Matthew Foster8 said:Look, don't take this the wrong way—but with an attitude like yours, you have zero connection to the Black Knights. I respect you for being honest about your views, but if this is truly how you feel, you’re just a classic Benjamin Cruz29. Don't think for a second you've missed out by not being part of the crew—the Black Knights are full of jokers, cowards, losers, and all sorts of trash. Just keep cheering for the team from afar; you aren't to blame for having your mindset, just like I'll never be a biker or a skater.
The unique issue with the Black Knights is that so many people with your mentality claim to be part of them.
A famous fan once famously remarked: "We make up 80% of the group, while the rest pretending to be fans are just a bunch of wimps."
If he made that statement today, he’d probably say we're only 20%, which is more or less what the North Stand represents nowadays.
It's a classic case of "the operation was a success, but the patient died." The group still exists, but it has nothing to do with what it used to be.
I've been messing around with these posts for a long time only because I actually care—we'll see how much longer that lasts, though I doubt it'll be long. I'm probably the last one losing hope, but even hope is running thin. I've already stepped away from the stands this year, and soon I might stop following the Black Knights altogether. It honestly hurts to see what they represent today. People my age from all different groups—the suburbanites, the outsiders, etc.—can sit on the sidelines, smoke a cigarette, and feel satisfied knowing their legacy continued properly. But when I look around, I feel like we have this massive, brain-dead, lukewarm child that's almost beyond saving. So the question remains: is it worth fighting for this thing while watching it struggle under constant pressure, or should we just admit defeat, call it irreparable, and start over from scratch? Let the kid be a disaster, then.
The Black Knights have had a massive identity crisis for the last 20 years regarding who they actually are. There are the real ones—those who get it, the true fans—and then there are the others... the sympathizers. Both types have been stretching the Black Knights thin for two decades. The pure story ended in the early nineties, replaced by a different influence that persists to this day; the question is which one will prevail. We are likely the only group in the world with this specific problem, and there's no room for both sides.
The Boys are always the Boys, the Yankees are always the Yankees, the Red Sox are always the Red Sox... the Boys were the same in '86 and '96 as they are today, aside from changing generations and gear. But the Black Knights were one thing for ten years in the eighties, then became a mess of ninth-decade sympathizers, and then the two merged in the 2000s into this endless conflict that can't last forever.
The Black Knights weren't founded by some college nerds as you suggest; this whole saga started in the early eighties, and we know the exact names and nicknames of the guys who started it all—Kula, Ušo, Prle, Maslo, Vele B., etc. It is crystal clear what the Black Knights were, and what we see now has absolutely nothing to do with that. You and a crowd of people—maybe even the majority—with those sympathizer attitudes are intruders in this story. Short and sweet. You might be the majority now, I believe you are, but we'll see how it all ends.
Yesterday, a guy with a different handle was here explaining things that apply to every single hardcore fan section in every club with a following. A fan always calls out a fan, just like a thief calls out a thief or a junkie calls out a junkie; it's just that nobody seems to have as much trouble with it as the Black Knights.
And finally: back when I started attending games and traveling for away matches during the old days—the Black Knights were essentially the ambassadors for Split’s toughest guys. They were a 100% pure fan base—the gold standard and strongest group in an entire region five times larger than America, respected by all of Europe. About 90% of the respect we still command stems from that era. We're talking about the group that practically invented the concept of organized fandom in this part of the world.
—so you all just sit there and think about what you've become...
Similarly, I value your opinion—but some things need to be addressed.
First point. Benjamin Cruz29, you say "supporter." To me, a supporter is someone who openly admits they root for a club, feels happy when they win, and maybe heads East or West to catch a glimpse of a game now and then. A true fan is someone more die-hard—someone who shows up constantly, thinks deeply about both the club and the broader movement, drinks, cheers, follows the news, and travels for those away games. Now, moving to what some of you are mentioning: the Black Knights, specifically those most dedicated—the ultras who live this lifestyle 24/7 and give their absolute all to the group. I have nothing but respect for them; based on that definition and the resulting social split, I don't consider myself part of that core Black Knights circle—I fall into that other group—but as you mentioned, most people don't fit into the core, maybe only 20%.
Second point: the interference and the divisions... I’m not the one creating them, but since this discussion is actually constructive, I'll touch on it because you brought it up. Specifically, I’m asking you and the crew who share your mindset: what is your stance regarding "the rest of us" 80%? Do you look down on "us" as irrelevant, or would you prefer "us" weren't even on the same stand? Or do you accept us as a necessary part of the group's overall quality? I want to hear your take...
Third point: this is exactly what I said wasn't necessary—the divisions. What's the actual benefit? Higher quality on the street at the cost of fracturing the stands? I understand what I wrote above—that there are people who are more "hardcore" (and I tip my hat to them because they are the foundation of the group) and fewer who are fully immersed in that specific lifestyle. But the bottom line is: there is no need to rub it in the faces of that 80% constantly. Because once you answer Point 2, you'll find out whether you actually want unity with everyone else or if you prefer creating divides just to feel more important. The point of these last two pages is this: nobody is saying your claims aren't true, but is it really necessary to throw them in everyone's face and fuel this kind of discord?...