The first steps towards organized support of a club in Yugoslavia are connected to 1983- 84. This is when a few Red Star fans from Belgrade began writing to fans in Italy where this movement for organized support already caught strong roots. We were obtaining addresses and starting to exchange pictures with other fans across Italy, wishing for the alike to take place here in Serbia.
The first ULTRAS flag appeared in spring 1984, small (about two meters); it was carried to Split. It was lost on the following derby due to its guardian simply loosing it (not through a fight). This is when the first Ultras Red Star member cards were created, though at the time this wasn't a real fan group. Year 1986, prior to the beginning of the spring part of the season a new ULTRAS flag was created. It was small with Red Star's logo in the center and its promotion was at the visiting in Osijek. This is when the serious construction of the group began. A group of sport and fan lovers, from ten to fifteen people, gathered and decided to become the group ULTRA RED DEVILS. The whole north supported the group. Subsequently they broke into Red Devils and another group being Ultras. Ultras were the group that respected the Italian style of organized support. Meaning organized travel to the games, organized singing, fireworks and other beautiful moments. Of course, we were not against chaos, but we were for them and fights when the "who, when and why" was known. So no chaos just for the sake of chaos. At the time we numbered about 15 and we arranged all the actions on the north. In that first team of Ultras members were: Tima, Antic brothers, Joca and Milan, Gypsy, Maul, Djani, Sloba Bugarin, Milovan, Nebojsa from New Belgrade, Andreja don Vito (heart and soul of the north who is responsible for 90% of the things we now posses) including more people who were members from time to time.
The next few years numerous people went through the group but the roots of it were the mentioned individuals. In the year 1987 new transparent was built with lightening in the middle and two logos on the sides. The Headquarters and the main gathering point was set to be at the house of Joca and Milan Antic on Vracar. There we'd spend days together, systematically go to the games, guarding pyrotechnics and making flags. Their house was the base of Ultras at the time. All of these group members are even today more or less active and almost all go to the games and presumably will continue to do so.
Ultras were in good relations with everyone on the north and differentiated themselves with the trend they were pushing. In 1988 the first cotton scarfs and shirts were invented. They looked funny from nower days but they have remained in our memory as the first scarf and shirt of the group. Ultras together with Red Devils were the first group in Yugoslavia with member cards.
The group as it was ceased to exist in the year 1989, the years when the Delije were formed. Repetition of the forming of Ultras happened in 1993. Coming were Sanctions, wars, matches with 200-300 people and something had to be done in order for all of this to become interesting, because Delije became non-important for an average fan of Red Star. There were about thirty and nobody except Tima and Andrija remained of the old Delije (The ones who constantly went to Red Star matches). There was a group of people from Fontana who were carrying their flag Fontana and a group of young Delije with Savijom, Gagom, Ivicom, Vasa ... Who are now the heart of Ultras. A new huge transparent was created "ULTRAS RED STAR BELGRADE". Also the first wool scarfs have been introduced. Red and white with contra colors and the writing ULTRAS. Later on the boys from Fontana separated and even stopped attending the matches. Important to mention, in old and the new Ultras group, the idea was to push the Quality and also Quantity, and therefor there were not many people within the heart of team. As a result the members were the ones worth while. The group did not spread too much, and always was pushing the quality. Today the active members are Tima, Slavija, Gaga, Joca, Zelja iz Skele, Marta, Andreja, Deki, Maneken, Vasa and there is great number of people who love the Ultras Trend. A few years back, two sided Ultras Red Star scarf was manufactured, which was the most famous on north and which unlike the group, can be bought and carried by whomever. The group will go for the quality forever and will never fall under the category of trying to spread. Currently Ultras are the most proclaimed group on the great North due to the dedication of it's members. |