Coach Travel and Fan Perceptions: Ultras vs Regular Football Supporters

Abstract

This article examines football supporters’ social representations of coach travel, comparing ultras and regular fans. Collective supporter travel has become a salient issue in contemporary football governance, as public authorities frequently restrict or ban such trips due to concerns related to public order, alcohol consumption, and supporter behaviour. Despite the centrality of these measures, the meanings attributed to coach travel by supporters themselves remain insufficiently explored. Data were collected through an online questionnaire administered to 135 football supporters, including 76 ultras and 59 regular fans. The study combines a characterisation questionnaire with a calling-into-question test in order to identify the central and peripheral elements structuring supporters’ representations. Overall, coach travel is primarily associated with positive meanings related to collective identity, solidarity, and shared experience. However, differences emerge between ultras and regular supporters. Ultras tend to conceptualise coach travel as a strong identity-based and festive practice, where the journey itself is meaningful reinforcing group cohesion beyond the match itself. In contrast, regular fans primarily view coach travel as a practical means of attending matches, with a weaker symbolic dimension. These differences reflect distinct forms of commitment and highlight the heterogeneity of supporter subcultures in football