10 instances of fan violence in football

“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I can assure you, it is more serious than that.”-Bill ShanklyThe game of football is one where emotions reign supreme. More than the players on the pitch, the fans in the stands bear testimony to this fact. And like often when emotions run high, common sense and rationality take the backseat.Since its inception, fan violence and hooliganism have almost been an intrinsic aspect of the game of football. Often rivalries between clubs and countries have spilled onto the stands with fans of different teams attacking each other. More often than not, this has resulted in cataclysmic consequences with people, players and officials getting severely injured or losing their lives.Here’s looking at some of the most tragic instances of fan violence in the history of football.

#1 Kenilworth Road Tragedy

 This riot dates to back 13th March 1985 when Milwall faced Luton Town in a sixth round FA Cup clash.  Trouble here began much before the game. With the Millwall fans not getting a large proportion of the tickets, they began to riot.

Prior to kickoff, the away fans in hoards began to fill the Kenilworth Stand which was reserved for them. Fans were seen scaling the fences and rushing towards the ground. When the players came out to warm up, missiles in the form of bottles were thrown at them.

The game eventually began with the police sorting things out but that did not last long. Inside 14 minutes, the away fans began to riot again and the match was stopped for quite some time. The game however resumed and it ended with Luton Town registering a 1-0 win. Soon after the game though, fans of both sides rushed out onto the pitch and a brawl broke out. 81 people were injured which included 31 policemen.

The events led to Luton Town banning away supporters for four years and also an expulsion from the tournament.