Homophobia we say no,
Racism we say no,
Sexism we say no,
Oh oh we say no…

This is just one of the chants and rituals you can witness at the scaffold stands located in Brighton’s most deprived, eastern suburbs, Whitehawk. This is a home stand of the Whitehawk Ultras, UK’s most inclusive and friendly football supporter group.

Photographer Ossi Piispanen was given an assignment on the 2nd of January 2023 to document Whitehawk FC fans for the legendary 11FREUNDE magazine. Whitehawk Ultras promote local charitable causes, anti-homophobic and anti-racist values, non-league football and togetherness, as an antidote to what they see as the commercialised world of the Premier League. They spoke to the club’s equality and diversity officer, Sophie Cook:

“There’s a thirst for people who are prepared to break the mould and go out there and make a difference. And we get messages from all over the world. Whitehawk is not just a little non-league club from Brighton, we’re a club with a global reach and global concepts of how you make the world a better place through the power of football.”

The Ultras have a no-swearing policy, and you’ll often hear them shout their indignation at an official’s decision with the chant, ‘The Referee’s a Referee!’ and with the drums, the ‘key moments’, the disco ball dangling from the home stand end, ‘The Din’, the atmosphere created sums up the joys of the beautiful game at this level – warm, friendly, a little rough around the edges, but with a heart of gold.

TEAM

• Client
  11 Freunde

• Photographer
  Ossi Piispanen