Love and hate on world’s playing fields

Recently, we heard about the smoke bomb being flung at a sideline official in a Tottenham v Aston Villa match.

It’s a bit mad to think that one fan could even consider doing that and it’s even worse that they did it.

So that made me think about all the crazy fans out there, and the stories are just shocking.

Firstly, Rongsaeng, 30, and Sonkun, 41, were watching Italy’s World Cup 2006 match with Ghana in the Thai beach resort of Pattaya, about 70km east of Bangkok. Unfortunately, so was an armed guy who demanded peace and quiet. When Andrea Pirlo lashed in Italy’s opener in the first half, the two men erupted with delight, causing a heated altercation with said armed man. This confrontation spilled over into gunfire, with both men shot dead.

And what about the match in Brazil — the match where the referee killed a player, then got himself beheaded. It happened in the Maranhão region of northeastern Brazil. Thirty-year-old Josenir dos Santos Abreu approached the referee, 20-year-old Otávio Jordão da Silva during a match to argue a call. Abreu reportedly threw a punch at da Silva, who then took out a knife and stabbed the player. Abreu died of his wounds en route to the hospital.

Meanwhile, the player’s friends and family invaded the pitch and attacked da Silva. They reportedly tied up the referee, beat him, stoned him, lynched him, and then quartered him. When they finished, they cut off his head and placed it on a stake in the centre of the field.

Probably, the most bizarre had to be after the 2010 World Cup (with the arrival of a vuvuzela) in an African Premier League match between the Golden Arrows and the Kaiser Chiefs. An incensed fan burst onto the field with vuvuzela in hand, running straight for one unfortunate referee. The fan was able to wallop the ref in the back of the head once before security guards wrangled him off.

Fortunately for this referee, he laughed it off and continued refereeing as casually as ever.

But definitely the craziest, yet nicest thing I have seen a fan do was this year.

A football fan in Miami invaded the pitch to give Cristiano Ronaldo a long hug and whisper in his ear. Even though the awkward exchange lasted 30 seconds, Ronaldo has written to the courts pleading for the fan not to be jailed.

So there really are genuine fans, who only want awkward hugs and just to meet their idol.