One of Scotland’s most feared hooligan firms today reveals the truth behind modern football violence.
For the first time, a Dundee Utility source explains the group’s links to extremist politics and sets the record straight on the rise of their youth wing, the Alliance Under Fives.
Over the next three days our special investigation lifts the lid on an expansion in Ultra culture that has seen vandalism and pyrotechnics infiltrate Scottish terraces.
Only this week Police Scotland confirmed they are investigating claims that Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk was subjected to racist abuse at St Mirren Park. That followed an alleged pitch invasion at Tannadice last week and ugly scenes at Hamilton where missiles were lobbed at rival fans.
Probing similar incidents this year, I tracked the notorious Aberdeen Soccer Casuals to a match where a top manager was spat at and pelted with coins.
We also hear from an expert on how the use of smoke bombs, surfing flags and political banners has spread from the continent to replace the hand-to-hand in-fighting of the 1980s. And the chief of Police Scotland’s football coordination unit tells us why he thinks there has been a perceived surge in football violence.
For the first part of our investigation, see Tuesday’s Courier or try our digital edition.