There was a time, not so long ago, when approaching a football stadium in Spain carried certain risks. Those people who did not know the dynamics of radical fans could run into a serious problem before or after the game. In the choice of a street or a bar fate was waiting. And that destiny, sometimes, came face to face with a social, political and violent movement that had its peak in the last decades of the 20th century, when the stands were evolving: from hosting a mix of characters whose only connection was football (and the desire to party) to the appearance of politics as the backbone of most groups. From violence between fans of different teams to pitched battles with the police. From collusion from club boards to zero tolerance. From being a side note to becoming a problem of and of the State. In the evolution of the ultra movement, including its way of dressing, there is a more than interesting reading of the transformation of Spanish society.
The Vertical Tribe (KO Books) is a great chronicle about the radical groups of Spanish football. Written by Borja Bauzá, it offers a complete, fun and very interesting story to understand the emergence, development, zenith and current situation of a movement that continues to exercise its unique power of attraction. A chronicle in which many of the voices that starred in those years participate, providing information and anecdotes that define an era and in which it explains how the Ultras Sur, Frente Atlético, Boixos Nois, Riazor Blues, Celtarras or Ultra Boys emerged. Bauzá, journalist and connoisseur of the ultra world, manages to draw a documented map full of nuances to understand the why and how of a culture that goes far beyond football. It is the contemporary history of Spain told through the stands of its stadiums.
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