Fans are what drive sport. Without them no tickets would be sold, merchandise would go no further than the Unions and the players would not be earning any money. But while sportsmen and women generally appreciate their rabid followers, there are those who go beyond the realms of simply showing support.

From ref-tacklers, to former priests disrupting marathons and even knife-wielding tennis fans, iafrica.com lists 10 of the most deranged fans ever to set foot inside a sports-ground.

Rugby mania!

South African rugby has had some embarrassing moments, but few could match the sight of Springbok fan Pieter van Zyl charging onto the Absa Stadium pitch — squeezed into the smallest Bok replica jersey he could find — to tackle ref David McHugh. Apparently upset with the officiating during the Test against the All Blacks, a puffing and red-faced Van Zyl managed to sack his target, before being smacked to the ground by Bok flank AJ Venter and Kiwi star Richie McCaw… He was later hit with a ban from all rugby, but it is not known if that has ever been enforced…

Marathon Man:

It was not the first time de-frocked Irish priest Cornelius Horan had sabotaged a high-profile event, but his attack on Brazilian runner Vanderlei Lima cost the latter his gold medal in the marathon at the Athens Olympics. Donned in traditional Irish gear, the moggy Horan charged into the road and tackled Lima, who was leading at the time, resulting in the runner losing seven seconds, and ultimately two places. Lima, who was three miles from the finish when the attack happened, ended with the bronze medal and was just happy the disturbed 'fan' was not carrying a knife or a gun.

Basketball brawlers:

Sport can be emotional and sometimes that can spill over into the odd bout of fisticuffs. At times it even degenerates into a brawl, but it seldom involves the players and the fans — well, not at the same time at least. But when the two collide, well, things get out of control pretty quickly. When Indiana Pacers player Ron Artest was rushed by an angry fan he defended himself, smashing the antagonist to the floor, when the would-be assaulter charged again he was clobbered by Jermain O'Neal — the result? After fans began pelting the players with cups and anything else they could get their hands on, Artest and Stephen Jackson waded in and started throwing punches, triggering one of the biggest brawls the NBA has ever seen…

Tennis beserker:

Tennis has long been considered a sport free of hooligans or badly behaved fans. But they 'boast' one of the worst incidents ever seen in global sport when former world number one Monica Seles was stabbed by a deranged fan in the middle of a match! While taking a breather in between games, the 19-year-old Seles was attacked by German Guenter Parche, who sank a 10-inch blade into the tennis star's back. The reason? At the time it ranged from him being a fan of Seles' tennis rival Steffi Graaf to politically-motivated hatred against the player's Serbian roots. Seles returned, but never dominated the courts as she did before the incident. And Parche? He got off with a two-year suspended sentence.

Soccer slapper:

In 2002 Aston Villa goalkeeper Peter Enkleman fluffed it properly. Fielding a routine throw-in from defender Olof Mellberg, the ball rolled underneath Enkelman's foot and into the back of the net… His shame was doubled when a Birmingham fan charged onto the field, goading the red-faced keeper with some well-placed taunts, before slapping him in the face.

Cantona's Kung Fu:

The French are always an emotional bunch, but Man U striker Eric Cantona sealed his place in football lore when he landed a double-kick on the double-chin of one Matthew Simmons — a Crystal Palace supporter. When Cantona was red-carded for a tackle on Palace's Richard Shaw, Simmons made his way to the barrier and offered his take on things, prompting the fiery Frenchman to plant his studs on the quivering jowls of the churlish Brit. Cantona was banned for nine months, from all soccer, but his career certainly didn't suffer, if anything it got better, particularly the commercial work after his days on the pitch were long over.

Taking one for the team:

Football hooliganism is nothing new, but usually the supporters of opposing clubs are happy enough thumping each other. Every so often, however, the people on the pitch are the target of their rage. What Sevilla coach Juande Ramos undoubtedly considered a routine tie against Real Betis, turned sour when he was hit on the head by an object chucked at him by an irate spectator supporting Betis. Ramos was knocked unconscious and the game was called early — resulting in a three-match stadium ban for Betis.

Fan Man:

Dubbed 'Fan Man' by the media, James Jarrett Miller was a paraglider from Nevada, whose big moment came when he crashed the 1993 heavyweight title fight between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield via paraglider. When he hit the canvas, however, his leg got caught in the top rope of the ring and he was rushed by fans, who proceeded to beat the hell out of him — with one overzealous security guard laying down 20 blows! "It was a heavyweight fight," Miller joked later, "and I was the only guy who got knocked out."

Take your kit off!

As long as we have had sports there have been those individuals just waiting to take their kit off and 'share' their wares with the rest of us, but none so regularly as this gent. Mark Roberts has been forced to surrender his passport and was slapped with a three-year football ban after donning his birthday suit at the Champions League final in 2002. But his exploits include the last Super Bowl, the Wimbledon men's final, the Tour de France, the UEFA Cup final, the rugby union World Cup final, the French Open, the Ryder Cup, the London Marathon, the Winter Olympics curling event, the World Snooker Championships, the Commonwealth Games, the International Synchronised Swimming Championships, Royal Ascot, the Grand National, Mr Universe, Britain's National Lottery, the Pamplona Running of the Bulls — and even dog show Crufts! That's a lot of nudie running…

Home alone:

Indian cricket fans have long had a reputation for taking the results a tad too seriously. But during the 2007 Cricket World Cup they took it to new extremes. After India were shocked by Bangladesh, before losing to Sri Lanka — ultimately failing to make it past the group stages — all hell broke loose back in India. The supporters were not amused, and in Ranchi, big-hitting wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni's house was stoned by effigy-burning fans, while bowler Zaheer Khan's restaurant came in for similar treatment. The team returned to India under the cover of darkness and enough security to keep George Bush safe…


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