Although ultra groups can become violent, the vast majority of matches go ahead with no violent incidents. Unlike
hooligan firms, whose main aim is to fight fans of other clubs, the main focus of ultras is to support their own team. Hooligans usually try to be inconspicuous when they travel; usually not wearing team colours, in order to avoid detection by the
police. Ultras tend to be more conspicuous when they travel and like to arrive
en masse, which allows the police to keep a close eye on their movements. When trouble involving ultras does break out, it usually takes the form of a political
riot similar to the ones in Italy in the 1970s when the
Carabinieri used the same tactics with the ultras as they did with the political activists.
However, there does appear to be a crossover in some countries between ultras and hooligans. In Italy, when English club
Middlesbrough F.C. played a match against
AS Roma in March 2006, three Middlesbrough fans were stabbed in an attack that was blamed on Roma-supporting ultras.
[3] Roma-supporting ultras were also blamed for an incident related to the club's match against English club
Manchester United in Rome in April 2007, which resulted in 11 Manchester fans and two Italian fans being taken to hospital.
[4] These specific incidents may be attributed to an anti-English mindset amongst some Roma fans that dates back to the 1984 European Cup final. Spanish authorities have been concerned about ultra-related violence against supporters of other clubs, such as the murder of a
Real Sociedad fan.