The Rise

All across Scottish football, at every level, youth-led ultras groups are transforming match days. Inspired by European terrace culture, and amplified through TikTok and YouTube, young fans are organising with precision, designing vast banner displays, coordinating marches and igniting pyrotechnics that turn stadiums into theatre.

This episode explores how and why it has taken hold, and we meet ten-year-old Jayden, who is discovering the ultras online, and the mum backing his growing obsession. We also follow vlogger Blair, whose access and content have accelerated the movement’s reach, and the young supporters forming groups from scratch, determined to seize the atmosphere at their clubs.

While some see the spark of something special, psychologists and police see something faster and harder to predict. As banners are painted and drums lifted, match day swells with a scale and intensity that few expected. At its best, this is belonging and collective joy, but as the spectacle grows, so does its influence. Who is shaping this movement, and what responsibility comes with rising power?