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 excludes incidents of riots or other violence, often outside the event venue, which did not involve game participants.
19th century
1879 7 February – During the Sydney Riot of 1879, 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; two English players were assaulted, with three fans being arrested.
1893 16 June – During a baseball game between the Chicago Colts and New York Giants at New York's Polo Grounds, Umpire Tim Hurst made several controversial calls which made the "Bleacherites ... feverishly indignant." At the end of the game, "a number of ill-bred fellows" from the crowd jumped the railings and rushed at Hurst. With the help of three or four policemen, Hurst escaped with at most a scratch.
1895 26 January – Following the Football League game between Woolwich Arsenal and Burton Wanderers, referee John Brodie was assaulted by a spectator and knocked unconscious. Consequently, the Manor Ground was closed for six weeks.
1897
4 August – During a baseball game between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh at Cincinnati's League Park, Umpire Tim Hurst angered fans by ruling that Cincinnati's Bug Holliday was tagged out despite having been deliberately tripped by Pittsburgh's Dick Padden. After a fan threw a beer glass onto the field which landed at Hurst's feet, Hurst threw the glass back into the crowd, hitting an innocent fan in the head who "fell to the floor like an ox hit on the head with a sledgehammer." The man was carried off unconscious and in serious condition while police had to keep the crowd from attacking Hurst. Hurst was ultimately arrested and charged with assault.
20th century 1901 21 August – In the bottom of the 4th inning of an American League Baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers 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 exchanging punches with Baltimore's Mike Donlin before Donlin's teammate Bill Keister 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.Baseball in 1901
1902 7 June – At the end of a Victorian Football League match between Carlton and Fitzroy 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 9 July – As the riders in the 1904 Tour de France climbed the Col de la République in the Loire department, supporters of regional favorite Antoine Fauré physically attacked several of his opponents.Woodland, Les (2007), The Yellow Jersey Guide to the Tour de France, Yellow Jersey Press, p. 99 The repercussions of this incident continue to this day: the Tour did not return to Loire until 1950, 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 and 1904 Tours are no longer officially recognized as Tour climbs. 9 July – After a drawn VFL match between Geelong and Carlton 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. 31 August – During a baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants at Cincinnati's League Park, Giants catcher Frank Bowerman left the bench to attack a taunting fan, allegedly on orders from manager John McGraw. Bowerman was arrested but the victim declined to press charges.
1906 27 July – Charlie Carr, player-manager for the Indianapolis Indians, entered the crowd and struck a spectator three or four times in the head, knocking him down and causing him to sprain his wrist. Carr was tried for assault but acquitted due to a jurisdictional technicality.
1908 6 June – At the end of a fiery VFL match between Fitzroy and Essendon 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. Three players were suspended for four matches each by the VFL.
1909 17 April – At the end of the drawn 1909 Scottish Cup Final replay between Rangers and Celtic at Hampden Park, when it became clear there would be no extra time played as hoped, 6,000 spectators invaded the pitch, resulting in multiple brawls between rival fans. Over 2½ hours, fans tore up the goalposts, lit numerous fires on wooden barricades and throughout the arena and fought with and assaulted mounted police, firefighters and ambulance staff when they arrived, including pelting them with various objects. The riots and fires caused £1,000 in damage, with 58 police officers and 60 other people being injured. The 1909 Scottish Cup and all medals were withheld. 4 September – 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 28 May – During the last quarter of a VFL match at Princes Park between Carlton and South Melbourne, Carlton's George Topping knocked-out South Melbourne's Bert Streckfuss 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. 24 June – During a baseball game at Washington Park in Brooklyn, Art Devlin of the New York Giants punched a spectator in the jaw, knocking him unconscious for seven minutes. Devlin was charged with assault, suspended and sued by the spectator.
1912
15 May – During the sixth inning of a game between the New York Highlanders and the Detroit Tigers at Hilltop Park in New York, Tigers outfielder Ty Cobb 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, 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 18 May game against the Philadelphia A's; 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 American League president Ban Johnson 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, 20 November 2004 11 September – 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 a triple with a run batted in on the third pitch of what was to have been an intentional walk.
1913
4 June – Emily Davison, a women's suffrage activist, ran onto the track during The Derby race and was trampled to death by a horse.Sensational Derby, King's horse brought down, woman and jockey injured , The Morning Post, 15 June 1913
1914 2 May – 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. 25 July – 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 7 August – 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 11 September – In the VFA Second Semi-Final between Footscray and North Melbourne 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 for throwing dirt in the eyes of the umpire, Babe Ruth 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.
1923 20 September – After a Pacific Coast League game between the San Francisco Seals and Sacramento Senators in Sacramento, an angry mob of fans chased umpires Lord Byron and Jim Ward out of the ballpark. The violent crowd shouted, spat, struck and threw things at the umpires, including stones and bricks. The umpires had to be escorted by Seals players, including Joe Kelly and Ray Flaskamper, both of whom reportedly punched rioters, and Archie Yelle, who was hit in the face with a stone intended for Byron and required stitches below his eye. Ward was knocked unconscious by a brick to the head.
1924