Interview with a GKS Katowice mate

US - Please introduce yourself… - I'm Witek, 22 years old, former ultras of GKS Katowice, now organizer of selling gadgets, member of the GSK Katowice fans association.   US -What attracted you towards organized football support? - My father took me to see GKS games when I was a kid. The beginning was an accident, when I helped to prepare a ultra' show. In a winter our club invited us to come and help clean the pitch of snow. I had some free hours so I went there where I met guys from the ultras organization which invited me with them to prepare the show for the match against Ruch.   US -In the beginning, what was your idea about what you were doing? - I helped in organizing shows so we could make football beautiful because in Poland the quality of this sport is very low and by what we were doing we made it easier for people to come to the stadium. We, by ultras GKS, want to show people it is nice to come to the stadium, to see a good show and also to return safe.   US - What are your important flags? - The oldest is "Cale nasze zycie to GKS Katowice" (Our whole life is GKS Katowice), "SK 1964" (made like a car number), "GKS Katowice", "VIP", "Pieronskie Hanysy (in regional silezian language it can be translated as Diabolic Silezians). We had an old flag "Pseudokibice kochaja slaska stolice" (Pseudo supporters-hooligans- love the capital of Silezia) but when a guy from us, we put this flag at his grave. We made a flag with his name (PISAK) and we use it at all the games. Our hooligans have "Persona non-grata".   US - In what relations are the supporters of GKS with the club? - Our president respects and tolerates us. From each ticket sold, the ultras have 1 zlot. We use this money for choreographies and other shows. Until September 2003, the security in the stadium was assured by the hooligans but not anymore.   US -Friendship and enemies -Friends: only Banik Ostrava. There is no GKS, there is no Banik, just 1 team, we are that clos . At a game we made a flag where we wrote" Alone against everybody"; if you are a hooligan you shouldn't have many friends. Few guys from the ultras have close relations with Dynamo Dresden. The worst enemy is Ruch Chorzów, our local rival. 20 years ago almost everybody in Katowice was fan of Ruch. But now we made such a progress that Ruch fans in Katowice are few. Other enemies are Zaglebie Sosnowiec, Legia Warszawa and Gornik Zabrze.   US - In your fan terrace are there separated groups? -No, we are all in one in our Blaszok tribune. Doesn't matter the status of the supporters, we all sing together. Maybe only the hooligans occupy the sector closest to the away team's supporters.   US - Some numbers about presence of people with your team. -At the home game 3 000-4000 spectators, at a derby game all the stadium is full. About 40 ultras do the choreo actions for the Blaszok tribune and the hooligans are 60-70, but in big fights all the stadium is involved. In away trips we are 100-200 people, at a derby 1000-2000.   US - Why don't you produce materials with the name and symbols of the ultras/hooligan groups? -We prefer to do materials with the name of our team, without name of groups of ultras or hooligans because we all are one team, without borders. We make T-shirts, polo shirts scarves, sweaters, blouses, key holders, stickers, calendars, CD's, hats, and for the next Christmas we want to make decorations for the Christmas tree. The money goes to the choreo actions.   US - Political view of GKS Katowice fans. - In the past we had skinheads and right tendency but now we are neutral.   US - Tell us a little bit about organizing your away trips. -Every supporter has to pay. For longer distances we go by buses or by trains. Sometimes, the organization of fans collects money and so the away trip is free or at a very low cost.   US - Tell us something about the card every football supporter must have in Poland. -In Poland, since 2003, you need a personalized chip card to go to away trips. We, at Katowice, have only 40 of these cards and don't respect it because we think it is against human laws. We get in at matches by talking to away supporters who manage to put us in. There is no friendship, just helping each other against this stupid law.   US - Do you support your national team? -Not as much as other teams do but from time to time we go to support it.   US - How is the relationship with the police? -All cops are bastards. We also have a polish saying- CHWDP (something like put your cock in the policemen's ass). Happily now the police can't come inside the stadium but when a fight breaks down they are present. They often use guns.   US - Where do you think you are situated in Poland from the ultras and hool's point of view? -At ultras in the first 5(along with Lech Poznan, Legia Warszawa, Wisla Krakow and Widzew Lodz). At hooligans on the first 10.   US - There are many words which can describe supporters: fans, fanatics, ultras, hooligans, etc. Which do you think describes you the best? -Fanatics, because the center of our lives is GKS Katowice.   US - How do you explain that the scene in Poland is growing from year to year? - We can't explain it for sure. The material situation in our country has improved so more people have money to go to games; the ultras model is admired and more and more young boys come; also hooligans don't fight anymore in the stadium because they understood it is not good for their club.   US -What is in your opinion an ultras? - A guy who is making the football game more interesting.   US - Final words for those who are reading this. - Keep up the fight to be a supporter, try to be better and better in all you are doing. All the best from GKS Katowice. Maybe we will have the chance to meet you on the stadium.