Sports riot


A sports riot is a riot that occurs during or after sporting events. Sports riots occur worldwide. Most riots are known to occur after the event is done, but some have been during the game Whilst football is one of the more well-known triggers for riots, other sports which have triggered riots include ice hockey and motorcycle racing. There are a number of factors believed to influence whether riots occur, including cultural factors; environmental factors such as temperature, darkness, and noise; and witnessing player violence.

Examples

The following are various examples of a sports riot:
Riot nameDateDescription
Nika riotsAD 532In what is known to be one of the first forms of sports rioting, supporters of the chariot racing team, Greens, revolted against the Byzantine Empire's leader and supporter of the Greens' rival Blues, Justinian. At least half of the Empire's capital of Constantinople was burned by the rioters, and 30,000 people were killed.
1909 Scottish Cup FinalApril 17, 1909After the Scottish Cup ended in a tie, instead of going into extra time, an angry crowd invaded the pitch and tore down the goalposts, as well as attacking the mounted police, resulting in over 100 injuries.
Johnson-Jeffries riotsJuly 4, 1910After African-American boxer Jack Johnson defeated the "Great White Hope" James J. Jeffries in the "Fight of the Century", race riots erupted in dozens of U.S. cities.
Richard RiotMarch 17, 1955After the suspension of Montreal Canadiens great Maurice Richard, angry fans wrought havoc in Montreal, and Richard had to make a public appeal to end the riot.
The Roosevelt Raceway RiotNovember 8, 1963In an evening race at the former Roosevelt Raceway racetrack in Westbury, New York, two horses finished following a mid-race crash. The race was declared official, and it angered the 23,127 fans in attendance that night, setting off a riot. The fans were throwing bottles and other debris, and then jumping over the railing, smashing the tote board, followed by them attacking a judges booth. Finally, the fans set fires, as arriving firemen set their hoses on the rioters to push them back. 15 people were treated for injuries.
1964 Lima football riotMay 24, 1964In the worst riot in association football history, the host Peru was losing to Argentina, and before the game ended, the fans ultimately rioted, and the police fired tear gas into the crowd, as well as padlocking the gates, leading to 318 deaths, with many from asphyxia.
Båstad riotsMay 3, 1968Demonstrators protested the participation of Rhodesia and South Africa in the Davis Cup, which led to intervention from the Swedish Police.
1971 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia1971In South Africa's tour, anti-apartheid groups protested, resulting in a state of emergency in Queensland, leading to 700 people being arrested.
Ten Cent Beer NightJune 4, 1974Ten 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 idea behind the promotion was to attract more fans to the game by offering cups of 3.2% beer for just 10 cents each with a limit of six per purchase. During the game, fans became heavily intoxicated, culminating in a riot in the ninth inning.
Disco Demolition NightJuly 12, 1979Disco Demolition Night was an ill-fated baseball promotion that took place on July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. At the climax of the event, a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field between games of the twi-night doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. Many of those in attendance had come to see the explosion rather than the games and rushed onto the field after the detonation. The playing field was damaged both by the explosion and by the rowdy fans to the point where the White Sox were required to forfeit the second game of the doubleheader to the Tigers.
1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand198110 years after the controversial tour of Australia, South Africa began its tour of New Zealand, and like the '71 tour, South Africa became an international pariah due to its apartheid law. Protestors eventually revolted and broke into the country stadiums before and during games, leading to 2 of the games being cancelled.
Detroit 1984 World Series Riot1984After the Detroit Tigers' World Series victory over the San Diego Padres in 1984, riots broke out that killed one person and left 80 injured and eight rapes reported. Millions of dollars in property damage including a burned squad car and taxi. Rocks and glass bottles were reportedly thrown at police who were wearing riot gear.
Aggieville Riots1984
1986		In 1984 and 1986, after 2 college football games between rivals Kansas State and Kansas, a group of 6,000 celebrating KSU fans, after a 24–7 victory, crowded into a bar, and eventually became rowdy, and initiated a riot. 2 years later, after KSU once again defeated KU, this time 29–12, another group of 6,000 KSU fans, this time wearing "Riotville" shirts, rioted again, and also torched a Volkswagen Beetle.
19 May incidentMay 19, 1985In Workers Stadium, rioting Chinese fans were silenced by the People's Armed Police.
1986 Montreal Stanley Cup riot1986After the Canadiens won the finals, fans took to the streets to celebrate, and ended up rioting.
1990 Detroit riotJune 15, 1990Widespread rioting occurred in Detroit after the Detroit Pistons won the 1990 NBA Finals. Eight people were killed.
Chicago Bulls Championship riots1991-1997Rioting and looting occurred in Chicago after the Chicago Bulls won the NBA Finals in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997
1993 Montreal Stanley Cup riotJune 9, 1993A year before the riot in Vancouver, Montreal experienced a riot shortly after their Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, as victory celebrations mutated into unrest. In the epicenter of the riots, Ste. Catherine St., stores were looted and police cars were set on fire. The riots eventually caused $2.5 million in damage, $ in dollars.
1994 Vancouver Stanley Cup riotJune 14, 1994The National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks lost to the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. In what was supposed to be a congregation of 50 to 70 thousand fans led to riot after a man fell into the crowd. Policemen attempted to aid the man on bicycles, which the fans attempted to take, and the police fired tear gas into the fans, initiating the riot.
2000 UEFA Cup Final riotsMay 17, 2000The Wednesday before the UEFA Cup Final, a fan from Copenhagen was stabbed, and eventually, a group of Galatasaray fans confronted and provoked a group of Arsenal fans in a bar, starting a brawl. Later, approximately 500 Arsenal fans attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. This caused a severe riot in the city square with several restaurant facilities used by fans to fight each other with iron bars and knives also being used. This lasted about 20 minutes before the police attempted to break up the fight with tear gas. The violence, which reportedly included fans from other English clubs, lasted for 45 minutes. There were further also clashes at the airport the day after the game.
2006 Basel Hooligan IncidentMay 13, 2006Fans of FC Basel 1893 stormed St. Jakob-Park in the waning minutes of a game against FC Zürich. Zürich eventually scored, and ended Basel's chances of a threepeat Swiss Super League championship. In an attack of Zürich player Iulian Filipescu, who scored the winning goal, a flare was thrown at him, and Filipescu and teammate Alhassance Keita was forced to kick at the fans before police detained the hooligans.
2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflictApril 4, 2007During a game between A.S. Roma and Manchester United F.C., groups of fans started throwing missiles over a barrier that was to separate the fans, prompting Italian riot police to enter the stadium, which eventually sparked a brawl.
2008 Montreal riot2008After the Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, fans began rioting in celebration.
2010 Montreal riot2010Montreal was stricken with a fifth riot after the Canadiens defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs.
2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riotJune 15, 2011Seventeen years after the 1994 riot, Vancouver was faced with a second riot, after the Canucks lost, also in Game 7, to the Boston Bruins. Unlike in 1994, the fans met at giant screens, where Game 7 was being televised. Shortly before the game's end, fans began throwing bottles at the screen, as well as burning Canuck and Bruin jerseys and flags. The riot eventually escalated when fans began overturning and burning cars. In all, the fans burned 17 cars, as well as a fire truck, and ultimately, 85 rioters were arrested.
2012 European Men's Handball Championship riotsJanuary 24–25, 2012After a match between Croatia and France, Serbian hooligans attacked several Croatian fans, including a notable incident where a group of Croatian fans who were heading home were attacked by 50 masked men with axes, stones and bricks, and a fan was stabbed, with a Croatian van being set alight.
Port Said Stadium disasterFebruary 1, 2012In Port Said, Egypt, 79 people were killed by Al-Masry Club fans using knives, swords, clubs, stones, bottles, and fireworks as weapons, who were attacking the Al-Ahly S.C. players.
2014 World Series civil unrestOctober 29–30, 2014After the San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 World Series, Giants fans set fires, vandalized buses and police cars, shattered windows of businesses, scrawled graffiti, and threw bottles at police. Two people were shot, one person was stabbed, and a police officer was badly hurt from fireworks exploding. 40 arrests were made.
2016 World SeriesNovember 2–3, 2016After the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 World Series, there were 14 people were arrested for disorderly and reckless conduct.
Super Bowl LIIFebruary 4–5, 2018When the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, fans in Philadelphia started flipping cars and lighting trash on fire in the streets.