Die-hard Ultras / Hardcore Supporters

Everyone keeps saying the same thing, but people are still turning this into pure science fiction. Laura Mitchell87, please, let's just stick to the topic at hand...

Sorry to barge in here... but I have to say, I genuinely enjoy reading posts from Matthew Foster8. They’re pure gold—absolute gold. It makes me wonder why some people here constantly try to dodge them or dull the impact just to suit their own agendas. 🙄

And then you see people wondering why distinctions even need to be made—why they exist at all. Look, differences are just a part of life; there's nothing wrong with them, provided they're used correctly. 😉

What kind of posts are we getting from velvetskipper52 and steelrider7 lately? 🤦 🤦 🤦

steelrider7 said:Give it a rest. Let people speak the truth. We aren't blind. Kudos to you guys for siding with the Black Knights and all that, but let’s be real—we have zero unity. It's obvious. Even on away trips, there's hardly anyone from our home city showing up. That’s just how it is. Besides, it's pretty clear how obsessed you are with me since you're out here repeating my jokes back to me!!! THANKS.
US Army
p.s. I don't care. Ban me for life if you want. I'll still be right here, forever.

You’re a joke. A bad one.

Why the hatred toward our hometown folks? 🙂

It’s always easy to sit back and throw shade when you aren't the one doing the heavy lifting; honestly, being a critic in this hollowed-out city is the easiest job there is. Nobody ever stops to look in the mirror and ask what they could actually contribute or how they could step up for their own group. I am getting pretty sick of reading these endless lectures—people acting like they're delivering some grand sermon at a funeral, preaching about how the club is functioning while ignoring reality. Who actually cares about what happened decades ago? ( we’re living in the present, and if we want to move forward, we have to focus on now ). Someone should go grab a beer, find the guys on the ground, and have a real conversation, because this online posturing is completely pointless. You see people still obsessing over the Black Knights from the eighties in 2012, everyone finding something to complain about; we really are a cynical bunch, aren't we? Just a collection of small-minded people who would rather toss stones than actually support the outsiders who show up 622 miles just to help us take down an opponent! The Ultras are absolutely livid right now. We have so much potential, and if we just spent more time actually hanging out and getting to know one another instead of fighting, the sky would be the limit.

There’s a good line that comes to mind... turn off the internet, ditch the computer... toss that old cassette aside and go buy a scooter 😁

Alex Campbell54 said:ran into some old-school fans the other day... back in the '89-'90 era.

I'm not trying to drag anyone's name through the mud—honestly, I'm with 99% of what you wrote—but looking back at how things played out there, those were just strange times.

And that’s coming from someone who actually remembers parts of it.

Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit—it's probably more accurate to say we were about 80% like that—but basically, we're talking about a huge majority that just started getting diluted by a mess of circumstances in the years that followed.
When I mentioned 100%, I was thinking back to my first away trip to a game in St. Louis where 150 of us rolled in—real Black Knights style. When we hit the outskirts of town and the stones started flying at the buses... everyone stood up as one. I won't go into detail, doesn't really matter now...
And it just reminds me of that situation in Miami a few years back when the opposing fans attacked the buses too... a massive crowd... one group stands their ground immediately... and the rest? Well, better not even mention them... they just walked off and kept cheering.🙄

Go outside and take a stroll for a bit. It’s a beautiful day out there. Plus, some new gear just landed at Vandal. 😍
No matter how much you all post on this forum, you aren't going to solve anything here.

Matthew Foster8 said:I’m probably the last guy holding onto any hope here, but honestly, even that’s running thin. I basically stopped showing up to the stands this year, and at this rate, I might just stop following what the Black Knights are doing altogether.

Man, if you ask me, this right here is one of the biggest issues facing the whole group.🙂
Everyone keeps preaching about "unity" being the magic fix, but nobody actually does anything about it. Everyone stays in their own little bubble, sticking to their specific spot in the stands, and depending on whatever mood they're in, they either show up to back the team or they just don't. It’s pathetic. One prominent member mentioned that it feels like nothing has actually changed—the only difference is that the guys who used to stand front and center are now tucked away under the goalposts, and the ones who were by the posts are now in the middle. It’s not a perfect comparison, but it’s pretty much the reality.🙂 In this whole mess, Lekić is basically irrelevant. The stands should be led by whoever the strongest active faction is right now, period. But the way they handled everything? It sends zero signal of actual unity or togetherness. I don't know how to put this better without airing all our dirty laundry in public...

Matthew Foster8 said:Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, and it’s more likely they’d just say we make up about 80% of the crowd... but really, we’re talking about a massive majority that started getting diluted by a series of unfortunate circumstances in the following years.
When I was talking about 100%, I was thinking back to my first trip down to the South where about 150 of us headed out from the coast—a true Black Knights contingent. I still remember being at the entrance to town when the rocks started flying at our buses... everyone reacted as one single unit. I won't dwell on it too much, it doesn't really matter now...
And now I'm thinking about that incident in Connecticut a few years back when those other fans attacked the buses similarly... such a huge crowd. One group stood their ground immediately... while the rest of them, well, it's better not to even mention what happened... they just walked out and kept cheering.🙄

I have to ask.

Why didn't we head out to those same spots twenty years ago for the Boys' game in rural Pennsylvania?

What makes this any different?

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?...

Nobody’s ever satisfied, not us and certainly not you. I guess that’s just how it works. When the stands are empty, we complain about the lack of turnout and start begging people to show up. We’re the first ones crying about it. But then a crowd actually shows up—like what happened over by your side—and naturally, it’s filled with nothing but idiots and noise.

I don't get why people obsess over this. You go to the games, enjoy the atmosphere, and move on with your life. For most of us, this isn't a full-time job or our entire identity, and it shouldn't be.

Even if I weigh in on this, I'd take a small group of die-hards over a massive crowd any day. I still think about that handball trip to Chicago; three buses packed with people, freezing our heads off, ready for whatever came our way. Not everyone showed up to every single game, but you knew who the real ones were the moment they stepped onto that bus for an away trip like that.

I guess I agree with most of what Štabuljin is saying here... but honestly, what those Red Devils claim to be is just talk. Whether it was back in the 80s or right now, the Boys are still the Boys. What does that actually signify? To me, those Red Devils seem like the biggest frauds out there. I mean, look at how they boycott away games when their own club is struggling—even their leadership joins in. You can't even gauge their actual strength because they act like buddies with everyone across Europe. Then you have the Gravediggers, rolling around in black Jeeps only to get jumped by whoever they cross paths with. Their biggest achievement was probably that little parade in Malta. I won’t even mention our Boys, otherwise, this thread might head in a direction I'd rather avoid... but we all know what happened. Personally, I don't see any real grit or a mindset in those groups that the Black Knights should even bother emulating. If anything, it's the opposite.

And since we're on the subject of mentality... they spend about a hundred times more money and effort trying to fix Hajduk than they ever do on any Red Devil or Gravedigger. So much for having a "mentality."

As for the thugs? Back in the 80s, the Black Knights dealt with half as many of them as they do today.

Everyone’s been venting more in the last 48 hours than they have in the past two months combined 😁 I don't know if some random guy is reading this while grabbing a burger and a beer, but honestly—this whole debate was such a disaster it almost crossed the line into a full-blown circus. Still, I guess it wasn't a complete wash 😉 Now you can finally simmer down in peace 😬

Benjamin Cruz29 said:Štabuljin agrees with most of what you're saying... but look, a Red Devil is a Red Devil, whether it was 1980 or today, and the Boys are the Boys. What does that actually mean? Those Red Devils are nothing but massive agents. When the club refuses to travel to a game in Chicago, their own leadership boycotts them... you can't even gauge their actual strength because they play nice with everyone in Europe. Then you've got those other crews rolling around in black Jeeps just to get jumped anywhere they go... their biggest "win" was some parade in Malta. I won't even bring up our Boys or we might end up heading in the wrong direction... but we all know how it went down. I don't see any real grit or mentality in those groups that the Black Knights should be looking up to—if anything, it's the opposite.

And while we're talking about mentality... they spend like a hundred times more money and time on Hajduk than they ever would on any Red Devil or Grave Digger... so much for "mentality."

As for the thugs? Back in the 80s, the Black Knights had half as many as they do now.

What happened with the Boys? Just three or four agents and maybe ten guys following them around because of personal friendships or loyalty... At least here, everything is out in the open. 😉

I don't think you guys get Štabuljin's posts at all. 🤷

...now you guys have gone and overcomplicated things. It’s fine for a debate, I guess, but if we don't streamline this, it's probably just going to end up getting locked down... maybe we should just split the topics up? I honestly can't tell when a new thread or a new discussion even starts here. Sure, the subjects are closely related, but what am I supposed to do, sit here and show off my battle scars from dealing with those street thugs? Some of you—and I mean some of you, since I doubt half of you have even been there—will never actually experience that. And it's not like I'm some big shot just because of that.
...likewise, let's separate the threads. Let's try being constructive, honest, and actually open to real conversation instead of all that "psst, hey, this guy is cool because he agrees with this, but he's an idiot because he respects the Black Knights"... and then the constant finger-pointing at the other side. Things are what they are. Honestly, screw a group where everything just "slides" by without any real substance. AMEN...

Benjamin Cruz29 said:I guess Matthew Foster8 agrees with most of what you're saying... but at the end of the day, a Red Devil is a Red Devil, just like they were back in the 80s, and the Boys are still the Boys... but what does that actually mean? Honestly, those Red Devils seem like the biggest agents I've ever seen. I mean, when their own club fails to make an away trip to a place like Chicago, their own leadership boycotts them... you can't even gauge their actual strength because they act like buddies with everyone in Europe. Then you have the Gravediggers rolling around in black Jeeps, just looking for trouble and getting slapped around wherever they go. Their biggest achievement was probably some parade in Malta. I won't even mention our Boys, because things might go south if I do... but we all know how it went down. Personally, I don't see any real mentality or any kind of culture in those groups that the Black Knights should even look up to. If anything, it's the opposite.

And while we're on the subject of mentality... they spend maybe a hundred times more money and effort on Miami than they do on any Red Devil or Gravedigger group... so much for "mentality."

As for the thugs, the Black Knights had half as many of them back in the 80s compared to what we deal with today.

...Look, if you're going to dive into that, just start a new thread so we can actually discuss it properly. Don't try to cram everything into one single, locked closet.🙂

@Matthew Foster8/">@@Matthew Foster8

The year 2012 represents an era of Black Knights supporters that simply doesn't exist anymore, and frankly, it never will again. You won't find anything like it in all of America. I suspect you're just feeling nostalgic; you were younger back then, which tends to make the past look a bit more polished than it actually was.

But here is the bottom line: in 2012, you could still find those classic dive bars scattered throughout Miami like they were in the 80s. People weren't blasting Madonna; they were listening to Fleetwood Mac. There wasn't this obsession with finding a way out of the country; there were actual rebels instead of these gym rats in designer gear driving BMWs. The Black Knights haven't been the same since, and the days of getting into scraps with local cops have been replaced by heavy surveillance, constant video monitoring, and strict stadium laws.

Some things are just gone, and we have to learn how to make the best of what remains. The supporter movements across the entire country have had to adapt to the times, and we have to do the same. If we actually organize ourselves properly and do things the right way, we can still get about 80% more out of this movement than we currently do.

There are still a handful of people who live and breathe this lifestyle to their very core, but as you pointed out, there are far fewer of them now because the system makes it difficult. It’s hard to fight against the machine.

PUNK IS DEAD!

Matthew Foster8 said:Look, don't take this the wrong way, but with an attitude like yours, you don't really have anything to do with the Black Knights. I respect you for being honest about how you feel, though—you just wrote down your truth, and if that's it, then you're basically just a casual fan. And don't go thinking you missed out on anything just because you aren't part of the core group... honestly, there are so many posers, flakes, and total losers in the Black Knights anyway. Just keep cheering for Miami, and it’s all good. It’s not your fault you think this way; I mean, you either have that mindset or you don't. It's like how I'm never going to be a biker or a skater, right?
The real issue with the Black Knights is that so many people who think exactly like you claim to be one of us.
A famous supporter used to say this legendary line: 80% of us are the real deal, and everyone else pretending to be fans? They're just a bunch of softies.
If he said that today, he'd probably say we're only 20% real, which is pretty much what the North Stand looks like these days.
It's like that classic saying: the surgery was a success, but the patient died. The group still exists, sure, but it has nothing to do with what it used to be.
I've been messing around here with these posts for a while now just because I care, and I guess we'll see how long that lasts... maybe not much longer. I'm probably the last one losing hope, but even hope runs dry eventually. This year, I actually stopped showing up to the stands altogether, and soon I might stop following what happens with the Black Knights entirely. It just hurts my soul to see what the Black Knights represent today. People from my generation, from all different groups—whether they're suburbanites or just random guys—can easily sit on the sidelines, smoke a cigarette, and feel satisfied because their legacy continued in the "right" way. But I look around and I just feel like we have this massive, slow-witted, broken child that's almost beyond saving. So, I guess the question is, how much more is it worth fighting for? Do we keep watching it suffer under pressure from every side, or do we admit defeat, realize it's unfixable, and start over from scratch? Let the kid be a disaster, I guess.
The Black Knights have had this massive identity crisis for the last 20 years regarding who they actually are. There are the real ones—the ones who get it, the true fans—and then there are the others... the casuals. Both sides have been stretching the Black Knights thin for two decades. Back in the early nineties, things stopped being pure, and then this other influence started creeping in and it's still happening today. I wonder which one will win out. We're probably the only group in the world with this specific problem, and frankly, there isn't room for both types.
The Boys are always the Boys, the Diehards are always the Diehards, the Gravediggers are always the Gravediggers... 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 they were just a bunch of casuals in the nineties, and then the two-thousands brought this weird mix of both, leading to this constant conflict that can't go on forever.
The Black Knights weren't founded by some bunch of college intellectuals like you're suggesting. This whole story that goes on to this day started in the early eighties, and we know the exact names and nicknames of the guys who kicked it off—guys like Kula, Uso, Prle, Maslo, Vele B., and so on. It is crystal clear what the Black Knights used to be, and what we have today has nothing to do with that. Honestly, you and a bunch of other people—maybe even the majority now—are just outsiders in this story. Short and sweet. Maybe you are the majority now, I believe you are, but we'll see how it all ends.
Yesterday, a guy with the username mmw came on from a completely different section to explain stuff that is true for every single fan section at every club with a following. A fan always knows a fan, just like a thief knows a thief or a junkie knows a junkie. It's just that nobody seems to have this much of a problem with it as the Black Knights do.
And just to wrap this up: back when I first started heading to games and traveling for away matches during the old days, the Black Knights were basically the face of all the Miami troublemakers. We were 100% pure fans, hands down—the ultimate blueprint and the strongest group in a country five times larger than the US, recognized and respected by all of Europe. Most of the respect we still carry today comes from those days. We were the group that basically invented fan culture in this part of the world.
-so you guys should really think about what you've become...

Man, look at you, just exploding with all this emotion and nostalgia, it’s wild. I’m not trying to pick a fight or anything, but seriously, it’s not the 80s anymore. Thank God it’s not even the 90s either. You’ve gotta jump back to the 2000s and stop living in some other era because that’s just the past. Let's just leave the past behind and deal with the present...
Medjutin, since you're bringing up the 80s, Bakovica, Usu, and the rest—and hey, I don't want anyone to take this personally—there was one guy who stayed active the whole damn time, and honestly, he still is. For me, personally, that's Velimiro Kralj. ☕
I just want to ask you, besides this Velimiro guy I'm mentioning, where were all the others all this time? And how long did they actually last? So, there you go...
God, when I remember the early 90s, it's unreal. Back then, after a game, it was unthinkable not to go after the Boys, the Armada, or whatever other crew showed up at the stadium. But today? Today things are different because you'll end up getting banned or losing your job or something. Basically, the way they crack down on fans has changed 100%, and that's the difference. (Though, I mean, there's always been crews ready to scrap.) Just remember how that respected moderator barely escaped with his life back in the early 90s. Nowadays, after a game, everyone just hangs out in front of the stadium and nobody even thinks about doing anything like that. It’s not because they aren't crazy, it’s just because the crackdown kills the spirit of the fans... As for who counts as a Black Knight today and who doesn't, I could write a whole book on it, but I won't, because I don't want to air all our dirty laundry here on the forum. Honestly, it's probably better this way, given how much people have started judging everyone's values on this board lately...

Elizabeth Mendoza5 said:If they aren't going to go because of that—and honestly, they shouldn't have to—then the North Stand shouldn't be some place where high school kids feel like they're at a Fleetwood Mac concert. The Black Knights should be aiming for something bigger, making sure the general public actually looks up to them.

Back in the day with the Black Knights, it was basically survival of the fittest. I remember one of the first games I ever went to—I got my head handed to me pretty quick, which was a good way to learn how things worked—and by the next match, I was usually the one leading the charge. Let someone like rustyangler122 tell me how I could lose my hat or my gear every damn second if they want... and then there were the away trips. That whole thing about "paying taxes," or just getting robbed. I still remember that first time against the crew from Savannah back in the early 90s when Raso showed up and lined up 20 or 30 guys—most of whom were on their very first trip—just to shake them down from the waterfront, picking every single pocket. But look, it made the group tighter. If you couldn't hack it, you fell off. It was "in or out." I’m not saying it needs to be like that today—times have changed—but it's worth remembering.
The way things are now, with everything being called "the Black Knights"—at the games, all over the city, all over the internet—it just reminds me of this huge crowd of polite kids. They cheer nicely at every home game, they travel from Point A to Point B on away trips, everyone’s happy and satisfied, and it’s all been fine for years. No one's insulting anyone; maybe a song or two about someone being a big shot, but that’s it. Everyone's good. So, it’s not even surprising that when the "bad guys" finally showed up and a Facebook group with hundreds of posts popped up—the kind of stuff you all saw that left half of America in shock and led to people boycotting the cheering—it wasn't just sad, it was almost ridiculous. And no, it’s not just one guy’s fault for not calling meetings a million times; it’s on everyone who’s been active for years and failed to realize we needed to get these younger kids more involved.
God forbid this team and the Black Knights end up playing in some regional league with all these people soon. A league similar to the ones the Black Knights used to absolutely wreck...

Gary Green32 said:@Matthew Foster8/">@@Matthew Foster8

Look, it’s 2012—that kind of Black Knights energy you're reminiscing about doesn't exist anymore, and honestly, it probably never will again. You won't find anything like it in all of Europe. You're just chasing ghosts because you were younger back then, thinking the "good old days" were somehow better than they actually were.

But here’s the bottom line: it’s 2012. You don't see kids hanging out in downtown Miami like they did in the 80s. Nobody is listening to Fleetwood Mac anymore—it's all just Madonna and pop garbage now. That sense of national pride? It's gone, replaced by everyone looking for any way to pack their bags and get out of the country. There are no more real rebels left, just gym rats in skinny jeans driving BMWs. And that Black Knights crowd? They aren't what they used to be. We don't have guys messing with cops anymore; we have drones, surveillance cameras, and strict fan laws.

Some things are just over. Now, we just have to figure out how to make the best of what's left. Fan movements all over the world have had to adapt to the times, and we have to do the same. If we actually play it smart and organize properly, we can still pull 80% more out of this situation than we are right now.

Sure, there are a few people who still live and breathe this stuff—true fans through and through—but there are far fewer of them now, and that's just what happens when the system changes. It’s hard to fight the machine.

PUNK IS DEAD!

Both you and jademarlin54 posted basically the same thing, so I'll give you both the same answer...
You guys completely misread what I was getting at. I couldn't care less about the past—that's your problem. What am I supposed to care about? Fleetwood Mac? Nostalgia? Drugs?? Either you didn't get it, or I wasn't clear enough.
If you aren't some traditionalist living in the past, then I guess that's just me.
The whole point here is that the Black Knights haven't adapted to the modern era. Instead of growing with the times, the group has just become diluted, serving as nothing more than fodder for the police too many times. A huge chunk of this group looks more like a bunch of frat bros than an actual supporter group—that's the core issue. Just look around; see who's moving forward and who's just stuck in place.
The Black Knights need to be the strongest force today and tomorrow. Forget the 80s and 90s. Whatever happened, happened.