1312: Among the Ultras

A Journey with the World’s Most Extreme Fans

Brought to you by Penguin.

You can see them, but you don't know them.

Ultras are football fans like no others. A hugely visible and controversial part of the global game, their credo and aesthetic replicated in almost every league everywhere on earth, a global movement of extreme fandom and politics is also one of the largest youth movements in the world. Yet they remain unknown: an anti-establishment force that is transforming both football and politics. In this book, James Montague goes underground to uncover the true face of this dissident force for the first time.

1312: Among the Ultras tells the story of how the movement began and how it grew to become the global phenomenon that now dominates the stadiums from the Balkans and Buenos Aires. With unprecedented insider access, the book investigates how ultras have grown into a fiercely political movement, embracing extremes on both the left and right; fighting against the commercialisation of football and society – and against the attempts to control them by the authorities, who both covet and fear their power.

©2020 James Montague (P)2020 Penguin Audio

loved it!!

Really great book. Shout-out to the Caught Offside Soccer Pod for bringing on James Montague on!

Great insight

I only heard about this book this summer during a news clip about an incident that occurred between “ultras” and it quickly piqued my interest. I appreciate the insight into a world I didn’t know existed. I’m not a fan of sports so the political aspect is what really drew me in. I’m pumped to read more about this topic. Will it get me to watch an entire match at home? No. But will it make me think twice about going to a live game? Yes.