“At first, we faced a lot of incomprehension and criticism, explains Sébastien, better known by the nickname Skull, co-responsible for the Storm Ultras. It’s normal to have it when you’ve made a mistake. We explained it immediately and apologized. We are responsible for the bad timing. Basically, we don’t do this kind of entertainment during the meeting. There, the build-up took longer than expected and what happened in the 46th minute. We are not trying to minimize the shutdown but from there to attribute to us the sole cause of the defeatthat raises questions for us. We would have liked more discernment.”
gullPeople understood that it was a human error.
This is what happened next among the majority of other Carolos supporters. Rather than applauding the first punishment taken by the club towards the Storm, namely the ban on traveling to Ghent, the other groups of Charleroi supporters decided for the most part to boycott the trip to the Planet Group Arena in solidarity . Thus, 8 of them (Les Amis du Sporting SR, La BAC, Le Black Squad, Les Gros Fayt, Les Gueules Noires, Les IC, Les Wallons Girls and Les Zfc) chose not to go to the stadium. Only the Kop 09 and the Incluzive will fill the Zebras’ yard which risks ringing hollow. However, it is up to us that signs of support for the Ultras will be displayed in the visiting stands. Does this support positively surprise the main stakeholders?
“Yes and no. People understood that it was a human error. Not a challenge to the managers or the players. As proof, against the Union, we always pushed the team in the second half. I believe that this interruption would have had less resonance if there had not been the defeat at the end against Beerschot, to celebrate the club’s 120th anniversaryno one had remembered that there had been a stoppage of a few seconds because of the smoke bombs. Because we won 3-0.”
-This Thursday, the club promised new sanctions
The Storm Ultras also received signs of support from other Belgian groups, who considered that the sanction was disproportionate. It won’t be the only one. This Thursday, the leaders communicated. “The club will no longer accept any uncontrolled use of smoke bombs (…) It has been decided to impose a stadium ban until the end of the season on certain members of the Storm Ultras and Block 22. The main concerned will be officially informed as soon as possible.”
“No one has told us anything yet.”Skull continues. One thing is certain: If events have further cooled their frosty relationship with management, the Storm Ultras will have experienced a special week where public opinion in Mambourg turned in their favor. And with these new sanctions, the divide between the different parties risks getting a little worse in the coming weeks.
