Once again, FC Schalke 04 fans put on an impressive choreo ahead of the match against Hannover 96 – again away from home.
Anyone driving north on the A2 highway from Gelsenkirchen on Sunday morning could find FC Schalke 04 fans in every second car (poor estimate). At the main station in Hanover, the club song of the Royal Blues could already be heard at breakfast time.
Around 15,000 S04 fans accompanied their team to the away game at Hannover 96 – and the Ultras Gelsenkirchen (UGE) had prepared a special choreography: From five minutes before kick-off, thousands of Schalke fans presented their club’s crest with blue and white flags.
Even before the first away game of the year in Kaiserslautern (1:4), the S04 fans had provided a royal blue and white choreography: they put on blue and white ponchos and presented an oversized S04 pennant. Before the match in Nuremberg (2:1), both fan groups presented an impressive joint picture. “An alliance for eternity”, read the XXL inscription.
The Ultras currently refrain from choreographies at home matches – the reason is a disagreement with the police and the Gelsenkirchen fire department, who have also not permitted actions by opposing fans in recent months. For this reason, Ultra groups from the visiting team also show solidarity with the Schalke fans from time to time.
Solution to the problem currently not in sight
When Schalke met Hertha BSC, the Berlin fans set off several red Bengal flares and displayed a banner: “Police GE: More choreo bans, more explosives on match days!” Last Sunday, it was the fans of Karlsruher SC who set off pyrotechnics and caused a brief interruption to the match. “Pyro was used today due to choreo requirements. LG” read the inscription on a poster.
Is a solution in sight? In January, the Schalke Ultras wrote in a statement: “The harassment by the Gelsenkirchen police regarding the staging of choreographies continues into the new year. In addition to us home fans, visiting fans are also increasingly becoming victims of Gelsenkirchen’s misguided approach. We therefore call on those responsible, in particular Mr. Morbach and Mr. Both, to finally return to the point where unrestricted choreographies are possible, as has been the case at Schalke for decades. For the Nordkurve Gelsenkirchen and every other fan scene that is a guest in our arena.”
The Gelsenkirchen police have repeatedly shown a willingness to talk in recent months. However, there is currently no solution to the problem in sight. And the Schalke Ultras are currently only showing their choreos away from home