During the 1970s, Inter supporters in Rome were largely organised through official fan clubs and smaller local associations. As the Italian ultras movement expanded, a younger generation began searching for an identity that would involve more than attending occasional matches or belonging to a conventional Inter Club.
The decisive step came towards the end of 1979. Around thirty young Interisti, most of them between 18 and 25 years old, separated from the Inter Club “11 Stelle” and founded Boys S.A.N. Sezione Roma, commonly known as Boys Roma.
Maurizio became the group’s first leading figure, supported by an original nucleus that included Gianni “Spillo”, Marco “Er Riccio”, Pino “Er Negro”, Renatone, Umberto “Er Bokassa”, Sergetto, Franchino “Er Lucertola”, Stefanino and Zabbarah. Fabrizio “Alfredino” and Claudio “Ovindoli” joined soon afterwards, while other familiar names entered the group during the following decade.
From the fan clubs to the terraces
The founders came from different parts of Rome and represented several social backgrounds. What connected them was Inter and the determination to follow the team regularly, despite living almost 600 kilometres from Milan.
Their formation also took place during the Years of Lead, when Italian society was marked by political violence and deep ideological divisions. Most of the original members sympathised with the right, although supporters with left-wing backgrounds were also present. Inside the group, loyalty to Inter gradually became more important than individual political positions.
Before Boys Roma appeared, the capital was already home to Pantere Nerazzurre, created by Luigi “Il Pantera”, Remo and several other Roman Interisti. The Pantere later joined Boys Roma, bringing experience and an already established reputation among the Nerazzurri supporters of the city.
An important moment in this early story came before the group’s official foundation. On 8 June 1978, Inter faced Napoli in the Coppa Italia final at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. Thousands of Inter supporters filled large parts of the Curva Sud and watched goals from Alessandro Altobelli and Graziano Bini secure a 2–1 victory.
The organised Boys Roma banner did not yet exist, but the final demonstrated the potential of Inter’s following in the capital. It provided a preview of the organisation and numbers that would soon be placed behind a permanent group identity.
The first Boys Roma banner
The first official Boys Roma banner appeared at San Siro on 24 February 1980, during Inter’s 3–1 Serie A victory over Catanzaro. The date marked the group’s real entrance into the organised Inter scene.
During the decisive weeks of the 1979/80 championship, the banner was displayed at matches against Roma, Fiorentina and Ascoli. Boys Roma established their regular position on the right side of the Curva Nord, close to the Aquile, an Inter Club based in the sector at that time.
That season ended with Inter winning the Scudetto under Eugenio Bersellini. For the newly created Roman group, it was an ideal beginning and helped strengthen the connection between its members and the wider Curva Nord.
Travelling from Rome required time, money and organisation. Home matches at San Siro were effectively away trips, while fixtures in other parts of Italy often demanded even longer journeys. That geographical distance became one of the defining elements of the Boys Roma mentality.
The group was not simply an extension of a Milan organisation. It developed its own Roman character while remaining closely connected to Boys S.A.N. and the rest of Inter’s Curva Nord. The B.S.R. 1979 banner subsequently appeared throughout Italy and on European trips, representing Nerazzurri supporters from the capital.
Generations under the same name
As the decades passed, the original nucleus was replaced and reinforced by new generations. Some members died, others stepped away from active terrace life, while younger Interisti took responsibility for maintaining the banner and organising travel from Rome.
This continuity allowed Boys Roma to become one of the longest-standing regional groups associated with Inter. Its membership also expanded beyond the capital, attracting supporters from other parts of Lazio and neighbouring regions.
When the group celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2024, it listed more than 300 registered members, alongside a wider circle of followers. The figure demonstrated how an organisation founded by around thirty young men had developed into an established reference point for Inter supporters across central Italy.
The wider Curva Nord has experienced significant reorganisation in recent years. Its historic groups were brought together behind the Curva Nord Milano 1969 identity in 2023, before the common terrace banner later reappeared under the name Secondo Anello Verde. Boys Roma nevertheless continued to exist as an organised Rome-based community within Inter’s wider fan scene.
For its members, supporting Inter has never depended on a particular player, coach or period of success. It is based on kilometres travelled, generations of friendships and the responsibility of carrying the same name first displayed at San Siro in February 1980.
The group’s enduring philosophy is expressed through the slogan that has accompanied it for years:
“Players come and go, but Boys Roma will always be there.”
