I was 12 when I joined the firm but in my country it was more of a neighborhood firm supporting your local team or in my case we got behind our middle school. Middle schools would play tournaments in soccer/handball/basketball and group of thirty 12yearolds from each school would gather and fight. We had chants and also were making tifos for our respective schools so we were more coping Italian ultra style than English firms. Of course all of that was a stepping block, you can call it a youth academy because around 15 or 16 capos representing ultras for city's club would come knocking on your door asking you to join.
At age of 17 I came to America and went to a first high school basketball game ready to fight with opposing fans :). Sitting on bleachers for the first five minutes was a real culture shock, no fans, no singing, no tifos, no flares and at halftime opposing fans were talking to each other! This was back in '97 and just couldn't understand that American supporters (MLB, NBA, NFL) didn't provide that type (italian ultras) of support. Also, students from one high school did not pick fights with students from other high school.
Now I am older past that stuff, however, when I do go to MLS game and see opposing fans wearing jerseys I do want to go after them. I miss the thrill.
Having said all of that I forgot to mention the main reason why I (my friends) got into this at age of 12, cops! Sure you fight with opposing fans, but it was mostly to fight with cops. Sitting on a park bench Sunday afternoon with nothing to do one of friends would say 'well lets find some cops and start *beep* with them'.
We had rules (rules might be universal) :
1. no guns
2. if you do use a knife no life threatening stabs
3. you don't attack a guy walking with his wife/gf/mom
4. if a guy falls down on ground with a serious injury take him to a hospital/provide care for him
I come from Balkan country.
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