooligan.

Dropping that tag would be a sop to the cheap British media and would be a discredit to those Ultra groups that do not support right wing fascist ideals or seek to fight opposition fans at any given opportunity. Indeed St Pauli in Germany, Jorvik Reds and the the Red Faction at Boro are examples of radical Ultra groups actively opposed to racism, the right-wing and football violence. Check out the Wiki page on Ultras at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultras.

Small in number though we are, we are by that definition Ultras and hence dropping the tag would be plain wrong.

We were promised meeting notes that never materialised and we had no further communication. I emailed the Supporters' Club asking for an update in March. Then - silence. So last week having slimmed down our card display aspirations to merely Section 6 of the SBRS I asked for an update. We were told it had been discussed at a committee meeting and a response would be heading our way in the next few days.

We waited...

We could wait no longer, if we were to do this funds would be need to be gathered and orders placed. Since we have communicated with Mick Warden at ITFC before (Safety and Security Manager) we spoke to him by phone, he promised to pass on our request to the PR department.

On Monday morning a phone call told us our display was unnecessary, since the club are doing a card display for the whole ground (sans the Scum bit): http://www.itfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10272~2342562,00.html

Now don't get me wrong, this is a result, it saves us money and will look much better, but if Mick Warden knew nothing of this on Friday and yet on Monday we were informed the club were doing a card display.

It does stink of our thunder stolen or a club embarrassed or inspired into action by our request. The photo released by the club adds fire to this, we weren't having cards printed (none of us are rich) we merely proposed blue A3 sheets of paper, right effect but dead cost effective.

If this was pre-planned by the club and it was done right, then they would have printed sheets and the players would be holding up samples rather than holding up A3 blue copier paper the exact same shade as our choice.

Our reaction was a mixture of anger and resignation. What it does hint at is that the club wants the quaint, sanitised, official Supporters' Club as the only mouthpiece of supporters' views and supporter activity, that fan-based initiatives are unwelcome.

So, on Thursday when you hold your blue card aloft, just remember whose idea it was in the first place.

Upbeat~ added 15:40 - Apr 20 Look at it differently. You forced the club into action. Whilst you'll not get the credit you deserve, this can definitely be seen as a victory on some level. End result = your idea amplified and at no personal cost. My one slight issue with the idea in the first place: great if televised. It's not though and will stop the happy clappers from generating any noise whatsoever. Also, now the players know the card idea, it's unveiling won't have the same effect on them. 30,000 roaring voices however would have a far greater impact, both on the players and over the radio.

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SitfcB added 15:45 - Apr 20 The club did it at he last home game against Naarwich aswell though!
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Vexorg added 15:47 - Apr 20 Yeah, no-one's ever thought of card displays. Well done
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CaughtInTheBrambles added 15:48 - Apr 20 Who cares about if it's televised live we don't. If it looks good do it. Agreed about 30.00 roaring voices, sadly it will be just the NS Lower to start with us and a few other groups.
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Lowestoft added 15:58 - Apr 20 fukcing scarfers
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BelsteadCav added 16:03 - Apr 20 Blub
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CaughtInTheBrambles added 16:04 - Apr 20 We are not claiming to have invented the idea merely to have, in this case instigated the club to do it. Sadly the club seem to have chosen the path of least effort when you need every seat with a card in a given area not leave it to the fans (many of whom will drop it to hold a pint before the game) Sadly it may look crap if not done right.
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Upbeat~ added 16:06 - Apr 20 My point being that: 1) it won't look great for any of the ITFC crowd, who won't be able to see behind their cards 2) 30% at least won't do it I reckon, so it won't be a wall of blue 3) it will result in less noise in the stadium 4) I think the occasion is big enough that the supporters don't need artificial help in the form of pop music / cards etc anyway to generate atmosphere 5) if anything it gives the Norwich fans ammunition to mock our sterile card waving, rather than be in awe at our blue cards As long as the impact is felt by the players, that's what matters. Still, I'm concerned that, by removing the clapping, the buzz around the stadium may be reduced by this card idea. Solution: EVERYONE sing your hearts out for the lads!!!

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Blue_Balls added 16:12 - Apr 20 Is this for real? Did you used to tell on the big kids at school?
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CaughtInTheBrambles added 16:29 - Apr 20 To be done well it has to be 100% in a block and when the game is about to kick off not as the players come out. This was our plan anyway and easy to arrange. The seem clueless on how it is meant to work. It has to be coordinated and as near 100% as possible. So actually if it looks crap because they have not thought it through then so be it.
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Superfrans added 16:36 - Apr 20 To be honest, CITB, I'm glad the whole ground will be raising cards. It would have looked really sh!t if it was just a few dozen of you in the SBR. Where you do yourself no favours is insisting that anyone who doesn't sing isn't being as "good" a fan as those who do. EG: "you know the stereotype: shirt-wearing, happy clappy types, who may sing occasionally". You are no better than other fans because you sing all match. You are different because you prefer to sing, that's all. Nothing better. Anyway, you got your way. The blue cards around Portman Road, building an atmosphere - that's the point, not whose idea it was.

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CaughtInTheBrambles added 16:45 - Apr 20 It would not have been a few dozen we were planning close on 1000 (which is section 6 to the second exit) which would have looked good. In my opinion the problem is that the vast majority of fans now come to matches, wear a shirt and clap along as opposed to singing all game or as often as possible as it was when football matches had a decent atmosphere. The corporate nature of football encourages this of course.

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factual_blue added 18:54 - Apr 20 Think you were being rather naive or disingenuous about "Ultras" to be honest.
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TheDalaiFarmer added 19:16 - Apr 20 blub
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Manic_Blue added 19:40 - Apr 20 Hardly a new idea for ITFC even - I remember back in '98 or '99 the club were after volunteers to put cards out for a Tuesday night game against N*rw*ch. I went to help out and got a free ticket to the following match against West Brom as a thank you.
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fourth added 20:30 - Apr 20 "ultras" is a terribly confrontational cross reference. I am very surprised this is not obvious
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CaughtInTheBrambles added 21:20 - Apr 20 Ultras is only considered confrontational because of the media, ignore the media and look at the facts Ultras is a blanket term used by supporters groups throughout the world. Some are right wing and these are often violent and racist, many more have been positive forces for their clubs and communities, several clubs would not exist without the extremely positive activities of their club's Ultras. Almost all Ultras groups improve the atmosphere at matches, irrespective of political viewpoint. Remind yourself that bad news sells and good news is ignored, the non-reactionary media are not interested in a story about how an Ultras group has done good. It does not sell papers or make for good TV. An exception is here http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/video/2011/mar/16/st-pauli-socialist-football-h Just because our feeble minded media have stereotyped 'Ultras" as dangerous hooligans is no reason to believe the stereotype. A good example is the Green Brigade, they shun all sectarianism and sectarian chants, this has I gather almost eradicated such songs from the Celtic repertoire it is Rangers who perpetuate this ludicrously outdated confrontation between Loyalist/Protestant and Catholic/Republican factions. (The anti poppy banners were not anti-british but anti-war the Daly Mail being quite thick missed the point entirely) They have also lifted the atmosphere at Celtic matches to new heights. There are only 200 members of the green brigade. It is only when you investigate the wide range of Ultras groups worldwide that you realise the breadth and scope of Ultras groups and how they are so poorly represented in a british media driven by sensationism and stereotyping

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Blue041273 added 22:51 - Apr 20 A good idea albeit, as this thread clearly demonstrates, caught 'in the "political" brambles'. Ultimately though, all fans will do what they want to do. I too get a bit frustrated at the lack of animation, and at times abject indifference in games. But at the end of the day to stereotype a fan as one who sings, cheers, chants in support of the team and alternately abuses the opposition is wrong. Many fans simply love football and do not wish to partake in 'ultra' aspects of supporting a football club. At the end of the day there's room for everyone; at least at Portman Road (10,000 more would be a bonus).

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CaughtInTheBrambles added 23:03 - Apr 20 I was merely pointing out that even as recently as the turn of the last decade the majority of fans, certainly in the North would sing, join in and get behind the team from the off. So what has changed: Perhaps the often used "I'll sing if the players deserve it" sums up the problem and the difference between latter day and modern supporters. Give me 200 fans together not with that latter mindset and we could have a real atmosphere again.

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TractorRoyNo1 added 00:04 - Apr 21 did i miss the first paragraph where CitB explains 'why' these blues cards would benefit the team or the club
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theveteran added 08:46 - Apr 21 The Clubs response doesn't surprise me. I've worked with the PR people - their inertia and paralysis when it comes to making a decision is painful to experience. Keep the passion guys and ignore all the comments on here from everyone - for some reason, Town supporters just like putting each other down. Its the Ipswich disease, people enjoy being miserable. Not sure about 'Ultras' though!

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i8canarys added 14:53 - Apr 21 What a load of claptrap
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FifeITFC added 22:04 - Apr 23 Could I put the spin on this that S6 "stole" the idea from the last EA derby at Portman Road and other games and not the other way round?
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confoosed_dot_com added 07:24 - May 10 Ultras = ultra naive Media or no, and how else might we hear about Ultra factions of support in other countries? It is just confrontational and if S6 can't see that then they need to grow up, or get back to their nearest Stone Island or Burberry outlet
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