A History Of The Ultras by The Don (Not Garber)

By: Sean | August 6th, 2008

I had planned on making this blog relatively supporter group-neutral, but a post from Don Gagliardi about a certain playoff game in 2003 on the Ultras forum was just too good to pass up:

The thing new 1906 Ultras should know about that game is that our precursors, the San Jose Ultras, played a material role in the affair. I was there (and not an Ultra at the time) and I’m convinced that the comeback would not have occurred without the Ultras.

The Ultras occupied the south stands at Spartan Stadium, and were basically a scraggly collection of punk teens from the perspective of ordinary fans. There were never all that many Ultras at games in those days, and this cold, misty November there were probably at most 25 occupying an area of a couple thousand seats. But they owned the south end zone. And they terrorized the Galaxy and their goalkeeper Kevin Hartman throughout the epic second half and overtime with their incessant and searing chants and songs and taunts. They wore the Galaxy, especially Hartman, down and you could see the fear and defeat on their faces. I know, because, somehow sensing a comeback would be completed and wanting to witness it up close I moved at halftime from my midfield seats to sit near the front of the south end zone. So I was among but not of the Ultras. And they were fucking amazing. They screamed and chanted without end and got thousands of regular fans along the sidelines to join in their frenzy. They mercilessly hectored Alexi Lalas, then a Galaxy reserve player, warming up in front of them. (I still believe this is why Lalas, after he became GM the next year, disliked the Ultras.) The Quakes players fed off the energy of the crowd and the crowd in turn fed off the energy of the players. The Quakes attacked, and attacked, and methodically broke down the Galaxy defense, all to the incessant backbeat of the Ultras.

Both the aggregate tying goal in the 90th minute and winning goal in overtime were scored right in front of the Ultras, and defender Troy Dayak did the “Lambeau leap” into the arms of Ultras in the south end zone afterward. Earlier, after the tying goal, the Ultras started a devilishly simple chant in taunting cadence that had thousands joining in: “We’re gonna win! We’re gonna win!” Everyone KNEW IT. Including the Galaxy. They were already psychologically beaten.

The atmosphere at Spartan Stadium that night, led essentially by 25 Ultras, as well as of course some sterling play on the pitch, was the most electric I’ve ever experienced at a sporting event, far exceeding this past Sunday.

The match was legendary and, I believe, will be discussed reverentially a century from now among Quakes fans as the club’s and the Ultras’ finest hour.

Regardless of whether or not you agree with any or all of that, as one of those 25, I got goosebumps reading that.