The organised supporter scene of SV Darmstadt 98 is not led by a group called Ultras Darmstadt. That name belongs to an earlier organisation that helped establish modern ultras culture at the Böllenfalltor but was dissolved after the club’s promotion to the 3. Liga. Today, the central groups are Usual Suspects 2006, Ultrà de Lis and Underdogs Darmstadt, which cooperate through the wider structure of Südtribüne Darmstadt.
The active centre is positioned in the middle of the South Stand, officially known as the Jonathan-Heimes-Tribüne. Capos, drums, fence banners and large flags provide the organisational framework, but the Südtribüne includes far more people than the membership of the three groups. Traditional fan clubs, independent supporters and newer match-goers all contribute to an atmosphere that cannot be controlled by one organisation.
Darmstadt’s fan culture is also more decentralised than scenes where almost all active support is concentrated behind one goal. The ultra-oriented Südtribüne exists alongside the old-school traditions of the A-Block and the independent supporter culture found on the Gegengerade. Understanding the Bölle therefore requires more than identifying the groups standing behind the main fence banners.
Before the Modern Ultras Scene
The Böllenfalltor possessed an active supporter culture decades before ultras appeared in Darmstadt. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Gegengerade was home to many of the club’s loudest followers. Flags, confetti, spontaneous songs and direct reactions to the match created an atmosphere that depended heavily on events on the pitch.
Traditional fan clubs organised travel and built networks throughout Darmstadt and southern Hesse. The scene included different generations and subcultures, from scarf-wearing fan-club members and punks to skinheads, hooligan circles and ordinary supporters who attended matches without belonging to an organised group. As the club moved into the lower divisions, active supporters gradually established themselves in different sections of the stadium. Two recognisable centres developed on opposite ends of the old main stand. The A-Block in the north became associated with a spontaneous, British-influenced style, while the F-Block in the south became the home of the emerging ultras movement.
The difference was not only about age. It involved contrasting attitudes towards drums, constant chanting, choreographies and the movement of large flags. The A-Block preferred support that reacted closely to the match, while the younger groups in the F-Block looked towards Italian and developing German ultras culture. These approaches occasionally produced tension, particularly when young supporters attempted to introduce new methods into areas with established traditions. Over time, however, the different parts of the fanbase developed their own spaces while continuing to cooperate during away matches, club crises and other moments affecting the entire SV 98 community.
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| Photo: sv98.de |
Ultras Darmstadt and the First Organised Era
The first short-lived attempt to establish an ultras structure came through Ultràs 2000. The group disappeared after only a few years, but it introduced ideas that would be developed more consistently by the next generation.
Ultras Darmstadt were founded in 2003 after the club’s relegation to the Oberliga. The original members were predominantly young supporters who wanted to organise the visual and vocal support more systematically during a period when Darmstadt was far outside the national spotlight. The group initially searched for a permanent home inside the stadium. Time spent near the A-Block exposed the cultural differences between the established old-school support and the younger ultras approach. Ultras Darmstadt eventually settled in the F-Block, where choreographies, flags, pyrotechnics and more coordinated chanting could develop without attempting to reshape another section.
Those years were important precisely because they offered little public attention. The group travelled through the Oberliga and Regionalliga, prepared displays for small crowds and created structures before the club’s rapid sporting rise brought the scene wider recognition. Internal disagreements, stadium bans and different ideas about politics and group direction eventually placed pressure on Ultras Darmstadt. The organisation was dissolved after promotion to the 3. Liga, but the culture it had established did not disappear. Former members, younger supporters and other active circles quickly began building new structures.
Usual Suspects 2006
Usual Suspects were originally founded under the name Allesfahrer Darmstadt. The earlier identity reflected the priority placed on following SV 98 everywhere, regardless of the opponent, division or distance. The abbreviation AFD remains part of the group’s internal history and was created long before the German political party using the same letters became nationally prominent.
The group combines ultras-oriented terrace organisation with a particularly strong interest in away travel and groundhopping. Members contribute to choreographies, special trains, buses, supporter campaigns and the practical organisation of the Südtribüne. Its fanzine, Scheiß AFD, refers to the original Allesfahrer Darmstadt name. The publication contains reports from every Lilies fixture alongside journeys to football matches across Germany and abroad. Its informal and often self-deprecating style makes it different from publications focused mainly on ideology or formal fan politics.
Usual Suspects also provide a route through which younger supporters can approach the group. The delinqUentS structure allows interested people to become involved through matches, meetings and practical work before closer integration is considered. The group is now one of the principal organisational forces behind the Südtribüne, but it does not claim exclusive authority over the terrace. Its position depends on cooperation with Ultrà de Lis, Underdogs and supporters outside all three groups.
Ultrà de Lis
Ultrà de Lis were founded on 15 September 2012 by three long-standing members of the dissolved Ultras Darmstadt. Their intention was to continue ultras culture in Darmstadt while learning from the internal difficulties that had contributed to the end of the previous organisation. The name combines the idea of ultras as a way of life with the French expression fleur-de-lis, referring to the lily in the club’s identity. It can loosely be interpreted as “extreme Lilies”. The group developed gradually within the newly formed Block 1898. A small fence banner was followed by flags and the first edition of C’est la vie, a publication assembled by the members themselves. The phrase became the group’s motto because it could express both acceptance of the unpredictable life surrounding SV 98 and the conviction that the ultras scene represented their own way of living.
Ultrà de Lis maintain a relatively simple visual identity in which dark blue plays a central role. The group operates as a closed collective rather than accepting members through ordinary applications. Interested supporters spend time around the organisation, attend matches and contribute to practical work before membership is considered. The group publicly opposes racism, homophobia and other forms of discrimination. It does not claim that every person on the Südtribüne shares an identical political outlook, but regards respect and opposition to discrimination as essential conditions for a free and diverse supporter culture.
C’est la vie documents matches, group development, away travel and visits to friends. Like other independent ultras publications, it is deliberately written from inside the scene rather than attempting to provide neutral reporting.
Underdogs Darmstadt
Underdogs Darmstadt later became the third principal group within the organised centre. Their emergence coincided with a period of enormous change, as Darmstadt’s rise through the divisions brought thousands of new spectators and far greater public attention to the club. The group established its own visual identity through fence banners, flags and two-poles while cooperating with Usual Suspects and Ultrà de Lis. It retains its own membership and internal structures, but its most visible work often appears as part of collective Südtribüne actions.
Group anniversaries have been marked through dedicated displays and pyrotechnics, demonstrating that Underdogs have become a permanent part of the scene rather than a temporary product of the club’s Bundesliga period. The existence of three established groups provides the Südtribüne with a broader organisational base. It also means that cooperation requires continual discussion because each organisation has its own history, priorities and understanding of ultras culture.
From Block 1898 to Südtribüne Darmstadt
Block 1898 was created during the 2012/13 season as a self-organised support section in the F-Block. Usual Suspects, the newly formed Ultrà de Lis and other active supporters wanted a compact area where songs, flags and choreographies could be coordinated without requiring everyone to join the same group. The concept was therefore broader than an ultras organisation. It gave active independent supporters and fan clubs a common identity while allowing the individual groups to maintain their own names and structures.
Darmstadt’s rapid climb from the 3. Liga to the Bundesliga changed the environment around the block. Matches that had previously attracted a mainly regional audience became sold out, while thousands of people unfamiliar with the customs of the active scene entered the stadium. A major change arrived in October 2016 when the newly covered South Stand opened. Block 1898 moved from the old F-Block into the middle of the new terrace. Usual Suspects, Ultrà de Lis and Underdogs have stood together there since that move, coordinating activity through Südtribüne Darmstadt.
The three groups did not merge. Each retains its own membership, publications, symbols and internal organisation. Südtribüne Darmstadt provides the shared structure used for choreographies, supporter information, fundraising, public statements and other actions affecting the full terrace. The central area is intended for active participation rather than passive observation. Large flags move during matches, capos lead the songs and supporters are expected to contribute. This does not mean that every person must behave identically, but people entering the organised centre are expected to understand the function of the section.
A supporter scheme allows people outside the groups to contribute financially towards choreographies and wider terrace activities. The container behind the South Stand also serves as a physical meeting point where publications and merchandise are sold and supporters can speak directly with representatives of the scene.
The A-Block, Gegengerade and the Wider Scene
The growth of the Südtribüne did not make every other part of the Bölle irrelevant. Darmstadt continues to possess different supporter cultures within the same stadium, each with its own traditions and expectations. The A-Block preserves a more spontaneous style built around humour, short songs and direct reactions to events on the pitch. Its identity predates the current ultras groups and provides an alternative to continuous capo-led support.
The Gegengerade also remains an important part of the scene. Established groups such as FFA and S.H.A.R.P. Darmstadt connect support for the Lilies with independent subcultural identities. They are not ultras organisations and should not be treated as extensions of the Südtribüne. FFA have maintained their own fanzine culture and openly anti-racist position, while S.H.A.R.P. developed from Darmstadt’s skinhead and alternative music environment. Their presence illustrates how supporter culture at the Bölle cannot be represented by one political, generational or organisational identity.
The Fan- und Förderabteilung provides a formal route through which supporters can participate inside the club. It works on fan events, club history and supporter interests, while the independently organised Fanprojekt offers social work and confidential assistance, particularly for younger followers. These structures cooperate when necessary but should not be merged into one organisation. The ultras groups, old-school supporters, fan clubs, FuFa and Fanprojekt perform different roles within the wider Darmstadt environment.
Choreographies and Visual Culture
Blue and white dominate the regular appearance of the Südtribüne. Large waving flags, two-poles, scarves and group banners create movement throughout the match, while full choreographies are generally reserved for anniversaries, derbies and fixtures carrying particular meaning. The move into the covered South Stand provided the scene with a larger and more compact surface. Displays could now be organised across a terrace designed specifically for standing support rather than being restricted by the structure of the old main stand.
Choreographies are financed through donations, merchandise and contributions from supporters outside the groups. Fabric must be measured, painted and stored, while individual materials need to be distributed before the gates open. A display visible for several minutes can require weeks of preparation. Themes regularly refer to Darmstadt, the lily, the Böllenfalltor and figures from the history of the club and city. The scene has also used murals and stadium artwork to give parts of the rebuilt ground a supporter-created identity rather than leaving every surface to commercial branding.
Practical cooperation with SV 98 may be necessary for stadium access and safety requirements, but the ideas and production remain in the hands of the supporters. The groups do not regard their displays as entertainment automatically supplied for club marketing or television coverage. Pyrotechnics have also appeared at home and away matches. Their use remains prohibited and has resulted in fines and investigations. The organised scene supports dialogue and a more differentiated approach, while the authorities continue to rely primarily on prohibition and punishment.
Independent Publications
Darmstadt possesses a strong independent writing culture. Scheiß AFD reflects the travel-heavy and often humorous perspective of Usual Suspects, combining reports from Lilies matches with groundhopping stories from around the world.
Ultrà de Lis publish C’est la vie, which focuses on the development of the group, match reports, friendships and its interpretation of ultras culture. The publication has developed from a small handmade project into a substantial printed record of the scene. These magazines are not intended to imitate professional journalism. Their value lies in subjectivity. They document how the groups experienced a match, assessed the performance of the Südtribüne and understood disputes with the club, police or football authorities.
Direct communication at the stadium remains important despite the use of websites and social media. Internal questions are generally expected to be discussed face to face, while public statements are reserved for subjects on which the organised scene has reached a collective position.
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| Photo: block1898.de |
Away Culture
Away travel is central to the identity of Darmstadt’s organised support. The original Allesfahrer Darmstadt name expressed a principle that remains important: following the Lilies should not depend on the attractiveness of the opponent or the division. The regular travelling core followed SV 98 through the Oberliga, Regionalliga, 3. Liga, 2. Bundesliga and Bundesliga. Those journeys established personal relationships and internal structures before the club’s rise created much larger away followings.
Buses, train journeys and collective meeting points are organised around the Südtribüne. Inside guest sections, the groups attempt to stand compactly around the capos, drums and principal flags. A sold-out allocation does not automatically produce good support when the active core is scattered throughout the block. The most visible away days naturally came during promotion campaigns and Bundesliga seasons. Within the scene, however, difficult weekday journeys and ordinary lower-division fixtures carry equal or greater value because they depend on supporters who travel without the promise of a major occasion.
Selected trips have included colour campaigns, special shirts and organised convoys. These actions allow people outside the ultras groups to participate in the visual identity of the away section. Away travel also exposes supporters directly to intrusive searches, reduced allocations, restrictions on material and preventative police measures. These experiences have made legal assistance and national supporter-rights campaigns an important part of the Darmstadt scene.
Young Boys and the Friendship with Bern
The central shared friendship of the current Südtribüne is the relationship with Urban Squad of BSC Young Boys. Ultrà de Lis describe it as the only official group friendship they share with the other principal organisations on the South Stand.
The relationship developed through repeated personal contact rather than an official agreement between the clubs. Supporters from Darmstadt began travelling to Bern, while members of the Ostkurve appeared regularly at matches involving the Lilies. Over time, the connection expanded beyond the original group contacts. Different generations, friendship circles and independent supporters from the Ostkurve Bern, Südtribüne and Gegengerade became involved. Banners from Bern are visible at the Bölle, while Darmstadt material appears in the Wankdorf and during Young Boys away journeys. Members from both cities attend domestic matches, European fixtures and group events together.
The relationship was particularly visible when Young Boys visited Darmstadt for the opening of the rebuilt stadium in December 2022. The visitors were not treated simply as an ordinary away following, and the occasion was organised as a meeting between two supporter communities. Both clubs were founded in 1898, but the shared year is only a symbol. The friendship’s real foundation is the time spent travelling, hosting visitors and supporting one another through different sporting periods. Bern should therefore be presented as the principal current friendship of the organised Darmstadt scene. Other personal contacts may exist, but they should not automatically be promoted into official alliances involving the entire Südtribüne.
Kickers Offenbach: The Defining Rival
Kickers Offenbach remain Darmstadt’s defining historic rival. No other opponent combines regional proximity, repeated competition and hostility between supporter cultures in the same way. The rivalry developed through numerous meetings in regional football and the professional divisions. Matches attracted large away followings, extensive policing and an importance far beyond the league position of either club. Long periods without competitive meetings have not removed the hostility. Memories of earlier fixtures are passed between generations, allowing supporters who have rarely experienced the derby themselves to understand its position within the fanbase.
The events of 2013 added another symbolic chapter. Darmstadt appeared to have been relegated from the 3. Liga, but Offenbach were denied a licence and demoted instead. The Lilies remained in the division and began the rise that carried them into the Bundesliga two years later. That event did not create the rivalry, but it strengthened the contrast between the clubs. Offenbach’s importance would remain even if another long period passed without a competitive meeting.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt represent Darmstadt’s most visible higher-level regional rivalry. The short distance between the cities and the enormous difference in the size and national profile of the clubs give the fixture a distinct character. Even during Darmstadt’s lower-division years, meetings with Eintracht’s reserve team attracted considerable attention. The hostility therefore did not begin with the Bundesliga encounters of the 2010s.
When the first teams met again in the Bundesliga, the Hessen derby became one of the most important fixtures for the modern Südtribüne. Ticket restrictions, choreographies and large police operations demonstrated its significance to both supporter scenes. For Darmstadt, Eintracht represent the dominant football institution of the region. A victory over Frankfurt therefore carries a meaning that extends beyond the result itself. Offenbach remains the deeper historic rivalry for much of the fanbase, while Frankfurt becomes more prominent whenever the teams compete in the same division. The order can vary between generations, but both relationships occupy a position ordinary opponents cannot reproduce.
Waldhof Mannheim and Hessen Kassel
Waldhof Mannheim represents another established regional hostility. The 1988 promotion play-off remains one of the most important sporting chapters in the relationship, with Mannheim eventually winning on penalties after three matches and preventing Darmstadt from reaching the Bundesliga. Later separation between the clubs reduced the number of meaningful encounters, but it did not remove tension between the fanbases. Meetings continue to be viewed through the history of regional competition and previous confrontations. Hessen Kassel became particularly important during Darmstadt’s years in the Oberliga and Regionalliga. The clubs competed for promotion and status within Hessian football, creating a rivalry that shaped the generation following SV 98 during the lower-division period.
Kassel does not carry the same broad historical status as Offenbach, but it is essential to understanding the experiences of supporters who built today’s organised scene before the rise to the Bundesliga. Other opponents can create intense matches, but they should not automatically be placed on the same level. Rivalry in Darmstadt is shaped by history, generation and league context rather than by every fixture involving a large away following.
Fan Politics and Lilien-Fanhilfe
Südtribüne Darmstadt treats fan politics as part of its responsibility. The scene participates in campaigns concerning 50+1, outside investment, ticket prices, fragmented kick-off times, stadium bans and the treatment of travelling supporters. During the 2023/24 season, Darmstadt joined the coordinated opposition to the proposed DFL investor agreement. The protests were connected to the belief that major decisions concerning German football should not be made without meaningful involvement from members and match-going supporters.
The scene has also opposed personalised tickets, extensive surveillance, collective sanctions and proposals that could close complete away sections. These measures are viewed as threats affecting ordinary supporters as well as organised ultras. Lilien-Fanhilfe provides local assistance when supporters face police investigations, stadium bans or legal proceedings connected to football. It offers information, helps document incidents and directs individuals towards professional legal advice. The organisation does not claim that football supporters are outside the law. Its purpose is to address the imbalance between individuals and institutions with far greater legal and administrative resources.
The relationship with SV 98 moves between cooperation and criticism. The groups may work with the club on stadium questions, history and social projects while opposing management decisions elsewhere. Independence means retaining the ability to withdraw cooperation rather than becoming part of the club’s marketing structure.
The 2008 Rescue of SV Darmstadt 98
The strongest test of Darmstadt’s supporter community came in 2008, when the club applied for insolvency proceedings. The threat was not another relegation but the possible disappearance of SV 98 in its existing form. Supporters, members and people throughout the city organised actions under the message “Die Lilien bleiben DA”. Shirts and buttons were sold, donations collected and solidarity events arranged to make the crisis visible beyond the club offices.
Around eight hundred supporters participated in the “1898 Schritte für den SVD” march through Darmstadt towards the Böllenfalltor. Benefit events and matches, including a fixture against Bayern Munich, also contributed to the rescue campaign. Officials, sponsors and figures around the club played essential roles, but the supporters gave the campaign its public and emotional force. The insolvency application was eventually withdrawn. The experience remains relevant to the modern scene. It explains why questions of ownership, financial transparency and responsibility towards the club receive such close attention. Later promotions did not erase the memory of how close the Lilies came to disappearing.
The crisis also demonstrated that very different sections of the fanbase could cooperate. Ultras, traditional fan clubs, independent supporters and residents who rarely attended matches were temporarily united around the same objective.
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| Photo: sv98.de |
Social Work and Remembrance
Südtribüne Darmstadt uses the networks created for choreographies and away travel to support charitable projects in the city. Fundraising has included calendars, winter tombolas, collections and assistance for organisations working with homeless and vulnerable people. These actions are usually organised collectively rather than being presented as the work of one group. This allows supporters throughout the South Stand and wider fanbase to contribute without belonging to an ultras organisation. Jonathan Heimes occupies a special place within Darmstadt’s culture of remembrance. His “Du musst kämpfen” message became closely connected to the club’s rise and his work supporting children and young people affected by cancer. After his death in 2016, the stadium carried his name for one season, while the South Stand was permanently named the Jonathan-Heimes-Tribüne. The connection has continued through fundraising and plans for a meeting place bearing his name inside the stadium environment. The significance of these projects lies in turning remembrance into practical action. A supporter or friend of the club is not remembered only through a banner or a minute of silence. Their story becomes connected to assistance, public space and the continuing relationship between the stadium and the city.
The Darmstadt Scene Today
The current ultras-oriented scene is built around Usual Suspects, Ultrà de Lis and Underdogs Darmstadt. Since 2016, they have coordinated their work through Südtribüne Darmstadt from the central area of the Jonathan-Heimes-Tribüne. Each group retains its own identity. Usual Suspects place particular emphasis on away travel and the culture recorded through Scheiß AFD. Ultrà de Lis maintain their closed collective, dark-blue visual style, C’est la vie publication and clear opposition to discrimination. Underdogs provide a third independent structure within the organised centre.
The Südtribüne is nevertheless only one part of the Bölle. The A-Block preserves its old-school approach, while FFA, S.H.A.R.P. and other circles contribute to the independent identity of the Gegengerade. FuFa, the Fanprojekt and Lilien-Fanhilfe connect supporter culture with club participation, social work and legal assistance. Bern represents the main shared friendship, centred on Urban Squad but extending into wider parts of both supporter communities. Offenbach remains the defining historic rival, with Frankfurt representing the largest Hessen derby whenever the clubs share a division. Waldhof Mannheim and Hessen Kassel occupy important positions shaped by different periods of regional football.
Darmstadt’s supporter culture is not significant simply because the club has survived financial crisis or moved rapidly between divisions. Its importance lies in the structures maintained through those changes: three ultras groups acting together without merging, a wider South Stand identity, separate traditions elsewhere in the stadium, independent publications, organised away travel and a friendship extending to Bern. Usual Suspects, Ultrà de Lis and Underdogs can coordinate the chants and visual appearance of the Südtribüne. The character of the Bölle emerges only when the different and sometimes contradictory supporter cultures around them contribute in their own way.