HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

On a number of occasions throughout history, notable sporting participants have been involved in violent confrontations with spectators during a competition. This list includes events in which a spectator at a sporting event was engaged in such a confrontation with an athlete, coach or game official, either through the spectator's intrusion upon the field of play, or (as a result of such an event) a participant entering the spectator seating area. Incidents of object or snow throwing are included when it results in injuries to a match participant or causes significant delays or cancellation of the event. It does ''not'' include incidents of riots or other violence, often outside the event venue, which did not involve game participants.


1879

* February 7 – During the
Sydney Riot of 1879 The Sydney Riot of 1879 was an instance of civil disorder that occurred at an early international cricket match. It took place on 8 February 1879 at what is now the Sydney Cricket Ground (at the time known as the Association Ground), during a ma ...
, up to 2,000 fans invaded the pitch and disrupted play after an umpiring dispute broke out between members of the visiting English cricket team and the
New South Wales Cricket Association Cricket NSW (officially known as the ''New South Wales Cricket Association'') is an Australian sporting association that administers cricket in New South Wales. It is based at the Sydney Olympic Park. The New South Wales Blues, the New South Wa ...
; two English players were assaulted, with three fans being arrested.


1895

* January 26 – Following the Football League game between Woolwich Arsenal and Burton Wanderers, referee
John Brodie John Riley Brodie (born August 14, 1935) is a former American football player, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. He had a second career as a Senior PGA Tour professional golfer, and ...
was assaulted by a spectator and knocked unconscious. Consequently, the Manor Ground was closed for six weeks.


1901

* August 21 – In the bottom of the 4th inning of an American League Baseball game between the then-Baltimore Orioles and the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
at Baltimore, the Tigers were leading 7-4 when the lead-off batter for Baltimore was called out at first base; Orioles players surrounded and argued with umpire Tom Connolly about the call, and a bench-clearing brawl broke out. Fans responded by invading the field and storming the box office for refunds, with Orioles pitcher Joe McGinnity being ejected for spitting in Connolly's eyes, Detroit's
Kid Elberfeld Norman Arthur "Kid" Elberfeld (April 13, 1875 – January 13, 1944) was an American professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (1898), Cincinnati Reds (1899), Detroit Tigers (1901–1903 ...
exchanging punches with Baltimore's Mike Donlin before Donlin's teammate
Bill Keister William Hoffman Keister (August 17, 1871 – August 19, 1924) was a professional baseball player who played infielder and outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1896 to 1903. He would play for the Baltimore Orioles (NL), Boston Beaneaters, St. Loui ...
got involved, and Connolly was assaulted by fans as he escaped to the groundskeeper's office, staying there for over an hour before the crowd thinned out enough for him to leave, with McGinnity, Elberfeld, Keister and a fan being arrested and escorted off the field by police. McGinnity was suspended for 10 games, the fan was fined $100 for disorderly conduct, and the game was ruled a forfeit to the Tigers.


1902

* June 7 – At the end of a
Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
match between
Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
and
Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...
at Princess Park, a group of drunk Carlton fans jostled and kicked field umpire Henry "Ivo" Crapp.Ross, J. (ed), ''100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported'', Viking, (Ringwood), 1996.


1904

* July 9 – As the riders in the
1904 Tour de France The 1904 Tour de France was the second Tour de France, held from 2 to 24 July. With a route similar to its previous edition, 1903 Tour de France winner Maurice Garin seemed to have repeated his win by a small margin over Lucien Pothier, while ...
climbed the Col de la République in the
Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
, supporters of regional favorite Antoine Fauré physically attacked several of his opponents. The repercussions of this incident continue to this day: the Tour did not return to Loire until
1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...
, and although the Tour has returned to the République (the first pass of 1,000 metres ever climbed in the Tour) 11 times since then, its appearances in the
1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 19 – The first west–east transatlantic radio broadcast is made from the United States to England (the first east–west broadcast having been ...
and 1904 Tours are no longer officially recognized as Tour climbs. * July 9 – After a drawn VFL match between
Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
and
Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
at Corio Oval, a Carlton fan ran onto the field and punched field umpire Henry "Ivo" Crapp in the face; Geelong secretary Charles Brownlow, a former player for the club, jumped the fence, tackled the fan and restrained him until police arrived.


1908

* June 6 – At the end of a fiery VFL match between Fitzroy and
Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United King ...
at the Brunswick Street Oval, a group of Fitzroy fans invaded the ground and assaulted Essendon players as they tried to leave the field, forcing Essendon fans to jump the fence in order to protect their players; a wild all-in brawl between players, rival fans and team officials ensued, and Essendon's captain Alan Belcher was escorted from the ground under the protection of Victoria Police Constable and former Collingwood player
Bill Proudfoot William Henry Proudfoot (11 June 1868 – 11 January 1931) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and Victorian Football Association (VFA). Family Bill is the uncle ...
. Three players were suspended for four matches each by the VFL.


1909

* April 17 – At the end of the drawn 1909 Scottish Cup Final replay between Rangers and
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
at
Hampden Park Hampden Park (Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Hampden''), often referred to as Hampden, is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The -capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland. It is the no ...
, when it became clear there would be no extra time played as hoped, 6,000 spectators invaded the pitch, resulting in brawls between rival fans. Fans also fought with and assaulted police and firefighters when they arrived, destroyed the goals and fencing, and lit numerous fires throughout the arena. It took authorities over two hours to break up the riots and bring the fires under control, by which time £1,000 in damage had been done; 58 police officers and 60 other people were injured. The 1909 Scottish Cup and all medals were withheld. * September 4 – During a VFL match between Collingwood and Melbourne at Victoria Park, a Collingwood fan jumped the fence and punched a Melbourne player in the face. Melbourne Club Secretary J. A. Harper ran onto the field and made a citizens' arrest.


1910

* May 28 – During the last quarter of a VFL match at Princes Park between Carlton and South Melbourne, Carlton's
George Topping George Thomas Dungate Topping (27 August 1881 – 17 November 1958) was an Australian rules footballer and umpire in the Victorian Football League. Playing career Originally recruited from Carlton Juniors, Topping made his debut for the Carlt ...
knocked-out South Melbourne's
Bert Streckfuss Albert Frederick Streckfuss (22 September 1888 – 23 June 1974) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL), and with Williamstown and Port Melbourne in the Victorian Football As ...
behind the play, causing fans to jump the fence and participate in a wild all-in brawl with players and team officials. Topping had to be escorted from the ground under police protection; he was later suspended for the remainder of the season and all of 1911 (35 matches) for starting the brawl.


1912

* May 15 – During the sixth inning of a game between the
New York Highlanders The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
and the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
at
Hilltop Park Hilltop Park was the nickname of a baseball park that stood in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. It was the home of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1912, when they were known as the "Highlanders". ...
in New York, Tigers outfielder
Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...
ran into the stands and assaulted a handicapped fan, Claude Lueker, after Lueker had heckled him throughout the first three innings (reportedly saying "I don't care if he's got no feet!" when called out on this). Cobb was ejected, and he was suspended indefinitely and fined $50 for the incident. Cobb's teammates, though not fond of him, went on strike to protest the suspension prior to the May 18 game against the
Philadelphia A's The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oakl ...
; Detroit, after being threatened with a $5‚000 fine for failing to field a team, fielded a team of college and sandlot ballplayers and two of their coaches and lost 24–2. After
League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
president
Ban Johnson Byron Bancroft Johnson (January 5, 1864 – March 28, 1931) was an American executive in professional baseball who served as the founder and first president of the American League (AL). Johnson developed the AL—a descendant of the mino ...
threatened the striking players with indefinite suspensions, the strike ended ten days later when Cobb paid his fine and urged his teammates to return to the field in exchange for his suspension being lifted.Merron, Jeff
Fighting through the years
ESPN.com, November 20, 2004
* September 11 – Umpire Tom Connolly was struck in the mouth by a bottle thrown from the crowd while he was arguing with Ty Cobb, who had been called out for stepping across home plate after he had hit an RBI triple on the third pitch of what was to have been an intentional walk.


1913

* June 4 –
Emily Davison Emily Wilding Davison (11 October 1872 – 8 June 1913) was an English suffragette who fought for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, votes for women in Britain in the early twentieth century. A member of the Women's Social and Polit ...
, a
women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
activist, ran onto the track during The Derby race and was trampled to death by a horse.


1914

* May 2 – At the end of a VFL match between Carlton and St Kilda at Princes Park, a crowd of 2,000 angry Carlton fans mobbed the field umpire, who had to be escorted from the ground under police protection. * July 25 – During a VFL match between South Melbourne and Essendon at the Lake Oval, a South Melbourne fan invaded the field and punched Essendon captain Alan Belcher in the back of the head; Belcher then chased the fan and knocked him unconscious. Belcher was reported for assaulting the fan, but was cleared.


1915

* August 7 – During the last quarter of a tight VFL match at the MCG between Melbourne and South Melbourne, Melbourne's Len Incigneri king-hit South Melbourne's George Payne behind the play, causing 2,000 fans to invade the field and participate in a wild 15 minute all-in brawl with players, team officials and police. Incigneri had to be escorted from the ground under police protection; he was later suspended for eight matches for starting the brawl.


1920

* September 11 – In the VFA Second Semi-Final between Footscray and
North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...
at the Western Oval, hundreds of Footscray fans invaded the field as North Melbourne defender Bill Considine went back to take a kick after the bell with Footscray leading by four points. Umpires and police attempted to clear a path for Considine to take his kick, but Considine was eventually escorted from the ground under police protection. The VFA declared the Second Semi-Final a "no result" and ordered a replay at Brunswick.


1922

* May – After being ejected from a game at
The Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...
for throwing dirt in the eyes of the umpire,
Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
chased a heckler through the stands. When the fan ran out of reach, Ruth returned to the dugout roof and challenged any fan in attendance to fight him. Ruth was suspended for seven games and fined $200 for the incident.


1924

* May 18 – During the Olympic rugby union final between and the at Colombes Stadium, French fans booed and hissed the American team for the remainder of the game after star player
Adolphe Jauréguy Adolphe Jauréguy (18 February 1898 – 4 September 1977) was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics. He was born in Ostabat-Asme and died in Toulouse. He played in nine Five Nations Championship The Si ...
was flattened by a hard tackle two minutes after the opening whistle, leaving him unconscious with blood pouring down his face and having to be carried off the field on a stretcher. In the second half, French fans threw bottles and rocks onto the field and at American players and officials, wild brawls broke out in the stands, U.S. reserve Gideon Nelson was knocked unconscious after being hit in the face by a walking stick, and French fans invaded the pitch at the final whistle, leaving the French team, aided by the police, to protect the Americans. At the medal ceremony, "
The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...
" was drowned out by the booing and hissing of French fans, and the American team had to be escorted to their locker room under police protection. * June 13 – In an American League baseball game between the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
and the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
at
Navin Field Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit. The stadium was nicknamed "The Corner" for its location at the intersection of Michigan and Trumbul ...
, Yankees batter Bob Meusel was hit in the ribs with the first pitch he faced, to which Muesel responded by walking to the mound and throwing a punch at pitcher Bert Cole; Muesel was restrained by umpires Billy Evans and Red Ormsby and ejected. Babe Ruth then charged from the dugout, swinging his fists, claiming that Cole was throwing at the Yankees, and a bench-clearing brawl broke out. After a few minutes, Ruth was ejected, but Meusel and Ruth took a detour on the way back to the clubhouse and headed to the Tiger dugout, which resulted in another bench-clearing brawl; fans invaded the field, forcing police to escort the players to safety, and numerous brawls broke out between rival fans and police on the field. It took half an hour to clear the field, but the umpires had ruled the game a forfeit to the Yankees.


1934

* October 9 – In the 6th inning of Game 7 of the
1934 World Series The 1934 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1934 season. The 31st edition of the World Series, it matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers. The Cardinals' "Gashouse Gang" won in seven gam ...
between the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
and the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
at Navin Field, the Cardinals were leading 9–0, with the game and series all but won, when Cardinal outfielder
Joe Medwick Joseph Michael Medwick (November 24, 1911 – March 21, 1975), nicknamed "Ducky" and "Muscles", was an American Major League Baseball player. A left fielder with the St. Louis Cardinals during the " Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also pla ...
got into a heated altercation with Tigers third baseman
Marv Owen Marvin James Owen (March 22, 1906 – June 22, 1991) was an American baseball player, manager, coach and scout. A native of northern California, Owen played both baseball and football at Santa Clara University. He made his Major League Baseb ...
after sliding into and injuring him. In the 7th inning, Medwick was booed and pelted with bottles, fruit, vegetables, and garbage by angry Detroit fans when he went to his position in left field; after a long delay, Medwick was ejected, and he was escorted from the stadium by police. The game was resumed with the Cardinals winning the game (and the World Series) 11–0.


1936

* August 8 – With five minutes remaining in extra time in an Olympic football match between
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
and Austria, a group of Peruvian fans, one brandishing a revolver, invaded the pitch and assaulted Austrian players, officials and stadium security; during the ensuing chaos, Peru scored two goals and won the match 4–2. The IOC and
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
declared the match null and void, and ordered that a replay take place two days later behind closed doors, but Peru refused to play and withdrew from the Games. Austria, declared winners on default, went on to win the silver medal.


1940

* September 16 – A
Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...
fan jumped on the field to attack umpire George Magerkurth so that the fan's pickpocket partner could work the stands.Previous examples of fan violence
CNN/SI, September 19, 2002


1943

* May 8 – During a spiteful VFL match between
Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United King ...
and
South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at t ...
at Windy Hill, South Melbourne's Jack 'Basher' Williams felled
Ted Leehane Edward Joseph Leehane (2 June 1923 – 18 November 2014) was an Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was a member of the Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon * ...
in retribution for Leehane's similar action against Williams in the previous year's Preliminary Final, starting a wild brawl which involved a dozen players, team officials, trainers, fans, and police. Williams received an eight match suspension on four striking charges.


1949

* August 21 – During a
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
game between the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
and
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, New York was ahead 3–2 with one out in the top of the ninth inning of the second game of a doubleheader when umpire George Barr ruled that
Richie Ashburn Don Richard Ashburn (March 19, 1927 – September 9, 1997), also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" (due to his light-blond hair), was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. (Some sources give his ...
had missed a diving catch of a ball off the bat of Joe Lafata, scoring Willard Marshall with the fourth run. The Philadelphia players complained, but when the call was not reversed, Philadelphia fans threw glass bottles onto the field, and the barrage continued despite pleas over the public address system; umpire Lee Ballanfant was hit in the mouth by a bottle and umpire
Al Barlick Albert Joseph Barlick (April 2, 1915 – December 27, 1995) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League for 28 seasons (1940–1943, 1946–1955, 1958–1971). Barlick missed two seasons (1944–45) due to se ...
was hit in the back of the head by a tomato. After waiting for fifteen minutes, Barlick ruled the game a forfeit to the Giants.


1955

* January 22 – During a game between the
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
and the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
at
Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...
, Red Wings forward
Ted Lindsay Ted Lindsay (born Robert Blake Theodore Lindsay; July 29, 1925 – March 4, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played as a forward for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Lindsa ...
leaned over the glass and struck a drunk Maple Leafs fan with his stick after the fan had scuffled with and spilled beer over teammate
Gordie Howe Gordon Howe (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seaso ...
. Lindsay was given a match penalty and suspended for five games for the incident. * March 17 – Midway into the first period of a game at the
Montreal Forum Montreal Forum (french: Le Forum de Montréal) is a historic building located facing Cabot Square in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by ''Sporting News'', it was an indoor arena which served as the h ...
between the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings, Canadiens fans who were outraged at the remainder of the season suspension handed to superstar
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Joseph Henri Maurice "Rocket" Richard (; ; August 4, 1921 – May 27, 2000) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens. He was the first player in NHL hist ...
for knocking out linesman Cliff Thompson during a fight in a March 13 game booed and pelted Red Wings players, officials, and NHL President
Clarence Campbell Clarence Sutherland Campbell, (July 9, 1905 – June 24, 1984) was a Canadian ice hockey executive, referee, and soldier. He refereed in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1930s, served in the Canadian Army during World War II, then s ...
and his fiancée with debris as the Red Wings built up a 4–1 lead. After police set off a tear gas bomb inside the Forum and ordered a total evacuation, a furious and bloodied Campbell ruled the game a forfeit to the Red Wings.


1961

* September 10 – In the first half of a doubleheader at
Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...
,
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
outfielder
Jimmy Piersall James Anthony Piersall (November 14, 1929 – June 3, 2017) was an American baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five teams, from 1950 through 1967. Piersall was best known for his well-publicized ba ...
was attacked by two Yankee fans who ran onto the field. Piersall quickly dispatched the first fan with a single punch and then chased after the other, who was intercepted and pummeled by Indian teammates
Johnny Temple John Ellis Temple (August 8, 1927 – January 9, 1994) was a Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Redlegs/Reds (1952–59; 1964); Cleveland Indians (1960–61), Baltimore Orioles (1962) and Houston Colt .45s (1962–63). Temp ...
and
Walt Bond Walter Franklin Bond (October 19, 1937 – September 14, 1967) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in 365 games over six Major League Baseball seasons between and for the Cleveland Indians, Houston Colt .45s/Astros and Min ...
.


1967

* September 30 – In the Tasmanian State Premiership Grand Final between Wynyard and
North Hobart North Hobart is a suburb of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. As its name suggests, it lies directly north of the CBD. The main street of North Hobart is Elizabeth Street, which extends northward from the Elizabeth Street Mall in the ...
at West Park in Burnie, hundreds of Wynyard fans invaded the field and tore down the goalposts as North Hobart full-forward David Collins went back to take a kick after the siren with Wynyard leading by one point. Umpires, players, team officials and police attempted to clear a path for Collins to take his kick, but Collins was eventually escorted from the ground under police protection. Teammate Barry Styles was left unconscious with broken fingers after being trampled by the crowd and had to be carried from the field on a stretcher. The Tasmanian Football League declared the Grand Final a "no result" and withheld the 1967 State Premiership.


1968

* May 18 – In the final quarter of a VFL match between Essendon and Collingwood at Windy Hill, a drunk Essendon fan jumped the fence and punched field umpire Ray Sleeth in the face. * October 26 – In the Olympic football final, Bulgarian fans threw various objects onto the field in the 44th minute with
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
leading 2–1 to protest the officiating after three
Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...
players, Tzevan Dimtriov, captain Kiril Ivkov and Atanas Christov were sent off causing a 15-minute delay. Dimtriov was dismissed for a dangerous tackle on Hungarian striker Antal Dunai while he was taking a shot at goal, as was Ivkov immediately after for arguing with the referee. As Dimitriov and Ivkov, who had been booked before the match for a brawl in the tunnel with Hungarian players, were making their way off the pitch, Christov picked up the ball and drop-kicked it towards the referee in protest, and was promptly sent off. With Bulgaria down to eight men for the second half, Hungary won the match and the gold medal 4–1.


1970

* November 8 – During a bench-clearing brawl with the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
and the
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
at the
Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (late ...
, fans behind the Montreal bench got involved into altercations with the players, coaching staff and trainers. Boston police were forced to step in to restore order.


1971

* February 13 – During the second day of the seventh and final Ashes Test between Australia and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground, beer bottles and cans were thrown onto the outfield and English fast bowler
John Snow John Snow (15 March 1813 – 16 June 1858) was an English physician and a leader in the development of anaesthesia and medical hygiene. He is considered one of the founders of modern epidemiology, in part because of his work in tracing the so ...
was loudly booed and manhandled by a drunk and drug-affected fan on the boundary when Australian Terry Jenner was forced to retire hurt after having accidentally ducked into a bouncer from Snow. English captain Ray Illingworth pulled his team from the field in disgust, but England returned seven minutes later after umpires Tom Brooks and Lou Rowan warned Illingworth that the match and the Ashes would be awarded to Australia. During a further seven-minute delay to clear the field, a sight-screen attendant was hit by a beer can thrown from the crowd, leaving him unconscious and having to be carried from the field on a stretcher. Arrests of 14 fans for offensive behaviour were made and an additional 190 fans were ejected. * September 30 – During the top of the ninth inning of a Major League Baseball game between the Washington Senators and the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
at the RFK Memorial Stadium, the Senators' last game in Washington before their move to Texas, the Senators were leading 7–5 with two outs when hundreds of disgruntled Senators fans invaded the field and vandalized the stadium, taking the bases as souvenirs, and assaulting police, umpires and stadium security. Three men were arrested for disorderly conduct, and the game was forfeited to the Yankees. * December 11 – A drunk fan who ran into the field was leveled by Mike Curtis of the
Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from its founding in 1953 to 1984. The team now plays in Indianapolis, as the Indianapolis Colts. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breed ...
.


1972

* January 6 –
St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the s ...
coach
Al Arbour Alger Joseph Arbour (November 1, 1932 – August 28, 2015) was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and executive. He is third to Joel Quenneville for games coached in National Hockey League history and fifth all-time in wins, behind Scotty Bowm ...
and several players entered the stands to fight fans at the
Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...
in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
after Arbour was showered with debris. * December 29 – Players from the
Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...
entered the stands at the
Pacific Coliseum Pacific Coliseum, known to locals as "The Coliseum" or the "Rink on Renfrew," is an indoor arena located at Hastings Park in Vancouver, British Columbia. Its main use has been for ice hockey and the arena has been the home for several ice hocke ...
in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
after a fan reached over the glass and pulled the hair of Don Saleski.


1974

* June 4 – "
Ten Cent Beer Night Ten Cent Beer Night was a promotion held by Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians during a game against the Texas Rangers at Cleveland Stadium on Tuesday, June 4, 1974. The promotion was meant to improve attendance at the game by offering c ...
" – For a game between the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
and the Texas Rangers at the
Cleveland Municipal Stadium Cleveland Stadium, commonly known as Municipal Stadium, Lakefront Stadium or Cleveland Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball an ...
, fans were served as many 10-ounce cups of
beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
as they wanted for 10¢ each. After numerous instances of drunk fans being involved in object throwing, running onto the field or
streaking Streaking is the act of running, often naked, through a public area for publicity, as a prank, a dare, or a form of protest. Streaking is often associated with sporting events, but can occur in more secluded areas. Streakers are often pursued b ...
, the situation boiled over in the 9th inning when a drunk fan ran onto the field and snatched Rangers outfielder
Jeff Burroughs Jeffrey Alan Burroughs (born March 7, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from through , for the Washington Senators / Texas Rangers (1970–76), Atlanta Braves (1977–8 ...
' cap and glove. Burroughs' teammates charged out to his aid, followed by hundreds of Cleveland fans who poured onto the field; in the ensuing chaos, Indians manager
Ken Aspromonte Kenneth Joseph Aspromonte (born September 22, 1931) is a retired American professional baseball player and manager. During his active career, Aspromonte spent all or parts of seven seasons (1957–63) in the Major Leagues, mostly as a second ba ...
ordered his players to grab bats and protect the Rangers from their own fans, Rangers manager
Billy Martin Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...
grabbed a bat and ran into the crowd, Cleveland pitcher
Tom Hilgendorf Thomas Eugene Hilgendorf (March 10, 1942 – March 25, 2021) was an American professional baseball player. He was a Major League relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies in 1969–1970 and 1972–1 ...
was hit in the back of the head with a metal chair, and chief umpire
Nestor Chylak Nestor George Chylak Jr. (; May 11, 1922February 17, 1982) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1954 to 1978. He umpired in three ALCS (1969, 1972, 1973), serving as crew chief in 1969 and 1973. ...
was hit in the head with a chair thrown from the stands and required stitches. Nine people were arrested, and the game was forfeited to Texas.


1975

* December 6 – In
Rehovot Rehovot ( he, רְחוֹבוֹת ''Rəḥōvōt'', ar, رحوڤوت ''Reḥūfūt'') is a city in the Central District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. In it had a population of . Etymology Israel Belkind, founder of the Bilu movement, ...
,
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, the
Maccabi Rehovot F.C. Maccabi Rehovot F.C. ( he, מכבי רחובות) is an Israeli football club based in Rehovot. The club was a founding member of the Israeli League in 1949 and competed in the top division during the 1950s, but today plays in Liga Gimel, the ...
led the Kfar Gvirol team 1–0 at a regular C league
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
game, when the referee called for a foul committed on Maccabi's
goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
. In response, many of the fans burst into the field, and one of the fans, Shimon Kroha, stabbed Macabbi's player Mordechai (Moti) Kind in the heart. Kind died on the grass, and Kfar Gvirol was suspended from any activity indefinitely. * December 28 – In
Bloomington, Minnesota Bloomington is a suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, on the north bank of the Minnesota River, above its confluence with the Mississippi River, south of downtown Minneapolis. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 89,987, ma ...
, the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
led the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
14–10 when Dallas quarterback
Roger Staubach Roger Thomas Staubach (, -; , -; born February 5, 1942), nicknamed "Roger the Dodger", "Captain America", and "Captain Comeback", is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for ...
threw what would become known as the "
Hail Mary pass A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with an exceptionally small chance of achieving a completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes reference to the Catho ...
" to wide receiver Drew Pearson for what would be the winning touchdown and a final score of 17–14, but not without controversy. The Vikings protested because they believed that Pearson pushed off, which, by rule, is offensive pass interference, which would have negated the touchdown and cost the Cowboys 10 yards, but field judge
Armen Terzian Armen Terzian (1915–1989) was an American-Armenian American football official in the National Football League (NFL) from to . He was a field judge and wore uniform number 23. Career Armen was the field judge for the New Orleans Saints' first r ...
ruled the catch and touchdown legal, and assessed Vikings defensive tackle
Alan Page Alan Cedric Page (born August 7, 1945) is an American retired judge and former professional football He gained national recognition as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) during 15 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings an ...
a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for arguing with officials. Page was also ejected. After the kickoff, with 14 seconds left to play, Fran Tarkenton argued with officials about the controversial no-call and encouraged fans to throw objects onto the field. Then a whiskey bottle thrown by a fan hit Terzian in the head, creating a forehead gash requiring 11 stitches. See Hail Mary pass#Origins for details.


1976

* March 31 – In the closing minutes of the
1975–76 European Cup The 1975–76 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the third consecutive time by Bayern Munich in the final against Saint-Étienne at Hampden Park, Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the ...
semi-final first leg between
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
and
Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
, a local supporter annoyed with the officiating ran onto the field of play and punched referee
Erich Linemayr Erich Linemayr (24 January 1933 in Linz – 4 June 2016) was an Austrian football referee. He is known for having refereed three matches in the FIFA World Cup, two in 1974 and one in 1978. He also refereed two matches in the 1980 UEFA European F ...
and Bayern goalscorer
Gerd Müller Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (; 3 November 1945 – 15 August 2021) was a German professional footballer. A striker renowned for his clinical finishing, especially in and around the six-yard box, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalsco ...
before being restrained – however in the excitement he was allowed to slip back into the crowd. Bayern went on to win the tie and subsequently the trophy, Real Madrid were ordered to play their matches in the following year's competition away from their home city, and the event became a catalyst for one of European football's most enduring cross-border rivalries.Bayern Munich v Real Madrid is the European Clásico - let the Champions League battle commence
Graham Hunter, Daily Record, 11 April 2017
* April 25 – Two fans, William Thomas and his 11-year-old son, ran into the outfield at
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...
and attempted to set fire to an American flag with matches and lighter fluid before
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
outfielder
Rick Monday Robert James "Rick" Monday Jr. (born November 20, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player who now serves as a broadcaster. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a center fielder from 1966 to 1984, most notably as a member ...
ran over, grabbed the flag and carried it away to a standing ovation; Dodger third base coach
Tommy Lasorda Thomas Charles Lasorda (September 22, 1927 – January 7, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher and manager. He managed the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 through 1996. He was inducted into the Nati ...
ran out to center field and launched a profanity-filled tirade at the protestors before being restrained by security. Monday handed the flag to Los Angeles pitcher Doug Rau, after which Thomas and his son were arrested. * June 4 – After a
John Havlicek John Joseph Havlicek ( ; April 8, 1940 – April 25, 2019) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics, winning List of NBA players with most championships, eight NBA championships, four of ...
drive and leaning one-hander in traffic put Boston in front 111–110 as time expired in the second overtime of Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
and the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
at
Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (late ...
, fans invaded the court to celebrate Boston's victory and the Celtics returned to their locker room before CBS analyst
Rick Barry Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player who starred at the NCAA, American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) levels. Barry ranks among the ...
loudly pointed out that the ball had gone through the hoop with two seconds left on the clock. Officials agreed with Barry and ordered the Celtics back onto the floor, but during the ensuing pandemonium, a drunk fan attacked referee Richie Powers and other fans turned over one of the scorer's tables. After a ten minute delay to clear the court and get the Celtics back on the floor, the officials put one second back on the clock.
Garfield Heard Garfield Heard (born May 3, 1948) is an American retired professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the third round of the 1970 NBA draft. He had a ...
hit a turnaround jumper to tie the game to send it into triple overtime, after the Suns called an illegal timeout to move the ball to half court. Boston eventually won 128–126 in triple overtime. The fan who attacked Powers was arrested, and the fans who overturned the scorer's table were ejected. * July 23 – With 1:22 remaining in the third quarter of the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the C ...
at
Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1 ...
, Chicago, the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
led the College All-Stars 24–0 when a torrential rainstorm hit the field that made play impossible. After officials called for a delay, drunk and unruly fans invaded the field and tore down the goalposts. Officials, stadium security and police attempted to clear the field, but twelve minutes later,
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
Commissioner
Pete Rozelle Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle (; March 1, 1926 – December 6, 1996) was an American businessman and executive. Rozelle served as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) for nearly thirty years, from January 1960 until his retirement i ...
and representatives of the sponsoring
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
announced that the game had been called, to loud booing from fans, and numerous brawls broke out on the flooded field before order was restored.


1978

* During a
Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which opera ...
game between the
Fort Worth Texans The Fort Worth Texans were a professional ice hockey team based in Fort Worth, Texas. They started play in 1967 as the Fort Worth Wings, a minor league affiliate for the Detroit Red Wings. They were part of the Central Hockey League and played t ...
and
Dallas Black Hawks The Dallas Black Hawks were a minor-league professional ice hockey team in Dallas, in the U.S. state of Texas. It was a member of the Central Hockey League and played home games at State Fair Coliseum. Origins and relocation to Dallas The Blac ...
at the
Will Rogers Coliseum The Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC) is an American public entertainment, sports and livestock complex located in Fort Worth, Texas. It is named for American humorist and writer Will Rogers. It is a popular location for the hosting of specia ...
, during a "ten cent beer night" promotion, a bench-clearing brawl resulted in further altercations involving brawls between rival fans in the stands. Five fans were injured and ten arrested. This and the earlier ten cent beer night incident in Cleveland led to the banning of significant discount alcohol promotions and tighter regulation of other alcohol promotional sales.


1979

* July 12 –
Disco Demolition Night Disco Demolition Night was a Major League Baseball (MLB) promotion on Thursday, July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, that ended in a riot. At the climax of the event, a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field ...
– In a promotion conceived by
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
DJ
Steve Dahl Steven Robert Dahl (born November 20, 1954) is an American radio personality. He is the owner and operator of the Steve Dahl Network, a subscription-based podcasting network. Dahl gained a measure of national attention after organizing and hostin ...
, fans got admission to a
Comiskey Park Comiskey Park was a baseball park in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-southwest side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Buil ...
doubleheader for 98¢ between the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
and
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
in exchange for bringing in a
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
record to be blown up between games. The first game had a number of delays after fans threw their records,
fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...
and beer cans onto the field, while the between-games explosion tore a large hole into the field, which was followed by thousands of fans invading the field, which resulted in a near-riot. Thirty-seven fans were arrested, and the second game of the doubleheader was forfeited to the Tigers. * December 23 – At the end of a game between the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
and the
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
, Bruins players climbed into the stands to fight with Rangers fans after Stan Jonathan was hit across the face with a rolled up program and
Terry O'Reilly Terence Joseph James O'Reilly (born June 7, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger, who played for the NHL's Boston Bruins, and one of the most effective enforcers in NHL history. O'Reilly was born in Niagara Falls, Ontar ...
's stick was stolen. This incident was made infamous by
Mike Milbury Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
removing a fan's shoe and beating him with it. Four Rangers fans were arrested, with O'Reilly suspended for eight games and Milbury and
Peter McNab Peter Maxwell McNab (May 8, 1952 – November 6, 2022) was a Canadian-born American professional ice hockey player. He played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1973 to 1987, with the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canu ...
for six games by NHL president John Ziegler; all three players were also fined $500.


1980

* January 19 – During a bench-clearing brawl involving the
Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
and the
Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
, drunk Pittsburgh fans behind the Edmonton bench threw beer at Edmonton head coach
Glen Sather Glen Cameron “Slats” Sather (born September 2, 1943) is a Canadian ice hockey player, coach and executive. He is the current senior advisor and alternate governor of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was the Rangers ...
, who attempted to attack the fans when the plexiglass collapsed. * April 7 – During a VFL match between St Kilda and
Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
at
Moorabbin Oval Moorabbin Oval (also known as RSEA Park under a naming rights agreement) is an Australian rules football ground in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia at Linton Street in the suburb of Moorabbin, Victoria, Moorabbin. The ground was most ...
, St Kilda captain Garry Sidebottom was hit across the right eye by a beer can thrown by a drunk Hawthorn fan; Sidebottom required medical attention, but was able to continue in the match. * May 10 – At the end of the
1980 Scottish Cup Final The 1980 Scottish Cup Final was played on 10 May 1980 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 95th Scottish Cup competition. Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers contested the match, which Celtic won 1–0 after extra time. Rioting a ...
between
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
and Rangers at Hampden Park (which Celtic won 1–0 after extra time), celebrating Celtic fans invaded the pitch; after a group of drunk Rangers fans did the same, a sustained brawl between the rival groups ensued, with mounted police being called in to break up the battling fans. This incident led to the banning of alcohol from Scottish football grounds, which remains in place outwith enclosed executive boxes. * October 5 – During the Hardie-Ferodo Bathurst 1000 race, Dick Johnson crashed heavily into a wall on lap 17 of the race while leading after hitting a football sized rock that had been accidentally kicked onto the track by drunk Holden fans, writing off his car. A distraught Johnson subsequently appeared on live television stating he had dedicated all of his finances in a final shot at the winning the race after ten years as a competent mid-fielder. Telecaster ATN7 set up a telethon to raise money to get Johnson back into racing in 1981; he won the Bathurst 1000 and the ATCC that year.


1981

* September 24 – During a game between the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
and the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
at
Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 un ...
, Dodgers
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
Reggie Smith Carl Reginald Smith (born April 2, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and afterwards served as a coach and front office executive. He also played in the Nippon Profe ...
jumped into the stands after Giants fan Michael Dooley threw a
helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...
at him. Smith was ejected, and eight fans received citations.


1982

* March 20 – With 49 seconds remaining in a 3–3 tie game between the
Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...
and the
Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques (french: Nordiques de Québec, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Quebec City Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the W ...
home team, a Nordiques fan reached over the plexiglass and punched
Tiger Williams David James "Tiger" Williams (born February 3, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from the 1974–75 NHL season to the 1987–88 NHL season. He is the NHL's career leader in ...
of the Canucks when he was in an altercation with
Peter Šťastný Peter Šťastný (; born 18 September 1956), also known colloquially as "Peter the Great" and "Stosh", is a Slovak-Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1980 to 1995. Šťastný is the ...
. Some Canucks players charged towards the stands, but were restrained by Quebec police and security. The fan was ejected from the arena. * November 13 – During the second day of the first Ashes test between Australia and England at the WACA, a group of drunk and drug-affected English fans invaded the pitch after England had passed 400 in its first innings. One fan, 19-year-old Gary Donnison, hit Australian fast bowler
Terry Alderman Terence Michael Alderman (born 12 June 1956) is a former Australia cricket team, Australian international cricketer who played primarily as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He began his first-class cricket career in 1974 with Western Australia i ...
in the face, and Alderman chased Donnison before trying to tackle him, leaving Alderman with a dislocated shoulder and having to be carried off on a stretcher; teammates
Dennis Lillee Dennis Keith Lillee, (born 18 July 1949) is Australian retired cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation".
and
Allan Border Allan Robert Border (born 27 July 1955) is an Australian cricket commentator and former international cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test ma ...
tripped up Donnison and pinned him to the ground until police and security arrived. Alderman spent 18 months on the sidelines before returning in mid-1984, Donnison and another 25 fans were arrested, and a further 150 were ejected.


1984

* May 19 – An
Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
fan threw a beer cup at
Duane Sutter Duane Calvin Sutter (born March 16, 1960) is a Canadian former National Hockey League player and head coach. He is one of the famed six Sutter brothers to play in the NHL. On May 21 2019, the Edmonton Oilers relieved Duane from his head of pro ...
of the
New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...
while he was in the penalty box. Sutter squirted the fan back with a water bottle, but a second Oilers fan retaliated with a Dixie cup. The second fan was ejected from the arena hours before the Oilers won their first
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
. * August 12 – At an
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
home game, the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
tried to instigate a
beanball "Beanball" is a colloquialism used in baseball, for a ball thrown at an opposing player with the intention of striking them such as to cause harm, often connoting a throw at the player's head (or "bean" in old-fashioned slang). A pitcher who thro ...
war against Pascual Perez after he hit
Alan Wiggins Alan Anthony Wiggins (February 17, 1958 – January 6, 1991) was an American professional baseball player. He was a second baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles between 1981 and 198 ...
with the very first pitch of the game, and fans got into the act late. A drunken Padres fan ran onto the field and attempted to take a loose helmet near third base as a souvenir before being tackled by Braves
Chris Chambliss Carroll Christopher Chambliss (born December 26, 1948) is an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. He served as a coach for th ...
and
Jerry Royster Jeron Kennis Royster (born October 18, 1952) is an American former Major League Baseball player and coach. He was a third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, and the New York Yankees. He was ...
, who restrained the fan until police arrived. Five fans were arrested after running onto the field to participate in a bench-clearing brawl, during which a Braves fan slammed a beer mug on Padre
Kurt Bevacqua Kurt Anthony Bevacqua (; born January 23, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder from 1971 to 1985. Bevacqua is notable for his performance during the 1984 World Series when h ...
's head. Bevacqua gave chase before being restrained by security and police, and the game ended with riot police on top of both dugouts in an attempt to keep fans away from the players, as well as both teams having to go to their locker rooms prematurely. Seventeen players were ejected, the bulk of them from the Padres, and included both teams' managers as well as two San Diego replacement managers,
Ozzie Virgil Sr. Osvaldo José Virgil Pichardo (born May 17, 1932) is a former professional baseball player and coach who was the first Dominican to play in Major League Baseball. He was a utilityman who played in MLB between 1956 and 1969 for the New York / S ...
and
Jack Krol John Thomas Krol (July 5, 1936 – May 30, 1994) was an American coach and manager in Major League Baseball. Primarily a second baseman and shortstop, the right-handed hitting and throwing Krol never reached the Major Leagues during his playing ...
. The fan who slammed the beer mug on Bevacqua's head was charged with assault and battery, Padres manager
Dick Williams Richard Hirschfeld Williams (May 7, 1929 – July 7, 2011) was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front-office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967 to 1 ...
was suspended for nine games and fined $10,000 by Major League Baseball for having instigated the beanball war, while Braves manager
Joe Torre Joseph Paul Torre (; born July 18, 1940) is an American professional baseball executive, serving as a special assistant to the Commissioner of Baseball since 2020. He previously served in the capacity of Major League Baseball's (MLB) chief baseb ...
and five players were each suspended for three games.


1985

* January 5 – In an FA Cup fifth-round match between
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
and
Burton Albion Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club moved its home groun ...
, drunk City fans threw beer cups from the terraces, one of which knocked Albion's goalkeeper unconscious and left him having to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher. With no substitutes left for Albion, City easily won 6–1; however, The English FA declared the match null and void, and ordered a replay at a neutral venue behind closed doors. After only agreeing to play by the casting vote of their manager, City won the replay 1–0 on January 16 at Coventry's Highfield Road. * March 13 – The 1985 Kenilworth Road riot. In an FA Cup sixth round match between
Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...
and
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east ...
, the visiting fans rioted before, during and after the game. The home fans were not guiltless. The Luton goalkeeper was hit on the head by a missile. Eighty-one people were injured, 31 of them police. * March 23 – Before a Hibernian versus
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
match, the Capital City Service and the Aberdeen Soccer Casuals clashed on Easter Road resulting in one Hibs boy being seriously assaulted and taken to hospital in a comatose state. At halftime, it was rumoured he had died, and the atmosphere at the game quickly soured. During the second half Aberdeen fans and players were subject to a barrage of missiles such as bottles, stones, coins, iron bolts and golf balls; Aberdeen goalkeeper Jim Leighton was hit on the neck with an iron bolt, teammate Alex McLeish was struck by a coin and a linesman was hit on the head with a lump of concrete, leading the referee to stop the match until order was restored. He was quoted as saying the scenes in the ground were "the worst I've ever witnessed". * May 4 – During a VFL reserves match at
Lake Oval Lakeside Stadium is an Australian sports arena in the South Melbourne suburb of Albert Park. Comprising an athletics track and soccer stadium, it currently serves as the home ground and administrative base for association football club South M ...
between Collingwood and the Sydney Swans, Collingwood full-back John Bourke kicked Swans ruckman Patrick Foy in the groin in reaction to Foy tagging him throughout the game. When field umpire Phil Waight went to order off Bourke for the incident, Bourke pushed Waight to the ground and kicked him, struck the Collingwood runner in the face, and ran into the stands to assault a Swans fan who Bourke claimed had repeatedly taunted him. Bourke was suspended for 10 years plus 16 games by the VFL, which was later commuted to seven years; Bourke was later pleaded guilty to one count of assault and was found guilty by a magistrate of a second count of assault against Waight and was fined $2,000. * May 29 –
Heysel Stadium disaster The Heysel Stadium disaster ( it, Strage dell'Heysel ; german: link=no, Katastrophe von Heysel ; french: Drame du Heysel ; nl, Heizeldrama ) was a crowd disaster that occurred on 29 May 1985 when mostly Juventus fans escaping from a breach by ...
: A major brawl erupted before the European Cup Final between
Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has p ...
and
Juventus F.C. )''I Bianconeri'' (The White and Blacks)''Le Zebre'' (The Zebras)''La Signora Omicidi'' (The Killer Lady)''La Gheuba'' (: The Hunchback) , founded = as Sport-Club Juventus , ground = Juventus Stadium , capacity = 41,507 , owner = Agnelli ...
where 39 fans died (32 Italian) and 600 were injured after being smashed against the security wall before the start of the match. Despite this, the match was played. English teams were banned from playing in continental competitions for five years and Liverpool were banned for six years.


1986

* February 12 – With 58 seconds remaining in an NHL game between the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
and the
Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...
at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
, hecklers poured beer and soft drinks over the Canucks' bench, causing a five-minute delay;
Craig Coxe Craig Raymond Coxe (born January 21, 1964) is an American former professional ice hockey player. In addition to playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, and the San Jose Sharks. Coxe ...
attempted to retaliate, but was restrained by his teammates and security. One fan, Patrick Nugent, was arrested and another six fans were ejected. * June 21 – At the end of a VFL match between Collingwood and Sydney at Victoria Park, which Sydney won by one point, umpires, Swans players and officials, and police were assaulted, spat on, and pelted with beer cans by angry Collingwood fans, who also attempted to kick in the door to the Swans locker room and fought with Swans fans in the stands. Field umpire Peter Howe and two police officers were injured, with one fan being arrested and five ejected. * August 26 – A fan threw a Bowie hunting knife at
California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
rookie
Wally Joyner Wallace Keith Joyner (born June 16, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player. He played for four major league teams during a 16-year career, most notably for the California Angels, for whom he was an All-Star. He was a member of ...
at
Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...
; Joyner was hit on his left arm by the butt end of the knife, escaping injury.


1987

* During Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
and
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
at the
Pontiac Silverdome The Pontiac Silverdome (also known simply as the Silverdome) was a stadium in Pontiac, Michigan. It opened in 1975 and sat on 199 acres (51 ha) of land. When the stadium opened, it featured a fiberglass fabric roof held up by air pressure, ...
, fans began throwing ice and beer cups onto the court after
Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
was ejected for responding to a hard foul by
Bill Laimbeer William J. Laimbeer Jr. (born May 19, 1957) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Pistons. Known for his rough and violent style of play, he played a big part in the P ...
by throwing at least two punches and the basketball at Laimbeer's head. Fans continued to throw debris at Bird as he walked back to the locker room.


1988

* April 30 – With the score tied at 5–5 in the ninth inning of a Major League Baseball game between the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
and the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
, first base umpire
Dave Pallone David Michael Pallone (born October 5, 1951) is an American former Major League Baseball Umpire (baseball), umpire who worked in the National League from to . During Pallone's career, he wore uniform number 26. Umpiring career Pallone umpired ...
called New York Mets outfielder
Mookie Wilson William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson (born February 9, 1956) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder and coach remembered as the Met who hit the ground ball that rolled through Bill Buckner's legs in the bottom of the 10th inning of ...
safe on a delayed call, with the delay giving Howard Johnson the time to score the eventual game-winning run. Reds manager
Pete Rose Peter Edward Rose Sr. (born April 14, 1941), also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, most prominently as a membe ...
immediately rushed from the dugout to argue with Pallone about the call and how slowly it was made, but after Pallone mocked Rose's gestures by pointing his finger at Rose, Rose accused Pallone of poking him in the eye and shoved him. Pallone promptly ejected Rose and Reds fans responded by booing and throwing beer cups, golf balls, coins, garbage, and various other objects onto the field and at Pallone, causing a 14-minute delay before being warned that the game would be declared a forfeit to the Mets. Pallone was removed from the game for his own safety, while Rose was suspended for 30 games and fined $10,000 by Major League Baseball for the incident.


1989

* September 27 – The
Iron rod incident The Iron rod incident ( nl, Staafincident) was an incident of football hooliganism at the De Meer Stadion of Dutch football club Ajax Amsterdam on 27 September 1989. During a home match against Austria Wien, the Austrian goalkeeper Franz Wohlfahr ...
( nl, Staafincident) refers to very serious case of
football hooliganism Football hooliganism, also known as soccer hooliganism, football rioting or soccer rioting, constitutes violence and other destructive behaviours perpetrated by spectators at association football events. Football hooliganism normally involves ...
which took place on 27 September 1989 at the
De Meer Stadion De Meer Stadion () is the former stadium of Dutch record football champions Ajax. It was opened in 1934 as a result of the club's former stadium being too small. Upon completion, it could hold 22,000 spectators, but accommodating up to 29,500 at ...
of Dutch football club
Ajax Amsterdam Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or simply Ajax, is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax (named after the l ...
. During a home match against
Austria Wien Fußballklub Austria Wien AG (; known in English as Austria Vienna, and usually shortened to Austria (German: Österreich) in German-speaking countries, is an Austrian association football club from the capital city of Vienna. It has won the mos ...
the Austrian
goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
Franz Wohlfahrt was struck by a metal iron rod which was launched onto the pitch by the Ajax hooligan firm
F-side The F-side is a Dutch football hooligan group associated with AFC Ajax. The name came from the stand in Ajax' former stadium De Meer Vak F. Background The F-side was founded in 1976. The biggest rivalry was between the F-side and Vak S of ...
. As a result, Ajax had to concede the match by default and were excluded from competing in European football for a year. * October 1 – During a game between the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
and the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
at
Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium, commonly known as Municipal Stadium, Lakefront Stadium or Cleveland Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball an ...
, officials had the teams switch end zones in the fourth quarter to protect Denver players from batteries and other objects being thrown from the
Dawg Pound The Dawg Pound is the name of the bleacher section behind the east end zone in FirstEnergy Stadium, the home field of the Cleveland Browns, a National Football League (NFL) franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio. Formation According to Hanford Dixon, ...
. The switch put the wind at the Browns' back, and the Browns wound up winning on a field goal that barely cleared the crossbar. * December 10 – Week 14 of the
1989 NFL season The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement. Paul Tagliabue was eventually chosen to succeed him, taking over on November 5. Due to ...
saw two notable fan incidents occur almost simultaneously. ** During
Bounty Bowl II The Bounty Bowl was the name given to two NFL games held in 1989 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. The first, a 1989 Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas, was noted for allegations that the Eagles put a $200 bounty on Cowboys kicker L ...
at
Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capacities were 65,358 for footb ...
,
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
fans threw snowballs, chunks of ice, and various other objects at
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
players and officials as revenge against accusations by Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson that Eagles coach
Buddy Ryan James David "Buddy" Ryan (February 17, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). During his 35-season coaching career, Ryan served as the head coach of the ...
had placed a "bounty" on the head of Cowboys
placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter. Spe ...
Luis Zendejas Luis Fernando Zendejas (born October 22, 1961) is a Mexican former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Arena Football ...
during the teams' previous meeting. Back judge Al Jury and Cowboys punter
Mike Saxon Michael Eric Saxon (born July 10, 1962) is a former American football punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at San Diego State University. He won Sup ...
were both knocked to the ground by a barrage of snowballs. CBS broadcasters
Verne Lundquist Merton Laverne Lundquist Jr. (born July 17, 1940) is an American sportscaster. Biography Early life and career Lundquist was born in Duluth, Minnesota. He graduated from Austin High School in Austin, Texas, before attending Texas Lutheran Un ...
and
Terry Bradshaw Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Since 1994, he has been a television sports analyst an ...
had to dodge snowballs aimed at the broadcast booth (at one point, with the cameras focused on them, Bradshaw took one and threw it against the wall so viewers could see just how dangerous the snowballs were), while at the end of the game Lundquist claimed on-air that a recent root canal surgery had been more pleasant than broadcasting the Eagles. Johnson was booed, pelted with various objects, and had beer poured on him as he was escorted from the field by
Philadelphia Police The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD or Philly PD) is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The PPD is one of the oldest municipal police agencies, fourth largest ...
officers at the end of the game. The Eagles upgraded security at the stadium and banned beer sales for their last home game of the season. ** Meanwhile,
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
fans, angered by what they perceived as a bad call, booed, and threw beer bottles and various objects at officials and
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
players. The Seahawks, who were backed up deep in their own territory, refused to play until the field was cleared; during a 10-minute delay, Bengals coach
Sam Wyche Samuel David Wyche (; January 5, 1945 – January 2, 2020) was an American football quarterback and coach. He was a quarterback and head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals and a quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers. As head coach, he l ...
addressed the crowd. Alluding to how boorish their in-state rivals were just two months earlier, he angrily reminded Bengals fans "You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati!"


1990

* March 24 – During a WHL playoff game between the
Seattle Thunderbirds The Seattle Thunderbirds are a major junior ice hockey team based in the city of Kent, Washington, south of Seattle. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League. They play their games at home in ac ...
and the
Tri-City Americans The Tri-City Americans are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, based in Kennewick, Washington. The team plays its home games at Toyota Center (Kennewick), Toyota Center. Every game is broadcast locally on the Tri-City A ...
at a packed
Seattle Center Coliseum Climate Pledge Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located north of Downtown Seattle in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, for which it was or ...
, Americans players responded to heckling and beer throwing from Thunderbirds fans by swinging sticks at them behind the bench; fans were able to gain control of several players' sticks. The Americans coach, Rick Kozuback, and Americans players Terry Virtue, Steve Jacques and Jeff Fancy were given game misconduct penalties and suspended for their role in the melee. A police officer and an Americans fan were injured, with four fans being arrested and another five being ejected. * May 15 – With 2:52 remaining in the second quarter in Game 6 of the
1990 PBA First Conference Finals The 1990 PBA First Conference Finals was the best-of-seven basketball championship series of the 1990 PBA First Conference, and the conclusion of the conference's playoffs. Formula Shell Zoom Masters and Añejo Rum 65ers played for the 45th champio ...
between the Añejo Rhum 65ers and Shell Rimula X Zoom Masters (the latter leading the series 3–2), 65ers playing coach
Robert Jaworski Robert Vincent Salazar Jaworski Sr. (; born March 8, 1946) is a Filipino former professional basketball player, head coach and politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1998 to 2004. He played 23 seasons in the Philippine Bas ...
went to the officials table to protest the unfavorable officiating after 65ers enforcer
Rey Cuenco Reynaldo "Rey" Cuenco (March 17, 1960 – August 15, 1996) was a Filipino former professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. Career highlights A native of Pampanga, Rey became part of the Masagana 99 team in the PA ...
was ejected for a second technical for tapping on the nape of a referee, angry that his team had more fouls than Shell in just the first half alone. As photographers and cameraman ran towards him, the predominant and angry Añejo crowd booed and threw various objects on the court, forcing play to be stopped, and the 65ers walked back to their locker room, with team manager Bernabe Navarro leading the walkout. After order was restored, PBA Commissioner
Rudy Salud Rodrigo Salud (March 13, 1938 – March 7, 2011) was the third commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association from 1988 to 1992 and the founding secretary-general of the World Boxing Council. His son, Chito, was also a former commissio ...
gave both teams 10 minutes to go back on the court but the 65ers refused to do so and, after two 90-second ultimatums, the Zoom Masters were declared winners by forfeit and champions. Despite Navarro saying that the decision to walk out was from fears that something worse would happen if his team continued on with the game, the 65ers were fined a total of P550,000 for the forfeit.


1991

* May 11 – During a game between the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
and the
California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
at
Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium, commonly known as Municipal Stadium, Lakefront Stadium or Cleveland Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball an ...
, Indians outfielder
Albert Belle Albert Jojuan Belle (born August 25, 1966), known until 1990 as Joey Belle, is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1989 to 2000, most notably for the Cleveland Indians. Known for his fierce, competitive temperament ...
threw a ball into the stands that hit a heckler, Jeff Pillar, in the chest. Pillar suffered minor bruising, while Belle was ejected, suspended for six games and fined $50,000 by Major League Baseball.


1992

* April 12 – During a match between the
Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
and the
Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques (french: Nordiques de Québec, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Quebec City Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the W ...
,
Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
forward
Rob Ray Robert John Ray (born June 8, 1968) is a Canadian sports broadcaster and former professional ice hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators. He was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy by the National Hockey League in 1999 for ...
fought a fan who had entered the visitors bench on a bet. The fan was severely beaten before police intervened. * November 16 – During an
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
first round replay between
Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
and
Kingstonian Kingstonian Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London which currently plays in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was founded in 1885 by YMC ...
, a Peterborough fan threw a missile which knocked Kingstonian's goalkeeper unconscious and left him having to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher. With no substitute goalkeeper available, Peterbrough was able to win easily, with a final score of 9–1; however,
The Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...
declared the match null and void, and ordered a rematch with no fans present. Peterbrough won the replay 1–0 on November 21.


1993

* April 30 – During a changeover in a tennis match in
Hamburg, Germany (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
, tennis star
Monica Seles Monica Seles (; hu, Széles Mónika, ; sr, Моника Селеш, Monika Seleš; born December 2, 1973) is a retired professional tennis player who represented Yugoslavia and the United States. A former world No. 1, she won nine Grand Slam ...
was stabbed in the back by
Steffi Graf Stefanie Maria Graf ( , ; born 14 June 1969) is a German former professional tennis player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, she was ranked world No. 1 for a record 377 weeks and won 22 major singles titles, ...
fan Günter Parche.


1995

* January 25 – After French
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
player
Eric Cantona Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona (; ; born 24 May 1966) is a French actor, director, producer, and former professional footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Cantona is credited as having made Manchester United a d ...
had been sent off for kicking an opponent during a game against
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
, Palace fan Matthew Simmons left his seat and came down to the touchline shouting racist abuse at Cantona as he walked off the pitch; in response, Cantona ran over and launched a chest high kick at Simmons and landed several punches before police and security separated them, with Cantona being given a second red card. Cantona was banned for the remainder of the
FA Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
season and fined £50,000; he was also convicted of assault and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service. * February 6 – During a timeout in an NBA game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets at Portland Memorial Coliseum, Houston Rockets guard
Vernon Maxwell Vernon Maxwell (born September 12, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who was a shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for thirteen seasons during the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. Maxwell play ...
ran a dozen rows into the stands and punched a fan, Steve George, in the face; Maxwell claimed George had heckled him over his wife's recent miscarriage. George suffered a broken jaw, while Maxwell was ejected, suspended for 10 games and fined $20,000 by the
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
. * September 28 –
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
pitcher
Randy Myers Randall Kirk Myers (born September 19, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Bl ...
was attacked on the mound by a fan, John Murray, at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...
after giving up a home run; Myers, well known for his martial arts skills, easily subdued his attacker and held him on the ground until authorities arrested him. Murray was charged with assault and disorderly conduct; Cubs shortstop
Shawon Dunston Shawon Donnell Dunston (born March 21, 1963) is an American retired professional baseball player. A shortstop, Dunston played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1985 through 2002. Dunston was the first overall pick in the 1982 MLB draft by the ...
, the first person on the scene, told the AP that, knowing which teammate was being attacked, he feared Myers might seriously injure or even kill the fan. * December 23 – With the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
leading 27–17 during the fourth quarter of a game against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
at
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
, intoxicated Giants fans threw hundreds of snowballs and chunks of ice at Chargers players and team officials, injuring fifteen people, while Chargers equipment manager Sid Brooks was knocked unconscious (as the NBC broadcast showed him lying injured on the sideline, long snapper
David Binn David Aaron Binn (born February 6, 1972) is a former American football long snapper who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eighteen seasons. He played college football for the University of California, Berkeley. He was signed by t ...
was seen in the background making an obscene gesture and yelling abuse toward the snowball-throwing fans) and had to be removed from the stadium on a stretcher. Fifteen people were arrested and an additional 175 were ejected, with 75 fans having their season tickets revoked.


1996

* July 11 – After
Riddick Bowe Riddick Lamont Bowe (born August 10, 1967) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1989 and 2008. He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1992, and as an amateur he won a silver medal in the super heavyw ...
had been given a 7th round victory by referee Wayne Kelly due to the disqualification of
Andrew Golota Andrzej Jan Gołota (; born 5 January 1968), best known as Andrew Golota, is a Polish former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2013. He challenged four times for a heavyweight world title (by all four major sanctioning bodies), and as ...
following a series of blows by Golota the referee ruled low or illegal at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
in New York City, fighting between corners of the two boxers began in the ring, and was soon joined by fans from the stands. At one point, Golota was struck in the head with a
cellular phone A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...
. Several fans were injured or arrested and Golota's manager,
Lou Duva Louis Duva (May 28, 1922 – March 8, 2017) was a boxing trainer, manager and boxing promoter who handled nineteen world champions. The Duva family promoted boxing events in over twenty countries on six continents. Lou Duva was inducted into the ...
, was hospitalized for observation. * November 26 – In an NHL game between the
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
and the
Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
at
Northlands Coliseum Northlands Coliseum is a now-unused indoor arena located in Edmonton, Alberta, situated on the north side of Northlands. It was used for sports events and concerts, and was home to the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) and N ...
, Flames forward
Sasha Lakovic Sasha Gordon Lakovic (September 7, 1971 – April 25, 2017) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for 17 different professional teams during his career. Lakovic also played for four roller hockey teams in the mid-1990s. Lako ...
attempted to climb the glass behind the players bench to get back at a drunk Oilers fan who had spilled beer over assistant coach
Guy Lapointe Guy Gerard Lapointe (born March 18, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League. He currently serves as Coordinator of Amateu ...
. Lakovic was restrained by his teammates, received a misconduct penalty and was suspended for two games, and the NHL fined the Oilers $20,000 for having inadequate security. The fan was ejected from the arena. The incident was broadcast on the CBC.


1997

* During a cricket match between
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Ontario, Canada, an Indian fan repeatedly called Pakistan captain
Inzamam-ul-Haq Inzamam-ul-Haq SI ( ur, ; born 3 March 1970), also known as Inzi, is a former Pakistan cricketer and captain of Pakistan national cricket team. He was also professional cricket coach for Pakistan. He was the leading run scorer for Pakistan i ...
a "potato" over a megaphone as he fielded on the boundary; Inzamam grabbed a
bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...
and ran into the stands while swinging it before being resed by security, but no-one was hit.


1999

* May 2 – During the deciding match of the
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the top level league competition for professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football' ...
season, between
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
and Rangers at
Celtic Park Celtic Park is the home stadium of Celtic Football Club, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest football stadium in Scotland, and the eighth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom. It is also ...
, which Rangers won 3–0, referee
Hugh Dallas Hugh Dallas MBE (born 26 October 1957) is a Scottish former football referee. He officiated at two FIFA World Cup tournaments, in 1998 and 2002; he was appointed fourth official for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final. Dallas also officiated at th ...
was struck in the head with a missile, causing him to need attention for a cut, and a drunk Celtic fan shouting abuse at Dallas from the upper tier fell over the balcony to the lower tier. Rangers players were also booed and pelted with various objects by Celtic fans while leaving the pitch at the end of the bad-tempered match which saw three players shown a red card (ejected). On four separate occasions, intoxicated Celtic fans also invaded the pitch and attempted to attack Dallas and other Rangers players; they were arrested and banned from Celtic Park for life. The match was shown live on
Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It ...
on a Sunday evening. The authorities subsequently decided that whenever possible, fixtures between the rivals (known as the
Old Firm The Old Firm is the collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, which are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are by far the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply em ...
) should be played on Saturday morning so supporters would have less opportunity to drink to excess prior to the event – alcohol was already banned from Scottish football stadia following the events of 1980 involving the same two clubs – and scheduled as early as possible in the calendar to lessen the probability of its outcome directly deciding the league title. * September 24 – During a game between the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
and the
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
at
Milwaukee County Stadium Milwaukee County Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Opened in 1953, it was primarily a baseball park for Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Braves and later the Milwaukee Brewers. It was also used for Green Bay Packers ...
, Astros outfielder Billy Spiers was attacked by a drunk fan, Bert W. Visgar, while standing in right field. Spiers suffered slight injuries, and Visgar was sentenced to 90 days in jail. * November 22 – After having been pelted with snowballs throughout the second half of a game against the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
,
Charles Woodson Charles Cameron Woodson (born October 7, 1976) is a former American football defensive back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Mic ...
of the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
retaliated by throwing a snowball back into the crowd, hitting a woman in the face. An arrest warrant was later issued for Woodson. Raiders tackle
Lincoln Kennedy Tamerlane Lincoln Kennedy (born Tamerlane Fizel Kennedy Jr.; February 12, 1971) is a former football offensive tackle. He played college football at Washington, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. A first-round selection in the 19 ...
later ran into the stands and punched a drunk Broncos fan, who had thrown a snowball at him, in the face. The fan was ejected from the stadium.


2000

* April 7 – During a
Davis Cup The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. It is described by the organis ...
rubber between
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
held in what later became the
Movistar Arena Movistar Arena is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Santiago, Chile. It is located inside O'Higgins Park, in downtown Santiago. Its main structure was built in 1956, but it remained unfinished and without roof, the roof was installed in ...
, the Chilean crowd booed the Argentinian team and pelted Argentinian players and officials with fruit, coins, and plastic chairs, causing numerous delays. The Chilean Tennis Federation were fined US$50,000 for the incident and having inadequate security, and then lost the home court rights for two years. * May 16 – During a game between the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
and the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...
in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, drunk Cubs fans poured beer over Dodgers players sitting on the bench, and a drunk Cubs fan grabbed the
cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
off the head of the Dodgers'
Chad Kreuter Chadden Michael Kreuter (; born August 26, 1964) is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager, and former college baseball head coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1988 to 2003 for seven different franchis ...
, starting a bench-clearing brawl in which Dodgers players entered the stands to fight with Cubs fans. Sixteen players and three coaches were ejected and suspended for a total of 76 games.


2001

* March 29 – During a game between the
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
and the
Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...
at the
First Union Center The Wells Fargo Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Philadelphia. It serves as the home of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the ...
, a drunk Flyers fan, Chris Falcone, leaned over the glass which separated fans from the
penalty box The penalty box or sin bin (sometimes called the bad box, or simply bin or box) is the area in ice hockey, rugby union, rugby league, roller derby and some other sports where a player sits to serve the time of a given penalty, for an offence not ...
to confront Leafs player
Tie Domi Tahir "Tie" Domi (born November 1, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Known as an enforcer, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets over a 16-year NHL career. He is the Maple Leafs' all ti ...
after Domi had shot water at a heckler. A scuffle ensued after the glass panel came loose, and Falcone's momentum carried him into the box where Domi had been seated. Domi was restrained by officials and fined $1,000 by the NHL for the incident, while Falcone was ejected from the arena, received a police citation and was fined $150. * April 17 – Near the end of a one-day international between England and Pakistan at Headingley, hundreds of fans invaded the pitch, and a steward was kicked and hit repeatedly while attempting to protect the stumps; he was left with broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder and had to be carried from the pitch on a stretcher. English captain
Alec Stewart Alec James Stewart (born 8 April 1963) is an English former cricketer, and former captain of the England cricket team, who played Test cricket and One Day Internationals as a right-handed wicket-keeper-batsman. He is the fourth-most-capped Eng ...
conceded the game on safety grounds 15 minutes later with Pakistan still two runs short of their target of 157. Several arrests were made. * December 16 –
Bottlegate Bottlegate, also referred to as The Beer Bottle Game, was an officiating controversy in an American football game in the 2001 season of the National Football League between the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns. The incitin ...
– During an NFL game between the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
and the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, the referees took the unusual step of reviewing a play that had happened a play earlier, citing technical difficulties (normally under NFL rules, only the last play made can be reviewed). Browns fans angered by the overturning of the call on that play with 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter threw beer bottles, cups and garbage onto the field, with officials as well as players on both teams being hit, resulting in a 22-minute delay. Initially the game was called, with
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
announcers Gus Johnson and
Boomer Esiason Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason (; born April 17, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was selected in th ...
—who played for the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
during the "You don't live in Cleveland" incident—highly critical of the fans' conduct and the officials' handling of the incident. At least three Browns fans who attempted to run onto the field to remonstrate with officials were arrested, a number of Browns fans were ejected, and Commissioner Paul Tagliabue later ordered the final 48 seconds to be played.


2002

* August 10 – During a rugby union Tri Nations match at the
ABSA Stadium The Kings Park Stadium (known as the Hollywoodbets Kings Park for sponsorship reasons since 2022), is a stadium located in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa. The stadium was originally built with a capacity of 12,000 and ...
between and , a drunk South African fan, Pieter van Zyl, scaled a perimeter fence, ran onto the pitch and tackled the referee,
David McHugh David McHugh is a former Irish rugby union referee. McHugh refereed matches at the 1995, 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups. In 1996 McHugh refereed the inaugural Heineken Cup final. He would also referee the 2001 final, making him the first ref ...
of
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, leaving McHugh with a dislocated shoulder and having to be carried from the pitch on a stretcher. All Blacks flanker
Richie McCaw Richard Hugh McCaw (born 31 December 1980) is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He captained the national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups. He has won the World Rugby ...
wrestled him to the ground until police and security arrested him. van Zyl was convicted of trespassing and assault, and was sentenced to three months in jail, fined $275, and banned for life from attending rugby matches in South Africa. * August 18 – At the end of an
AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
match between
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
and
Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
, a female
stalker Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them. The term ...
of five years on a restraining order ran onto the field to approach Richmond's
Greg Stafford Francis Gregory Stafford (February 9, 1948 – October 10, 2018), usually known as Greg Stafford, was an American game designer, publisher, and practitioner of shamanism. Stafford is most famous as the creator of the fantasy world of Glorantha ...
and tried to embrace him before he pushed her away and summoned security and police, who ejected the woman from the arena. The incident sparked much media attention as Stafford raised the issue of player security. * September 16 – A fight broke out amongst fans at
FedExField FedExField (originally Jack Kent Cooke Stadium) is an American football stadium located in Summerfield, Maryland, east of Washington, D.C. The stadium is the home of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 un ...
during a ''
Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
'' game between the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
and the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
with six and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Police broke up the fight by using
pepper spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, cr ...
, but the mist hit air blowers near the Eagles bench which affected the players, resulting in an eight-minute delay of the game. * September 19 – During a game between the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
and the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
at
Comiskey Park Comiskey Park was a baseball park in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-southwest side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Buil ...
in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, Royals first base coach
Tom Gamboa Thomas Harold Gamboa (born February 28, 1948) is an American professional baseball coach and manager. Gamboa has managed in the minor leagues as high as AAA (the Toledo Mud Hens in the International League and the Albuquerque Dukes in the Pacifi ...
was violently assaulted by 34-year-old William Ligue Jr. and his 15-year-old son, William Ligue III. * November 23 – As tensions between the two teams built throughout a penalty-filled college football game between
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
and
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
at
Aloha Stadium Aloha Stadium is a closed multi-purpose stadium located in Halawa, Hawaii, a western suburb of Honolulu (though with a Honolulu address). It is the largest stadium in the state of Hawaii. , the stadium ceased fan-attended operations indefinitely ...
in
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, a controversial late hit on the already injured Hawaii
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Timmy Chang Timothy Kealii'okaaina Awa Chang (born October 9, 1981) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is currently the head coach of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. During his playing career at Hawaii, he set several major college footba ...
caused a bench-clearing brawl which also involved both teams' mascots. Cincinnati's
athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...
Bob Goin accused Hawaii fans of threatening Cincinnati players, coaches, and cheerleaders, and police used
pepper spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, cr ...
on fans who threw beer cups and garbage at Cincinnati players after the game.


2003

* April 15 – During a game between the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
and the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
in Chicago, a fan ran onto the field (mid-play) and tried to tackle umpire
Laz Diaz Laz or LAZ may refer to: People * Laz people of the Black Sea area **Laz language First name *Laz Alonso (born 1975), American actor *Laz Barrera (1924–1991), Cuban-born American racehorse trainer * Laz-D (born 1982), American rapper *Laz Díaz ...
; Diaz, a former
Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...
, easily threw the fan to the ground. * April 19 – Texas Rangers right fielder
Carl Everett Carl Edward Everett III (born June 3, 1971) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. A switch hitter, he played for eight teams over the course of a 14-year career. He was a member of the Chicago White Sox when they won the 2005 Wo ...
was hit in the back of a head by a cell phone at Oakland's
Network Associates Coliseum Oakland Coliseum, currently branded as RingCentral Coliseum, is a stadium in Oakland, California. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880. The Coliseum is the home ba ...
. The male fan who threw the phone was arrested. * April 26 – During a
League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
match between
Queens Park Rangers F.C. Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Roa ...
and
Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The Crewe built-up area had a total population of 75,556 in 2011, which also covers parts of the adjacent civil parishes of Willaston ...
at
Loftus Road Loftus Road is a football stadium in White City, London, England, which is home to Queens Park Rangers. In 1981, it became the first stadium in British professional football to have an artificial pitch of Omniturf installed. This remained in ...
, a beer can and a coin were thrown at the referee, Andy Hall; at the end of the match, which ended in a 0–0 draw that ensured Crewe's promotion and saw two QPR players ejected, a pitch invasion occurred, with a QPR fan running onto the pitch to remonstrate with and abuse Hall before being ejected from the arena. * May 17 – During a
Czech First League The Czech First League, known as the Fortuna liga for sponsorship reasons, is a Czech professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Czech football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Seasons typically r ...
association football match between
AC Sparta Prague ) but refer to Spartans as "''Rudí''" ( en, The Dark Reds/The Maroons).'' Letenští'' , ground = Generali Česká pojišťovna Arena , capacity = 19,416 , clubname = Sparta Prague , image = Sparta Praha logo.png , image_size = 160px , fu ...
and FC Bohemians Prague, a drunk fan climbed over the fence, ran onto the pitch, and repeatedly hit an assistant referee with fists (after Bohemians conceded a goal from a suspected offside). The match was abandoned and afterwards forfeited as a 3–0 win for Sparta, with Sparta claiming the league championship and Bohemians losing the last chance of avoiding relegation to the second league; the fan was later jailed for three years (for this and other offenses). * October 11 – At the end of a college football game between the
Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divis ...
and the
Missouri Tigers The Missouri Tigers intercollegiate athletics programs represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia. The name comes from a band of armed Union Home Guards called the Fighting Tigers of Columbia who, in 1864, protected Columbia fro ...
in
Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's fourth ...
, celebrating Missouri fans invaded the field, and Nebraska cornerback Kellen Huston punched a Missouri fan, Matthew Scott, in the face, knocking Scott unconscious and leaving him having to be carried from the field on a stretcher; Scott also required surgery for a broken nose. Huston was suspended for one game and fined $500 in court after pleading guilty to a Class B misdemeanor charge of public disturbance of fighting. * November 1 – In the late stages of a pool match in the
2003 Rugby World Cup The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup. Originally planned to be hosted by India, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the Indian Rugby Union and Rugby World Cup ...
between South Africa and Samoa at
Suncorp Stadium Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...
in Brisbane, a drunk Samoan fan ran onto the pitch and attempted to tackle Springbok Louis Koen around the legs as he was kicking a goal. Koen kicked the goal, and inadvertently knocked the fan unconscious with a kick to the head, leaving him having to be taken from the field on a stretcher.


2004

* March 26 – During an NRL game between the
Canterbury Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilita ...
and the
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
at Aussie Stadium, Roosters player
Brett Finch Brett John Finch (born 20 August 1981) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. A New South Wales State of Origin representative half back, he played in the National Rugby League for Austra ...
threw a full drink bottle back into the crowd after being pelted with missiles by Bulldogs fans. One fan was subsequently banned from attending NRL matches for life on video evidence, while Finch was ejected and suspended for three games. * August 29 – During the men's
marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
event at the
2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
, defrocked Irish-born priest
Neil Horan Cornelius "Neil" Horan, sometimes referred to as The Grand Prix Priest, The Dancing Priest or The Armageddon Priest (born 22 April 1947), is a laicised Irish Roman Catholic priest who is noted for his interference with the running of the 2003 ...
burst out of the crowd to accost race leader
Vanderlei de Lima Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima (born 4 July 1969) is a Brazilian retired long-distance runner. He was born in Cruzeiro do Oeste, Paraná. While leading the marathon after 35 km at the 2004 Summer Olympics, he was attacked on the course by Iri ...
. The action may have cost de Lima the
gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
, although many observers have noted that
Stefano Baldini Stefano Baldini (born 25 May 1971 in Castelnovo di Sotto, Emilia-Romagna, Italy) is a retired Italian runner who specialized in the marathon. He was the Olympic champion in Athens and was twice European champion (1998 and 2006). Biography Baldini ...
of Italy and
Mebrahtom Keflezighi Mebrahtom "Meb" Keflezighi (; Ge'ez: መብራህቶም ክፍልእዝጊ, ''Mebrāhtōm Kifl'izgī''; born May 5, 1975) is a retired Eritrean-born American long distance runner. He is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the marathon and fin ...
of the United States were gaining on him before the attack. De Lima ultimately placed third in the race behind Baldini and Keflezighi. De Lima later declined to protest the result, for which the
IOC The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
compensated him with the
De Coubertin medal The Pierre de Coubertin medal is a special decoration awarded by the International Olympic Committee that "pays tribute to institutions with a pedagogical and educational role and to people who, through their research and the creation of intellect ...
. Fellow Brazilian and Olympic beach volleyball player Emanuel Rego, who won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games, was so impressed with de Lima's sportsmanship that he gave his gold medal to de Lima on television on July 1, 2005. A deeply and visibly touched Vanderlei returned it, saying that "I can't accept Emanuel's medal. I'm happy with mine, it's bronze but means gold". * September 13 – During a game between the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
and the Texas Rangers at
Network Associates Coliseum Oakland Coliseum, currently branded as RingCentral Coliseum, is a stadium in Oakland, California. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880. The Coliseum is the home ba ...
in Oakland, Rangers pitcher
Frank Francisco Franklin Thomas Francisco (born September 11, 1979) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets and Chicago White Sox. Baseball career Fr ...
was ejected, arrested, and charged with assault and battery after he threw a metal chair into the stands that hit a fan, Jennifer Bueno, breaking her nose and causing a gash which required stitches. Francisco was released on $15,000 bail and suspended for the remainder of the season by MLB. He pleaded no contest to the charges, and was sentenced to anger management classes and a work program; in 2007, he settled a civil suit brought by Bueno. * September 18 – In the
AFL Cairns AFL Cairns is a semi-professional Australian rules football league that includes clubs from the Cairns region in Queensland, Australia. It is widely regarded as the strongest regional Australian rules football league in Queensland and has a lar ...
Grand Final between the North Cairns Tigers and the Port Douglas Crocs at
Cazaly's Stadium Cazalys Stadium is a sports stadium in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It is situated in the suburb of Westcourt. The stadium is named after the social club which abuts the oval, Cazalys, which itself was named after Australian rules footballe ...
, a wild and violent 15 minute bench-clearing brawl erupted after Tigers players charged at the Crocs pre-match huddle at the end of the national anthem, and escalated when fans and team officials became involved. One fan was arrested and another five were ejected, while three Crocs players and a Crocs runner were left unconscious and having to be carried from the arena on stretchers. After a lengthy AFL investigation, the instigator, North Cairns Tigers coach Jason Love was suspended for eight years, and the 22 North Cairns players were suspended for a total of 400 matches; the Tigers were forced to forfeit their first match of 2005 as a result of these suspensions. AFL Cairns declared the Grand Final a "no result" and withheld the 2004 premiership. * September 29 – After a fan threw a plastic beer bottle onto the field during a home game against the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
and the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
, Milton Bradley (baseball), Milton Bradley of the Dodgers threw it back into the front row. As Bradley walked to the Dodgers' dugout after being ejected, he took his jersey and hat off, and with the crowd behind the dugout booing, Bradley gestured with palms up, urging the fans on. Major League Baseball suspended Bradley for five games. * October 19 – In Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series, American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
, Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez grounded a ball to Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo, who picked up the ball and ran to the baseline to tag Rodriguez out, but Rodriguez slapped Arroyo's arm, knocking the ball loose and causing Derek Jeter to score. After the umpires consulted, Rodríguez was called out for interference and Jeter was ordered back to first, thus wiping out the score. The call incensed the Yankee fans, who began to throw balls and other debris onto the field. Boston manager Terry Francona pulled his players from the field to protect them. After a delay, order was restored, but in the top of the ninth, after a leadoff single, the Yankees attempted to turn a double play. However, on a very close play, Orlando Cabrera was called safe at first base. This was the third time in the game that the frustrated New York fan base had a close call go against their team, and they again showered the field with debris, causing NYPD officers to begin streaming out of the dugouts and take the field in full riot gear. The police remained on the field, near the first and third base walls, for the remainder of the top of the ninth. * November 19 – The Malice at the Palace: one of American sports' most infamous incidents. Near the end of an
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
game between the Indiana Pacers and the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
at The Palace of Auburn Hills, a fight broke out on the court between the Pistons' Ben Wallace (basketball), Ben Wallace and the Pacers' Metta World Peace, Ron Artest after Artest fouled Wallace from behind. As the on-court fight died down, a fan threw a drink at Artest while he was laying on the scorer's table. Artest then ran into the stands, as did his teammates (most prominently Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal), causing a huge brawl between players and spectators. Some fans came onto the court, leading to additional fights with Pacer players. The remaining 45 seconds were called off and the Pacers, who led by 15 points at the time, were awarded the win. Pacer players and coaching personnel were pelted with beverages and garbage as they raced into the locker rooms. Nine players received a total of 146 games worth of suspensions, the bulk of it aimed at the Pacers, and five fans were banned from attending Palace Sports and Entertainment events for life. Five Indiana players and five fans were charged with assault and battery.


2005

* April 12 – In the 74th minute of a UEFA Champions League match between crosstown rivals F.C. Internazionale Milano, Inter Milan, A.C. Milan
goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
Dida (goalkeeper), Dida was hit in the shoulder with a flare thrown from the Inter fans to protest the disallowing of an Esteban Cambiasso equaliser. Dida suffered only minor burns, but was unable to continue the match. After burning flares were cleared from the pitch, causing a 30-minute delay, the match was briefly restarted before another round of debris-throwing forced the abandonment of the match. A.C. Milan's 1–0 lead was allowed to stand and they progressed. * April 14 – A fan at Fenway Park took a swing at Yankees right fielder Gary Sheffield as he was fielding a ball in play, prompting Sheffield to take a swing at the fan. While this was happening, another fan threw beer at Sheffield, then jumped back tripping over the fan next to him. After throwing the ball back into the field of play, Sheffield approached the fan who threw a punch at him, before security intervened. The fan was ejected from the stadium and had his season tickets revoked. * November 30 – During the first One Day International, ODI in the Chappell–Hadlee series between Australia national cricket team, Australia and New Zealand national cricket team, New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland, drunk New Zealand fans threw fruit, beer bottles, tennis balls and golf balls at Australian players. Five fans and five streakers were arrested and another 40 were ejected.


2006

* May 28 – During an
AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
match between
North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...
and St Kilda at Telstra Dome, a North Melbourne fan had provocative confrontations with coach Dean Laidley at half-time and after the match. Laidley responded to the after-match confrontation with a verbal barrage and invited the fan into the club's locker rooms to see how badly the players were feeling due to their consistently poor on-field performance; the incident was shown live on Australian television. The fan committed suicide by throwing himself in the path of an oncoming train the next morning, with the man's family, Victoria Police, and North Melbourne officials stating the death was unrelated. * November 11 – At an
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
match between Newport County A.F.C., Newport County and Swansea City A.F.C., Swansea City, fourth official Alan Sheffield was struck in the head with a £1 coin thrown from the crowd after Sheffield and referee Tony Bates engaged in a dispute with Newport manager Peter Beadle, who had been ejected for abusing officials. The impact cut an artery, and Sheffield was rushed into surgery, requiring seven stitches. Several other coin-throwing incidents occurred during November, with Fulham F.C., Fulham's Claus Jensen and Arsenal F.C., Arsenal's Robin van Persie also being hit with coins.


2007

* January 21 – In a Heineken Cup rugby union match between Stade Toulousain, Toulouse and Ulster Rugby, Ulster, Toulouse player Trevor Brennan ran into a section of the stands housing Ulster supporters and assaulted Ulster fan Patrick Bamford. Competition organiser European Rugby Cup found that Brennan was being baited over the standard of Brennan's Bar, which he co-owns in Toulouse. Brennan received a life ban from rugby, which was reduced to a five-year suspension, prompting his retirement. Bamford successfully sued the Guardian, among others, for libel concerning reports that suggested he had shouted sectarian abuse. * March 20 – Following Chelsea F.C., Chelsea's 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham in an
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
quarter-finals match at White Hart Lane, Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard was attacked by Tottenham fan Tim Smith, who pitch invasion, ran onto the pitch and threw a clumsy punch at him. Footage appears to show Lampard's teammate Didier Drogba stomping on Smith after Chelsea's fitness coach Rui Faria had wrestled Smith to the ground. * May 23 – During an American Hockey League, AHL playoff game, Kip Brennan of the Hershey Bears engaged in a fight with a drunk Manchester Monarchs (AHL), Manchester Monarchs fan who had attacked him in the penalty box, and ripped the fan's T-shirt. Brennan was restrained by officials, given a game misconduct penalty, and suspended for the remainder of the playoffs. The fan was ejected from the arena. * May 28 – In the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
Western Conference Finals between the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Jazz fans gave way to frustration, with most of it aimed at San Antonio Spurs swingman Manu Ginóbili and his flop (basketball), flair for drawing fouls. Four technical fouls were called against Utah in the fourth quarter, and Jazz fans threw empty water bottles and garbage onto the court after head coach Jerry Sloan and guard Derek Fisher were both ejected for arguing with officials. After the Spurs won the game 91–79, Jazz fans threw beer cups and garbage at Spurs players and officials, with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich being forced to rush his team straight into the locker room instead of submitting to post-game interviews. Two fans were arrested. * June 2 – With the score tied 3–3 in the 89th minute of a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying, UEFA European Football Championship qualifying match between Sweden national football team, Sweden and Denmark national football team, Denmark, a drunk Danish fan stormed the pitch and punched referee Herbert Fandel in the face before being restrained by Danish team officials. Fandel had awarded Sweden a penalty kick after Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen was sent off for punching Swedish striker Markus Rosenberg in the stomach. Following the attack, the match was abandoned, and UEFA later awarded Sweden a 3–0 victory. See UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier fan attack for more details. * June 20 – During an exhibition match between South Melbourne FC, South Melbourne and the Melbourne Victory at Bob Jane Stadium, South Melbourne player Andrew Bourakis was hit by a flare. 15 fans were ejected during the match. * July 25 – In the top of the ninth inning in a game between the Angels and Athletics at Angel Stadium, a fan, Roland Flores, threw a water bottle that hit Mike Piazza after he had homered earlier in the game; Piazza then pointed his bat in the stands at the fan he believed threw the water bottle to get the attention of security. Flores was arrested by the ballpark security, and Piazza pressed charges against Flores. Flores was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years of probation on March 27, 2008. * October 3 – Following
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
's late goal in the UEFA Champions League, Champions League Group D clash against A.C. Milan which resulted in a 2–1 victory, a drunk Celtic fan, Robert McHendry, ran from one side of the pitch to the other, making light contact to the shoulder of Milan goalkeeper Dida (goalkeeper), Dida while running past him; Dida took a couple steps in pursuit of McHendry before he went down clutching his face in apparent agony and had to be taken off the pitch on a stretcher. McHendry was banned from Celtic matches for life, and Celtic were fined 30,000 Swiss Francs for the incident. Dida was fined and suspended for two Champions League matches for simulation; the suspension was later reduced to one match on appeal. Several other
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
fans destroyed advertising hoardings at the side of the pitch as they also tried to reach celebrating Celtic players on the pitch.


2008

* March 22 – At the end of a drawn yet heated IFA Premiership match between Ballymena United F.C., Ballymena and Lisburn Distillery F.C., Lisburn Distillery at the Ballymena Showgrounds, chairs, beer bottles and a leg of lamb were thrown onto the pitch by Ballymena fans; Distillery were also booed and pelted with various objects by Ballymena fans upon leaving the pitch at the end of the match which saw two Ballymena players ejected. A wild brawl broke out in the tunnel involving players and team officials, with both teams' managers having to be restrained by officials, and referee Mark Courtney had to be escorted from the field under police protection. * July 24 – During a minor league A-level baseball game, pitcher Julio Castillo of the Peoria Chiefs was ejected, arrested and charged with assault. After a heated argument with the Dayton Dragons manager which was broken up by the umpire, Castillo threw the ball at the Dragons dugout, but the ball struck a fan, Chris McCarthy, who was knocked out and had to be immediately taken to hospital; this incident resulted in a 10-minute bench-clearing brawl, and the game was delayed for one hour and nine minutes. Castillo was arraigned the next day, held on a $50,000 bond, and had to surrender his passport. On August 6, 2009, Castillo was sentenced to 30 days in jail, 3 years of probation, and was sent to anger management. * December 21 – During a game between the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
and the New York Jets in Seattle, the Jets' Shaun Ellis threw a large chunk of snow at Seahawks fans. Two days later, after the
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
fined Ellis $10,000 for his actions, Ellis claimed that it was "all in good fun."


2009

* February 16 – In an Alabama High School Athletic Association, AHSAA high school basketball tournament game between Carver-Montgomery and Valley high schools at the ASU Acadome, a hard foul with 6:23 remaining in the game escalated into a wild bench-clearing brawl, and fights broke out in the stands before spilling over onto the court. Eleven people were arrested, with the game being declared null and void, and both teams were ejected from the playoffs. Carver-Montgomery were fined $2,600 and banned from tournaments for two years, while Montgomery were fined $3,900 and banned from tournaments for one year. Talladega High School were given a Bye (sports), bye in the tournament as a result of the brawl. * March 21 – During an Argentinian Primera C match between Barracas Bolívar and Club Atlético General Lamadrid, General Lamadrid, a heated argument broke out between three Lamadrid players, four Lamadrid team officials and Barracas fans on the touchline in reaction to taunting and abuse by Barracas fans with Barracas leading 3–0 in the 60th minute; this escalated into a brawl, and the remaining Lamadrid players ran over to defend their colleagues, sparking numerous brawls in and around the stands. After riot police, officials, ground staff and fans had restored order, all 11 Lamadrid players on the pitch and all seven of Lamadrid's substitutes were ejected, and the match was abandoned; Barracas were leading 3–0 at the time, and were awarded the win. Lamadrid were forced to play with a team of reserve and youth players for their next match. * April 25 – In an NHL playoff game between the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
and Washington Capitals at Washington's Verizon Center, Rangers head coach John Tortorella squirted a fan with a water bottle, threw another water bottle over the glass which hit an unsuspecting fan in the face, and made threatening gestures to the fan with a stick. Tortorella was suspended for one game. * May 16 – With 33 seconds remaining in an NRL game between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the
Canterbury Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilita ...
, Bulldogs fans threw bottles onto the field and at officials to protest a video referee's decision that overruled a Try (rugby), try, causing a five-minute delay. * May 18 – At the end of an NRL game between the Wests Tigers and the Brisbane Broncos which the Broncos won 20–18, a drunk Tigers fan, Mark Edwards, who had waited on the sideline after climbing the fence with 20 seconds left, invaded the field and tackled referee Jared Maxwell before being detained by security. Edwards pleaded guilty to trespassing and assault, was put on a two-year good behaviour bond, fined $1,500, and banned from attending NRL games for life. * July 19 – During the first half of his first game back at the Home Depot Center following a loan to A.C. Milan, Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham was subjected to obscene chants by fans angered by his expressed desire to remain with the Italian club. At halftime, Beckham was restrained by security from trying to climb over a barrier to confront a drunk fan who had run onto the pitch. The invading fan was arrested and banned from attending LA Galaxy home games for life, while Beckham was fined $1,000 for the incident. The fan's life ban was later lifted on appeal. * August 12 –
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
center fielder Shane Victorino was hit by a beer cup while catching a pop-fly ball at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...
. Victorino and the Phillies filed a complaint with the Chicago Police Department; the fan was charged with two counts of misdemeanor battery. * October 16 – During a Philippine Basketball Association game between the Burger King Whoppers and Smart Gilas at Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines, Whoppers captain Wynne Arboleda ran into the stands and kicked and punched a fan, Alain Katigbak, who was shouting profanities at him after Arboleda had been ejected for committing his second flagrant foul. Arboleda was suspended for the rest of the 2009–2010 season plus the first game of the 2010–2011 season, fined PhP20,000 (US$428), and banned from attending games during his suspension by the PBA.


2010

* January 31 – Near the end of the fifth and final cricket one-day international between Australian national cricket team, Australia and
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
at the WACA Ground, WACA, a drunk Australian fan, David James Fraser, ran onto the field and tackled Pakistan's Khalid Latif (cricketer), Khalid Latif before being detained by security. The Pakistani sports minister called for Cricket Australia to set up barriers and ban alcohol at Australian cricket grounds, and the ICC investigated the matter, clearing the WACA. Fraser pleaded guilty to trespassing and assault, was fined $9,000, and banned from the WACA for life. A second pitch invasion occurred earlier in the game, and another 24 fans were ejected. * February 20 – During the 2010 Kor Royal Cup stampede, 2010 Kor Royal Cup match between Muangthong United F.C., Muangthong United and Thai Port F.C., Thai Port at Suphachalasai Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Thai Port fans threw firecrackers and bottles onto the pitch with Muangthong United leading 2–0 in the 81st minute, and a pitch invasion occurred in which Thai Port fans attacked fleeing Muangthong United fans, Muangthong United players, officials and stadium security before setting fire to Muangthong United's team flag and a team shirt in the centre of the pitch. Ten fans were injured. * February 23 – Berea College and Indiana University-Southeast basketball players and fans swarmed the floor after a hard screen set by a Berea player as his team was bringing the ball up court. IU Southeast players then rushed to defend their fallen teammate and confronted and abused the opposing player, causing a massive bench-clearing brawl. Eleven players were ejected. * March 15 – During the first period of a Kontinental Hockey League, KHL playoff game between Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and Salavat Yulaev Ufa at the Yekaterinburg Sports Palace, a drunk Avtomobilist fan climbed over the glass behind Salavat's bench and hit Salavat goaltender Vitaly Kolesnik over the head with a stick several times. Kolesnik was left with a concussion and with blood pouring down his face, and had to be escorted from the arena by medical personnel. The fan was arrested, while Avtomobilist were fined one million rubles ($33,500) by the KHL for having inadequate security. * June 6 – The final game of the Greek Basket League finals at Peace and Friendship Stadium between ancient rivals Olympiacos B.C., Olympiacos and Panathinaikos B.C., Panathinaikos (PAO), also respectively known as the "Reds" and "Greens" from their club colors, degenerated into what one commentator called a "night of shame" for Basketball in Greece, Greek basketball. The game started 40 minutes late after police were forced to use tear gas on rioting Reds fans, reportedly incensed at what they considered to be biased officiating in the Greens' favor in Game 3. In the third quarter, with PAO leading 50–42, the game was halted for an hour after Reds fans threw various objects at the PAO bench. Reds fans again began throwing objects on the court with little over a minute left in the game and PAO ahead 76–69; officials ruled the game a forfeit to PAO, giving the Greens the title, and the new champions had to be escorted off the floor by riot police. League organizer Hellenic Basketball Clubs Association, HEBA fined Olympiacos €111,000, ordered them to play their first nine home games of the 2010–11 Greek Basket League, 2010–11 season behind closed doors and also banned TV coverage of these games. * December 26 – During the 1st leg of the 2010 AFF Championship final between Malaysia national football team, Malaysia and Indonesia national football team, Indonesia in Kuala Lumpur, the match was stopped for eight minutes starting in the 53rd minute when the Indonesian players walked off in protest and complained to referee about Laser pointer, laser light attacks from Malaysian fans, followed by firecracker explosion during the stoppage. The return-leg final in Jakarta saw Indonesian fans pointing green laser lights towards Malaysian goalkeeper face but the Malaysian did not complain about the lasers, as they have faced it before during an earlier group match against the Indonesian team.


2011

* March 20 – During a match between San Lorenzo de Almagro, San Lorenzo and Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield, Vélez Sársfield of the Argentine Football Association, a riot broke out between rival fans at José Amalfitani Stadium. The catalyst to the violence was the beating death of unarmed San Lorenzo fan Ramon Aramayo by police at a security checkpoint at the stadium's entrance. Seven minutes into the game, San Lorenzo goalkeeper Pablo Migliore dropped to the ground after being struck in the head by an object thrown from the stands. Fans ripped apart a chain-link fence separating themselves from police before order was restored. * August 8 – In an Arena Football League semi-final playoff game between the Georgia Force and Jacksonville Sharks, a drunk Sharks fan leaned over the wall separating the field from the stands and grabbed Force kick returner C. J. Johnson by his facemask, preventing him from running the ball out of the end zone. Officials called a touchback and assessed the home-team Sharks with a 15-yard penalty, and the fan was ejected from the arena. * October 30 – In a Romanian Association football, soccer Liga I game between FC Petrolul Ploiești and FC Steaua București, when a penalty kick was awarded to Steaua, a Petrolul fan, Dragos Petrut Enache ran onto the field and hit Steaua defender George Galamaz in the face with a heavy object, breaking his cheekbone; Enache was attacked and kicked by two Steaua players, Novak Martinović and Răzvan Stanca, who both received red cards for retaliating. When the play resumed, Steaua converted the penalty kick to go up 2–0 and Petrolul fans started throwing flares onto the field, hitting and slightly injuring Steaua goalkeeper Ciprian Tătărușanu. At that point, the referee decided to abandon the game. Enache was arrested and jailed. * December 21 – In the 36th minute of a 2011–12 KNVB Cup#Fourth round, fourth round match in the 2011–12 KNVB Cup between Eredivisie clubs AFC Ajax, Ajax and AZ (football club), AZ at Amsterdam Arena, Ajax held a 1–0 lead when a fan pitch invasion, ran onto the pitch and launched a karate kick from behind at AZ goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado, who responded by kicking the fan several times before security arrived and arrested the fan. When Alvarado was Misconduct (association football)#Sending-off offences (red card), sent off for retaliating against his attacker, AZ walked off the pitch, and the match was abandoned. The Royal Dutch Football Association, KNVB rescinded the red card and ordered the match replayed in its entirety Behind closed doors (football), behind closed doors on January 19, 2012; Ajax was also fined €10,000 for failing to prevent the fan (who was supposed to be serving a three-year stadium ban) from entering the pitch, and given a suspended one-match spectator ban (not including the replay). Ajax accepted the penalties, and announced that it had given the fan an additional 30-year stadium ban and a lifetime ban from the club and its season ticket list.


2012

* February 1 – A soccer match Port Said Stadium riot, turned ugly in Port Said, Egypt at the conclusion of the match where Port Said's Al-Masry Club, al-Masry beat Cairo's Al-Ahly S.C., Al-Ahly 3–1. Witnesses said trouble broke out when Ahly fans unfurled banners insulting Port Said, and an Ahly supporter descended onto the pitch carrying an iron bar. Al-Masry fans reacted first by attacking Ahli players, then opposing fans. Fights from the stands poured out onto the field, causing riots and eventual civil unrest. The rioting resulted in 73 deaths and at least 1,000 injured, making it the worst disaster in the history of soccer in that nation. * February 10 – A riot erupted after a boxing fight between Luis Lazarte and Johnriel Casimero was stopped in round ten and Casimero credited with a tenth-round technical knockout win in Mar del Plata,
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. Lazarte had been cited for illegal blows, and at one point in the fight had threatened referee Eddie Claudio. After Claudio stopped the bout, fans at ringside began throwing debris, chairs and bottles, and drunk fans climbed into the ring. Casimero was assaulted, while one of his corner men, Sean Gibbons, was hit in the head and suffered a broken rib, several fans and security personnel were injured after being hit by chairs, while Claudio was hit in the mouth by a beer bottle and required stitches. The International Boxing Federation handed Lazarte a lifetime ban for his conduct. * October 19 – During a 2012–13 Football League Championship, Football League Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday F.C., Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United F.C., Leeds United at Hillsborough Stadium, Hillsborough, Leeds supporter Aaron Cawley invaded the pitch and shoved Wednesday goalkeeper Chris Kirkland in the face before returning to the stands; Cawley was soon apprehended, and stated to police he was so drunk he could not remember his actions. He pleaded guilty to assault, and was sentenced to 16 weeks jail and banned from attending football matches for six years.


2013

* April 13 – In Major League Soccer, FC Dallas defender George John (soccer), George John was struck in the head by a bottle thrown by a fan of his own club immediately after scoring the winning goal in a home match against the Los Angeles Galaxy. * June 11 – in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Fourth Round match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City between Costa Rica national football team, Costa Rica and Mexico national football team, Mexico, Costa Rican captain Bryan Ruiz was hit by debris thrown from the stands when attempting to take a corner kick in the 78th minute. Ruiz dropped to the ground in pain and Mexico fans accused him of a unique form of Diving (association football), diving in an effort to intentionally stall having to take the corner kick and run down the clock to preserve the 0–0 tie; after Ruiz fell to the ground, they proceeded to throw more debris on the field until security personnel arrived. The 0–0 tie stood as the final score. * June 18 – Before an Asian Football Confederation, AFC 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC), qualifying match between South Korea and Iran in Seoul, the last game of the group for both teams, South Korean coach Choi Kang-Hee (footballer), Choi Kang-Hee pledged that he would "defeat Iran no matter what. Coach Queiroz will be watching the Brazil World Cup on TV." and statements of feud and revenge started to come from the South Korea national football team stating that they would "make life painful" and make the captain of Iran national football team, Iran cry "tears of blood". Iran eventually won 1–0. As Iran started to celebrate on the pitch, South Korean fans started throwing water bottles towards the Iranian players. As Carlos Queiroz made his way across the pitch to thank the Iranian fans, he was also pelted by the South Korean fans. After the match, the coach of the South Korean team resigned. * June 30 – During a soccer match in Maranhao, referee Death of Otávio Jordão da Silva, Otavio Jordao da Silva ejected Josemir Santos Abreu from the match. This led to a confrontation which ended in da Silva pulling a knife and stabbing Abreu, who would later die from his injuries. Fans rushed the field where they tied up da Silva and ruthlessly beat him and stoned him to death. He was then Dismemberment, quartered and decapitated using a sickle and his severed head was placed on a spike on the field. One fan was arrested in relation to the murder. * July 14 – in a Nabire Regency Boxing Championship, 3,200 kilometers from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, a riot occurred related after the home city boxer's loss when his fans threw chairs at the judges; the winner's fans responded by throwing objects, causing a wild brawl and mass panic in the stadium. About 1,500 spectators scrambled out from the two working exits, causing a stampede leaving 18 fans dead and 40 injured.


2014

* May 1 – At a baseball game in South Korea, an umpire was attacked by a 30-year-old fan from the stands who was upset over a call at first base. The incident occurred during the 7th inning between the Kia Tigers and SK Wyverns at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, where the Tigers play their home games. Park Keun-young made a safe call at first base on a double play attempt in the 6th inning, in which the runner may have been out, before the fan ran onto the field and attacked Park. The Tigers won the game 6–3. * August 23 – Albert Ebossé Bodjongo of JS Kabylie, was struck in the head by an object thrown from the stands at the end of a soccer match in a 2–1 loss to USM Alger in Algeria. Bodjongo was taken to a hospital, but he later died from a traumatic brain injury. * October 14 – During the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Serbia v Albania (UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying), Group I match between the national football teams of Serbia national football team, Serbia and Albanian National Football team, Albania at Partizan Stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, a small remote-controlled quadcopter drone with a politically charged pro-Albanian banner suspended from it hovered over the stadium. Serbian defender Stefan Mitrović (footballer, born 1990), Stefan Mitrović pulled the flag down, causing several Albanian players to set upon him in order to retrieve the banner. Albanian player Bekim Balaj eventually took the banner before being attacked by a Serbian fan, who ran onto the pitch wielding a plastic stool, which lead to a large brawl involving players, staff and Serbian spectators. Referee Martin Atkinson eventually lead the Albanian team off the pitch to the player tunnel, where more fans tried to attack them and threw numerous objects at them. After a 30-minute delay, the game was suspended at 0–0 in the 41st minute. * November 3 – During the Tel Aviv derby, Eran Zahavi scored a penalty to equalise the score at 1–1 in the first half, but was then attacked by a pitch invader. On retaliating, he was sent off, prompting more pitch invasions which led to the match being abandoned.


2015

* February 7 – During an Indiana high school boys basketball game between Hammond High School (Indiana), Hammond and Griffith High School (Indiana), Griffith high schools, Griffith's Anthony Murphy was attempting a slam dunk when Tim Echoles of Hammond fouled him into a padded wall. Players, coaches, fans and Griffith police spilled onto the court to engage in a brawl that lasted several minutes. The game was cancelled on the spot and both schools had the remainder of their seasons cancelled by the Indiana High School Athletic Association. * August 10 – During a first round match of the 2015–16 DFB-Pokal, DFB-Pokal between VfL Osnabrück and RB Leipzig, referee Martin Petersen was struck in the back of the head by a lighter, thrown by an Osnabrück supporter. The match was abandoned, and later the win was awarded to Leipzig. Osnabrück were leading 1–0 in the 71st minute at the time of the event.


2016

* March 2 – During a semifinal match in the 2015–16 Greek Football Cup, PAOK FC, PAOK midfielder Robert Mak was taken down in the penalty area, and after there was no call on the play late in the second half with Olympiacos F.C., Olympiacos leading 2–1, crowds in the stands were outraged and flares were thrown onto the field in the 89th minute. Players and officials were escorted off the field by security and riot police, and the first leg of the two-game aggregate would be suspended. * May 21 – On the final whistle of the 2016 Scottish Cup Final at
Hampden Park Hampden Park (Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Hampden''), often referred to as Hampden, is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The -capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland. It is the no ...
, several hundred supporters of winners Hibernian (who had won the trophy for the first time in 114 years) invaded the pitch to celebrate; some also approached the opposite end to goad fans of the losing finalists Rangers, leading to them also running onto the pitch where multiple fights broke out and continued for some minutes. Mounted police were brought in to restore order, the trophy was presented an hour later and a police investigation to identify those involved in the violence lasted several months.


2022

* March 5 – The 62nd minute of a soccer match between Querétaro and Atlas from Guadalajara, with Atlas leading 1–0, was suspended after multiple fights broke out in the stands. Some spectators used chairs and metal bars as weapons, even one on the field with a knife to cut the nets of a goalkeeper net. Most of the players retreated off the field quickly and into their respective locker rooms before spectators ran onto the field to look for a place of safety. There were 26 people who were seriously injured (3 critically injured) in the riots. Liga MX, a professional soccer league in Mexico, suspended all matches scheduled the next day. State authorities have suspended 5 officials for this incident.Mexico suspends 5 officials over soccer match brawl
/ref>


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Violent Spectator Incidents In Sports Sport-related lists Violence in sports